5 Interview Techniques To Make Your Podcast Episodes Stand Out
Creating an interview podcast seems like an easy way to generate an immense amount of content quickly.
Add to that the assumptions that interviewees will promote your show to their audiences, that guests are easy to come by, or that interview questions can be repeated guest after guest and you've got a recipe for lots of mediocre podcasts.
Improving your interviewing skills is one of the easiest ways to turn a mediocre podcast with mediocre results into a standout podcast with exceptional results.
Unfortunately, interviewing skills can seem like a secret that only a select few in the hallowed corridors of NPR are privy to.
The result is that most interview shows end up talking to the same people about the same things. They lack focus, direction, and feeling. They fail to make a point or uncover new truth.
And that's just not good for business.
An interview is an opportunity to tell a fascinating story within the context of your show's mission and thesis.
But most interview shows are just rehashing the same old stuff.
Whether you started an interview show to save a little time or because you share the innate curiosity of top interviewers, you can quickly improve your interview skills and make your show really stand out with a few tried and true techniques.
1) Start in the middle of the action
If I had a penny for every interview that started with, "introduce yourself" or "tell us about your journey to where you are now," I'd be a very, very rich woman.
Introductions are for, well, the introduction of your show. You've got the guest's bio already, you know what the interview is about, you know why you invited this person on your show. Tell that story before the interview even starts.
When the interview actually starts, jump into the action.
Ask them about a particular decision they made, ask them for the backstory on a specific element of the topic at hand, ask about something you're pretty sure will be a surprise to the audience.
Don't let the first question be a gimme.
Capture both the attention of your audience and the attention of your guest right out of the gate.
If starting in the middle of the action feels hard or you're just not sure where to start, that's okay too. Ask some easy questions upfront...
...and then cut them out of the final episode.
2) Build off of existing material
The easiest way to create an interview that doesn't just rehash the same stories or talking points is to pick a different starting point than any other interview.
While that might sound like it takes a lot of research, it doesn't have to.
Hopefully, you picked your interviewee because you're interested in their life or work. You already know something about them. Start there and get curious about what they've written or shared on the topic you're most interested in.
Find a blog post, another podcast interview, or a video of a talk they gave. Read it, listen to it, or watch it.
Take note of something interesting from that piece of content that you'd like to learn more about. Build your interview from that starting point.
For instance, when I was interviewed for Claire Pelletreau's podcast, Get Paid, Claire cited an article I wrote about systems of oppression in the small business world. Not only did she want to hear more of my thoughts, she disagreed with me. That made for an interesting interview!
3) "Tell me about a time when..."
Stories give us a completely different way to process information.
Charles Duhigg is basing his new podcast, How To!, on exactly that principle. Instead of doing a traditional advice show or "how to" interviews (despite the name of the show), he's uncovering stories that can solve real problems people are dealing with.
He wrote for Slate:
So much of the wise advice I had received from experts over the years—eat less, exercise more, be patient with your children, assume things will work out in the end—had washed over me, failing to take root. Until, that is, I found stories through reporting that made all of that guidance seem tangible and real.
When guests are often accustomed to answering in talking points or carefully defined messaging, it can be difficult to elicit stories as an interviewer.
Alex Blumberg, who cut his teeth at This American Life and is now the co-founder of the podcasting juggernaut Gimlet Media, teaches a simple way to find the story: simply say, "Tell me about a time when..."
You can ask about mistakes, challenges, victories, or moments of supreme clarity. You can ask for old stories, new stories, or stories that no one has ever heard before.
The story will make the rest of the interview easy and provide hours’ worth of follow-up questions if you let it.
4) Cut to the feeling
Truly great interviews make us feel something.
Specifically, they make us feel what the guest felt at a particular moment in time (often connected to a story, of course).
These moments of feeling can create a sense of tension, shock, or empathy. They help us connect—not just with the guest, but with the host, the show, and other listeners, too.
It might sound like the most difficult aspect of better interviewing I've asked you to try so far. But, surprise! It's not!
Evoking a feeling from an interview is as simple as asking, "How did that feel?"
All you have to do is remember to ask the question.
To do that, I'll actually write "How did that feel?" in the margin of my interview notes. It's my go-to follow-up question after a guest tells a story.
In my What Works interview with Jereshia Hawk, the creator of Services That Sell and the host of Jereshia Says, I remembered to ask the question and Jereshia described a feeling of despair so overwhelming she laid down on a concrete floor and cried. I'll never forget how I felt as she described the sensation.
It's been one of our most popular episodes to date.
5) Stay focused
The last technique you can use to dramatically improve your interviews with ease is one that applies to all content—but gets especially abused when it comes to interview-based podcasts.
Most interviews lack a distinct focus.
The host is genuinely interested in asking about a bunch of topics. The guest is strategically interested in talking about their own message. And the show itself doesn't provide a framework for keeping things focused, either.
The most consequential shift I ever made as an interviewer was deciding to go deep instead of wide with my questions.
For each interview, I have a specific topic I want to cover. That topic is part of a broader theme I'm exploring over 4-8 episodes. That theme is part of a content framework that defines what our show is about.
But you don't have to do what I do to stay focused.
Know what you're trying to get out of each interview. Share that goal with your guest before you begin. Work to keep the guest on topic throughout the interview.
Don't be afraid to circle back, ask for clarification, or get specifics.
Good interviews take effort—and they're worth it.
Interviews can help you grow your audience, include diverse voices, and build your own knowledge. But it's not quite as simple as booking an appointment and picking up the digital phone.
Taking a small amount of time for research and honing a few simple interviewing techniques can really make your show standout.
The best part? Putting in the effort to become a better interviewer means more people will be talking about your show, talking back to you as the host, and sharing what they've heard with a friend. That means that, not only will your show be a joy to listen to, it'll better support your business goals, too!
Power Up Your Next Podcast Interview
Now that you’ve learned these 5 techniques, check out our favorite types of questions to make your next podcast interview truly remarkable. Click here to grab the download!