November 10, 2025 • 9 mins
Interviews are at the heart of many great podcasts — but asking the right questions takes more than reading from a list. In this episode of Podcast Insider, MacKenzie and Dave share tips for crafting thoughtful, engaging conversations that draw out your guest’s best stories and insights. Whether you’re new to interviewing or looking to refine your technique, you’ll learn how to prepare with purpose, stay present in the moment, and guide discussions that truly connect with listeners.
Today's Hosts: MacKenzie Bennett and Dave Clements
How to Improve Your Interviewing Skills for Your Podcast
Start with Curiosity, Not a Script
A good interview starts with genuine curiosity. Instead of racing through a list of questions, focus on listening and reacting.
Tips to improve your flow:
Research your guest, but don’t over-prepare.
Ask one question at a time.
Follow up naturally — not mechanically.
Let the guest finish their thought before jumping in.
💡 Blubrry helps: With our hosting tools and episode scheduling, you can plan interviews with confidence and stay focused on the conversation instead of the tech.
Craft Questions That Open Doors
Avoid yes/no questions and lean into prompts that invite storytelling and reflection.
Try starting with:
“Tell me about…” instead of “Did you…”
“What was going through your mind when…”
“How did that experience change your approach?”
These questions lead to real, memorable answers that keep listeners hooked.
💡 Blubrry helps: Use your show notes and episode descriptions to highlight key takeaways — helping new listeners find your best moments fast.
Silence Is Your Secret Weapon
Most new hosts rush to fill silence, but short pauses can be powerful. They give your guest space to think — and often lead to deeper responses.
Try waiting a full beat after your guest finishes speaking. You might be surprised what they add next.
💡 Blubrry helps: Our post-production options like Media Mastering and transcripts make editing smooth and professional while keeping those natural pauses intact.
Stay Present — Not Performative
The best interviewers sound like they’re discovering the story with their audience.
Be conversational, but intentional:
React honestly.
Summarize or restate what your guest said before moving on.
Don’t chase every tangent — guide gently back to the core topic.
Your job is to keep listeners engaged while helping your guest shine.
💡 Blubrry helps: Whether you’re publishing through WordPress or our Blubrry Dashboard, our tools make it easy to present your content with polish and personality.
The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. General podcasting discussion and more can be shared on the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook group.
Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider
Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call for a tech checkup with Mike (mike@blubrry.com).
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Everyone. I'm Dave Clements, customer relations and
media specialist. That's a new title. I'm trying
to get used to that here at Blueberry.
And I'm Mackenzie Bennett, marketing specialist.
Today, we're talking about one of the most
important and underrated podcasting skills,
interviewing.
So whether you host experts, creators, or just
(00:21):
friends,
how you ask questions shapes the quality
of your entire episode.
Definitely.
Great interviews aren't just about who you have
on. They're about the conversation that you create.
You're listening to Podcast Insider hosted by Mike
Dell, Dave Clements, and Mackenzie Bennett from the
Blueberry team,
(00:41):
bringing you weekly insights, advice, and insider tips
and tricks to help you start, grow, and
thrive through podcasting
with all the support of your team here
at Blueberry Podcasting.
Welcome. Let's dive in.
Good place to start is with curiosity.
I know a lot of people think that
you gotta have all those questions
(01:02):
scripted out, but I think it's nice to
come in
a little raw and just
not always anticipate what your next question is.
It's been said time and time again about
any type of interviews is that listening is
the most important most important thing that you
can do.
Yeah. And you've done way more interviews than
(01:24):
I have, I bet.
I did quite a bit. I used to
do them every week or so for podcast
insider when I did that for a couple
years. And
you really do tend to get, like, a
flow
at some point. You know, you you learn
how
to ask one question at a time because
if you ask more than one,
they lose it in their head.
(01:46):
You start to follow-up a little more naturally
as opposed to just
question has been answered.
Now question five.
Right. It's you'll find a cadence, I guess,
as you go on, but you it's be
respectful
to
your guest is definitely a big part of
that.
Something else that's super important is crafting questions
(02:06):
that open doors. So not really yes or
no questions,
lean into
prompts that invite storytelling
and reflection for your guest.
