Hosting a Successful Interview

[00:00:00] Rob: Interviews can be a really great way to grow the content of your podcast. We've done a lot of them and they've been something that's really helped us in a number of venues with our own business and even exploring ways to really reinvent portions of our podcasts. So what we wanted to share today are some important things you can do to actually host a successful.

[00:00:21] Knowing that when we started out, we were maybe a little fumbling, cause we didn't know exactly what we were doing. So we had to learn along the way and , maybe we can save you some time and some stress. One of the first things that we can point out to you is researching your guest. This seems like it should be a no-brainer.

[00:00:38] but a lot of people go into an interview not really knowing a lot about their guests. Most people you're interviewing. There's probably a good bit of information about them on the. Whether that's their website or social media, and this would be one place where being a social media stalker. Totally.

[00:00:54] Okay. It's not creepy at all. This is not a dating website. Go to town. But think of it, if your guest is. Read their latest book. It's going to be something they want to talk about, Google them. Are there articles that they've written or have people publish something about them? Anything that you can digest to know more about them so that you can speak intelligently to and about your guests and be more prepared from the get-go.

[00:01:19] Brittany: I think that that is one of the most important things that we do is researching the guest and something else. When you are researching the guests, pick out like some interesting tidbit that maybe you discover. I think one of our favorite ones was someone that had actually been involved in an altercation and they ended up moving their business.

[00:01:38] And so we were able to ask about that and it actually ended up being a really interesting conversation. Based off that little tiny news article that we were able to find. So just focusing on those little things that make things interesting. And I think another thing that we've done really well is we write our guests bio for them.

[00:01:55] And I think because we do that, we're able to also pull more details, [00:02:00] more information because that's how much research we do in order to have someone on our side.

[00:02:04] Rob: Definitely. And a lot of people, you know, these days they're starting to do podcasts tours. It's, you know, really starting to become the norm, especially if they're promoting a business or a product or a service. A lot of them, if they're writing their own bio, they've sent the same thing on every other show.

[00:02:20] if you're not the first person se interview them and your audience happens to be shared by another podcast, which they most likely. And they have heard this guest before. They're going to hear the same thing. So it's a way to ensure that your content or your episode is fresh. And that's actually somewhere where you can think about, focusing on where your show and your guests intersect.

[00:02:39] So think about the topic of your show. What's your. And what your guest is bringing to it. What's the value that together you can add. And that's how you're going to focus your questions and drive the show forward and create quality content. If we were bringing on an entrepreneur, what is their business?

[00:02:58] Now we are, in the marketing space where podcasters, we do development. we have a pretty big area to drop off. And then when we've met entrepreneurs in our own cities, we're talking to bar owners, gym owners. 

[00:03:12] Brittany: We're talking to people that are creatives. I think we've talked to a lot of creatives that have art studios or are building an online business, which has been super cool. And being able to talk to those people and really dig into their industry. I think that's been really fun and interesting. As entrepreneurs that's what our podcast is.

[00:03:31] That's what season one and season two really were about where the entrepreneurs and with that, we were able to dig into different verticals. And I think that that's interesting to entrepreneurs because they're always looking for their next thing. So being able to talk to people about, I think it was , super interesting.

[00:03:46] Rob: Definitely. I agree. And it was interesting as we dug into those conversations with people, we didn't realize how similar in some areas we were and then how different, you know, each entrepreneur, they got into their business in a different way, but a lot of [00:04:00] us share the same struggles. And so from that came to Brittany's point earlier, a lot of interesting stories, whether we found them online beforehand or not.

[00:04:08] There's a lot of content that comes from discussing with the entrepreneurs, how they got started, where their business idea came from and whether our businesses are similar or different. A lot of those generate really interesting tidbits for your soundbites that draw your audience in. those are things that we then repurpose.

[00:04:26] They become kind of those social media hooks that we use to then kind of engage our audience. But it really comes from knowing who our guests is. And then starting to prep our questions of what we're going to dive into before we even meet with the person.

[00:04:41] Brittany: I also think how you ask the question is actually really important because you want to have the person actually give you more information.

