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What Sean Evans Taught Me About Great Moderating

by Amma Marfo

As someone who goes to a lot of panels, interviews, and moderated events - seriously, more than most - I take being a good moderator very seriously. It’s not something that just anyone can do. It takes a lot of skill, preparation, and focus to pull off well. And it’s for that reason that when someone compliments me after a well moderated conversation, I take the praise so seriously. 

There are some natural traits that contribute to good moderating. But there are also great models we can look to, to show us how to do it well. And I want to submit an offbeat favorite: Sean Evans, host of First We Feast’s Hot Ones. 

Yes, seriously. 

Evans is one of the best interviewers and moderators in the game, and watching him in action always encourages me to step my own game up. If you’re seeking out a moderator for your upcoming event (quick plug: I’m available for this, and genuinely love doing it!), make sure they’re learning from the School of Hot Ones in these key ways:

Well-Prepared

Us interviews and moderators are constantly chasing the high that comes from a single preamble to an answer: “that’s a great question.” And believe it or not, not every question that’s asked by a moderator is a good one! But Sean Evans excels at this, in a way that is always so admirable to watch. Even if I’ve watched a lot of interviews with a guest he’s had, I know that when they do a Hot Ones interview, they’ll address something I had no idea about.

Being well-prepared as a moderator means finding out in advance what your subject won’t want to talk about. If they don’t set limits, you can (and should!) ask. Being well-prepared as a moderator also means avoiding easily “Google-able” questions. You’ll have a better time with your subject if they don’t have to answer questions they’ve answered a thousand times. They’ll enjoy the conversation more, and that will assuredly make for a better event!

Present and Listening

Now, just because there are questions doesn’t mean there’s a script. There’s room to play within the guidelines of set questions - good or insightful answers can be followed up on, and questions can be discarded if other answers address what was going to be asked. A good moderator allows the question list to be a map - a layout of the conversation that could happen - rather than GPS instructions - a turn-by-turn list to dictate what will happen. And in some cases, they’re even open to being asked questions themselves! There may be no more unpredictable type of conversation than one happening with hot wings of escalating spiciness, but through it all Evans remains present, open, and attentive (“careful around the eyes”!), ensuring his guests that he’s there with them. 

Listening doesn’t only apply to the folks on stage, by the way. Getting a sense of how the audience is receiving what you’re talking about matters. If they’re particularly interested in what’s being shared, see if you can get more mileage out of that line of questioning. If the conversation is dragging, it’s important to find ways to keep the conversation brisk and engaging. You’ll want a moderator who feels empowered to take charge when needed, ensuring a great reception for your guest of honor. 

And speaking of taking charge: events happen on a schedule! If you have a finite amount of time for an event, a good moderator will make sure it’s filled appropriately. When you empower a moderator, Q&As won’t go long and interviews won’t run short. They’re skilled in manipulating time for their audience, making an hour long event really count.

Enthusiastic

This doesn’t mean having the person’s biggest fan conduct the interview - and in fact, there are folks who I’d be too excited about to be effective! And it also doesn’t mean taking to the stage with a false or even heightened tone of excitement. But your moderator should be, and feel, connected to their interviewee in some way. Being a fan of their work or intrigued by their perspective can be a great start to the experience. Evans is great at this: he always, always finds something in the research that helps him establish a rapport with his guest. 

Failing that, they can agree on a common goal: to present a conversation that folks will enjoy watching. After all, the goal of these sorts of conversations is to sow connection: between the audience and the guest, yes, but that starts with a connection between the guest and the moderator. These connections may not happen with a table of hot sauces spread between us, but they can still end up being as engaging, informative, and even “spicy” as the ones Sean Evans gets into each week.

If you’re looking for a skilled moderator who arrives prepared, empowered, and enthusiastic, Amma is now also available for conversation and panel moderation events! She’s conducted live interviews with a wide range of personalities including Jennette McCurdy, Eric Andre, and Warren Buffett.

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