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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
- Serie: SAS Institute Inc
- Sprache: Englisch
The invaluable handbook for acing your on-camera appearance On-Camera Coach is your personal coach for becoming great on camera. From Skype interviews and virtual conferences to shareholder presentations and television appearances, this book shows you how to master the art of on-camera presentation to deliver your message clearly, effectively, and with confidence. Fear of public speaking is common, but even the most seasoned speakers freeze in front of a single lens--being on camera demands an entirely new set of skills above and beyond the usual presentation to an audience you can actually see. It requires special attention to the way you move, the way you speak, and even the way you dress. This book provides the guidance and tools you need to ace it every time. Video is powerful, and it is everywhere; corporate YouTube channels, webinars, virtual meetings, TedTalks, and more are increasingly turning the lens on those who typically remain behind the scenes. This relatively recent trend will continue to expand as media plays a larger role in business, and the ability to appear confident, authoritative, and polished is becoming a necessary job skill. This book shows you everything you need to know about being on camera, from preparation through presentation and beyond. * Learn how to prepare for an on-camera appearance * Tailor your presentation to on-camera demands * Discover how the camera interprets wardrobe and body language * Appear dynamic, confident, and engaged when the lens points your way The lens captures everything--the awkward pauses, the nervous fidgets, poor posture, and every false start and mistake is captured for posterity. Is that the image you want to present? You want to get your message across and be heard; to do that, you must portray authority, energy, and confidence--even when you don't feel it. On-Camera Coach provides the expert instruction and insider secrets that help you make your message sing.
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Seitenzahl: 352
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017
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Wiley & SAS Business Series
The Wiley & SAS Business Series presents books that help senior-level managers with their critical management decisions.
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Business Analytics for Customer Intelligence
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Business Intelligence and the Cloud: Strategic Implementation Guide
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Connecting Organizational Silos: Taking Knowledge Flow Management to the Next Level with Social Media
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Economic and Business Forecasting: Analyzing and Interpreting Econometric Results
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Foreign Currency Financial Reporting from Euros to Yen to Yuan: A Guide to Fundamental Concepts and Practical Applications
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Killer Analytics: Top 20 Metrics Missing from your Balance Sheet
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On-Camera Coach: Tools and Techniques for Business Professionals in a Video-Driven World
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Predictive Analytics for Human Resources
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Predictive Business Analytics: Forward-Looking Capabilities to Improve Business Performance
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For more information on any of the above titles, please visit www.wiley.com.
On-CameraCoach
Tools and Techniques for BusinessProfessionals in a Video-Driven World
Karin Reed
Cover image: video © Ciripasca/iStockphoto; avatar © Said_Messolhi/iStockphotoCover design: Wiley
Copyright © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
ISBN 9781119316039 (Hardcover) ISBN 9781119324720 (ePDF) ISBN 9781119324713 (ePub)
For Dad—my favorite writer of all
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Section One The Inescapable Reality—We
All
Have to Communicate through a Camera
Chapter 1 Why You Need to Read This Book
The Power and Pervasiveness of Video
The Decline of the Professional Spokesperson
The Global Communication Tool of Choice
Hiring by Skype
The Perils of Video
How Reading This Book Can Improve Your On-Camera Performance
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
Chapter 2 Why the Camera Changes Everything
My “Aha!” Moment
A Camera Changes Everything
The Archenemy of Performance Success: You
The Key to On-Camera Success: Authenticity
Chapter Takeaways
Section Two The MVPs of Performance Success
Chapter 3
M
—Mental Mind-set: The Prep before the Performance
Reaching the
Real
Audience
The Bottom Line: It's Not about You
Chapter Takeaways
Note
Chapter 4
V
—Vocal Variety: Pacing and Pausing with Purpose
The Musicality of Your Delivery—What's Your Range?
