There are so many parts that go into a great podcast. Having killer intro music, great sound quality, and dynamic guest. But at the heart of a good podcast you have to ask great questions. Even if you have the most well known guest in your field, if you ask wimpy questions, the podcast will be mediocre. Here’s 3 tips for asking better questions.
Push Yourself. This one sounds simple, but its very hard to do. After you’ve worked on your questions for the show take a look back over them and ask, what can I do to make these better questions? What can I word differently to reveal something about my guests expertise or experience that my listeners would really want to hear?
Do your homework about your guest. When you’re designing your questions, remember to be curious. This may sound like a given, but doing your homework about your guest will lead you to ask the best questions for them. You may find out something interesting about their previous job or life experience. That will lead you to start forming hypothesis about their success. Then, connect the dots for you listeners. How did being a part of ____ add to your success/expertise today? If you could go back and talk to yourself 5 years ago, what advice would you give?
Think about the second question. Some of the best interviews start with a pretty basic question. Like, what trends do you see in the ____ industry? After your guest answers that question, be prepared to ask a followup question that lifts the veil on WHY they think that. Asking something as simple as, “What makes you say that?” or “Why do you feel that way?” will show your listeners the thought process behind their likely well rehearsed answer to your first question. And that’s valuable.