TV host Larry King appeared live via satellite today at the ReThink Conference – and to my dismay, wasn’t wearing suspenders? He was an hour later when I saw him on CNN doing his show, but for his 30-minutes at ReThink has was all sweater, baby. Disconcerting to say the least.

He had some great insight, the part that stuck the most with me was when he talked about How to Ask Great Questions. Here’s the wizard’s (warlock, maybe?) advice:

1. Be curious – have some genuine interest in the subject matter at hand.
2. Leave yourself out of the interview – people want to hear them, not you. Never forget that.
3. Ask short questions – like this one?
4. Always start with why or who? Why can never be answered with one word. Usually.
5. A good ‘questioner’ is always a good listener. Learn to listen.

He also shared the 4 things required to having a great interview. The person you are interviewing must …

1. Have a passion for the topic
2. Have the ability to explain clearly their position
3. Have a strong sense of humor (preferrably self-depricating)
4. Have a chip on their shoulder

JG