202 What's the Most Powerful Way to Start a Podcast Interview?

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.

So, how should podcasters start their interview?

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.

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