Is it wrong to be nervous when speaking via video? Not at all — as long as it’s not a paralyzing fear.
Butterflies can actually up your game. Speaking via video tends to flatten your affect and makes you appear much less animated than normal. You know that “deer in the headlights” look?
So why not channel that nervousness into energy and enthusiasm. If you’re not nervous at all, it could be a sign of a bigger problem — a lack of passion. And believe me, if you don’t seem to care about what you are saying, your audience won’t either.
Another thing to keep in mind is that brain cramps are more likely to happen when presenting via video. Why?
If you are recording yourself, no matter how hard you are trying to keep your inner critic at bay, it may still feel very high stakes even though you can do as many takes as you need.
Plus, there may be a bunch of distractions – someone knocking on your office door. A dog barking in the distance. An ill-timed horn honking.
It’s very easy to lose your train of thought or experience a brain cramp.
There’s no way to avoid these altogether, but one way to lessen the chances of that happening is by being master of your content. If you know your subject matter well, you won’t be as easily derailed by the distractions that are part and parcel of speaking via video. And it’ll allow you to focus on reaching the real audience, on the other side of that lens, effectively.
Learn More: On-Camera Coach
If you found this information valuable, check 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.
