Avoiding cameras these days is 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 to your company.
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 on camera 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 much deeper ways 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.
What does your on camera presence tell your audience about you, your message, and your authenticity? Would your career benefit from leveraging the ability to present on camera? Would your employer view such as skill as a valuable asset?
Luckily, on camera skills can be taught and learned.
One place to start is with an on-camera coach—another is to learn more about being a professional in a video-centric world by checking out my book, On-Camera Coach: Tools and Techniques for Business Professionals in a Video-Driven World, now available from Wiley Publishing. On-Camera Coach aims to take the mystery out of communicating through the camera and provides specific tips and techniques that can make your message sing—and you, the messenger, feel confident in a job well done.
