“Why don’t you have more videos on your site? “I was asked again. Because, honestly, I get asked this a lot!
You need to ask?” I said.
“I don’t look good, I don’t sound good, I don’t know what to say….and that’s just for starters.” And that’s what I said to someone else, what I say to myself when I try to record a video is much uglier and very unkind.
And it’s really strange because I love talking to groups of people, I’m actually really comfortable with that; once I had to give a two hour talk with only two hours notice and I had no problem doing it.
I talk to audiences about all the great ways to make business easier and I always get great feedback and I rarely resist posing for a photo or two.
But the first time I was asked to speak into a camera? Wow, was I shocked. Who was this person on the screen? It seemed like an entirely different person.
And the ‘me’ doing the speaking, she was totally different to me too, she tried to talk posher, using more ”business speak” than me and she was stilted and unnatural, wondering if what she was saying was right, good enough to be heard by anyone else.
Then I totally freeze, laugh in embarassment, and turn the camera off. I have three mediocre videos on social media and lots of outtakes!! Here’s one here . Watch it, you might recognise a bit of that nervous, awkward person in you!
My confidence just dissolves, leaving me feeling so inadequate that ever since I have veered away from making videos, so I never have to go back to that really uncomfortable place. I’m sure at some point in your life you have been there too?
Recently I reunited with a fellow businesswoman who used to be a broadcast journalist and we got talking about my shyness on camera.
“No-one likes being filmed”, she said, “most people have exactly the same fears as you just raised”.” Can you help me?”, I asked and as we discussed how she could help me, before we knew it we were talking about helping all those others who need videos too but have kept putting it off too.
We talked about accepting ourselves as we are, planning a good script and I laughed when she said, actually it’s us that get a fright when see ourselves on camera, everyone else knows what we look like and sound like!!
I’m not sure what I think of that yet!
And I made the decision to go way outside my comfort zone to become better in front of a camera. It’s a work in progress, I’ll post the evidence of my breakthroughs and hopefully, you’ll see me getting more natural and relaxed on screen.
You might be saying something similar yourself, or hear it from someone else. And I know I’m not alone in this, so I’ve put this amazing training day together for you with that same broadcast journalist I told you about earlier.
Together, miworld and Fiona Pagett present Ready, Steady, Record
I’m so not ready for my close up. Are you?
“Why don’t you have more videos on your site? “I was asked again. Because, honestly, I get asked this a lot!
You need to ask?” I said.
“I don’t look good, I don’t sound good, I don’t know what to say….and that’s just for starters.” And that’s what I said to someone else, what I say to myself when I try to record a video is much uglier and very unkind.
And it’s really strange because I love talking to groups of people, I’m actually really comfortable with that; once I had to give a two hour talk with only two hours notice and I had no problem doing it.
I talk to audiences about all the great ways to make business easier and I always get great feedback and I rarely resist posing for a photo or two.
But the first time I was asked to speak into a camera? Wow, was I shocked. Who was this person on the screen? It seemed like an entirely different person.
And the ‘me’ doing the speaking, she was totally different to me too, she tried to talk posher, using more ”business speak” than me and she was stilted and unnatural, wondering if what she was saying was right, good enough to be heard by anyone else.
Then I totally freeze, laugh in embarassment, and turn the camera off. I have three mediocre videos on social media and lots of outtakes!! Here’s one here . Watch it, you might recognise a bit of that nervous, awkward person in you!
My confidence just dissolves, leaving me feeling so inadequate that ever since I have veered away from making videos, so I never have to go back to that really uncomfortable place. I’m sure at some point in your life you have been there too?
Recently I reunited with a fellow businesswoman who used to be a broadcast journalist and we got talking about my shyness on camera.
“No-one likes being filmed”, she said, “most people have exactly the same fears as you just raised”.” Can you help me?”, I asked and as we discussed how she could help me, before we knew it we were talking about helping all those others who need videos too but have kept putting it off too.
We talked about accepting ourselves as we are, planning a good script and I laughed when she said, actually it’s us that get a fright when see ourselves on camera, everyone else knows what we look like and sound like!!
I’m not sure what I think of that yet!
And I made the decision to go way outside my comfort zone to become better in front of a camera. It’s a work in progress, I’ll post the evidence of my breakthroughs and hopefully, you’ll see me getting more natural and relaxed on screen.
You might be saying something similar yourself, or hear it from someone else. And I know I’m not alone in this, so I’ve put this amazing training day together for you with that same broadcast journalist I told you about earlier.
Together, miworld and Fiona Pagett present Ready, Steady, Record
You can learn more about the training here. Link.
It would be great to see you there!
Jane
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