The David Lee Roth School of Podcasting

If there’s one thing that makes it very clear a podcaster is an amateur, it’s getting a guest’s name wrong.

A guest’s name is the first thing you should verify when doing a pre-interview. If you have any doubt or if the guest has an “uncommon” name, you should also verify this immediately before you start recording.

There’s a legendary story about Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth that’s surprisingly related to this …

Van Halen’s concert contracts famously included a peculiar rider item—a bowl of M&M’s backstage with the brown ones removed. At first glance, it seems to be a diva-like request, but there was a very practical reason for it.

Van Halen's concerts were elaborate, requiring complex setups with heavy equipment and specific technical requirements. The M&M’s clause was buried deep within the contract as a test to see if the promoters had actually read and adhered to minor details.

When hosting a podcast, the details matter. Getting a guest's name wrong may seem like a minor slip-up, but it can have significant repercussions on your credibility as a host. Much like the Van Halen M&M’s rider, properly addressing your guest by name is a small detail that carries a larger weight in the perception of your professionalism.

Beyond this, names are personal and hold a deep significance to the people you interview. Mispronouncing or misstating a guest's name not only signals a lack of preparation to listeners, guests themselves can also consider it a lack of respect.

Good rapport is essential for getting a guest to open up to you during an interview. Don’t risk this by getting a name wrong.

Note that guests don’t expect you to be perfect. If you think you might mess up a pronunciation during an interview, let the person know beforehand to immediately correct you.

For example …

“Your name is Khalil, but my husband’s name is Khalif and I say that name all the time. If I accidentally refer to you as Khalif, please correct me.”

Or …

“Your name is Joe, but if I get caught up in the moment and accidentally say something like Joel, please correct me.”

No, you don’t sound like an idiot—you sound respectful and professional.

When you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves.