There are time times when You find yourself face-to-face with someone you greatly admire, whether it’s a celebrity, an accomplished professional in your industry, or even your boss’s intimidating boss. You want to make an excellent impression. This could be your chance to make an invaluable connection, land your dream job, or take your career to the next level.
But instead, you find yourself totally tongue-tied. Your mind goes blank, words fail you, and you walk away kicking yourself over the missed opportunity. It’s one of the most frustrating situations possible. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right tactics, you can engage with high-status people in a way that’s memorable, authentic, and deeply impressive.
In this post, we’ll break down the step-by-step blueprint for making outstanding impressions on the people you admire most. We’ll look at how the master interviewer Sean Evans from Hot Ones handles high-profile guests, extracting key strategies you can apply in your own life.
Let’s get started with the first and most foundational tactic:
1. Ask Killer Questions
Interviewing anyone successfully starts with asking great questions. This is especially crucial when you want to impress someone prominent who’s used to being in the hot seat. You want to avoid the obvious surface-level questions they’ve surely been asked hundreds of times before. This is where Sean Evans shines.
Rather than asking celebrity guests about their latest blockbuster movie or album like everyone else, Sean digs so much deeper. Take this creative question he posed to YouTube star Casey Neistat:
“If you could steal one item out of Casey Neistat’s studio, what would you grab?”
And here’s a thought-provoking one he asked singer John Mayer about music:
“Can you give me a band that people make fun of on the internet that you think deserves a lot more respect from a songwriting perspective?”
Questions like these demonstrate Sean has done his research on each guest and engaged with their work in a meaningful way. This immediately sets him apart from the sea of lazy interviewers relying on generic questions.
Action Step: Before interacting with someone impressive, avoid obvious questions they’ve surely heard repeatedly. Research the person extensively to come up with creative, unexpected questions tailored specifically to them.
This leads into our next strategy for making killer impressions…
2. Thoroughly Research the Person
Doing your homework is crucial for crafting thoughtful questions. But you should research for more than just fodder for your interview preamble. Learn as much as possible about the individual you want to impress so you can engage with them beyond surface beats in the conversation.
For instance, if you’ll be meeting a successful entrepreneur, read their book and published interviews. Follow them on social media to understand their passions and values. Learn what excites them and irks them both professionally and personally.
This allows you to steer the conversation in fresh directions based on your exclusive intel, rather than covering the same ground as all the other fans and acquaintances they interact with.
Action Step: Spend time researching the person beyond basic Google searches and skimming their Wikipedia. Dig into published profiles, social media, and sources close to them to uncover intriguing details others have missed.
Okay, you’ve prepared killer questions and done your homework like a pro. But there’s still an important element missing…
3. Use Question Preambles
Simply asking offbeat questions often isn’t enough to impress. You need to demonstrate your exclusive knowledge right up front. This is why Sean Evans frequently includes a preamble before asking the meat of his question. Take this example with chef Alton Brown:
“In that 20 years the TV food scene, it’s exploded. From the stand and stir shows to the cooking competition boom to the current obsession with culinary travel. And when you look at that timeline, because you’ve spent about 20 years in this game now, what do you see as some of the watershed moments – the highlights and the low lights – when you look at that time?”
This preamble displays that Sean is deeply educated about Alton’s long career in food media. It immediately sets him apart from less knowledgeable interviewers relying on surface questions.
You can use the same technique by frontloading your questions with a sentence or two showcasing your exclusive knowledge. For instance:
“I know you’ve been writing songs since you were 7 years old. As you reflect on your development as an artist over the decades, what do you see as the breakthrough moments that shaped your creative voice?”
This instantly signals that you’ve invested time researching this person and their career.
Action Step: Before asking your main question, include a short preamble highlighting obscure knowledge that proves you’ve dug deeper than the average person.
Now let’s look at how you can take the conversation to a place that lights up even the most jaded celebrity…
4. Elicit Emotion
Engaging someone influential on a human level is crucial for connecting and impressing them. Sean Evans is a master at eliciting emotional responses from guests.
Rather than sticking to logical, surface-level questions, Sean dives into his guests’ passions, loves, hates – the things that light them up inside.
Observe actor John Boyega’s sheer enthusiasm when Sean taps into his love of anime:
“First We Feast recently did a deep dive into the connection between anime and hip-hop. I know that you’re a huge fan. What draws you to that style of animation?”
Boyega proceeds to gush effusively in a way he simply doesn’t for bland press junket questions.
You can spark similar excitement by identifying and engaging people’s emotional triggers. The “best and worst” framework is perfect for this:
“What’s the best thing about leading your organization? And what’s been most frustrating or disappointing?”
This structure gets people opening up about things they love and hate but rarely have a chance to share.
Action Step: Dig beneath surface level questions to identify emotional triggers. Ask people about their passions, favorite projects, pet peeves etc. to spark enthusiasm and connection.
Now it’s time to tackle a conversational roadblock that often plagues us around impressive people…
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Disagree
When nervous around high-status people, we shy away from expressing opinions that diverge from theirs, scared of ruffling feathers. But thoughtful disagreement can demonstrate confidence and enable a far more authentic discussion.
Watch how Joe Rogan, a master interviewer like Sean Evans, respectfully disagrees here:
“You beat Gonzaga. That was a good fight. You’re a very good fighter. That’s not the issue. The issue is: can you become a champion if you can’t take a punch? If you can’t become a champion, are you comfortable with getting knocked out three or four more times?”
First Rogan compliments his guest’s talent before dissenting, showing he respects him while standing by his perspective.
Action Step: Don’t be afraid to cordially disagree, even with someone impressive. Frame any difference of opinion humbly and respectfully. This stimulates a real conversation.
This leads to a crucial mindset shift for relating to high status people…
6. See Past Status to the Human
The key to impressing people we look up to is to see them not as titans, but simply as human beings. Recognize they have quirks, flaws, interests, and lives outside their public image, just like anyone.
This diminishes the imposing gap we unconsciously place between ourselves and people of stature. Engaging authentically as fellow humans becomes much easier once you look past status.
You’ll share jokes, exchange stories, and bond over common experiences. Viewing influential people humbly makes it easier to incorporate all the tactics we’ve discussed.
Action Step: Reframe your mindset around high achievers. Rather than focusing on their accolades, look for the human side that resembles yourself and those around you. This makes authentic connection possible.
Finally, let’s look at how you can add the element of fun and playfulness to your interactions that Sean Evans does so well:
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Have Fun
When anxious around impressive people, we often clamp up and play it safe, losing our spontaneity. Lightening up can help humanize the intimidating celebrity.
Watch how Sean Evans jokes around with comedian guests like Adam Carolla:
“Crows – I love crows. Can you tell me why you love those squawking birds so much and describe it to me in as much detail as possible?”
And here he is gently poking fun at Rhett & Link’s cheesy YouTube style:
“Here’s one for those of you that are unfamiliar, who dominoes if pizza hut is better? Let’s talk about that.”
Being playful like this shows you’re not merely a fawning fan. It brings life to the conversation.
Action Step: Don’t lose your sense of humor and fun with the pressure to impress. Work in tasteful jokes and lighthearted asides to add personality and vibrance.
By mastering these 7 research-backed strategies, you can engage even world-famous high achievers on a profound human level that leaves a lasting impact.
Approach influential people as thoughtful fellow humans. Dig into their passions and personalities. Have the courage to speak your mind. Break the awkward tension with playfulness and wit.
Adopting these tactics takes practice, but can transform your most crucial encounters. You’ll walk away proud of the impression you’ve made, rather than cringing with regret.
The next time you have the chance to interact with someone you greatly admire, implement these tips. You may just find yourself walking away with a powerful new mentor, career-changing opportunity, or lifelong friend.
