6 Podcast Interview Tips to Get Better Answers From Guests

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How do I get better stories from my podcast guests?

Dear Annie,

I host an interview show that records mostly straight to tape, with minimal editing. Because of this, I take the prep seriously. Before every episode, I dig into my guest's background, read their work, listen to their past interviews, and map out the arc of the episode. I basically walk in knowing exactly what I want to capture.

But I've noticed that I keep getting yes or no answers, instead of real stories. I'm struggling to get the answers I need out of my guests.

​When I listen back, it sounds less like a conversation and more like I'm reading my notes aloud with a guest nodding along. I don't want to stop doing so much prep. Showing up unprepared doesn't feel like the right answer either. But right now, I don't sound like I'm having a real conversation.

How do I come across as curious instead of overly rehearsed? How can I get authentic, natural moments from my guests, while still getting the information that I need out of them?

​

Signed,

Leading Lady

Have a question? Ask Annie here.

6 Interview Fixes

Hi Leading Lady,

Thanks for this great question! This week, we’re going to try something kind of different. I’m going to hand the reins over to Oriana Marrone, a podcast producer on our team. That means she spends a lot of her working life sitting just off-mic, watching hosts and guests either click, or awkwardly miss each other.

What you're describing is one of the most common things I see, and it usually happens to the hosts who care the most.​ Here's the good news: your prep isn't the problem. It's what you're doing with it. Take a look at how you can avoid some of the most common mistakes.

Stop handing guests their own résumé

When you know a lot, it's tempting to show it. "So you grew up in Winnipeg, studied architecture, then quit to open a bakery. That must have been scary?" You've told the whole story. All that's left for your guest is to agree. On tape, it sounds like this:

HOST: Leaving architecture must have been terrifying.

GUEST: Yeah, it really was.

Now try:

HOST: What was your last day at the firm like?

GUEST: Honestly? I cried in the stairwell. Then I went and bought forty pounds of flour.

[pause]

GUEST: I didn't even own a mixer yet.

​Same topic. The first question has the answer baked in. The second leaves room for one. Let your research decide where you go, not what your guest says once you get there.

Separate your two jobs

If you can, let a producer handle the pre-interview so you walk in hearing things for the first time. If you're wearing both hats, go into prep as the researcher (what's the story here?) and into the recording as the listener (what's surprising me right now?). And please never say, "You mentioned that hike earlier, can you tell me about it again?" That's not a question. It's a rerun.

Make friends with the quiet

When a guest finishes an answer, count to three in your head before you jump in. It will feel like a year. Most people can't stand a silence, so they fill it, and that's often where the good stuff shows up. And since you record mostly straight to tape, a natural pause sounds a lot more like a real conversation than a rapid-fire next question.

Get it a little bit wrong

One of my favourite tricks: reflect something back slightly off. "So it sounds like you were relieved?". People love to correct you, and they do it with detail. "Not relieved exactly, more like..." and suddenly you're hearing what they actually felt.

Know when (and how far) to push

Your job is to get the story, and sometimes that means a second or third follow-up when the first answer is vague. "What do you mean by that?" is always fair game. Have a quick chat before recording about anything that's off-limits, so you can push with confidence inside those lines instead of second-guessing yourself mid-interview.​

Use your notes as a map, not a script

Know your destination, the two or three moments you really need to capture, and let your guest pick the route. If they wander somewhere more interesting than your plan, follow them. You can always steer back.

You don't need less prep. You just need to leave some room for surprise.

Warmly,

Oriana