Episode Summary
Although there are a lot of different podcast formats, many podcasters start with an interview-style show. And it’s a good format for a company to use as their initial approach.
But even though many podcasters start with interviews, this doesn’t mean the format is easy. It takes work to refine your interviewing skills. And it requires a lot of practice to make your podcast interviews feel more like a natural conversation.
In this episode of Recorded Content, our host Tristan Pelligrino shares where he seeks inspiration for interview-based podcast episodes and analyzes the work of comedian Anthony Jeselnik. Tristan also explains how to use either-or and follow-up questions. And he outlines why, as a podcast host, giving your perspective and sharing something personal helps the guest to do the same.
Featured Podcaster
- Name: Tristan Pelligrino
- What he does: Tristan is the co-founder of Motion, a done-for-you-podcast agency for small, scrappy, B2B tech marketers.
- Company: Motion
Key Insights
- It's vital to study the art of interviewing. Like everything you do, especially if you are in a creative industry, conducting high-quality podcast interviews revolves around the good old adage of "Practice makes perfect." "I feel that if you can ask more interesting questions and improve your skills as an interviewer, the podcast episodes you produce will be more helpful to your audience."
- If you want your guest to show their true colors, you must do the same. The best way to create a meaningful audience-guest connection and provide value is to have a guest share a personal story. Instead of focusing only on success stories, encourage them to share stories of failure so you can help the audience overcome challenges. But, as a podcast host, you must lead by example and reveal something from your professional/personal life to inspire the guest to follow suit. "As a podcast host, if you want to get something personal from your guest, it helps a lot if you share something very personal first. It builds trust and shows the type of person you are and your humility."
- Never stop looking for inspiration. The great thing about interview-type podcasts is that you can always turn to traditional and new media to see how others do them. After all, as a podcast host, you’ve already signed up for lifelong learning. "I try to see what works and why it works for a certain situation. So try it yourself — take a close look at a conversation you enjoyed and figure out why it works so well."
Episode Highlights
How to Improve the Way You Ask Questions and Conduct Interviews
“One of my favorite things to do is to study how other people interview guests, and I like to go beyond podcasters. I like to analyze talk show hosts, documentarians, and even comedians. In this episode, I’m going to analyze one of my favorite comedians, Anthony Jeselnik.
If you’re not familiar with Anthony, check him out on Netflix. He’s got a few specials out there, and he also has a podcast called The Jeselnik & Rosenthal Vanity Project.”
The Either-Or Question in a Podcast Interview
“In a podcast setting, I think an either-or question can work, but there’s one ingredient you need. It has to be polarizing — meaning it’s more interesting if you have the guests take a stance.
So the setup to the question must present two very different options. You can’t let the guests just pick an answer in the middle.”
As a Host, You Can Add to the Quality of the Episode by Sharing Your Perspective
“One of the biggest challenges hosts run into is that they’re not able to provide their perspective on the show. It is one of the biggest complaints about a host and the guest episode format that we hear. The host gets caught in a situation where they’re always asking questions, and it becomes more of a transaction instead of a true conversation.”
