From the moment I knew I wanted to have a podcast, I knew it would be in an interview format. Those were the podcasts I listened to because I love hearing people’s stories, the lessons they learned, and how they overcame their challenges. So, I wanted to do the same, listen and share stories, and now, I share immigrant stories. But before my podcast, I had never officially interviewed anymore before.
Again, I had listened to podcasts in interview format; I’m used to watching talk shows like Ellen, so in my mind, conducting interviews was simply asking questions. But boy, was I wrong!
My First Interview Experience
Before I started my podcast, I had a lifestyle vlogging channel on YouTube. I began to do interviews for my YouTube channel as a way to practice interviewing before going live on the podcast. This was smart because my first interview was with my friend, and I did horribly.
First, I knew her; she’s my friend, so I knew about her. I knew what she was doing (she’s a music artist), but interviewing people is different. I wrote down a few questions I wanted to ask her and aimed for the interview to be about 30 minutes long. After about 10 minutes, I had already asked her all the questions I had written down, and I was struggling to come up with more!
I wanted the conversation to just flow, but it didn’t. It’s probably because I was so nervous and in my head. Also, I felt like the interview was going so horribly wrong. Not knowing much about the music industry was another blame I put on myself for feeling it went so wrong.
My friend is super sweet and told me I did fine, but I know in my heart I didn’t. Again, this is my first time, and we aren’t good at something the very first time we try it.
Interviewing Guests Now
Now that I’ve been interviewing for over two years, I’ve learned a lot and understand the art of interviewing. It’s not just about asking questions; it’s about making your guests feel comfortable sharing. It’s about being curious and asking the right questions. And now, although I always send my guests a list of questions I’ll guide the conversation, I’ve learned to ask follow-up questions based on their answers. It also helps that I’m a naturally curious person.
As I’m actively listening to my guests, I think of follow-up questions I’d love to hear more about based on their answers. I’ve had guests tell me that they’ve shared more about them on my podcast than they’ve had before, and it’s because they felt comfortable sharing with me. Also, my podcast listeners have complimented me on being a great host and knowing which questions to ask.
The more I’ve interviewed, the more comfortable I’ve gotten. A friend of mine recently asked me to help her do a documentary with her family, and she wants me to interview her family members. I am honored!
Tips for Interviewing Guests
Here are a few tips for interviewing guests if you’re looking to start an interview-format podcast or add guests to your current podcast.
- Practice
Learn from my mistake of thinking that interviewing is simply asking questions – it’s not. Practice with friends and family; start with people you know (if possible), and then begin interviewing strangers.
- Write Questions
Some podcasters say they dislike writing questions because they want the conversation to flow. Well, I had questions written down for my first interview, and the conversation didn’t flow.
In the beginning, I highly recommend you have questions as a guide. If the conversation begins to dull or your guest provides an answer you can’t really follow up on, you have your questions handy to pivot. Use them until you get comfortable enough that you no longer need them.
- Practice Active Listening
When interviewing, it’s important to practice active listening. Harvard Business Review defines active listening as “when you not only hear what someone is saying, but also attune to their thoughts and feelings. It turns a conversation into an active, non-competitive, two-way interaction.”
Pay attention to your guest’s body language and emotions, and control your emotions.
- No Distractions
Make sure that your phone is silent or on do not disturb. Try not to look at your phone while interviewing. Turn off your notifications on your computer and ensure that your guests do the same so none of those background noises pick up during the recording.
- Do Not Interrupt
It’s tempting sometimes to share an experience with your guest that is relatable to what they are talking about, but please wait until they finish speaking before you start talking. As a podcast editor it’s hard to edit when the guests or the host are talking over each other. And as a podcast listener, it’s annoying.
Conclusion
Since starting my podcast, I’ve learned so much! And I’m on this journey to share my experience and what I’ve learned in hopes of helping other aspiring podcasters. Of course, everyone has their style of doing this, so again, I can only share my experience.
Thank you for being here.
With Love, Heidy
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