[00:04:48] So asking how and why questions. And I also think don't be so set on the questions that you're asking that you can't be spontaneous and dig into other things that they might say, because you don't know exactly what someone's going to say.. So making sure that you're open to asking different questions, because there might be like eight questions that you have on your list that you don't even get to because something else came out that was really interesting that you've dug into.

[00:05:13] Rob: I think you make a really good point there. So one thing, and this, I don't think this is unique to you and I, but because we record from two different locations when we meet with a guest, they're generally in a third location. So we use technology to our advantage. We will have, teams chat or something off to the side.

[00:05:33] We can be conversing without the guests actually being aware of it. So that if the guest answers a question we were about to ask, or we want to, change how we're lining up our questions. Cause we, you know, we have a list of questions prepped to go, and there's not necessarily an exact order, but we might realize based on a story they told, oh, we need to now ask this sooner.

[00:05:54] It was going to be later in the interview . You know, using technology to our advantage, that really helps. And if we want to dig deeper into something or, you know, a great example of something happens and it's like, oh, Hey, my dog is barking. I can't ask my next question. You can also use that to be like, Hey, can you ask the next question, keep going.

[00:06:11] So you don't have to interrupt them. 

[00:06:12] Brittany: Yeah, I think that those are good points and I think being present, I think that that's another thing. If you're present in the moment, you can have a really engaged in conversation, but if you're distracted, it's really hard to continue having a conversation that flows.

[00:06:25] If you're just focused on the questions that you're asking and you're not digging into things that's kind of boring. So make sure that you're present and that you've set aside the time and that no one's bothering you. You don't have kids. You don't have your. And that you're actually really paying attention to that person because number one, they're taking time out of their day, which most people that are doing interviews, , their time is probably very valuable.

[00:06:45] So giving them the attention that they deserve and also the attention that your podcast deserves because. The more engaging your interview is the more your listeners are going to appreciate it. And the more they're going to share it, and the more they're going to follow you and listen to your podcast.

[00:06:59] So I think that those are just a couple of little tidbits on that little topic. So I think prepping in questions in advance is something that you and I have gotten really good at. And I think. One of the things that we learned early on was not asking the basic questions, the ones that, you know, everyone asks and trying to make it more interesting, which we kind of already covered.

[00:07:22] But I think when you're prepping your questions, try to focus on things that are going to be different and maybe address some of the things upfront that you don't need to ask them. So when you introduce them, obviously you're like, Hey, this person does this. This is their background, and then you move on.

[00:07:37] You don't need to ask those questions. So make it more interesting and diverse by doing that and the open-ended questions. , don't force your guests to answer something in a way that makes it seem leading. I think that that's like a little bit dishonest or a little bit, you know, an authentic. So I think that that's super important to really focus on.

[00:07:57] And try to only ask one question at a time, otherwise your guests can get overwhelmed and maybe skip parts of the questions that might be really, really important and really valuable content. So that's one thing that I think we also learned early on. And then, you know, don't say, and for my next question, it looks like I have five more to go, like don't do that.

[00:08:17] That is awful. And, it's just bad form. Let's be honest.

[00:08:20] Rob: I mean, I'll admit those last two. I'm definitely guilty of, cause I'll be like, I have these really good questions and I'll string them together. I'll be like, can you answer this and this? And I'll just smash them together. And sometimes you'll see the guest in the camera or in person that look of confusion in their eyes where they're trying to process, what did you just ask me?

[00:08:38] How do I answer this? And you kind of get a garbled answer and then they'll say, And what was your question? Cause now they've lost the full train of thought. So, yeah, I agree. Don't do that. And if you're, like me and you do do that, maybe practice a little more and you know, do look at your list of questions for reference a little more often, but as Brittany said, , don't mention that's what you're doing.

[00:08:59] And  then very important is to prep your guest. This means, depending on what your setting is. And I'm assuming you're probably virtual for the most part or at a distance from your guests, have a one sheet or ready for them. So this means you're sending them a document that gives them the highlights of this is the tool or the software we're going to be using to connect.

[00:09:20] It'll tell them if they need to download that anything, how they're going to download. So think of zoom. We're all pretty familiar with that. Most people have it already, but don't assume they have it. So be very clear on how they would get it if they need to download it. If there are any time restraints or restrictions shared that with them, talk about things like the settings.

