Hosting Better Podcast Interviews | Rich LaMonica

Most podcast hosts think interviews are about questions, but the best shows are actually built on preparation, connection, and follow-up! In this episode, Rich LaMonica shares how to research with curiosity, create a safe environment so guests feel comfortable opening up, and use silence to uncover the real story. Get ready to make conversations feel natural and deliver interviews that listeners will remember!

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Chapters

00:00 The Art of Engaging Interviews
05:08 Creating Emotional Safety in Conversations
09:42 Mastering the Follow-Up for Deeper Insights

Takeaways

Your ability to conduct powerful, engaging interviews separates you from the crowd.
Good interviews are about crafting an experience for your guest and audience.
Curiosity-driven research is essential for elite interviewers.
Creating emotional safety is crucial for getting authentic responses.
Follow-up questions can lead to deeper insights and storytelling.
Being present and treating your guest with respect is key.
Vulnerability from the host can lower walls and encourage openness.
Silence can be a powerful tool in interviews.
The guest is the star of the show, not the host.
Reflecting the guest's truth is essential for meaningful conversations.

MORE FROM THIS EPISODE: HTTPS://PODMATCH.COM/EP/382

📊 This month's Independent Podcasters Report is now available! To see podcasting industry insights that matter for indie podcast hosts and podcast guests, please visit https://PodMatch.com/Report!

Transcript

Have you ever watched an interview and you feel like you were in a moment or like you were in a coffee shop or your friends just chatting? Wow. That is a sign of a well-prepared host, a confident host conducting an interview. Hello, I'm Rich Lamonica and thank you for joining me today. And thank you for being part of this craft of podcast. Whether you're just getting started in podcasting.

or your few dozen episodes deep. One skill will separate you from the crowd. Your ability to conduct powerful, engaging interviews. Good interviews aren't just about asking questions. They're about crafting an experience. An experience for your guest, and more importantly, an experience for that audience. Today, I'm going to walk you through how to improve your interview skills with practical tools.

You can start using immediately. Now we live in a world overflowing with podcasts each month, hundreds, if not thousands of new shows are launched. Everyone's got a mic, a logo, a catchy intro and a dream. We all have dreams is whether it's to be the best podcaster to use our podcast, to launch a business. have dreams, but only a few hosts rise above that noise and the secret.

It's not the gear. It's not the guest lists, not even audio quality. It's the questions. So how do you become one of the elite? Today, I'll show you how with three powerful pillars that will transform the way you conduct interviews. Number one, curiosity driven research. Number two.

Create an emotional safety. And number three, mastering that follow up. So let's get into it. Curiosity driven research. Here's the fastest way not to be delete. Start your interview with a question like, so tell us who you are. That tells your guest that you did not prepare for the interview. You didn't want to know about them. You just want to start off, let them tell the whole story. You didn't do homework.

Elite interviewers don't just Google their guests. They study them. They dive deep into their lives. They also stay curious. Curiosity is what separates research from regurgitation. Ask yourself before each interview, what's something this guest has not shared in any interview or any online platform before?

What almost came out that last interview, but did not. What moment in their story demanded courage, but hasn't been spotlighted. This isn't about gimmicks or clickbait tactics. It's about intentional, respectful, and skillful conversation. Do your homework. Research like a journalist. One of the biggest mistakes podcasters make is winging it. And trust me.

Your audience can tell and so can you guessed you'll be fumbling behind the microphone. You'll say a lot because you don't know what to say. If you ever watched the Joe Rogan experience, you will see a very comfortable Joe behind the microphone on his chair looking across at his guest. And this is because he's interacting with a friend now because he studies that guest. He reads all material on the guest. If the guest has books.

He reads as much of them as possible before even committing to let them on the show. So he is 100 % comfortable with his guests and knows kind of what the guest is going to do on the show and makes them feel comfortable. An actionable tip for you is prepare a short guest brief. This could be three to five bullet points, including recent work, lesser known facts, and a standout question or two. It'll guide your conversation without making it feel scripted. Let me give you an example.

An interviewer once asked a veteran turned author. You said your deployment didn't change you. But what did it reveal about you? Boom. That one question just cracked open a door to about 20 minutes of vulnerability, storytelling, and man insight. See, research isn't just about facts. It's about insight. It's not enough to know what happened.

You want to know why it mattered, why it mattered to your guests, why it mattered to those who are around them when it happened, and why it will matter to you, the audience.

Curiosity isn't something we're born with. It is a skill you have to develop and like any skill, you must train it. Now we will move into pillar number two, creating emotional safety. Here's something no one teaches new podcasters. The best interviews don't come from the best questions. They've come from the best connection. If your guest doesn't feel safe,

going to be squirmish. You don't get the gold on the stage. You don't get the gold on your show period. Elite interviewers know how to create emotional safety first and fast. It starts before you even hit record. Here's how. First be fully present. No fun. No distractions. The number one thing in that room is your guest. The number one thing to do is treat the guest like fat.

Second, set the tone with something like, this is your story. I'm just here to help you tell it well and guide you to the goal. A great interview is a dance. You're not just reading questions. You're reacting, connecting and adapting. Third, and this is big lead with vulnerability. If you're interviewing a firefighter about PTSD, don't just launch into

So you're a firefighter, you have PTSD. Tell me about that hardest moment that caused it. That's dry, it's bland, it's almost like a scripted question. Instead, maybe say something like this. Before we go there, I just want you to know, my uncle was a first responder. I've seen how heavy that burden can be. You share whatever feels right with you. That line right there.

It lowers that wall. And once the wall drops, the truth walks in. Just remember, a microphone can either be a spotlight or a shield. It's your job to make it a safe place. Now, here's where you go from good to great. Most podcasters. They treat interviews like checklists. This is even printed in books on how to podcast that are sold online.

Almost verbatim ask a question get an answer move on It is almost robotic But elite interviewers they listen like detectives when your guest says something like Yeah, that was the moment. I almost walked away from it all Don't skip to your next question back

Lean in. Take that breath.

What stopped you? That follow up question. That's where you hit that home run. That is where the gold lives. Think of it like this. The first answer. That's just you scraping that surface. The follow up. That's the well dig deep. Here's a quick tip. Get comfortable with silence. Sometimes the best thing you can do is say nothing at all. Master the pause.

Let the moment breathe like a fine bottle of your favorite beverage. And let your guest fill the space with something real to them. Let the conversation breathe and evolve naturally. Here's the truth. An elite interviewer is never trying to be the star. They're trying to be the mirror. Let that sink in a little bit. You're not the star of the show. Your guest is the star of your program.

You have them on for a reason because they're a great person. They have a great story. They are dynamic. Let them share their story. Let them share their worth with your audience. Let them understand that you value that what they're saying. So reflect their truth clearly and with care. You're not just recording content. You're archiving humanity. So the next time you sit down behind that mic.

Ask yourself, am I here to impress? Or am I here to understand? Because when you choose understanding, that is when the magic happens. If you take anything from what we talked about today, remember the three pillars. Do your research, create the safe space, master the follow up. The follow up is where that gold is.

But the safe space is where that gold starts to flow out. When you're in the green room or to pre show, become friends with your guests, let them feel comfortable and they will share with you things that they otherwise would not. Once again, I am Rich LaMonica and thank you for caring enough about your craft. Being a podcaster on a show with interviews.

to hang out with me today and maybe learn a tip or two. Have a great day and enjoy podcast.