Become A Better Interviewer By Asking These Questions

In this episode of Audience, we’re taking a break from interviewing to talk about…interviews. Being a good interviewer means asking thought-provoking podcast interview questions but what does that mean? To answer that question, we’re taking a step back and analyzing how to interview someone for a podcast. From the prep work to the questions you should consider asking, this is a comprehensive look at how to generate a great podcast interview.

If you’re using Kai’s tips from our last episode, you’re hopefully already booking new guests for the show. So let’s get to it.

Podcast Interview Questions That Create Interesting Answers

As the interviewer, it’s your job to make the guest feel comfortable. The goal is to have them tell stories that they haven’t divulged in other interviews. To do this, you need to ask questions that guide the guest to immediately talk about the emotional parts of their story and skip over the pieces they’ve said on repeat. These responses are more likely to tug at your audience’s heart strings, keeping them on the edge of their seat until the final minute.

Do yourself and your guest a favor by skipping over their general answers. Instead, try these 10 interview question frameworks that promise to generate interesting stories.

1. Tell me about a time when…
2. What was the hardest part about…
3. How did you feel when…
4. Describe your process behind…
5. What is one common myth about…
6. Who are three people who have helped you…
7. On a scale of 1-10…
8. What do you wish you had known when…
9. What would you change about…
10. How has X changed your thinking on…

You’ll notice every question ends in ellipses. That’s because the ending should be tailored to each guest and their background. To fill in the gaps, you’ll have to do your homework. Ahead, we’ll get into basic podcast interview preparation so your questions don’t fall flat.

What Goes Into Great Podcast Interview Questions?

The answer is simple. Preparation. Changing your mindset and researching the guest’s background will help create probing questions that get to the meat of their story.

Interview preparation starts by defining the goal. You are the expert in what content your audience likes to hear, so it’s your job to guide the guest there. Figure out how the guest connects with the topics your listeners love then share this goal with the interviewee. Being transparent about what you’re looking to get out of the interview is an important step in setting the guest up for success.

If they know where you want the conversation to go, they can tailor their answers to get you both there. If the guest has no idea what topic or angle you want to cover, they may not share information that your audience would find fascinating.

Once the goal is defined, it’s time to do your homework. Interviewers should find out as much as possible about their guests, from background information to current projects. Here are few places to get started:

• Guest’s website: either a personal website or their company’s online presence. Read the About page, consume their latest content, and figure out what initiatives are most important to them right now.
• Social channels: Hit all the major channels from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Read the bio information, scroll through the latest posts, and see what conversations the guest is chiming in on.
• Previous interviews: Google your guest’s name to surface their most recent interviews. Listen to old podcast interviews, read previous Q&As, and...