Doing a stand-up presentation for a marketing video may look easy, but it’s not. You can’t just ‘be yourself.’ If you’re an experienced off-the-cuff presenter you may get away with it. But most people don’t have those skills. (Be sure to watch the video below). Continue reading Video Marketing | Use an Ear Prompter to Get It Right
How you present yourself can be more significant in leaving a good. strong and lasting impression than what you say. This is critical if you want your message to be remembered and for you to earn respect and ultimately win new business. How you come across in the expressive qualities of your face and voice can open doors…make people like you & trust you, hire you, give you a raise, a promotion…they can make someone say “I do” when you ask them to marry you.
The moment someone first sees your face on a video they are subconsciously forming impressions. That impression, positive or negative is given greater definition once you start speaking. So you have to consider what your face and voice are communicating.
Consider the default expression of most people…look at others around you and those you pass walking down the street. Usually the face is blank or bland. There is nothing to read in it. Now if someone walks into a room with that face you are not drawn to it. But if someone walks in with a smile, a sparkle in the eye and gives off a sense of energy and enthusiasm…well, that might be someone you’d like to meet and get to know.
And how about the voice? Many speak with little expression, in a monotone, often with a nasal sound. You’ve probably seen videos where a business owner is trying to sell you something but comes across as stiff and uncomfortable and the words they’re saying are clearly being read or are memorized.
We have each spent a lifetime communicating in one way and a lot of bad habits can build up. To become a better communicator takes time and practice but heres a tip:
Because we don’t see or hear ourselves the way others do you have to become self-aware. So use a camcorder and record yourself talking about your business as though you were explaining what you do to someone at a networking event. As you watch and listen to yourself identify some of the things you’re doing that don’t feel right. Are you smiling, is there passion, strength and clarity in your voice? Are your movements natural and not distracting.
And as for what you’re saying is it generic and bland or does it emphasize your differentiators, successes? Are there client testimonials and anecdotes and are you speaking with a narrative force that tells a story with a beginning, middle and end?
Remember the qualities that make people want to do business with you. It is not a matter of mechanically adjusting your face and voice to convey those qualities. You have to genuinely feel them in order to express them. So if you feel comfortable, confident, affable, sincere and enthusiastic that is how you will be perceived. Isn’t that just the kind of person with whom YOU would want to do business?
So…there’s the camera. Smile, shoulders back, head up and go get ‘em!
