This "Trick" Will Improve Your Interviews

When you sit down to record with a guest, it’s important to have three things in order:

1. Recording levels

2. Comfort

3. Rapport

Asking a simple “icebreaker” question will help you with all of them. And you’ll also get more of an idea of who your guest is and how to structure an interview.

1. General Icebreakers:

   • "What did you have for breakfast today?"

   • "Can you tell me about your first car?"

   • "What's your favorite hobby?"

   • "Do you have any pets? Tell me a bit about them."

   • "What's the last book you read or movie you watched?"
     

2. Personal Interests:

   • "What's your favorite vacation destination?"

   • "Do you have a favorite sport or team?"

   • "What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?"

   • "What's the best meal you've ever had?"

   • "Do you have any hidden talents?"
     

3. Background and Experiences:

   • "Where did you grow up?"

   • "Can you share a memorable experience from your childhood?"

   • "What's one thing you're really passionate about?"

   • "What was your first job?"

   • "Who has been the most influential person in your life?"
     

4. Current Events and Opinions:

   • "What's your opinion on [news headline]?" >> BE CAREFUL WITH THIS!

   • "Have you seen any interesting trends on social media lately?"

   • "What's a current event that you're following closely?"

   • "Is there a recent tech gadget that’s caught your eye?"

   • "What's something you're looking forward to in the next few months?"

These questions are light-hearted and open-ended, making them great for ensuring good mic levels as well as strengthing comfort and building rapport.