You have your bullet points memorized. You have done the speech a hundred times. The light is shining on your face, and the camera is rolling. The only problem is the urge to dry heave every time you speak.
Getting all awkward and nauseatingly introspective in front of the camera happens to the best of us. But, it should never get in the way an effective sales video demonstration or presentation, let alone a webcam meeting with a client. Our sales reps use our 2Win! Bridge software to record prospecting videos weekly, and have all been faced with the same nerves you may be feeling. To help stave off those camera jitters, here are a few techniques that have worked for our team, and that you can try to manage camera anxiety:
A lot of times we freeze up and get the ole heart flutters because we lose confidence in ourselves. Fixing this issue is as simple as doing exercises that instill confidence, which include getting familiar with your main points.
For instance, you can try giving your pitch to different imaginary audiences through some role play while having fun with it in the process. Pretending to talk to a CFO is par-for-the-course, but how about selling your product to his imaginary nine year old daughter? How about someone’s dog? Maybe your favorite fictional character?
As you enjoy yourself getting silly with the idea, you realize the different ways in which you can phrase your topic and how you have ultimate control over the language you choose. With this familiarity, you will be less likely to think about your nerves and more focused on how to approach the specific audience at hand.
One thing that can make us feel self-conscious is how we look on camera. Rest assured that you are not alone. Otherwise, hair and makeup crews wouldn’t be hired by the boatload to turn paunchy, hungover and bag-eyed Hollywood stars into on-camera hunks.
We can all make use of techniques to improve our on camera appearance. You can invest in a good haircut for starters, one that provides a handsome frame for your face.
As for day-of factors, make sure you have good lighting for your video. Ideal lighting will be soft and scattered, so invest in a lighting softbox or build your own. Have another light scattered off the ceiling to get the highlights on your hair, and use yet more lights to give your background the ideal amount of fill or contrast.
Then, it’s time to get out the makeup! Women sales reps are likely familiar with the demands of proper makeup, but males may be apprehensive to try. Don’t fret! Plenty of male politicians, newsmen and others wear makeup in public. You can start off with some simple HD powder to soften the look of your face and some tone-appropriate BB cream to diminish dark circles. If you can consult your nearest fashionista for help, all the better!
Not looking how you expected to look on camera can be one of the biggest shocks, so reviewing your videos is crucial to ironing out the kinks in your technique. Look out for unusual quirks, like having a scowl when you expected to be smiling, excessive blinking, or that thing you do when you smell your upper lip.
You may even work with a secondary monitor showing you how the footage looks, such as flipping the preview window around on a camcorder while you film. It may be distracting for a final take, but it can help you become more self aware as you warm up.
As we stated in the first point, knowing your stuff can help make you more confident. 2Win! puts the ball in your court by offering you sales training materials that can help you feel like a sales master — whether in front of a camera or face-to-face. Review our resources, or sign up for one of our live sales training events today!