The One Thing You Should Always Do On Camera

BONUS FREEBIE: You’re preparing to promote your book in the media but what questions do you need to have answers to? Click here to grab my free “10 Media Questions Every Author Needs to Answer.” There are questions for fiction and nonfiction authors!

Whenever I walk up to the counter to pay for a cup of tea or a t-shirt I always make a point to smile at the person at the register before saying anything. I make eye contact and have a moment.

That’s not something people often do. We just rush between transaction after transaction.

But what if you did pause and give a smile? What would that do?

I’ll tell you what it does on camera – it makes you likable and makes people want to pay you for stuff!

Isn’t that the point?

Think about it – how often do you buy something based on how likable the person selling it to you is?

Maybe you decided to see one acupuncturist over another one because the one you chose was kind and seemed to be generally interested in you?

Or how about the last book you bought?

Did you buy it because you saw the author on TV or at a book signing and he or she seemed fun and nice?

Take for instance my media training client, Chef Todd Richards.

He’s the author of the book Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes.

I worked with him just prior to his book launch to get him prepped for any media opportunities that popped up.

We met like I do with all my clients via Zoom video conference. He’s in Atlanta and I’m in New York City.

I had already seen a few media appearances of him and I will admit I thought I had him figured out.

But when I met him I was blown away by how personable and friendly he was.

You see I thought he was super serious because guess what he wasn’t doing in those media appearances?

Yep – Smiling!

So I had a different version of what he would be like in my mind given that one piece of video.

But I was dead wrong. And you’d be too if you saw that same segment.

Practice makes perfect – even with smiling!

Our media training sessions were focused on getting the “real” Todd to be seen on camera.

He was a good sport with me when I would stop him mid sentence and say, “Why aren’t you smiling? We’re talking about bacon!”

Just like an athlete practices drills and plays – any expert who wants to be on camera has to practice the same way.

Many people think they’ll be “just fine” when it comes to an on camera interview. But I’ll tell you in my nearly 20 years of experience as a TV producer that is not the case at all.

Something strange happens to people when they get in front of a camera. And without the proper training you could blow your big chance.

I love a happy ending and thankfully all that practice with Todd paid off and I feel like a proud mama!

Todd was asked to appear on CBS This Morning and he knocked it out of the park.

He was smiling, storytelling (something we also worked on,) cracking jokes and being the life of the party.

THAT is the Todd I know and I was thrilled to help him feel comfortable enough on camera to be himself.

You don’t just snap your fingers and feel more like yourself on camera – it takes practice and work.

Todd put in the time and it paid off – oh and hopefully sold some books too!

If you’re an author and you’re interested in media training with me - check out my course MediaReadyAuthor.com or if you’re looking for 1:1 support fill out this questionnaire at SpeakwithPaula.com and we can see if it’s a fit.?

BONUS FREEBIE: You’re preparing to promote your book in the media but what questions do you need to have answers to? Click here to grab my free “10 Media Questions Every Author Needs to Answer.” There are questions for fiction and nonfiction authors!