Setting Your Pace with the Viewer in Mind
Finishing Your Thoughts
Using the Power of the Pause
The Lowdown on Uptalk
Chapter Takeaways
Note
Chapter 5
P
—Physical Factors: On-Camera Movement with Meaning
On-Camera Gesturing: An Out-of-Body Experience
Getting Familiar with Frame Size
The Role of Off-Camera Movement
Posture Pointers
Making Eye Contact When You Can't See Your Audience
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
Section Three Ready to Wear . . . or Not
Chapter 6 Looking the Part—Wardrobe 101
Match Audience Expectations
Boring Is Best
Spin the Color Wheel
Putting on the Pounds
Dress Right for the Mic
Your Fifth Appendage: A Smartphone
Additional Considerations for Men
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
Chapter 7 Hair and Makeup
Hair Hassles
On-Camera Makeup Musts for Women
What You Need in Your Kit
Makeup for Men
Glasses or No Glasses
Chapter Takeaways
Section Four Best Practices for Creating Your On-Camera Message
Chapter 8 Organizing for the Ear
The Rule of Three
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Chapter Takeaways
Note
Chapter 9 Writing for the Spoken Word
The Challenges of Reading Written Prose Aloud
Why the Whisper Test Won't Work
Writing Tip 1: Keep It Short
Writing Tip 2: Don't Fear the Grammar Police
Writing Tip 3: See Spot . . . Be Bored
Exercises for Writing the Way You Speak
Chapter Takeaways
Note
Section Five How to Read without Sounding Like You Are
Chapter 10 Marking Your Script
Step One: Smooth Out the Script
Step Two: Add Phonetics Where Appropriate
Step Three: Mark with Meaning
Step Four: Place Your Pauses
Chapter Takeaways
Script Marking Exercises Answer Key
Note
Chapter 11 Tackling the Teleprompter
Lessons Learned from Michael Bay's Implosion
Teleprompter-Friendly Copy: Best Practices
The Role of the Teleprompter Operator
Prompter Practice Made Possible
Lost in the Teleprompter
Chapter Takeaways
Note
Section Six The Most Common On-Camera Performance Scenarios
Chapter 12 Presenting Directly to the Camera in a Studio Setting
Considerations for Corporate Video
Preparing for the Shoot
Orienting Yourself to the Studio
Pulling Off a Great Performance
Reviewing Your Performance
Chapter Takeaways
Chapter 13 Videoconferencing and Interviews via Video Chat
Changes in Where and How You Work
Hiring by Skype
Why You Want to Turn on Your Webcam
Best Practices for VC
Recording a Videoconference
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
Chapter 14 Webcasts—Best Practices for Panelists and Moderators
Why a Webcast Is Easier to Master
Best Practices for Panelists
Best Practices for Moderators
Staying Hydrated
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
Chapter 15 Broadcast Interview Basics
Before the TV Interview
During the TV Interview
After the TV Interview
Interviews by Satellite
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
Conclusion: Embrace Communicating through the Camera
About the Author
Index
EULA
List of Tables
Chapter 12
Table 12.1
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
Gladys and her girls
Chapter 6
The moiré effect image reprinted with permission from Ed Collevecchio.
Sit on it.
Chapter 7
On-camera classic
Chapter 12
Figure 12.1
Wistia Video Analytics Graph
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Preface
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Preface
For the business executive of today—and surely of tomorrow—being able to communicate through a camera is an essential skill. It's powerful. It's immediate. It's often necessary to reach global audiences.
It's never been easier to leverage video across the corporate landscape to reach both internal and external audiences. Cameras are no longer confined to studios or designated videoconference rooms; they're on our phones, our laptops, and our tablets. A face-to-face meeting with a client on the other side of the world may require only a video chat app and a strong Wi-Fi network.
But speaking to a camera is not like speaking to a roomful of people you can actually see. It requires an entirely different skill set—one most people don't innately possess. This book aims to take the mystery out of communicating through the camera and provide specific tips and techniques that can make your message sing—and you, the messenger, feel confident in a job well done.
If you have comments or questions—or simply want more information on live training, feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Acknowledgments
A heartfelt thank you to all of my clients who have had the courage to step in front of the camera and learn how to speak through it, not shrink from it. I have learned as much from you as I hope you have learned from me.
If Kathy Council, Vice President of Publications at SAS, had not taken my on-camera performance class, I am quite certain this book would never have existed. Thank you, Kathy, for encouraging me to pursue putting it in print. Additional gratitude goes to Shelly Sessoms and Stacey Hamilton for ushering it through on the SAS side.