Yeah. You see that a lot with some
of the best
interviewers. Like you said, just a minute ago,
the best interviewers are the best listeners. And
so you have to be actively listening to
(02:28):
what is being said because that is going
to
create prompts for you. So for instance,
you're you're listening to someone
talking about their childhood. Well, maybe some factoid
stands out and then it can be like,
oh, hey. Tell me
about this thing
rather than
(02:49):
just following up with your next question
or
cutting off that train of thought because sometimes
you get so many more gems
from following up like that. And,
you know, a couple of other questions you
could ask
or prompts you could use
just
to keep them at the top of mind
might be, hey. What was going through your
(03:10):
head when you had this experience?
Or
did that experience
change your approach to whatever the subject is
that you're talking about?
Yeah. For sure. Marc Maron just ended his
podcast after,
like, sixteen
years or something like that. Yeah. The BPOF
with with Maron. Yeah. With Marc Maron. And
(03:32):
I listened to him for years and he
was always very chatty. He had a podcast
for a reason because he's a talkative guy,
But he was chatty in the sense of
asking them questions and having an actual conversation
and going the give and take of a
conversation and going back and forth. And he
would go off on some tangent because
they said something
(03:54):
that correlated to whatever he had to say,
and then he would eventually come back to
it. He was very good at that. He
had a podcast for a long time for
a reason.
Yeah. I mean, being an observational
comedian,
like, you build those skills. And, like, he's
been doing it for decades.
Yeah. And he's really good. I just watched
his most recent special not too long ago.
(04:15):
And
not only is he funny, he's just very
insightful.
And I think those are talents. If you
want to get better at the interview,
start watching
observational
comedians because that's what they do. They watch
things, and then they craft stories around it.
It's a really good suggestion.
(04:37):
I I love comedians. I I
wish I I could deliver
better. Mhmm. I'm always learning from comedians, just
the way that they interact with the crowd
or
things like that. Like, so many good tools
found in comedians. So if you have one
you like, you can probably learn something.
That's a good point. It does go into
(04:57):
the next suggestion that we have, which is
silence can actually be very helpful. It can
be your secret weapon sometimes.
You don't have to fill every single
moment
with a word, with a noise. Sometimes
the silence is golden.
Yeah. And that's hard to do, especially when
you are a podcaster. That's the thing you
(05:18):
do. It's hard to not go, yep. And
we talked not too long ago about
your tone and how you present yourself. And
I think just stopping and
soaking in what's being said
rather than thinking about what needs to happen
next, because the silence is not just what's
coming through the microphone or your headphones, but
(05:39):
also what is going on in your head.
And as someone who
is always thinking about the 15,000
things they have to do in a day,
it's hard to make your brain quiet, but
it's a good skill to work on.
With that silence
is staying present and not performative. That silence
(06:00):
can
lead you into the next thing that your
guest might say.
And instead of focusing on a list of
questions or research that you did ahead of
time,
be in the moment and react honestly to
whatever it is that they're saying. It can
turn into a story that way as opposed
to just
ask an answer.
(06:21):
Yeah. The and that was
I was just thinking while you were talking.
So, obviously, not staying present. I was, but
I wasn't.
Like, I did a video not too long
ago about
this particular topic,
and
one of the points that I thought was
really interesting
was this concept of
(06:41):
summarizing or restating what your guest said before
you move on. And what that does is,
one, it makes sure that you are aware
of what they're talking about,
but also it reminds your audience
what they were talking about because we all
know as podcast listeners
that
you're gonna get sidetracked. You're probably doing something
(07:02):
else while you listen. So having the host,
like, back up and
let's recap this as we move into the
next question.
That's pretty smart. It was one of my
favorite little tips that I got from doing
that video.
It's a really great idea. I mean, you
see it in all of television too. Less
things that are made for streaming,
but
(07:22):
especially in reality TV shows where they're like,
okay. This happened over the this happened right
before the commercial. Let's recap it
while we go into this while we finish
this scene. We cut you off with whatever
that cliffhanger, and now we're coming back to
it, and we have to remind you of
what just happened.
So I think there's a lot of good
reason to
(07:43):
use that tactic.
Yeah. And I think, like, the last little
bit of this concept of staying present
is
even though you're having a conversation in an
interview,
you cannot
chase every single tangent that comes out between
you and your guest. So always be trying
to push it back to this is the
(08:05):
topic at hand,
and, you know, you're gonna end up with
a better product
that way. Yeah. That's definitely true even for
someone you're not necessarily interviewing, just your cohost.
You gotta stay together in that sense.
