Do you hate the way you come across on video?
Several years ago a client came to me because she’d lost her confidence after creating a video about her new business.
Smart, warm, friendly and engaging, she was a well-known face in the town where she previously lived. She had run a very successful business and was often interviewed for local TV.
Yet, when she saw the film she had paid a video company to make about her new business in Edinburgh, she was disappointed that it didn’t capture her personality; in fact, she felt she came across as quite cold and uncomfortable.
After looking at the footage I had to agree with her. It was filmed outside with beautiful Edinburgh Castle as the backdrop. She was standing in front of a wrought iron fence and was wearing a blue and black striped dress.
But, despite the beautiful setting, the film was dull and grey and there wasn’t a hint of the wonderful warm, sparkly human being that was sitting in my office. Perhaps the outfit against the grey sky didn’t help, but I knew it was something more.
I asked her how she was feeling and what she was thinking when she was doing the filming.
She replied, “I was absolutely freezing; I couldn’t wait to get it over and done with!”
💡 The penny dropped for her immediately the words left her mouth. 💡
Of course she was never going to capture her warmth and excitement about her new business when that was all she was thinking.
It wasn’t about her lack of confidence on video. It was about how she was feeling and what she was thinking when she was being filmed.
So, if you’re struggling with how you show up on video, ask yourself what you think and feel about being filmed? If you hate it and don’t want to do it, you can be pretty sure that will come through the screen!
If you need some help to shift your mindset, develop techniques to show up as your best and love the videos you create, give me a shout 😊
Mel Sherwood is a Presentation Skills and Personal Impact Speaker, Founder of The RED Effect™ and Author of ‘The Authority Guide to Pitching Your Business: How to make an impact and be remembered - in under a minute!’ She works with ambitious business leaders, teams and individuals who want to express themselves with confidence, credibility and charisma. An Australian based in Scotland, Mel is an award-winning speaker, author and coach and combines over 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer.