The Questions Podcast Guests Dread (And What to Ask Instead)

When I started interviewing celebrities for my first podcast in 2011, one thing always seemed to surprise many of them - my preparation. Not even kidding.

More specifically, they were surprised that I came with prepared questions (or planned, well-thought-out questions).

For example:

I conducted an in-person interview with David Giuntoli from GRIMM at a convention. When I took out my questions, he asked if he could see the list. Then he showed it to everyone in the room and said something like:

"Hey guys! Check it out. This guy actually prepared questions. Amazing!"

In another case, Anthony Michael Hall (Weird Science, The Breakfast Club) agreed to a 10-minute in-person interview. However, after being pleasantly surprised by the quality of my questions (and enjoying the conversation), he talked for a lot longer. 

He also remembered me when we crossed paths a few years later.

Last example:

After sitting through various media outlets that asked predictable and generic questions, Fred Tatasciore (voice of the Hulk for Marvel Animation and Solder 76 in Overwatch) was so pleased with my questions that he grabbed some posters and signed them for my listeners. 

He also remembered me when we crossed paths ten years later. 

These interviews took place ten years ago, and that was a time when podcasting was a little more fringe. Over time, podcasters started getting a bad rap about their poor questions and preparation.

I observed some of this myself.

1. I once saw a podcaster get an opportunity to interview someone from Battlestar Galactica. She hadn't prepared anything, and her first question was, "So, uh....how's it goin'?" There was an uncomfortable laugh from the guest and a shocked reply, "How's it going?" 😳

2. I was on a red carpet set to interview Greg Kinnear. When he got to the interviewer next to me, she froze and admitted she didn't even know who he was. He had to politely and uncomfortably encourage her. This almost made him stop talking to people. 😧

3. I once listened to a podcast host who had a chance to interview Karen Allen about playing Marion in the Indiana Jones franchise. One of his questions was what she thought about fan fiction stories in which Marion was turning tricks. 😦

   
   

Another reason people like David and Anthony were shocked at my questions is that they often hear the same ones repeatedly.

Most of the typical questions start with the phrase, "What was it like..."

• What was it like (to work on this movie)?

• What was it like (to work with this actor)?

• What was it like (to play this character)?

• What was it like (to be in this scene)?

Other predictable questions included:

What drew you to this role?

How did you get the part? 

What was your favorite scene?

Meanwhile, they're like:

Sometimes, simple questions like these could be appropriate, but you have to know why you're asking them. You have to have a reason to ask it (and the answer shouldn't be because it's an easy question to ask). Here are some other things to consider before conducting an interview.

Respect the Guest's Time and Courtesy

Suppose you're about to interview someone, and it's easy to assume they've been interviewed several times (like a celebrity, expert, author, or thought leader). In that case, you have to assume they've heard specific questions several times.

While it may be impossible to come up with all original questions, sometimes the slightest tweak can create a new question.

For example:

A popular podcast guest told me he was considering cutting back on interviews due to the repetition of questions.  He said, "Just once, instead of starting the interview with 'How did you get started?,' I wish someone would start with, 'WHY did you get started?'"

That tweak would at least make him feel like he was answering something different for a change. In other words, he would stop and think about an answer instead of repeating an "auto" response.

One of the best things you can hear a guest say is, "That's a good question."

If a guest is nice enough to give you their time so you can talk to them on your show - respect that time with prepared and well-thought-out questions.

Alex Sanfilippo of PodMatch.com says podcast hosts should consider the phrase, "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything" regarding interview prep.

"Taking the time to have deep questions ready, along with an ideal direction for the conversation, is what makes for truly powerful interviews. "Though it normally goes exactly where the host (or guest) would think, typically, if the host has planned, the conversation is more impactful for listeners."

In other words, you must consider the value you're providing your guests AND your listeners.

Respect the Listener's Time 

If it's easy to assume a guest has been interviewed several times, it's equally easy to assume their audience has probably heard some of those interviews. This is especially true if they're a famous personality, expert or author in your industry.

Even if you haven't heard past interviews, it's probably easy to guess some of the common questions the guest likely got. Maybe one of them is "How did you get started?"

You can develop better questions by:

• Digging deeper into the topic

• Finding relevant news stories or trends

• Taking a look at their blogs, social posts and content 

• Finding ways to learn more about them as people

• Accessing some of their previous interviews

Finding previous interviews can be a big help for a variety of reasons - some may surprise you.

For example:

I was scheduled to interview Hayley Atwell about Season 2 of Agent Carter. I knew she recently attended San Diego Comic-Con, so I watched some of the interviews she gave with media and podcasters. The "What was it like?" bug had bitten many interviewers again.

Only this time, it was clear that one question was getting a bit annoying. People kept asking her what it was like to play a female superhero. Hayley had to answer the question over and over again - explaining that being a FEMALE hero wasn't really something she thought about. It's not the kind of question I would ask, but I decided not to frame anything about the female character or female audiences unless she brought it up.

Another way to improve your interviews is to consider what your audience might like to know or what you would like to know if you were listening. You probably wouldn't be engaged in a 20-40 minute Q&A filled with predictable and generic questions. After all, you won't learn much of anything, and very little will be memorable.

Think about a new listener.

Ask yourself - "What kind of conversation can I have that might make a first-time listener want to come back and listen to other interviews?"

Make Your Prepared Questions a Set of Options (Not a Numbered List)

One of the most "pro" things you can do as an interviewer is actively listening. I asked Rob Greenlee (a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame Inductee and host of the Podcast Tips with Rob Greenlee Live Show) about pre-prepared questions. He says they should provide you with options, and listening should provide the conversational roadmap.

“Pre-prepared questions in podcasting interviews should be mostly seen and used as topic suggestions not strict to be read questions as conversations are interactive and requires listening too.”

Staying solely focused on a list can challenge your credibility with guests and listeners.

For example:

Sometimes, a guest might inadvertently answer other questions on that list while answering your current question. I've heard guests do this, only to have the host ask about it again - because they're not actively listening -they're following a list:

• They ask a question.

• Get an answer.

• Ask the next question.

Your prepared list ensures that you don't step into an interview blind (like the "How's it going?" or the freeze-up interview examples). Listening and adapting to the discussion makes it more than a Q&A.

Better Preparation and Questions are a Differentiator

You can find plenty of podcasts today. You can find plenty of interview podcasts today. However, like much of today's content saturation, it's more challenging to find podcasts that differ from many others.

Research shows that podcast listeners feel that while the podcast space is crowded, there is plenty of room for shows that go deeper into topics - even when it comes to common podcast topics. If you take the time to prepare for your interviews and develop better questions, you can be the type of podcast they're looking for.

If you're thinking about starting a podcast or want to get more out of the interviews you're already doing, this is exactly what we work on together on your on-mic presence or contact me if you want to talk through where you are.