Mastering the Art of Interviewing: Insider Tips for Creating Engaging Podcast Interviews

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Mastering the Art of Interviewing: Insider Tips for Creating Engaging Podcast Interviews

25 Mar, 2024

If the world of podcasting has proven one thing, it’s that everyone has a story to tell. But if you aren’t asking the right questions, or asking them in the right way, you might miss out on the richness a guest can bring to your digital table. Knowing how to effectively interview is as much an art as it is a science. For those seeking to hone their interviewing skills for podcasting, here are some tried-and-true techniques that can ensure your conversations are enlivening, relevant, and engaging.

Adequate Research Is Crucial

Before your interview, put ample time into researching your guest and the topic at hand. Familiarize yourself not just with the broad strokes, but also with the finer details. What are the seminal moments of their career? What drives them? Any controversy? Their latest project? Fill your research journal with everything you can discover about them – the professional, the personal, the inspirational, and the controversial. Knowing your guests well can lead to insightful questions and gives you a roadmap for navigating the conversation effectively.

Script But Stay Flexible

Create a list of questions and topics that drive the conversation further. Having a script is like having a journey’s map but remember, the most interesting landscapes often reveal themselves off the beaten path. If the guest brings up an intriguing point that deviates from your script, be flexible enough to pursue that thread instead of rigidly sticking to the planned route.

Open-Ended Questions Are Key

Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Instead, aim for open-ended questions. They encourage your guest to dive deep, telling their story in their own words. Asking “can you tell me more about...” or “how did you feel when...” are great ways to prompt guests into a more detailed response.

Practice Active Listening

One mistake podcasters often make is focusing too much on what to say next, rather than absorbing what their guest is sharing. Keep yourself engaged in whatever your guest is talking about. Active listening means responding effectively to the conversation by summarizing, affirming, reflecting or asking follow-up questions based on what your guest just said. This also conveys respect and interest towards your guest’s insights and narratives.

Put Your Guest At Ease

Remember, an interview that feels like an interrogation can make even the most seasoned professional uncomfortable. Begin with easier, warm-up questions. Use humor and empathy to create a relaxed atmosphere where guests are more likely to open up. Don’t shy away from sharing relevant, personal anecdotes. A conversational approach can make your guest forget that a microphone is in front of them.

1. Capture The Human Element

Listeners connect with the human side of your guests. Encourage guests to share personal experiences, struggles, triumphs, and moments of vulnerability. It can turn a good interview into a great one. However, always respect the comfort level of your guest and never trespass their boundary of privacy.

2. Edit Judiciously

Editing is a critical part of shaping an engaging interview. Remove redundancies, awkward pauses, or off-topic ramblings while maintaining the essence of the conversation. But be sure to keep those spontaneous laughter, poignant silences, or emotional moments; they bring authenticity to your podcast.

Overall, conducting a successful podcast interview requires thorough preparation, active listening, and keen flexibility. Remember, each interview is unique and what works for one may not work for another. However, these strategies will set you on the path to creating more engaging, informative, and captivating content for your podcast.

Contributed By: Avishek Rakshit

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