Preparation is critical to ensuring that the guest is both comfortable and is in the position to deliver knowledge that addresses the needs of your listeners.
The 3 key areas of preparation:
Guest Research:  Know as much as possible about the guest so that you can both ask insightful questions and interact effectively with her/him.   Sources include previous podcast guest appearances, social media/blog posts, publications, and a good old-fashion Google search up.
Episode Storyline Development: Questions should not only be prepared and reviewed in advance with guests, but they should be structured so that the discussion naturally flows like a story. Be sure to ask the guest to think about short stories “vignettes” and specific examples to retain the listener’s interest.
Logistical Preparation: A standardized “Podcast Series Profile” should be prepared to give guests an understanding of the overall objectives, format, and length of your Series, as well as any equipment and technical requirements for recording. We recommend SquadCast for remote interviewing (essentially it’s the “Zoom of Podcasting”) and the guest should be encouraged to use headphones and a quality mic to ensure quality recording.