Thanks to Vicki Bevenour, Ian Ziskin, and Bill Franks, fellow authors who assured me I could climb this mountain and suggested ways to navigate it with ease.
For their time and expertise, I want to thank Jeffery West, Brad Simmons, and Andrew Davis. Your expert insight was much appreciated.
It was an honor to have my former vocal coach, Dr. Candice Coleman, help shape my content related to Analytical Reading. Candy, your contributions were invaluable.
Kathi Duggan, editor extraordinaire, thank you for guiding me through the editing process with a deft hand and a winning sense of humor. Can I send all of my professional copy to you? This is a lifelong relationship, right? Additional thanks to Sheck Cho and Judy Howarth at Wiley for your support and answers to even my inane questions.
To my family, thank you for allowing me to be consumed by the creation of this book. Shawn, Hayden, and Jackson—you know I love you beyond words.
Finally, to my mom, Peggy, my first and biggest fan—thank you for always thinking my writing has been worthy of a Pulitzer. (Honestly, my seventh grade autobiography wasn't that great, Mom.) Much love.
SECTION ONEThe Inescapable Reality—We All Have to Communicate through a Camera
It used to be unusual to be caught on tape, but today, cameras are everywhere, even in the palms of our hands. We use them to communicate with our family and friends, and more and more often, with our coworkers or customers. The reason for this is that video is immediate, impactful, and increasingly more accessible.
In this section, you will learn how communicating through a camera is becoming an essential business skill and why the barriers to doing it well are considerable. The section is divided into the following two chapters:
Chapter 1: Why You Need to Read This Book
Chapter 2: Why the Camera Changes Everything
CHAPTER 1Why You Need to Read This Book
Gladys and her girls (The author is second from the right)
Despite the half-halo of happiness beaming from the four women surrounding her, the lady at the center of this priceless family photo was projecting her message loud and clear. Hers was the unapologetically unhappy face of a woman who does not like cameras.
The unfortunate circumstance for my nana, Gladys Mason: her beloved husband was what we'd now call “an early adopter.” The movements of my mother's side of the family were well documented on film, and the Martin Scorsese behind the movie camera was my grandfather, Harry.
Gladys was a frequent if unwilling participant in his 8mm films, so consequently, we all became intimately familiar with certain angles and parts of her body—the back of her head, perhaps a quick glimpse of the side of her face as she pivoted away from the offending lens before running rabbit to a faraway glen. If she couldn't dash away, she would try to hide in plain sight by extending her palm toward the camera, precursor to the paparazzi pose seen on the covers of tabloids the world over.
The good news for Gladys? For the most part, she only had to juke out my movie-making Papa to maintain her credentials as a Professional Camera Avoider. For the most part, Papa brought his camera out only for special occasions: family reunions, the first day of school, holidays. (On Christmas morning, no one was allowed to come downstairs to see what Santa brought until the room was properly illuminated by his own massive bank of lights. True.)
But today, avoiding Papa's lens would be the least of Gladys's concerns. Cameras are everywhere. I shudder when I imagine the levels of panic she would hit today.
The Power and Pervasiveness of Video
Video cameras are no longer just in a studio or pulled out of the closet for dance recitals; they're on your laptop, your webcam, your phone. They invade your personal space through apps like Skype, FaceTime, and Google Hangouts, and they've become as ubiquitous in the workplace as Excel spreadsheets and leftover birthday cake.
So what's driving this video proliferation? The medium itself is powerful and personal.
Consider how much time you spend viewing videos today versus even five years ago. The Age of YouTube has created an expectation that you can always watch rather than read. Need to know how to install a garbage disposal? Well, you could follow the directions enclosed in the Home Depot box—but why do that, when you can watch Bob the Plumber show you step by step in his DIY video?
Millennials have upped the ante even more with a penchant for Snapchat selfies and conversations conducted at length through the ever-growing list of video chat apps. For that generation, communicating through a camera is almost second nature.
But even the stodgiest of corporate cultures are making room for video. Corporate YouTube and Vimeo channels, Twitter accounts, and myriad social media opportunities vie with webinars, videoconferences, and Ted Talks for content. If a corporate web site doesn't have a video component, it looks outdated and downright boring. For the marketing department, it's a virtual video smorgasbord with unprecedented avenues to get your message out there.
