Ok, I think I have my first guest. Now I am panicking. Any tips for a first timer?
Just yesterday I think I was asking a question about technicalities of a podcast.
Now I booked my first guest and... I am incredibly stressed.
How can I prepare myself so that I am more relaxed during the podcast itself?
I am not a native English speaker, and although I feel comfortable just chatting with someone in English, I am scared that the pressure of recording will get to me and my vocabulary will just drop to 5%, making me sound like an idiot...
I guess having solid questions prepared beforehand and general outline of an interview will help. Something else?
Yes. Definitely make sure you have a list of questions prepared! That will help immensely when you aren’t sure what to talk about next. Try to let the conversation flow naturally, too. That way it feels natural - rather thank a stilted back and forth Q and A.
I'm a bit late to it, but this may help anyone coming across this post:
Be prepared - Research your guest, and have notes/questions prepared. There's no substitute for that to help you feel more relaxed.
Let it be natural - Follow the notes and questions you've prepared in general, but at the same time try to just have a natural conversation with your guest. It's more enjoyable to your listeners than a rigid Q & A session.
Don't speak over your guest - It sounds terrible when two or more people are talking at the same time. Listeners can't understand what's being said. Wait until the other person is done talking, then it's your turn.
Speak slowly - when we're nervous, we tend to speak faster, but this doesn't sound good on podcasts, it sounds rushed and stressed. So, try to slow down.
Make your guest look good - Part of your job as an interviewer, is to make your guest look good. If your guest makes a mistake, be gracious about it. If they can't remember a word, try helping them with it. If they are nervous, try to calm them down, make sensible jokes, be kind. Make them feel at home. It will all help to make a more relaxing, friendly conversation.
Feel free to share your podcast here later on. I'd love to hear it.
Is it a maths and/or ML-related show?
Maybe your guest is more panic than you, haha. If so you probably need to calm him/her down 😅 So relax💪
Speak slowly, plan what you will talk about, and follow a structure of the topics you want to cover during the podcast.
Nothing calms nerves more than preparation. Create your questions and read them out loud before the interview. Do it several times so that you remain calm during the interview. Remember that it can be edited and the first one is the starting point.