Podcast Interview : Pre-Flight Checklist

It’s always good to send your guests some advance information or a checklist to orient them in how the interview will work, your expectations and optionally, your questions. Some of these points should also be run through before hitting record on your interview. This will both reassure the guest and give them a reminder of some points which will have a major impact in how your interview runs.

Here’s my recommended checklist of the most common tips:

  1. The recording will be edited. Don’t worry if you slip up, correct yourself, or have a brain freeze!
  2. Phones OFF!
  3. We want to make you sound good and your information easy to understand for our listeners.
  4. Don’t preempt the host’s questions, take a breath before answering.
  5. Relax, the host will guide you through the interview with their questions.
  6. Don’t interrupt or talk over the host. (makes editing impossible)
  7. If you’re in the same room – speak into the microphone (you should be a handspan away, putting your thumb on your nose and wiggling your fingers optional)
  8. If you’re doing a remote interview, use a headset microphone.
download the checklist

Next Steps

After the podcast recording, let the guest know what happens next. Everyone plays this differently. Our favourite let’s them know that you will have editorial control of the final episode, you will let them know when it’s going to be published ahead of time, and you would love it if they would share your announcement on their networks, and distribute the audiogram or social sharing content that you’re going to produce. More listeners to their interview is a gain for everyone, so let them know that you’re trying to help them get their message out too.

Wait for the Upload

Here’s a great practical tip for people using calling platforms like Zencastr. The upload of the client-side WAV file takes place AFTER the interview recording is finished. So if the guest closes their browser tab too quickly when you wrap up, the file will not upload and you’ll be missing a vital half of your conversation. Ask them to wait or keep on chatting for a few minutes after your interview to give time for the full quality audio file to upload to the Zencastr server.