Guesting on a Podcast? Read This.
The host isn’t the show. The host may be the face, the voice, the name on the cover art, and the person asking the questions, but great podcasts are built on work most people never see.
Behind every great interview you’re part of, there are multiple jobs:
A booker getting you to the session on time with everything you need
A researcher finding the details, context, and smart questions that make the conversation worth hearing
An engineer keeping you on mic and making sure you sound your best
A producer shaping the flow so the interview feels natural, focused, and memorable
An editor cutting your stumbles and stutters so you sound sharp
The business of podcasting often has one person doing multiple jobs, so it’s possible the host is doing everything … but a great podcast is never just a host.
Want to be asked back? Acknowledge this level of work. And if there are multiple people that you’re interacting with, acknowledge them as well.
This means when an engineer or producer is on the line for a remote interview, acknowledge them. When someone is in the studio with you, acknowledge them.
When you send your thank you note afterward, name everybody you interacted with.
It takes thirty seconds. It costs you nothing.
But it tells everyone behind the scenes you understand what’s involved to make you sound great and create an episode worth listening to.
Respect the whole room. That’s how one episode turns into many.
If you’ve worked on the production side, who was the guest you’d book again in a heartbeat? And what was one thing a guest did that made you think, “Yeah, once was enough”?
