Just One Tip from Your Podcast Performance Coach
Business:Marketing
Don't Blow Your Interview with the First Question! Instead, Captivate Your Audience from the Start
In this episode, I want to convince you to NEVER start an episode with a LAME question again becasue it's killing your podcast.
Have you ever used these open-ended fluff-questions like, 'How did you get started?' 'Tell us about yourself' and 'What got you into this?' They're generic, bore our listeners, and leave your guest floundering.
These open-ended prompts lead to messy answers and uninteresting narratives.
Let me break down all of the reasons to skip generic questions in your podcast interviews:
Disrespectful to your listener: Their time is valuable, don't waste it on irrelevant details.
Messy for you: Sorting through rambling answers takes effort and detracts from the key points.
Lazy and unprofessional: Do your research and ask targeted questions in advance.
Undermines your authority: You lose control of the direction and length of the answer.
Awkward for your guest: They stumble through generic prompts, hindering their best performance.
Start with a direct question that delivers immediate value to your listener. Grab their attention with the most important information right away. Remember, you're the host, guide the conversation towards what matters most to the listener.
Pro Tip: Ask personal history questions during the pre-interview, then use that knowledge to craft insightful interview questions that showcase your expertise and set your guest up for success.
And, don't worry - this approach doesn't mean you can't ask the background questions. You can get their origin story or their background later - once the listener actually cares about them because they've gotten valuable information or ideas.
By following these tips, you can:
Hook your audience and keep them engaged.
Show your professionalism and preparation.
Guide the conversation towards valuable content.
Make your guest feel comfortable and prepared to shine.
Ultimately, create a winning podcast interview for everyone involved.
Ready to level up your podcast interviews? Tune in for more actionable tips and strategies!
Remember, interviewing skills are something to be honed over time. Pay attention to the questions you ask, how you respond, and make sure that you represent your listener every step of the way (the conversation is for them, after all). But most importantly, start strong with an intentional question right out of the gate you know is going to deliver value to your listener.
If you need help with your interview skills or aligning your show to your listener's needs (aka aligning it to your potential customer's needs), book a free coaching call.
https://calendly.com/timwohlberg
https://podcastperformancecoach.com/
Want to keep improving your interview skills on your own?
Check out these past episodes:
https://podcastperformancecoach.com/this-one-tip-will-make-you-a-much-better-interviewer/
https://podcastperformancecoach.com/185-why-your-podcast-guest-intros-suck-format/
https://podcastperformancecoach.com/040-how-to-properly-introduce-your-podcast-guest/
https://podcastperformancecoach.com/019-tell-us-not-question/
https://podcastperformancecoach.com/123-want-amazing-interview-skills-take-a-lesson-from-larry-king/
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070 Will Your Podcast Be Out in 3 Strikes?
069 Why You Need to Keep Podcasts Evergreen
068 Your Podcast is not Safe - How to Protect it from Being Pulled
067 This is the Bare Minimum You Need to Reach in Podcasting
066 What to do About the Dreaded Podcast Burnout
065 How to Get the Most out of Your Podcast Guest
064 How to Decrease Connection Fails when Recording Podcasts
063 How to Save Your Podcast from Hijackers
062 Is Poor Time Management Upsetting Your Podcast Audience?
061 Why in the World are You a Podcaster?
060 How to Warm Up Your Podcast Guest
059 How to Keep Listeners When you Take a Podcast Break
058 Help! I Hate the Sound of My Voice
057 What's an Energy Mirror and How Can it Help Your Podcast?
056 How to Brainstorm your Podcast Ideas
055 How to Break the Podcast Rules and Get Away with It
054 Why Your Podcast Needs More Feeling
053 Warning: You Might be a Lazy Podcaster
052 How to Build a Better Relationship with your Listener
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