Yeah. I'm sure you're doing a lot of
work this episode trying to keep me on
track because
(08:25):
I don't trust myself sometimes. Sometimes I just
kinda go off on a little tangent in
my head or
I think I'm making a point, and then
I come back and I make the same
point again, not even knowing that I made
that point. So Don't we all?
Don't we all? I think all of our
brains are a little fried with our phones
in our hands at all times. Yeah.
(08:47):
Alright, everyone. That is all for today. Thanks
for tuning in.
Yeah. And remember, great interviews come from listening
more than talking, so slow down just a
little bit.
Ask those questions that bring out the best
in your guests and keep the audience curious
for what's next.
And also remember that Blueberry gives you everything
(09:08):
you need to record, publish, and share your
conversations with the world.
Be sure to follow or subscribe to Podcast
Insider for more podcasting tips, tools, and insights
from the Blueberry team. Thanks, everyone.
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.
And in the meantime, head to podcastinsider.com
for more information,
to subscribe,
(09:30):
share, and read our show notes.
To check out our latest suite of services
and learn how Blueberry can help you leverage
your podcast, visit blueberry.com.
That's Blueberry without the e's. We couldn't afford
the e's.
Everyone. I'm Dave Clements, customer relations and
media specialist. That's a new title. I'm trying
to get used to that here at Blueberry.
And I'm Mackenzie Bennett, marketing specialist.
Today, we're talking about one of the most
important and underrated podcasting skills,
interviewing.
So whether you host experts, creators, or just
(00:21):
friends,
how you ask questions shapes the quality
of your entire episode.
Definitely.
Great interviews aren't just about who you have
on. They're about the conversation that you create.
You're listening to Podcast Insider hosted by Mike
Dell, Dave Clements, and Mackenzie Bennett from the
Blueberry team,
(00:41):
bringing you weekly insights, advice, and insider tips
and tricks to help you start, grow, and
thrive through podcasting
with all the support of your team here
at Blueberry Podcasting.
Welcome. Let's dive in.
Good place to start is with curiosity.
I know a lot of people think that
you gotta have all those questions
(01:02):
scripted out, but I think it's nice to
come in
a little raw and just
not always anticipate what your next question is.
It's been said time and time again about
any type of interviews is that listening is
the most important most important thing that you
can do.
Yeah. And you've done way more interviews than
(01:24):
I have, I bet.
I did quite a bit. I used to
do them every week or so for podcast
insider when I did that for a couple
years. And
you really do tend to get, like, a
flow
at some point. You know, you you learn
how
to ask one question at a time because
if you ask more than one,
they lose it in their head.
(01:46):
You start to follow-up a little more naturally
as opposed to just
question has been answered.
Now question five.
Right. It's you'll find a cadence, I guess,
as you go on, but you it's be
respectful
to
your guest is definitely a big part of
that.
Something else that's super important is crafting questions
(02:06):
that open doors. So not really yes or
no questions,
lean into
prompts that invite storytelling
and reflection for your guest.
Yeah. You see that a lot with some
of the best
interviewers. Like you said, just a minute ago,
the best interviewers are the best listeners. And
so you have to be actively listening to
(02:28):
what is being said because that is going
to
create prompts for you. So for instance,
you're you're listening to someone
talking about their childhood. Well, maybe some factoid
stands out and then it can be like,
oh, hey. Tell me
about this thing
rather than
(02:49):
just following up with your next question
or
cutting off that train of thought because sometimes
you get so many more gems
from following up like that. And,
you know, a couple of other questions you
could ask
or prompts you could use
just
to keep them at the top of mind
might be, hey. What was going through your
(03:10):
head when you had this experience?
Or
did that experience
change your approach to whatever the subject is
that you're talking about?
Yeah. For sure. Marc Maron just ended his
podcast after,
like, sixteen
years or something like that. Yeah. The BPOF
with with Maron. Yeah. With Marc Maron. And
(03:32):
I listened to him for years and he
was always very chatty. He had a podcast
for a reason because he's a talkative guy,
But he was chatty in the sense of
asking them questions and having an actual conversation
and going the give and take of a
conversation and going back and forth. And he
would go off on some tangent because
they said something
(03:54):
that correlated to whatever he had to say,
and then he would eventually come back to
it. He was very good at that. He
had a podcast for a long time for
a reason.
