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When hosting guests on your podcast, their comfort level can make or break the interview. A relaxed guest will provide more natural, engaging responses, making your episode more enjoyable for listeners.
So, how can you ensure that your podcast guests feel at ease before and during the recording?
In this episode, I’m going to share five simple yet effective tips to make your podcast guests feel comfortable and relaxed, so you can create engaging and natural conversations.
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When hosting guests on your podcast, their comfort level can make or break the interview. A relaxed guest will provide more natural, engaging responses, making your episode more enjoyable for listeners.
So, how can you ensure that your podcast guests feel at ease before and during the recording?
In this post, we’ll cover five simple tips to help make your podcast guests feel comfortable, confident, and ready to deliver a great conversation.
Tips to make your podcast guests feel comfortable:
Interviewing is a skill and a good interview is about getting the best out of your podcast guests.
While perfecting that skill can take some time and multiple interviews, there are some things that you can easily fix even if you are just starting off with your interviews, so that you get the best out of every conversation.
And one of the most important ones is the experience that you give your podcast guest – pre interview and post interview.
A pre-interview experience would include making them comfortable to come on the show and be comfortable answering your questions on the show.
Here are 5 simple pre-interview tips that are low hanging fruits that you can easily fix in order to make your podcast guest feel comfortable coming on the show:
Show Your Guests You’re Serious by Sharing Past Episodes
Your guest may not be familiar with your podcast, and that uncertainty can lead to nervousness. One of the best ways to help them feel at ease is by sharing a few past episodes—especially ones featuring other guests.
This allows them to:
- Understand your interview style
- Get familiar with the format and tone of your show
- See how other guests have successfully navigated the interview
By doing this, you build trust and show your guests that they’re in good hands.
Use a Booking Calendar to Avoid Scheduling Hassles
Coordinating interview times via back-and-forth emails can be frustrating for both you and your guest. Instead, use an automated booking tool like:
These tools allow guests to pick a time that works for them based on your availability. It eliminates the unnecessary stress of scheduling conflicts and makes the process smooth and professional.
Send Expectations in Advance
Your guest may be wondering: How long is the interview? What will we talk about? Do I need special equipment?
Answer these questions upfront by sending a short prep email a few days before the interview. Here’s what you should include:
- Format & Duration – Is it an audio or video interview? How long will it last?
- Discussion Topics – A brief overview of what you’ll cover.
- Technical Requirements – Do they need a specific microphone, headphones, or recording setup?
- Recording Process – Let them know it’s okay to pause, rephrase, or make mistakes since you can edit the final version.
This small step removes uncertainty and helps your guest feel prepared.
Offer a Pre-Interview Call
If possible, schedule a quick 10-15 minute pre-interview chat before the recording day.
This allows your guest to:
- Ask any last-minute questions
- Get familiar with your speaking style
- Feel more relaxed going into the interview
It also helps build rapport, which will make your conversation flow naturally when it’s time to record.
Arrive Early and Make Small Talk Before Recording
Right before hitting “record,” spend a few minutes making casual conversation. Ask simple questions like:
- “How’s your day going?”
- “Anything exciting happening this week?”
- “Looking forward to today’s chat?”
Let your guest know that they can relax, and remind them that editing exists! If they stumble, they can take a deep breath and try again.
A little reassurance can make a huge difference in their confidence.
Final Thoughts
A comfortable guest means a better interview.
By following these five simple tips, you create an enjoyable and stress-free experience for your guests.
And when your guests feel at ease, your episodes will sound more natural, engaging, and valuable for your listeners.
Now it’s your turn!
Do you have any go-to strategies for making your guests feel comfortable?
Let me know in the comments!
For more podcasting tips, subscribe to The Podcasting University on your favorite podcasting platform and check out my free podcasting course to help you launch and grow your show!
Happy Podcasting!
Resources that I recommend
Here are some of the resources that I recommended in this episode and the ones that I recommend in Podcasting.
- Ubersuggest – The Keyword research tool that I recommend
Below are the tools that I recommend for podcasting –
- Acast Podcast hosting – I recommend and use Acast for podcast hosting. I absolutely love their support, simplicity, and their monetization feature. You can even start for FREE!
- Behringer Audio Interface – You will need an audio interface if you are using an XLR microphone. This is my recommended audio interface.
- Zencastr – Zencastr is the easiest option to record interviews, both audio-only and audio+video. This is a must for an interview podcast.
- Audacity – This is the best and the most feature-rich free audio editing software. It gives you a lot of options while editing your interviews.
- Samson Q2U – My recommended microphone
- Tidycal – My recommended calendar and booking solutions
Thank you for joining in
I hope you enjoyed the information that I shared in this episode.
Do subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform in order to stay updated with the latest episodes that I release.
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Planning to start a podcast?
Then you might want to join me free 10-day ecourse on “starting a podcast the right way“.
Very helpful, thanks for sharing this!!! 🙂
Thanks Alex!