Working on interview questions for your podcast? Following are seven practical tips I give clients.

1. Don’t ask compound questions

Guests don’t know which question to answer when asked multiple questions. Ask them one at a time.

2. Ask questions that elicit stories

Some good prompts are:

• Take me to the moment…

• Describe the day when…

• Where were you when…

• What had just happened and how did you feel?

• What did you do next?

A story answers the questions “what happened?” “And then what happened?” “And then…?” Specificity and examples make conversations engaging and practical, and provide much-needed credibility. Stay in control of the interview. When guests reply with generalities, dig for examples.

3. How high are the stakes?

What does your guest want or need, and what will happen if they fail?

4. What obstacles does your guest or source face?

5. Ask about challenges and failures, not just successes and potential

It’s the challenges/obstacles/failure stories that build credibility and engagement. Essentially, “How did you slay that dragon when it looked like all hope was lost?”

6. If a guest talks about someone (mother, boss, etc.), ask them to describe that person and what they mean to them. Stories help exponentially.

7. Most importantly: why does this topic matter to your listeners?

The higher the tension/urgency, the greater the stakes, the more compelling the interview. Don’t forget to state explicitly to your listeners why this conversation matters.

Podcasters, how have you turned a dud of an interview into something magnificent? Write to me at elaine@podcastallies.com.

Originally published on Podchaser on Jan 25th, 2021 by Elaine Appleton Grant.