Preparing Your Curiosity – John Barrows – Creating The Greatest Show – Episode # 027

by Sam Guertin | Jan 26, 2023 | Creating The Greatest Show, Hosting a Podcast, Podcast Framework, Podcast Guest Experience, Podcast Guest Research

Guest John Barrows on Creating The Greatest Show discussed why podcast hosts need to listen to other podcasts

The great podcaster that Casey is talking to today has been forged by the fires of 25 years in sales and trains B2B salespeople to sell better at companies like Salesforce, Linkedin, Amazon, and Google. John Barrows is the host of Make it Happen Mondays, CEO of Sell Better by JB Sales, and author of I Want To Be In Sales When I Grow Up. John shared how his preparation and curiosity fuel his podcast, how to respect your guest and their time, and why listening to other podcasts is a great way to learn as a host.

Watch John Barrows on Creating The Greatest Show!

Takeaways: Provide Value With Every Episode Of Your Podcast

By satisfying your curiosity through the questions you ask and the guests you invite, your podcast can be a great way to learn and sustain your interest in the show and your business.
Good preparation for interviewing a guest on your podcast can pique your curiosity about the person or their area of expertise. By watching other interviews your guest has done, you avoid asking them the questions they’ve already answered a hundred times.
Preparing for a podcast does not mean that you need to script out every question or every minute of the podcast. Make sure you do your homework but allow the conversation to go where it naturally goes.
A great way to hone your skills as a podcaster is to listen to other interview podcasts and pay attention to how other hosts ask their guests questions. For example, Tim Ferris and Howard Stern are both brilliant hosts and are great at going deeper with their guests.
Before recording, it’s important to address when guests can share anything they might want to promote on your podcast. If you don’t let them know that they will have a dedicated segment at a certain point in the episode, they will force it in everywhere.
It’s impossible to deny the connections between sales and podcasting. From the type of research you do prior, to the style of the conversation during the show, there are obvious similarities and many great sales lessons are applicable to hosting a podcast.
If you aren’t getting genuine answers from your guests, try asking them something they aren’t expecting to break them out of their robotic response cycle. This could be as simple as asking their favorite ice cream or you could try more awkward questions.