But what happens if your messenger is about as dynamic on camera as a ham sandwich?
The Decline of the Professional Spokesperson
After a successful 15-year career in television news, I left the business after one too many “team coverage” snow-mageddon events, holidays spent on set and middle-of-the-night phone calls to cover whatever news was breaking. I moved to what I called “The Dark Side”—doing on-camera and voice-over work for any corporation interested in hiring me to serve as its professional spokesperson. I quickly realized how transferable and in demand my skills would be. Video is pervasive throughout the corporate landscape.
However, over the past decade of doing this kind of work, I have noticed a trend. More and more companies are forgoing the “professional spokesperson/actor” and are instead opting to put their “real” employees on camera, people who usually have had no prior experience or training in how to communicate through a camera. To me, that's unequivocally unfair.
I have spent more than 20 years honing my skills in front of the camera and have discovered what works and what doesn't, often through trial and error. My first stint in TV news was at a CBS affiliate in Youngstown, Ohio. Who knows why the news director hired me to be the weekend reporter and weather anchor? Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I said I would do this for free. (They did pay me, and as a senior in college, I considered it more than adequate. Heck, I lived on Taco Bell.) I was awful on camera initially, but I learned my craft and eventually became a well-respected, award-winning journalist and anchor.
The only training most of these corporate execs have had is a quick reminder to smile right before the red light goes on. And yet hiring someone like me to be the mouthpiece for the enterprise is becoming less and less common.
Blame it on Steve Jobs for helping to create this age of the celebrity CEO, but be aware that the days of sending out the professional spokesperson are numbered. Your customers, your employees, and just about anyone else who is watching your video will want to hear from the decision makers, the doers, the C-suite executives—and more and more often, that means speaking on camera.
The Global Communication Tool of Choice
Video is a vital communication link for a workforce that is often not corralled within the bricks and mortar of the corporate monolith. It's immediate and impactful, and it can save you a ton of money.
Important enterprise-wide announcements are regularly taped and uploaded to an organization's intranet. Training that once was held at the home office is now delivered through video portals. Colleagues can now collaborate across continents with greater ease, albeit with less sleep for those whose time zone received short shrift.
Videoconferencing is not new. It's been around for decades, but for the majority of those years, the technology was siloed in specific rooms, which were hard to book, and usually reserved for the C-suite and senior-level executives. Today, videoconferencing has come to the masses, whenever and wherever they are.
While the teleconference still holds a firm majority, videoconferencing is growing in popularity at a rapid rate. According to a Wainhouse Research survey in 2015, respondents indicated an average of 42 percent of their Web conferences involved video.1
Additional insight from Wainhouse Research indicates that those who are already active users of videoconferencing are deepening their commitment to it. Of the roughly 170 respondents, 97 percent said they use videoconferencing more now than they did two years ago, and nearly the same high percentage of respondents pointed to improvements in reliability (95 percent) and ease of use (92 percent). According to that Wainhouse report, “Companies around the world are depending on video-enabled meetings to empower their people, serve clients better, and compete on a global basis.”2
The advantages of videoconferencing are both tangible and intangible. For employees who are far-flung, virtual video meetings provide an acceptable and often preferred alternative to traveling to a meeting on site. It saves on costs and downtime due to travel, increasing productivity.
Introducing a visual element also has the effect of turning a virtual meeting into one where etiquette mimics that of an in-room meeting. Remember the YouTube video that went viral, showing what really happens during conference calls? (If you haven't, search “Conference Call in Real Life” on YouTube.) Turning webcams on minimizes multitasking. Checking e-mail, playing solitaire, or grabbing a latte at your favorite coffeehouse becomes much more difficult to pull off if your face is constantly visible to all parties. The result? Everyone is forced to focus but rewarded by a meeting that is often shorter.
Video meetings can be more meaningful, too. It's easier to build rapport with colleagues and “read the room” when you can see your audience. Body language speaks volumes but is silent on a teleconference call. Videoconferencing allows participants to pick up on nonverbal cues that would have been missed. In addition, research has shown that the majority of us are visual learners, so teleconferencing as a communication tool puts everyone at a disadvantage by forcing us to be primarily auditory learners.