[00:09:41] So Britney mentioned earlier, distracted. You want to be in a quiet space? You don't want a television in the background. No kids, no pets, no family, friends. You need silence for the most part. Ideally, if you had, you know, a soundproof room, that'd be great. We don't all have that. We're mostly in home offices or bedrooms.

[00:09:58] So, you know, do the best you can. And a strong, strong internet connection is very important. And I think Brittany and I have also learned the hard way that not explaining that to somebody can be a real problem for.

[00:10:12] Brittany: I will say the one interview that really comes to mind is we have 30 minutes of this interview and was such a good interview.

[00:10:18] Went back, listened to the audio. And I was like, oh goodness. I think it ended up being like maybe a 12 minute podcast. By the time I was done trying to piece it together because it was so. it was so bad and it was like every other word you can hear. I mean, it was just probably one of the worst editing experiences I've had too.

[00:10:34] So keep that in mind, as you prep your guests, the more you prep them, the better off you're going to be. And the cleaner the audio will be. So I think that's super important to remember because editing is definitely very time-consuming. So don't make your life harder, prep your guests and make sure that they understand what you need from them in order to have.

[00:10:52] Good content and for it to be quality,

[00:10:54] Rob: and this may not be a popular comment that I'm about to make, but this is something we've had to do in the past where we actually had a guest that we were on the lines, do the interview and they ran a store and they didn't really understand the concept that they needed to be in a quiet space.

[00:11:10] Well, they were going to do the interview with us during store hours while they were the only one working. We could hear music, you know, blasting in the background. They kept walking away from the computer to help guess in their store and, you know, coming back to us and cutting us off. And we're, we're trying to explain to them, we cannot do an interview in this space.

[00:11:30] And so we did get to the point where it's, you have to call it quits and cancel and reschedule. And we know that's never the goal with the guests, but there is a point where the guest has to understand. You can't edit certain things out of the background. Like there's no way to make that sound good. And that's obviously an extreme example, but you gotta be realistic with what you're working with.

[00:11:52] Brittany: Well, I'm going back to my previous point. Your guest also has to give the same sort of attention to the interview to have quality, good engaging content. If they're all over the. I mean, you can hear it in the audio. It sounds terrible. And it's very disengaging to listeners because when you don't have the visual component, it's definitely more recognizable.

[00:12:12] So I think that that's something to keep in mind as well.

[00:12:17] Rob: So Brittany since you are really the production side of the house and you get to do well, you have to do cause I don't do it all the editing. What is really the one takeaway you would give to somebody if they were starting a podcast and they're planning an interview with somebody that might help them out.

[00:12:34] Brittany: I think setting expectations upfront and making sure that they know how to use the equipment or whatever tool you're using. And then they understand the importance of, you know, the space that they're in, especially , I will say even like an echo-y room is super difficult to get the audio to really sound great.

[00:12:51] And what happens is, is when you do condense the audio down and you get rid of the echo, it kind of makes the voice a little slower. It's kind of an interesting, weird thing that happens, but so I think there's making sure that they understand, like they need to be in a real, good space for recording and that, you know, internet connection is so important.

[00:13:10] I cannot stress that enough, but I think when you set expectations up front, there's no surprises. So, if they don't have a good internet connection, or they're not in a space where you can record, the expectations are then set. And I feel like that makes it easier to have that conversation of, you know, we're not in a good place today to record.

[00:13:26] And these are the reasons why. Is there another time in another location that we could utilize in order to move this interview forward?

[00:13:33] Rob: I think that's great advice. And I think the only thing I would add on there, since we are talking about hosting and successful interview, you're the host be prepared, do your homework and also rehearse a little well, if you have a great memory, memorize your questions, I don't have a great memory.

[00:13:47] I need my notes. Go over your notes in advance. Make sure you're ready to go. Don't show up to your interview and do a half ass job. It'll show the recording 

[00:13:56] Brittany: and that's not how you get listeners for the record. 

[00:13:59] Rob: Touche' 

[00:13:59] Brittany: All right. Well, thanks so much for tuning in. Please listen, like and follow the podcast and we'll see you guys next.