Yeah. I mean, being an observational
comedian,
like, you build those skills. And, like, he's
been doing it for decades.
Yeah. And he's really good. I just watched
his most recent special not too long ago.
(04:15):
And
not only is he funny, he's just very
insightful.
And I think those are talents. If you
want to get better at the interview,
start watching
observational
comedians because that's what they do. They watch
things, and then they craft stories around it.
It's a really good suggestion.
(04:37):
I I love comedians. I I
wish I I could deliver
better. Mhmm. I'm always learning from comedians, just
the way that they interact with the crowd
or
things like that. Like, so many good tools
found in comedians. So if you have one
you like, you can probably learn something.
That's a good point. It does go into
(04:57):
the next suggestion that we have, which is
silence can actually be very helpful. It can
be your secret weapon sometimes.
You don't have to fill every single
moment
with a word, with a noise. Sometimes
the silence is golden.
Yeah. And that's hard to do, especially when
you are a podcaster. That's the thing you
(05:18):
do. It's hard to not go, yep. And
we talked not too long ago about
your tone and how you present yourself. And
I think just stopping and
soaking in what's being said
rather than thinking about what needs to happen
next, because the silence is not just what's
coming through the microphone or your headphones, but
(05:39):
also what is going on in your head.
And as someone who
is always thinking about the 15,000
things they have to do in a day,
it's hard to make your brain quiet, but
it's a good skill to work on.
With that silence
is staying present and not performative. That silence
(06:00):
can
lead you into the next thing that your
guest might say.
And instead of focusing on a list of
questions or research that you did ahead of
time,
be in the moment and react honestly to
whatever it is that they're saying. It can
turn into a story that way as opposed
to just
ask an answer.
(06:21):
Yeah. The and that was
I was just thinking while you were talking.
So, obviously, not staying present. I was, but
I wasn't.
Like, I did a video not too long
ago about
this particular topic,
and
one of the points that I thought was
really interesting
was this concept of
(06:41):
summarizing or restating what your guest said before
you move on. And what that does is,
one, it makes sure that you are aware
of what they're talking about,
but also it reminds your audience
what they were talking about because we all
know as podcast listeners
that
you're gonna get sidetracked. You're probably doing something
(07:02):
else while you listen. So having the host,
like, back up and
let's recap this as we move into the
next question.
That's pretty smart. It was one of my
favorite little tips that I got from doing
that video.
It's a really great idea. I mean, you
see it in all of television too. Less
things that are made for streaming,
but
(07:22):
especially in reality TV shows where they're like,
okay. This happened over the this happened right
before the commercial. Let's recap it
while we go into this while we finish
this scene. We cut you off with whatever
that cliffhanger, and now we're coming back to
it, and we have to remind you of
what just happened.
So I think there's a lot of good
reason to
(07:43):
use that tactic.
Yeah. And I think, like, the last little
bit of this concept of staying present
is
even though you're having a conversation in an
interview,
you cannot
chase every single tangent that comes out between
you and your guest. So always be trying
to push it back to this is the
(08:05):
topic at hand,
and, you know, you're gonna end up with
a better product
that way. Yeah. That's definitely true even for
someone you're not necessarily interviewing, just your cohost.
You gotta stay together in that sense.
Yeah. I'm sure you're doing a lot of
work this episode trying to keep me on
track because
(08:25):
I don't trust myself sometimes. Sometimes I just
kinda go off on a little tangent in
my head or
I think I'm making a point, and then
I come back and I make the same
point again, not even knowing that I made
that point. So Don't we all?
Don't we all? I think all of our
brains are a little fried with our phones
in our hands at all times. Yeah.
(08:47):
Alright, everyone. That is all for today. Thanks
for tuning in.
Yeah. And remember, great interviews come from listening
more than talking, so slow down just a
little bit.
Ask those questions that bring out the best
in your guests and keep the audience curious
for what's next.
And also remember that Blueberry gives you everything
(09:08):
you need to record, publish, and share your
conversations with the world.
Be sure to follow or subscribe to Podcast
Insider for more podcasting tips, tools, and insights
from the Blueberry team. Thanks, everyone.
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.
And in the meantime, head to podcastinsider.com
for more information,
to subscribe,
(09:30):
share, and read our show notes.
To check out our latest suite of services
and learn how Blueberry can help you leverage
your podcast, visit blueberry.com.
That's Blueberry without the e's. We couldn't afford
the e's.
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