How to Interview Guests on Radio Show

If you plan on interviewing someone for a radio show you need to be prepared. Whether you have interviewed someone in the past or this is completely new, there are several things to keep in mind and plan out. Follow each of these steps and you can be confident that things will go smoothly.

Instructions

1. Research the person or topic to be covered. The worst thing you can do is to look like you have no idea what you’re talking about when you interview your subject. Find out about the person your interviewing and the subjects you will discuss. Depending on the interview length and style, your conversation may take different paths. If your taking audience questions then you really need to research the possible questions you might get.

2. Prepare your questions. You may think there is a lot to talk about but you may easily forget what you had in mind in the energy of the moment. So plan for many questions ahead of time. Don’t plan to ask the most interesting questions first, try to spread it out to keep your audience interested.

3. Prepare your guest. Tell them what you would like to do during the interview. Tell them the questions or types of questions you’re going to ask. Tell them how long the answers should take. Let the guest know as much as possible about the interview to avoid any problems. Also be sure to find out what your guest would like to cover and do what you can to make sure that you talk about it. It’s always good to keep the guest happy, especially if you’d like him to return.

4. Know generally what your guest is going to say. You may not want to go through the whole interview ahead of time but you should have a general idea of what your guest is going to talk about. This way you won’t be surprised by anything and if there is an issue with anything it can be discussed ahead of time.

5. Plan for quick back and forth discussion. Remember that you’re on the radio and that people do not like to listen to long stories or complicated explanations. Plan out questions that are interesting but that can be answered easily.

6. Be prepared to close the discussion. Plan for and talk to your guest about how the discussion will end and what will happen next. Otherwise your interview could go on far too long or you guest could just sputter on indefinitely.