62. The biggest mistake new podcast hosts make

This transcript was created using Headliner. It has been copied and pasted but not proofread or edited, so it may contain errors or inaccuracies.

Hi. If you caught last week’s episode, you’ll know that I’ve stepped back from doing interviews. For now, I’m focusing more on solo episodes and trying to get more confident sharing my own voice and storeys. But I wanted to share this storey with you because it’s been sitting on my chest for a while and I know many of you are still doing interviews. So if I ever decide to go back to doing interviews, this is what I’ll do differently. And hopefully my cringeworthy experience can help you avoid a few of the mistakes I made.

Laura McRae: Smart content starts with your podcast

Welcome to podcast strategy that brings in clients. I’m Your host, Laura McRae, podcast producer and content strategist. If you want your podcast to bring in leads, build trust and support your business, you’re in the right place. Because smart content starts with your podcast. But it doesn’t stop there. Uh, let’s go back to a time when I interviewed MG on the podcast. That was back on episode 31. M’s an incredible marketing coach, deeply experienced in AI automation and message first marketing. She’s smart, strategic, and has three podcasts. And she’s turned one podcast into a book. And turned one book into a podcast. Originally, I wanted to chat about AI with him M, because that’s where her, uh, expertise lies. But I’d just done an AI interview with Kara Stokes and didn’t want to double up on the topic. So I pivoted the interview just the day before and decided to talk about how she turned a podcast into a book and then a book into a podcast. Now, I’d also recently interviewed Carmen Braidwood on a show. Carmen’s an expert in interviewing people and her tip was not to over prepare for podcast interviews. She said to be curious, be present, and let the conversation flow. So I thought, right, let’s try that. So for M’s interview, I wrote down three questions and that was it. Three questions. That was not enough. I was completely unprepared. I got her podcast names mixed up, confused the order of her books, and felt totally flustered the whole time. It wasn’t just awkward, I felt really rude. And Em, bless her, was so gracious the entire time. And just to add to the chaos, it was the school holidays. Right in the middle of Em sharing something really interesting, my kids decided to have a massive argument in the room next door. I couldn’t concentrate in what Em was saying, and instead of muting myself or letting her finish, I just interrupted her mid sentence to go and tell them to shut up. Turns out she couldn’t even Hear the kids. Anyway, it was just me panicking and again I felt so rude. I still bump into Em at events here in Perth and when I see it, I just want to sink into the floor every time. Now contrast that with a few weeks later when I interviewed Taryn Bolt on the show that was episode 41. I probably over prepared a bit and wrote 14 questions for her interview. But they were thoughtful, relevant and based on questions my clients ask. I didn’t end up asking them all, but I had structure and that gave me more confidence when I was interviewing her. Uh, we still had room to go off script, but I wasn’t just flailing around. I’d done my research, knew what Taryn could bring to the episode and was genuinely excited to hear her take on things. And when I bumped into her at an event in Perth later that year, I hugged her. I wasn’t hiding behind a pot plant like I was with Em. That’s the difference a bit of preparation can make. There’s this weird tension with interviews. You don’t want to sound robotic, but you also don’t want to sound like you have no idea what’s going on. I kept thinking if I script too much I’ll sound stiff, but if I wing it I’ll sound clueless. But the best thing to be is somewhere in between and finding that middle ground takes some time. I’m still not there M myself I’d like to be. Personally though, I’d rather over prepare and then learn how to loosen up over time. I don’t want to feel like I did with M Again, I felt so rude. That feels better than turning up under prepared. For me it does. Anyway, there are a few common interview styles. There’s the structured Q and A, there’s free flowing and conversational, and then there’s a bit of both. I started off really structured and then I tried free flowing way too soon after and that was my MG disaster moment. And now I sit somewhere in the middle. I’d call my current style a hybrid. I’d, uh, I prepare, but I stay open to the unexpected turns that the interview could go. And one day I’d love to get more comfortable being fully in flow. Let’s hope that happens one day. Now there are a few red flags I’ve learned along the way. Things that can really throw a guest off or make the whole experience feel uncomfortable. First up, jumping straight into questions without any kind of warm up. Your guest has probably just logged

