The Art of the Podcast Interview

Tips on giving a great interview

As a technology and business reporter, I’ve been interviewing people for three decades and some of the interviews and interviewees really stand out as being spectacular even after all these years. For example, Henry Cisneros, former HUD Director and Mayor of San Antonio is one of the most quotable people I’ve ever interviewed. He has a gift for speaking in eloquent sentences. Oprah Winfrey, who I had the pleasure to interview in college, is also highly quotable. They have been in the public forum for years and have a gift for communicating. It is an art and something we can all train ourselves to be better at. I’ve also done almost 100 podcast interviews for Ideas to Invoices. And I realize that a lot of people don’t know what to do when they are being interviewed by a reporter. So, I created these tips to let you know how to give a great interview on a podcast.

1. Keep your answers to questions concise.

2. Do use descriptive language and anecdotes to illustrate your points and tell stories

3. Stick to the facts

4. Listen to the question and if you have any doubts, ask for clarification

5. Bring a lot of energy to the interview. Podcast interviews are best recorded mid-morning when people’s energy levels are highest.