9 tips for conducting your best podcast interview ever.

The latest in a series about podcasting best practices.

Have you ever listened to “Storycorps” on public radio? Founded by Dave Isay, this oral history project collects people’s stories — recording and preserving many thousands of interviews by moms, dads, sisters, brothers, cousins, adult children, couples, cousins and friends.

Almost all of the interviews are by complete amateurs. Many are beautiful: deeply moving and entertaining.

If those Storycorps sharers can do a home-run interview, so can you!

Here are nine tips for conducting your best podcast interview ever.

1. Prepare with a pre-interview, but don’t make it too long. Your podcast conversation should have moments of spontaneity and surprise. Get to know your guest a little bit during the pre-interview. It’s an opportunity to break the ice, two or three days before recording your podcast. Tell them about your show. Mention topics that may require further research or advance preparation by the guest, but avoid giving out a full list of questions in advance.
2. Before the interview begins, put your guests at ease: Be as warm and friendly as possible. Make sure your guests are comfortable and have a glass of water. This will help them relax. You might want to start a conversation with a personal story or an amusing anecdote. When planning an interview, podcasters and their producers should try to build a story arc.
3. Be curious and involved. Hosts who are honestly interested in what their guests have to say are much more engaging and fully present than those who want to show off or tell the audience how much they know.
4. Ask “dumb” questions: Humility is your friend. While on the presidential campaign trail as a network news reporter, I often asked candidates at a press conference, “how do you feel?” The question was sometimes accompanied by eye-rolls or quiet laughter from fellow journalists. But “how do you feel” often brought forth the best sound bite of the day. Reminding expert guests of their humanity can prompt greater honesty. If acronyms, slang or fancy words are used, ask for an explanation of what they mean. This is helpful to your audience.
5. Be personal: explore your guest’s passion: Why did she write her new book? How did his hobby become his job? Asking personal questions can enhance the intimacy of your interview. If you are worried about how personal a question should be, ask your guest about it in the pre-interview.
6. A good podcast encounter is more than what you planned for in advance. It’s super-important to listen carefully to what your guest is saying. Despite preparation, great interviews rarely follow a pre-scripted course.
7. Ask follow-up questions: I like the simple phrase: “tell me more.” This invites the guest to continue with a story without throwing him off-course with a lengthy question. A brief invitation to explain further is so much better than repeatedly flattering your guest. “That’s so interesting” or “it’s such a good point you’re making” works once or twice during a twenty minute conversation, but no more than that.
8. Be direct and keep your questions short: When possible, use humor and charm to keep the interview from becoming too formal. You are the host and should guide the interview, but in most cases the conversation is about what the guest has to say, and not about you. However, don’t be afraid to gently push back if you disagree or are uncomfortable with her answer. The sparks that fly in an interview can be the most entertaining moments.
9. Keep the recorder on. Don’t switch off the microphone until you are absolutely certain that the interview is over. “Have you ever experienced premature interview termination?”, asked podcast consultant Donna Papacosta in her blog. “At the end of an interview… you thank the subject, snap your notebook shut and switch off your recorder. In the chatter that follows, your interviewee utters the most quotable quote of the last half hour.” Ouch. That has happened to me far too many times!

Two technical tips: Record the conversation on two channels: one for the guest and the second channel for you. That often results in better audio quality. And don’t be shy about editing. Even the most articulate guests sometimes repeat themselves and go off on tangents that may be distracting to your podcast audience. Careful editing may leave your listeners thinking that this your best interview ever — even when it wasn’t.

Richard Davies is a podcast consultant, media coach, journalist, and podcast host. Before becoming a podcaster, he was a staff Correspondent at ABC News for nearly 30 years.