There are sooooo many bad interviewers out there in podcast land.

Hosts who just wander around in the dark, because they've done zero research and planning.

Hosts who include the answer in the question, so there’s nothing left for the guest to say.

Hosts who are rude to their guests. Or who unnecessarily interrupt their guests. Or who make the interview all about themselves, leaving the guest to feel like an afterthought.

If you are one of those hosts, you need a lot more help than I can give you in this little newsletter.

Seriously. Call me. My one-on-one coaching rate starts at $250/hour.

This post is for a different kind of host. It’s for the “solid interviewer who gets all the necessary information” who wants to become an “engaging host who makes interviews sound like conversations.”

The fact is, many of us go through this transition at some point in our careers. Baby hosts (just hanging on for dear life) become young adult hosts (solid, but lacking flair) and then blossom into veteran hosts (making the whole thing seem natural and effortless.)

Sometimes this transition can happen over just a few interviews, but usually it takes years.

Seriously, years.

And if you’re like me, you started out as a reporter. Reporters use interviews to gather information and sound bites. Our voices don’t matter. And everything is going to be rearranged into a logical order later.

So we can ask questions out of order, ignore the need for transitions and even come back later for a follow up interview.

And I can say from experience, making that switch from “reporter” to “host” is not as easy as you think it’s gonna be!

So…without further blah, blah, blah from me, here’s how to take your interview skills from “solid” to “exceptional.”

First, let’s talk about what an interview actually IS.

An interview is not just a series of questions, pumping the guest for information.

But it’s also not just a conversation about a topic.

My friend Elaine Appleton Grant says that an interview is a “conversation with a destination.”

I loved that phrase so much that I googled it. And google tells me that it’s a take on something the authors said in the 1924 book, “The Art of the Interview.”

Those authors defined an interview as, “a conversation with a purpose.”

But “purpose” and “destination” are not exactly the same thing. Because a destination implies that there will be a journey. You’re moving from one place – or one state of understanding – to another.

And when you’re getting ready to set out on a journey, you almost always plan your route.

Okay, yeah, many of us just use GPS for this.

But even if you’re going somewhere you go regularly, you’re probably going to think through how you’re going to get there. Maybe you’ll avoid driving through downtown, because it’s busy this time of day? Or you’ll take backroads because of construction on the highway?

We usually don’t just get into a car and drive. We know where we’re going and we have at least a general idea of how we’re going to get there.

So that said…

Skill #1: Know when to deviate from your route.

Let’s stick with that GPS analogy for a minute. I almost always turn on my GPS when I’m in the car. Even if I know exactly where I’m going, I like to be able to glance over and know how long it’s going to take me to get there.

I am almost always late. Sorry friends.

But I don’t follow that GPS blindly. I’m not going to let it drive me into a lake. I’m not going to ignore a detour. Or even take the “ugly” road when I know there’s a prettier one that takes the same amount of time.

Seriously, take the pretty road. Life is short, and you're not going to be on your deathbed wishing you had seen less beauty during your life.

“Solid” interviewers stick to their interview questions like they’re the Bible, never deviating from the path that they lay out. They ask each question, in order.

“Exceptional” interviewers use their interview questions as a guide.

They’re there when you need them, like that GPS you’ve got running on your dash. But you know where you’re going, you know the route planned to take, and you can recognize a better – faster, easier, more enjoyable – route when you see one.

Skill #2: Adjust your language to fit the conversation.

Sometimes this is as easy as adding the phrase, “as you mentioned” to your question. Or adding a small transition that says, “Well, I want to talk more about that because…”

But sometimes this means changing the wording that you use to match the wording that your guest used. So, when I was interviewing Jemele Hill and Cari Champion about their time at ESPN, and Cari referred to Jemele’s “bubble of trouble” with ESPN’s no-politics policy, I used that phrasing when I turned to Jemele and asked her to tell the story.

There is nothing worse than hearing a host awkwardly read a question that completely ignores the things that were just said.

So awkward.

I like writing out questions as questions, because I know that in a pinch I can look down at my page and read what’s written. But…when I’m actually in the interview, I try to avoid reading my questions verbatim!

The goal is to know my destination and my road map well enough that most of my questions can include at least a little bit of ad libbing.

Extra Credit:

As I was thinking about this skill, I realized that there is a very important exception to this rule. Sometimes, a guest will give a long answer to my question and then go on to anticipate and answer my next question.

But because they're aware that they've been talking for a long time, they will just give a shorthand answer to the question they have anticipated.

In that situation, I don’t actually change the wording of my question on the fly. Instead, I say something like…

“So, I want to go back and talk about that some more…”

Just so the guest knows I’ve been paying attention.

Then I will pause, and take a breath. (Because we want a REALLY clean edit point here.)

And then I will ask my question the way I had planned to ask it.

Because in the end, I am in charge. Not the guest.

Me.

And sometimes, you just gotta take the reins.

Skill #3: Don’t be afraid to interject.

Look, there’s a difference between the rude host who's interrupting all the time and the one who utilizes a helpful interjection or two.

Quick interjections can be really helpful when your guest says something that needs to be explained.

Don’t wait until the end of the answer! By then, you’ve already lost your listener to confusion. Jump in right away and either answer the question that would be in the listener’s mind…or ask your guest to answer it.

“TLA: That means Three Letter Acronym.”

“Wait…what do you mean by X?”

Quick interjections can also be helpful when you have someone who talks in generalities instead of in stories. Pop in quickly and push them for specifics!

“What does X actually look like? Can you give me an example?”

“Describe that for me. What’s actually happening?”

“Tell me more about that conversation. What did you say? What did they say?”

“Wait…tell me more about that. What do you mean by Y?”

Often you won’t even use these questions in the final cut. You’ll just edit them out, and make your guest sound brilliant!

Because making THEM sound brilliant is the point of this whole thing, right?

And one more note about interjections.

Sometimes, interrupting your guest can be a kindness.

Let me say that again, because it can be hard for many of us to hear.

Sometimes, interrupting your guest can be a kindness.

Everyone’s time is valuable, and if your guest is going on and on about something off topic, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t stop them and redirect the conversation.

But absolutely, do it with love. Let them know why you’re interrupting and what it is that you really want to get out of this conversation.

“I’m going to stop you here. I’d love to learn more about X some day. But I want to respect your time, and I really need to make sure we discuss Y. So let me bring you back to that…”


Skill #4: You don't always have to ask a question!

Stick with me here. Think about some of the really great conversations you’ve had. That time when you were having a heart to heart with a friend. Or that second date that made you feel like you were really forming a connection.

Now imagine how different that conversation would have been if you had ended every comment with a question.

In natural conversation, we often respond to what the other person says. We tell them how their story made us feel. Or tell them about a time we experienced something similar. Or sometimes we just empathize and commiserate.

And then we pause – and we let them respond.

If you want your interview to sound like a conversation, and not an interrogation, you have to think of yourself as a participant, not an inquisitor.

I put that one in bold, because I think it's really important!

Yes, you are in charge. Yes, you are determining how long this conversation stays in one place and where it’s going next.

But sometimes the best way to lead is by opening a door and letting your guest walk through it!

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And don't forget -- our next Narrative Beat Monthly-ish Chat is right around the corner on Wednesday, August 6 at 1pm Eastern.

These have been a great way for the Narrative Beat community to connect with each other -- and with me!

These are totally free, but I do ask that you RSVP.

I hope to see you there!

Karen