How to avoid awkward Podcast interviews
The best Podcast interviews are often the ones where you can feel that there’s a good connection between the interviewer and the interviewee. But with more and more people suffering from social anxiety, experiencing difficulties engaging in social behavior and even picking up the phone, it’s no surprise that cold pitching complete strangers to a Podcast can feel very daunting.
In this article we’ll delve into the techniques that any Podcast host can use to reduce anxiety and increase their chances of bonding with a total stranger to create a great Podcast!
1. Research, Research, Research
Knowing your guest inside and out can help you create a warm pitch that converts. We all tend to respond better to people who show that they’ve done the homework and that understand what we’re about. And information is the best solution to fight uncertainty and anxiety, so the more you know, the more confident you’ll feel when interviewing your guests (and the better they’ll respond back)!
We’ve put together a template that can help you book any guest.
2. Know what your end goal is
Too many Podcasters get stuck in the questions’ technicalities and don’t enjoy the interview because they haven’t actually figured out what the end goal of the episode is. Don’t try to ‘wing it’, this is a terrible idea for 2 reasons:
You’ll keep looking at the questions and won’t be listening to the guest’s answer, which will end up in a very disjointed conversation, and
You’ll be relying on post-production to make the interview sound good, which is a huge risk and can make the guest feel like you’re not committed enough.
So instead, decide what your end goal is, and be ok with going with the flow: that adds flexibility and movement to the interview, which results in a conversation, rather than a ‘machine gun of Qs and As’. Try writing bullet points instead of writing the question in full and go with what feels right at the time, even if it’s not in your notes. If you’re not anxious about getting every question in the right order, and get the perfect answer, you’ll exude confidence and calmness, and your guest will pick up on that too.
3. Book a pre-call
This is hands-down the best way to break down any possible barriers and to warm up your guest. Talking to your guest will provide an opportunity to discuss their questions ahead of time, find common ground, address your goals for the interview and at the end of the day, get to know them! Unless your guest is high-profile or a celebrity, be weary of guests who scoff at pre-calls, as that could mean they have an agenda and that may derail the interview to promote their own goals.
This is a good opportunity to also ‘sniff’ out what kind of guest you’re interviewing. Back when I was hosting my own shows, I’d arrange a 20-minute phone call to plan how to conduct the interview:
If the guest sounded ‘chatty’, then I knew I had to stay alert on potential digressions.
If the guest gave me ‘yes' or ‘no’ answers, I had to prepare a ‘Tell me more about that’ kind of follow-up questions.
If I could barely get a word in the pre-call, that was a clear sign that I’d require a more ‘surgical’ approach to each question, and that I’d have to be very proactive about keeping up with time.
(Also, for all the empaths and high-energy hosts out there, this is a good opportunity to prepare for a less-talkative guest who may not match your energy level. Don’t take it personally - it’s not you, it’s them.)
If you’re feeling anxious about the planning process, we’ve put together an article about the best tools to streamline Podcast bookings.
4. Be ok with repeating and rewording questions
I used to get really nervous if my guest didn’t understand my questions, or if they didn’t answer what I expected them to. I mean, I’d break out in sweat kind of nervous… But that only stopped when I realized that in real life, you do ask others to repeat answers, and others sometimes mishear us… so it’s only natural that would happen on a Podcast interview setting too!
‘Reframe’ our questions by taking a minute and rephrase it, don’t repeat the same question but LOUDER (this happens a lot!), you can also include information from the previous answer to help them get centered. Remind your guest at the beginning of the interview that the episode will be edited so if there are any issues, that part will be removed - this tends to put guests at ease.
5. Give back to your guest
As humans, our first thought about any ask is ‘What is in it for me?’ Have your pitch ready and know what to reply when guests ask this question - because they will. Exposure to a new audience, a chance to share their story or a way to increase their visibility are valid answers. Also, give your guest something to be excited about by asking them if there’s something that they’d like to plug on the episode, or if there’s something that they wish people asked them more often - ensure that they there’s a clear benefit for them, and they’ll be more committed and excited about it.
6. Use video
I know: filming an interview can sound scary, but the good news is that you don’t need to publish the video component at all! Video humanizes us, stops us from guessing because we’re able to see one another in the eye and as a consequence, our connectivity is greatly improved! Try using video even if your Podcast is audio-only! (As a bonus, you may even be able to use some segments for promotion, sneak peeks or bonus content for your Patreon account. Always ask your guest for permission!)
7. Nothing’s final: you can edit
If everything fails, edit the heck out of the interview and no one will know. You can always decide to get more ‘creative’ and narrate the parts that ended up not matching your expectations, but remember to send it over to a friend or two - maybe the awkwardness was all in your head after all. We’re our biggest critics, and sometimes it’s important to get an outsider’s perspective.