Locked lesson.
About this lesson
Consider these easy-to-follow tips as you prepare to speak on camera to improve how you look - and your confidence.
- 00:04 So how do you look your best when you are meeting with people on a video conference?
- 00:10 So here are some of the key points you really need to keep in mind.
- 00:13 One of the biggest blunders most people make is they're ignoring the camera and
- 00:18 they're looking like this.
- 00:19 They're staring at the screen.
- 00:20 How do you like it in real life when people ignore you and
- 00:24 never look at you in the face and the eyes?
- 00:27 It's just annoying and it's sort of asking you to do the same thing.
- 00:32 Ignore what they're saying and go check your email.
- 00:34 So that's the first big key.
- 00:36 You nearly need to look at the camera like you're
- 00:41 talking to one colleague or one client.
- 00:46 And if someone else is speaking, then you want to watch them, and
- 00:49 it's a little bit below, that's okay.
- 00:51 But when you're speaking, people need to get the sense that you're looking at them.
- 00:56 We are hardwired as human beings to feel that way.
- 01:01 Again, this is not a TV show what you're doing here.
- 01:06 Do not try to use a teleprompter.
- 01:09 Don't sit there and read a script, like,
- 01:12 I'm a big news it's going to put people to sleep.
- 01:16 People are great at watching professional newscasters and movie actors.
- 01:20 They are going to spot you in a second if you try to use teleprompters or
- 01:25 read a speech.
- 01:26 You need to be as conversational as possible.
- 01:30 Sure, I understand you may have a PowerPoint presentation,
- 01:33 you may have bullet points you've gotta go through.
- 01:36 But just like in real life, you don't want to read the majority of it.
- 01:42 Because think about it,
- 01:44 what do you do someone reads a PowerPoint presentation to you?
- 01:48 If you're like most people, you check email.
- 01:52 So don't try to read, it robs your voice of sounding conversational.
- 01:58 Don't try to use a teleprompter, there are all these little iPhone
- 02:02 apps where you can read a teleprompter on camera, get rid of it.
- 02:06 Just have a conversation with people, perfectly fine to glance at notes.
- 02:11 It is a meeting like any other meeting.
- 02:15 Don't junk it up by doing things that are more artificial and
- 02:20 can make you seem boring.
- 02:23 The next thing you want to do is move.
- 02:27 Tell me how this looks.
- 02:29 Hi, my name is TJ Walker.
- 02:31 And as President of Media Training Worldwide,
- 02:34 I teach people how to speak effectively in front of the media and video cameras.
- 02:40 Awful, right?
- 02:42 It's because I was frozen, nothing was moving but my lips.
- 02:46 Now, this is what nervous people do, is they think, my gosh,
- 02:50 I'm doing a video conference for the first time, I want to be professional, and
- 02:54 they freeze their body.
- 02:56 So let me add an element.
- 02:58 Hi, I'm TJ Walker at Media Training Worldwide.
- 03:01 I help executives,
- 03:02 business people all over the world communicate more effectively.
- 03:08 I said basically the same thing, but that time, my head moved, my face moved.
- 03:15 You need to do that.
- 03:17 Let's add another element.
- 03:18 So, hi, I'm TJ.
- 03:20 What do I do?
- 03:21 I really help people come across more comfortable,
- 03:24 confident anytime they're speaking to the media.
- 03:28 My body moved.
- 03:31 Let's add another element.
- 03:33 So the big challenge for most people is figuring out what is most important,
- 03:37 how can they really come across more comfortable and confident?
- 03:42 That time my hands were moving and they were showing.
- 03:45 Huge myth out there that somehow you're not supposed to move your hands when
- 03:49 you speak.
- 03:50 Big, big myth, do not listen to that.
- 03:54 Is it possible to be doing this and be wildly distracting?
- 03:58 It's possible, but the far bigger risk for most people is being frozen.
- 04:06 Everything is stiff, frozen,
- 04:08 that sends a signal to people that you're scared, that you're uncomfortable.
- 04:14 Why should someone buy a product or
- 04:16 a service from someone who seems uncomfortable and scared?
- 04:20 Why should an executive or
- 04:22 a colleague buy into your ideas if you seem like you're not certain about it?
- 04:27 So you don't want to look scared or nervous.
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