May 23

Here’s a Guest Article by Leesa Barnes:

Ways to Conduct a Flawless Interview for Your Podcast
By Leesa Barnes

Including an interview in your podcast is one way to make it more interesting; however, many podcasters will damage the reputation of their guest expert - and the effectiveness of their podcast - simply because they make common interview mistakes.

Here are some mistakes podcasters make and some tips to help you make your guest look like a rock star.

1. Don’t include your own verbal affirmations. When we have conversations with someone, we usually say things to indicate we’re listening. Whether it’s “Yeah,” or “Uh-huh,” or some other verbal affirmation, resist the urge to do this while interviewing someone for your podcast.

By including your own verbal affirmations, you begin to dilute the message that your guest is trying to deliver. Listeners of your podcast will begin to focus on the number of times you say “Uh-huh,” instead of what the expert is trying to say.

Instead, just be quiet. Don’t say a word. Before you turn on the recording tool, let your guest know that you’re listening to every word they’re saying. When there is dead air, don’t fill it with a verbal affirmation. Instead, count to 3 and if your guest hasn’t started talking again, move on to your next question. Fill the dead air with silence instead of verbal clutter. It’s easier to edit dead air out of your podcast than it is to edit verbal affirmations.

2. Ask open-ended questions. Nothing can kill an interview than asking questions where the only answer can be “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise known as close ended question, starting a question that begins with a verb, such as “Can you…” or “Do you…” will force your guest to answer only two ways - Yes or No.

Instead, start your question using one of the five W’s, such as:

  • Who
  • What
  • Where
  • Why
  • When

Doing so allows your guest to provide a rich and interesting answer.

3. Confirm the pronunciation of your guest’s name. Nothing is more embarrassing than to start the recording and fumble through the pronunciation of your guest’s name. It looks bad on you and it looks bad on your guest.

Before you turn on the record button, pronounce your guest’s name several times. Tell your guest that you will repeat it several times just so you get it right once the record button starts. Your guest will appreciate your attention to detail.

4. Make the introduction really short. I remember being interviewed on a podcast once where the person introduced me, then went on and on about his thoughts on podcasting. He continued talking for about 10 minutes and all I could get in was “Uh huh.”

Remember that the interview is your guest’s time to shine, not yours. So, when introducing your guest, keep it short. It shouldn’t take you more than 30 seconds to introduce your guest. If you need more information shared about your guest, ask your guest to tell you more about how he or she got into the field. Let your guest be the one to fill in the blanks, not you.

© 2008 Leesa R. Barnes. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Award-winning blogger and podcasting expert, Leesa Barnes, teaches insider tips on how to boost your sales and make a six-figure income using a podcast.
Visit http://www.leesabarnes.com and sign up to receive 2 FREE chapters from her book, Podcasting for Profit.

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