Public speaking is ranked as the #1 fear in the United States, over and above death. Seriously? Yes! So, if you’re feeling anxiety about being on-camera or a fear of public speaking you are definitely not alone.
When you add media and a camera to your public speaking equation, you’ve got a greater likelihood of being seen by more people (think Youtube videos gone viral), and that can make some people, understandably, even more nervous.
Nervousness and camera fright are hard to hide. Audiences sense when you feel anxious, inadequate, awkward or under-prepared, etc. They might not be able to point out the nervous laughter, the awkward body language or the strange vocal issues specifically, but they will make a determination about you based upon them.
The GOOD NEWS: It is truly possible to overcome your fear of being on-camera. Once you do, you’ll actually start to enjoy yourself. Once you start enjoying yourself, people want to listen to you and find out more. From there, the possibilities are endless!
Tip # 1
Identify Specific Blocks, Fears or Causes of Anxiety
Some people don’t realize they have stage fright or a fear of being on-camera. This fear and anxiety can undermine your performance without you realizing it. You may be worried about not sounding smart enough, not having the right degree, looking too old, too young, too fat, too skinny, too emotional, not emotional enough. You may think you need to act a certain way since you’re the CEO, or sound super smart, since, after all, you are the expert.
You name it and someone else has felt it. Identifying these fears helps you to quickly move past them to a place of confidence and a sense that you belong in front of the camera.
Tip # 2
Ask Questions About the Interview So You Can Be Prepared
Being on set can be intimidating. Knowing what to expect on the day of the interview will not only help you prepare your responses, it will also help you to keep your nerves in check. Here are just some of the questions you can ask your interviewer beforehand:
- What is the story about?
- How will my interview help to further the story?
- What are you looking for from me, specifically?
- What media outlets will this be appearing on?
- How many people will be on set for the interview?
- What should I wear?
- Will there be a makeup artist on set, or should I do my own makeup beforehand?
Tip # 3
Prepare your Key Messages and Sound Bites
Yes, the interviewer is preparing questions for you. They are researching the topic, researching you, and putting together the skeleton of a possible story. But, guess what? You should be doing the same thing! Preparing key messages and sound bites beforehand will help the content and focus of your interview, but it also gives you something productive to focus on instead of focusing on your nerves.
- Key Messages: Take the time to figure out your key messages. The interview will work in your favor when you’re able to talk about what you want to talk about in a way that you want to talk about it.
- Sound Bites: Come up with several sound bites that best express what you want to say in approximately 6-15 seconds. Reporters, producers, and editors are more likely to use short statements that are packed with information that’s easy to understand than they are to use rambling answers.
Tip # 4
Practice Out Loud
Nothing can replace the confidence practicing out loud gives you during your interview. Practice develops the kind of muscle memory you need to answer questions confidently. And that muscle memory is exactly what you need to conquer your nerves during the interview.
- Practicing questions and answers in your head is not enough! There’s a huge difference between thinking something and saying it out loud. So, practice out loud!
- Practice your sound bites and key messages out loud!
- Practice sessions shouldn’t be aimed at saying things perfectly, they should be aimed at saying them comfortably. You’ll need to be flexible enough to make adjustments to your answers on the fly.
- Anticipate difficult questions and practice answering them. Reporters and producers generally won’t give you the exact questions they’re going to ask. This means you need to be prepared for any question.
Tip # 5
Control your Nerves on the Day of the Interview
- Take the initiative to introduce yourself to people on set.
- Connect with people as much as possible as a way to relax and feel comfortable before your interview starts.
- If you have questions when you arrive, ask them right away.
- If you’re nervous, that’s ok. Acknowledging that you’re nervous and even telling your interviewer will let them know to help you.
- Connecting with your interviewer and the rest of the crew will go a long way in helping you to seem more lively, authentic and more comfortable during your interview. It will also help you to focus on the interview rather than being nervous.
Working in media is a specific skill that, when mastered, can help to create credibility and trust, establish you as a go-to for a specific subject matter, and help you rise above your competition. It also helps you build confidence in communicating your expertise to the public. Media Training gives you the honest feedback you won’t get from friends, co-workers and family members. Outside professional feedback helps you get over your fears more quickly and enables you to grow exponentially in a short amount of time. Repeated practice on-camera with expert feedback helps you to prepare for the unexpected, get comfortable fast, and be ready for anything!