Hiring by Skype
Video chat applications have completely revamped the hiring process across all verticals.
Corporations can cast a much wider net for applicants now that interviewing over the Web is possible. Apps such as Skype, ooVOO, Tango, and Google Hangouts offer an opportunity to connect with potential candidates who may have been eliminated purely based on geography. If someone hits it out of the park during an interview on Google Hangouts, for example, the decision to bring that person in for a face-to-face meeting becomes a much easier one to make. And if there are still reservations, hiring managers can go back and “review the tape,” so to speak. Many video chat apps are capable of recording calls or have plug-ins created by other vendors that give users the opportunity to preserve those calls in a digital file.
Video interviews also have the benefit of immediacy. Scheduling a trip to the corporate headquarters can be much more challenging than simply blocking out a chunk of time to chat online. By shortening the time to interview, a company can minimize the time to hire, allowing them to fill key positions quicker and potentially with better-quality candidates thanks to the deeper pool of applicants no longer limited by geography.
The Perils of Video
Want to avoid the camera today? That would be nearly impossible—and a potential professional liability. If you don't want to leverage the power of presenting to a camera, someone else will and could be seen as a more valuable asset. Self-promotion can be a strategy, and video provides the perfect platform on which to do it.
But there are risks. Often, the messages being delivered on camera are high stakes: vital news for the entire global enterprise or, even more daunting, for an external audience of customers, competitors, and the always-intimidating media. Performing poorly can undercut the credibility of the presenter and ultimately can hurt the corporate (or personal) brand he or she represents.
By contrast, on-camera expertise can be a true differentiator, especially as the use of video continues its exponential growth. Some camera-savvy corporate folks embrace the opportunity to connect with their audiences in a much deeper way than the written word allows. They come across as authentic and sincere, but that's not the norm.
Most people who do not perform on camera for a living would prefer a root canal. Presenting via video combines two things most people hate: public speaking and being on camera. Even those who are very comfortable speaking to a live audience of hundreds can be flummoxed by having to speak to a single, solitary lens.
How Reading This Book Can Improve Your On-Camera Performance
The goal of any training is to change either you or the way you do something, but to me, the time spent in the classroom is just the first step. It's purely information transfer. The real “learning” is in the doing. This book is structured to give you not only foundational knowledge, but also ample opportunity to try out the techniques you have learned through specific exercises. Sure, you can skip over them, but your training will only be superficial. You need to practice what you've learned on camera and then evaluate your performance.
It's actually not too difficult to separate the good from the bad when assessing your own performance. Peruse YouTube, and chances are you can easily identify those who have some serious skills in presenting to a camera from those who should have opted for another way (or person) to convey their message. Sometimes, the problems are readily apparent: lightning-fast delivery, distracting gestures, content that is hard to follow. But sometimes, there just seems to be something off. The same can be said of those who are solid performers. You might be thinking, “The camera really loves her,” but do you know why? This book will highlight some of the nuances that contribute to performance success and raise your awareness of performance pitfalls that go beyond the obvious.
What You Will Need
In order to assess your performance, you need a way to record yourself, but as you know, cameras surround us. You can use your smart- phone, a webcam, or a regular video camera as long as you have a way to review the videos you take with it.
Topics to Be Discussed
The book begins with a discussion of what makes presenting on-camera uniquely challenging and why you are your own worst enemy. We will then take a deep dive into what I call the MVPs of Performance Success. In this book, MVP stands for the Mental, Vocal, and Physical elements of performance success. You will hear some case studies from former clients and be given exercises to put those newfound skills into action.
Wondering what to wear on camera? This book will help you comb through your closet for camera-friendly attire that will make you look the part. (An early tip: When in doubt, be boring.)
We will talk about content—both unscripted and scripted—and about the importance of organizing for the ear and writing the way you speak. A great script is the secret sauce for excellent on-camera presentations.
Much of what you will learn can be applied to any formal or informal on-camera performance, whether it's shot in a fancy studio or in your basement. However, I will delve into some tips for specific scenarios like virtual meetings and interviews, formal direct-to-camera presentations, and panel discussions formatted in a broadcast-news style.