00:05:00

on, maybe rushed from another meeting, and the first thing they hear is all right, let’s go. Uh, no, thank you. They won’t like that. Take a minute, say hi and have a quick chat. Cheque their audio and let them settle in. This also gives you a chance to remind them of the direction you’re heading in with the interview, which helps keep things on track and saves you from hours of, um, unnecessary editing later. Another big one is interrupting constantly to add value or steer the conversation back to yourself. This usually comes from nerves or wanting to sound knowledgeable. Now, as mentioned in last week’s episode, I’m, um, the opposite to this. I almost never interrupt. I let the guests talk and then I don’t end up sharing my own experiences or expertise at all. So there’s a fine line here. You absolutely want to let your guests speak, but you also don’t want to disappear completely. If you can try to gently weave in your own perspective or a quick storey without cutting them off or being rude, this is great. It’s all about balance. Next, not giving your guests space to share a call to action. If you’ve invited someone onto your podcast, give them a moment at the end to talk about what they’re working on and, um, where people can find them. It’s respectful and it’s kind of an unspoken agreement. When someone gives up their time to be on your show and finally getting their name wrong or butchering their bio, this one makes me cringe the most. When I interviewed Em, I completely jumbled up M’s podcast, names of books and the order of everything. It was such a mess that I re recorded the entire intro afterwards. And yes, that fixes it for the listener, but it doesn’t change the fact that I hadn’t done my homework. That moment taught me to double cheque everything before hitting record pronunciation, job titles, current offers. It takes five minutes, but it makes a huge difference in how respected your guest feels.

Here’s how I prepare for interviews: First, I get really specific

Alright, uh, so here’s how I prepare for interviews. It’s nothing fancy, but it works. And it saved me from a lot of those flustered, rambling moments. First, I get really clear on the topic, like really specific, not just marketing or podcasting. I’ll pick something like how to use AI to speed up your content creation or how to turn one podcast episode into a content plan. The more niche down I make it, the easier it is to plan the interview and keep the conversation on track. Then I’ll go to ChatGPT and ask for about 20 question ideas. I always ask for more than I need because I know some of them are going to be duds or they’ll be the same question reworded five times. I uh, then go through and pull out the good ones, tweak them a bit if I need to, and that becomes the guide for the interview. I’ve also noticed that guests often end up answering a few of my plan questions in one go, especially when they get in the flow of talking. So as we’re chatting, I’ll make sure I’m listening. If we get to a question they’ve already touched on, I’ll mention that and either skip it. And if I do ask them and they say oh, I’ve answered that already, I’ll just make sure I edit that part of the interview out so it doesn’t sound awkward and weird. Oh, and something I don’t do anymore. Read out bios at the beginning I used to do the whole official intro thing and honestly it’s really quite boring now. I just go straight into the chat and later on I record a short intro to stick on the front of the episode. It’s quicker, it’s more engaging and gives me a chance to say what the episode is about and what you’ll get from listening to the show without any waffle in between.

If you’re still doing interviews, it’s worth thinking about how you approach them

If you’re still doing interviews, it’s worth having a quick think about how you’re approaching them. Are you someone who over prepares and sticks to the script, or do you tend to just wing it and hope for the best? What kind of interview style suits you? Not what you think you should be doing? And are, uh, you giving your guests the space to shine while still bringing your own voice to the table? You don’t have to be the perfect host, but being thoughtful goes a long way. So that’s the storey, the MG flop, the over prepared redemption with Tarin, and all the messy lessons in between. If you’re planning interviews and feeling unsure about how to prepare or even what to talk about, I can help you with that. It’s a big part of the work I do with my one on one podcast management clients. I don’t just edit the show and make it sound pretty. I help plan interview topics that tie into your marketing goals, come up with questions that spark great conversations, and then repurpose the episode into blogs, social media posts and newsletters so that the content keeps working for you. So if you want to feel more confident heading into interviews and make sure they’re working for your business, DM me on Instagram,

00:10:00

Odcast support services or comment on this episode if you’re using the Spotify app and if you’ve had your own awkward interview moment. I’d love to hear it. DM m me on Instagram and we can cringe together. Until next time, be kind to yourself and your guests. They’ll thank you for it.

This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services

This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services. Podcast strategy that attracts leads, clients and credibility. Are you looking for a podcast producer? We may have availability. Head to podcastsupportservices.com.

00:10:36