Nobody wants to listen to a cruddy podcast.  It’s embarrassingly akin to reading a memo with typos and bad grammar. With that in mind, here is how to create a great podcast for business messaging, using the story method to convey the information. Before you begin, select one topic, and then map out a format. Let’s say you’re interviewing someone about what makes them the #1 salesperson at Company X.  This provides a recognition opportunity, which top performers crave. Plus it can motivate others and increase their seller acumen, too.

Effective interviewing begins with preparation. Write down your goal for the interview. Create questions that answer who, what, where, when, why, and how surrounding the topic you wish to explore. When thinking about types of questions, consider the following.

Certain questions yield a succinct answer and are good for clarifying a point but not for expanding on a thought, “Do you attribute your selling success to sales call quantity or sales call quality?”  

You’re leading your interviewee into a corner.  If you open it up and ask the question differently, the response can be very different: “What do you attribute your selling success to?” The person being interviewed is now free to elaborate and be authentic, even funny, giving you a better story to work with.

Transcribe each interview word-for-word. This is essential in determining which parts of the interview you will use. It is also easier to move the interview segments around in print first.  Often the responses are edited to make them sound more succinct or to account for the completion of an earlier thought.

Chances are you’ve heard a podcast created by professionals. National Public Radio (NPR) is an example. The sound quality is superb, the content is well written, and the topics are interesting.  They have an advantage of course. NPR has deep pockets employing passionate audiophiles schooled in the art/science of audio production.  

Here are hallmarks of an engaging podcast. It starts with a passion for excellence. If you don’t have an interest in this medium and a desire to achieve a great outcome, don’t bother. After passion, comes exceptional planning.  Listen to a few podcasts. You can tell when someone has taken the time to develop one. Or not.

A well-planned podcast is both concise and limited to one topic or theme. Next comes the interviewing to capture the content. People love to hear stories. By delivering your message through a story, you will delight your target audience. Top-notch writing can’t be overlooked. While the interviews will flow freely other portions of the podcast will be tightly scripted. The production process weaves the whole thing together. This includes the announcing, editing, and sound effects. The next section looks closer at each step.