Consider this book your on-camera coach: full of tools, techniques, and insight into what works and what doesn't work on camera, no matter where that camera lurks. Many of these tools and techniques can be used in any presentation or performance—whether you can look your audience in the eye or have to imagine them on the other side of a lens.
Feel free to flip to the chapters that best fit your needs, but take note of the topics covered in the other chapters. You never know when you might need to add to your on-camera arsenal.
Chapter Takeaways
Video cameras are no longer just in a studio; they're on your laptop, your webcam, and your phone.
The Age of YouTube has created an expectation that you can always watch rather than read.
Everyone wants to hear from the decision makers, the doers, the C-suite executives . . . and more and more often, that means speaking on camera.
Video is a vital communication link for a workforce that is often not corralled within the bricks and mortar of the corporate monolith.
Video chat applications have completely revamped the hiring process across all verticals.
Performing poorly can undercut the credibility of the presenter and ultimately can hurt the corporate (or personal) brand he or she represents.
Notes
1
Andrew Davis,
2015 Video Conference End User Survey,
September 2015.
http://cp.wainhouse.com/content/2015-video-conferencing-end-user-survey
.
2
Ira M. Weinstein and Saar Litman,
Simplicity in the New World of Video Conferencing,
November 2015.
http://cp.wainhouse.com/content/simplicity-new-world-video-conferencing
.
CHAPTER 2Why the Camera Changes Everything
Dateline: Summer 1991
Location: Altoona, Pennsylvania (specifically, Jaffa Shrine)
Event: Final night of competition at the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Pageant
I was the season shocker. How could I, Miss Butler County, a pageant neophyte who only entered on a lark, be in prime position to represent the Keystone State in the Miss America pageant?
Talent Competition: I nailed it thanks to a decade of voice training.
Judge's Panel Interview: I aced that, too.
The vast majority of my fellow contestants had been priming themselves for this moment for years, sharpening their skills on the lower-level pageant circuit. Me? I was a total newbie and on no one's radar as a potential threat. But after chalking up two preliminary competition wins earlier in the week, the dark horse had become the front-runner and likely winner . . . save for a slight miscalculation by my team.
You see, along with the tiara from the county win, I had acquired a cadre of pageant professionals who were in charge of coaching me for the state pageant. They taught me how to strut, wobble-free, across the stage in a bathing suit and four-inch heels made of Lucite. They explained the importance of displaying off-the-charts enthusiasm when I introduced myself at the top of the show. We even ran through my song from Phantom of the Opera ad nauseam just in case.
What we didn't work on was my on-stage interview question. Why would we? After all, I was a top student and had even skipped my senior year in high school just to get a head start on college. I was on track to receive my undergraduate degree magna cum laude with highest honors. Public speaking was my forte. I even won a scholarship for “Excellence in the Use of the English Language.” Why would I need to practice how to answer one question?
So there I was on the final night of the pageant, ready to tackle the last part of the competition: the on-stage interview question. The crowning achievement seemed like a fait accompli.
I made my way downstage toward the emcee, who held a stack of index cards laden with real stumpers—or so he thought. He selected my question.
“If money were no object, what would you do to make the world a better place?”
Could there be a bigger softball of a question than that? I'm sure you can think of dozens of answers that would have elicited a round of applause and perhaps even brought a tear to the eye of some touched by your empathy for the needy, the disenfranchised, the unfortunate souls you wanted to help.
My response: “Laughter . . . I'd give the world laughter.”
Say what?
There are no “take-backs” when answering a question live before thousands of people in a concert hall and countless others watching on television. I knew I had to find some way to make this substantive despite its laughable start.
I wracked my brain and free-associated laughter with monetary value. After a less than one second pause, I continued my response with this:
“So I'd buy everyone comedians.”
My entire entourage from the local pageant collectively slumped in their seats as if they'd been sucker punched.
I knew that I was in the process of completely tanking any chance I had to head to the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. Ironically, however, I thought it was hilarious. In fact, I remember trying to stifle a giggle as I fumbled through to the end of my clunker of an answer. There was some polite applause as I walked off stage.
