A client arrived this week for a coaching session to work on preparing for her first podcast interview. See below for the list of homework I suggested she bring to the session. She said that this homework helped her get into the right mindset for this debut interview.
I suggest this preparation for you the next time somebody contacts you about an interview. Better yet, isn't it time you sought an interview opportunity? Here's what you can do to prepare to give your best interview:
1. Listen to other interviews your host has done. This will give you a feeling of what kind of interviewer they are and ideas for what you want to talk about. What do you like about the interviewer and the interviewee? What do you think works? Doesn't work?
2. Find out how long the interview will be and confirm who will be interviewing you before you accept the invitation.
3. Ask your interviewer to send questions ahead of time or at least topics they want to cover. This is not so that you’ll memorize your answers but this gives you a chance to think about your content and the stories you can tell.
4. Do you have an upcoming event to promote? If so, let your interviewer know about your upcoming show. They can ask you about it and/or you can mention it including details of where to find out more.
5. If you’re at a loss for content, imagine the listeners. Who are they? Why do they listen to this podcast? What are they most interested in? What can you talk about that will educate, motivate and/or inspire?
6. Will you be doing the interview face-to-face? If this is an option, this is better than doing it remotely. Don't be shy about asking the technician (who may also be your interviewer!) about the best microphone position.
7. If you’re doing the interview from your own computer, do a test with your microphone, ahead of time, to ensure your sound is clear.
8. When you imagine the podcast going perfectly, what works? What do you notice?
9. Think about how this opportunity came about. How can you find more opportunities like this?
10. Don’t forget to follow up with a thank you to your interviewer and share the podcast widely.
Remember that each interview is just a rehearsal for the next one. Break a leg! You can always contact me for coaching if you need help finessing your interviews.
Banner Photo by Elliot Sloman on Unsplash.