No matter how many times you've been on the hosting side of a podcasting microphone, a challenging guest is never fun to work with.
If you're a podcaster who frequently invites guests on their show, you may already know what I'm talking about.
And if you're new to podcasting, allow me to introduce you to a few types of challenging guests you may come across:
The “No Need to Prepare Ahead of Time” Guest
Likes to say: “I work best off-the-cuff,” or “I’m great at improv, trust me”
Pros:
Great in a pinch when you need a last-minute guest.
Some people really are natural performers and great at improv, or they might have their interview talking points nailed down and rehearsed to the max from multiple interviews (authors who go on podcast-tours to promote their books are some of the easiest guests to edit, for example).
Cons:
You’re risking your time as a host and editor if what they say turns out to be false and they’re constantly scrambling for information or something to say. They may even go on tangents you weren’t prepared for, and the last thing you want as a host is to lose control of the interview.
Some people think that because they can keep their mouths moving and sounds coming out, it means they are naturally good at talking on a mic and creating content. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. That doesn’t mean there aren’t great performers out there who can hop on a mic and perform at 100% — there absolutely are. But as a host, it’s your job to make sure you’re providing your audience with value and not just background noise.
Tips for the Host:
Listen to the guests on other podcasts to see just how good they really are off-the-cuff. SGet them comfortable, let them know there’s an editor and if they mess up, they can repeat a sentence, not try to fudge their way through it.
Having a pre-interview or sending general questions ahead of time can help give the guest an idea of what ideas will be covered on the podcast. Some guests find outlining their talking points and practicing them ahead of time removes some of those nerves.
The One-Word Answer Guest
Likes to say: “Yup.” or “Nope” or “IDuhNo” (the one-word mumbled equivalent of “I don’t know”)
Pros:
You know you’re in for a short interview if time is of the essence.
If the information is useful, albeit terse, it can still help those in need of quick answers.
Quick and/or easy to edit.
Cons:
Missed opportunity to gain more knowledge and information.
Possibly not very exciting for the listener.
Tips for the Host:
“Storytelling is one of the best tools you can use in podcasting to connect with your audience and bring real-world context to your topic of conversation.”
Learn to ask open-ended questions that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” Preparing your questions ahead of time will help with this.
It also helps to have some go-to follow-up phrases handy like, "could you speak more on that topic?" or “would you mind explaining that further?” If it feels awkward in the moment to say, you can edit it out later so it simply sounds like the guest elaborated without being prompted.
Be curious. If you’re wondering about something that was said, your audience probably is, too.
Listen for cues to a story. "It sounds like you know this from experience" can sometimes prompt someone to go further. Storytelling is one of the best tools you can use in podcasting to connect with your audience and bring real-world context to your topic of conversation.
The Guest with the bad audio
Likes to say: “??????” (unintelligible because of bad audio)
Pros:
??? (can’t think of any pros for this one, sorry)
Cons:
Hard for your listener to understand and could potentially turn people off to the podcast.
The more sound correction you have to do, the more time spent editing the interview.
Bad reviews. Yes, people will go to your Apple Podcasts page and leave a bad review for the audio regardless of content, especially if it’s an ongoing thing.
Tips for the Host:
Prepare your guest by suggesting they record in a quiet space with no interruptions. Rooms with lots of soft furniture and carpeting are better than rooms with a lot of hard surfaces and echo. Not everyone’s going to have a perfectly quiet recording studio. Guests understand that. But getting good sound shouldn’t fall by the wayside because of it.
Suggest a mic for your guest. Here’s my favorite under-$100 mic for frequent podcast guests, or the mic on the old Apple Earbuds is actually great in a pinch! (The mic on the Apple Earpods is fine, but not great.)
Ask the guest to wear headphones/earbuds for the interview so their microphone doesn’t pick up sounds from the computer or the host speaking. This helps preserve clean audio of just the guest’s voice.
Have a pre-interview to check the sound of the guest. Check all your connections and listen for any sounds that might be distracting before pressing record.
During the interview, don’t be afraid to stop or pause if something comes up to make the sound hard to hear. I’d rather ask a guest to repeat themselves, rather than assume a bad connection or issue can be fixed afterward. This is what podcast editing is here for.
The Guest with Their Own Agenda
Likes to say: “That’s a great question, but first I want to talk about …” or “Your point is interesting, but let’s also discuss ..”
Pros:
They can talk. Ooooooh boy, can they talk!
Maybe their agenda meshes with yours and it works for your show.
Cons:
They may be focused on what they want to talk about and not what you/your listeners want to talk about.
If you’re not careful, they can take over the interview and leave your questions unanswered.
Listeners may feel talked at, rather than feeling like a part of the conversation.
Tips for the Host:
Learn to redirect and stay on topic. You can acknowledge the guest like, “it sounds like you have a lot to say about that, which we can get to in a bit/at the end, but let me have you answer this first …,” which gives them an opportunity to say what’s on their mind, but answers your/the audience’s questions first.
Editing is your friend — remember this is your platform. You may want to have a guest contract in place that includes a line stipulating your rights to edit the interview at your/your editor’s discretion.
Again, sending questions ahead of time can help the guest prepare for the interview and give them a sense of where you want the interview to go.
The Interrupting Guest
Likes to say: Whatever they want, whenever they want.
Pros:
Many times, those who interrupt are excited about the content and can’t wait to talk more about it — that’s generally a good thing for podcasters!
Cons:
Can be distracting for those recording to finish their thoughts.
It can be tough for listeners to understand or listen when others are interrupting and talking over one another.
Tips for the Host:
Plain and simple, direct from your friendly podcast editor: Separate. Tracks! When recording, whether in-person or remotely, give everyone with a microphone their own track to record. I recommend Riverside.FM to my editing clients as an easy recording solution that offers separate tracks and great quality audio.
Get into the habit of finishing your thought, even if you’re cut off or interrupted. Many times an editor can mute or move the interruption to after the end of your sentence or thought so the listener doesn’t have to miss out.
If it becomes an ongoing problem, be sure to bring it up (kindly, of course). Many people may not realize they interrupt. The impulsivity from my ADHD makes me interrupt people sometimes, especially if I already know where the sentence is going.
As said numerous times above, one of the best ways to get ahead of a challenging guest is to prepare — both yourself as a host and the guest, if possible.
Pre-interviews, prep questions, and getting the right equipment can all go a long way. Many podcast hosts like to send their guests Guest Tip Sheets, which include information and more that can inform and help prepare guests to sound their best.
Which types of challenging guests have you encountered? Let me know below and please share any tips you might have for others 🙂
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