I have to say I was heartened to hear some of the other contestants swing and miss on their questions, too. Here are some of my favorites (with italics added for emphasis by me):
Question:
“If you could meet any famous person, living or dead, who would you want to meet?”
Answer:
“Jesus Christ, because he did so much for our
country
.”
Question:
“If you could live in any
era
, which would you choose?”
Answer:
“I'd live in
the South
, because I really like the warm weather.”
So what on earth does this have to do with presenting on camera?
My pageant team assumed that I could handle any interview question thrown my way. Heck, I did, too. Your team may assume you can present on camera because you are a solid speaker. And herein lies the problem. Everyone wants to leverage video across all the many channels it now occupies, but very little thought is given to how to use this tool effectively. Too often, business executives are put in front of a camera and expected to perform well without any training. They're obviously intelligent folks who are in their positions of authority based on their achievements. But speaking in front of a camera requires a skill set that is never taught in business school, and very few of us possess the innate ability to do it well.
My “Aha!” Moment
Nowhere was the need for on-camera training more apparent than when I served as a regular webcast moderator for a corporate client. My role was to facilitate the discussion among global thought leaders on the panel. I was largely scripted, which helped me to come across as more knowledgeable than I truly was. What amazed me, though, was the panic many of those brilliant panelists felt just because they were going to be speaking on camera. I thought: I should be the one who is nervous. You know what the heck you're talking about. I don't. But I had spent more than two decades both in front of and behind a camera. Without that familiarity, those cameras represented a seismic shift in the environment.
In fact, I thought one of my first gigs as a webcast host was going to be my last. The topic of the show that day was incredibly technical, so my client had brought in an expert with strong credentials and deep domain knowledge. What she lacked, though, was experience communicating through a camera.
I noticed that she looked a little “moist” as we were getting mic'd up, but I had no idea how nervous she really was. In short order, though, it was revealed. I read the introduction of our guest and tossed it over to her for her 30-minute presentation. However, instead of taking the baton and running with it, she simply said, “I can't do this,” and attempted to take the mic off her lapel.
Thankfully, this was only the rehearsal. I somehow managed to find the right words to calm her down and convince her to try again. Her performance during the actual show wasn't stellar, but it was much better than no performance at all. (A big shout-out to our makeup artist on that day, who managed to keep the flop sweat mopped up during quick breaks.)
It all boils down to this: there's an assumption that if you can speak to a live audience, you can speak, convincingly and effectively, to a camera lens. And too often, that assumption is proven false, and at the worst possible time.
Unless you have experience performing on camera or are one of those rare people who just takes to it like Tiger Woods to golf, you will want and need some strategies, some guidance to perform at your best.
Perhaps if I had tested out some techniques for answering stock pageant questions (“Bring about world peace, feed the hungry . . .” yadda, yadda, yadda), my most embarrassing moment of all time might have been my biggest triumph. (Okay, maybe not biggest triumph, but certainly not a complete and utter failure to perform.)
A Camera Changes Everything
It may seem odd that the mere presence of a camera can cause such a disruption in the environment and recalibrate the way we act, think, and feel. Often, the change manifests physiologically. As soon as you are told “you're on,” your body may send a jolt of adrenaline through you, similar to the one you receive when you stop short in traffic. Your palms may sweat, your knees may knock, and a giant lump may temporarily block your throat.
Why? Allow me to offer four reasons why the camera changes everything.
No Immediate Feedback
When you're giving a presentation to a live audience, you're constantly surveying the room. Maybe you see someone nodding along. Maybe you see someone nodding off. You adjust your delivery based on what you see reflected back to you by your audience.
But when you're talking on camera, that lens isn't giving you any indication of whether your message is resonating or even being heard at all. You crave feedback, but the camera doesn't offer anything in return. Basically, it feels like your words are being sucked into a big black hole. That uncertainly can undercut your confidence and cause you to seek out reassurance from any source available.
CASE STUDY
THE PEOPLE PLEASER
Barbara was not a confident on-camera presenter, and yet she knew it was a skill she needed to hone in order to reach her global team.
When Barbara spoke in person, she was known for her warmth, dry sense of humor, and passion for the role her team played in the enterprise. She loved her coworkers, and the feeling was mutual. However, her on-camera persona was a total mismatch with her off-camera self.
