Why a little silence makes better interviews
You’ve heard it before: A guest finishes a thought and the host immediately jumps in with the next question. It's as if they're trying to prevent silence at any cost.
I remember it well from back in my radio reporter days. The most feared two words in the profession were "dead air." As an interviewer, a pause can make it seem like you're not prepared or have lost your train of thought – and you're about to lose your audience.
But jumping in immediately with a new question is the wrong move. Silence isn't something to be feared. It's an opportunity and a tool.
Why does it matter?
When someone is asked a question, their first response is usually a prepared version of something they've heard before. It's structured, it makes sense, it's familiar.
But it's often skating on the surface. The guest has said this many times before. If you step in the moment they take a breath, the exchange ends.
If you wait, even just a few seconds, the dynamic changes. Things get more interesting.
How to do it
A short pause gives the guest time to think rather than perform. So try this tactic: when a guest finishes an answer, don't talk, don't say "mmmhmm" or "Ok" (I'm extremely guilty of that).
These things tell your guest that you've heard enough. Instead, fight your instincts. Just wait for two or three seconds. Don't look at your notes or scan the room; just be present, looking at your guest.
A few things can happen. They add something they weren't planning to say. Or, they expand or revise what they just said, often in a better way. Or, nothing happens at all. Both of you just sit there for a moment. Then you move on – no harm done.
This silence signals that you're not rushing the conversation forward, that you’re open for elaboration or even new directions. It creates room for reflection that can lead to meatier answers.
Many of the strongest moments in an interview occur after an initial answer appears to have ended. (Sometimes it's even after you thought the interview had ended. Keep the tape rolling!)
Podcasting shines because of its intimacy, and intimacy depends on allowing the space it needs to develop.
Pro Tip: Don't edit out all the silence. Silences – maybe not five minutes – add texture to interviews and show that your guest was really thinking about the answer.
Try this
In your next interview, pick at least one question where you'll commit to doing a silent countdown after the answer for three seconds before you start speaking.
See what happens. Does the dynamic shift? Does something more interesting emerge?
