It is the connection that helps them to see that you are like them… that you can understand where they are, and you are living proof that you have the solution to help them with their problem. Video and visual media can put you in the position to create rapport with your audience, your story can secure it, and move them closer to action (becoming a client, customer or even a sponsor).

Of course we have more than one story, and other stories can be used throughout your marketing, interviews and videos to create metaphors, highlight problems and solutions. The signature story though is one that can be used in visual media to create your following of enthusiastic fans (aka: clients and customers).

Three secrets to telling your story with success?

1.  Don’t disregard the best part; so often that thing that “no one will want to know” or that “ you couldn’t tell your customers” might be JUST the thing that helps your target market really trust you. Idea: journal your most important moments in the development of your business, or career and share them with a trusted advisor or coach. You might be surprised at what will resonate with others.

2.  Focus on the recovery, not the problem. It’s great to share your struggles and show where you’ve come from but keep the focus on your recovery and how it has helped you see clearly how to help others. Positivity is attractive and empowering.

3.  Be sure to have a few different versions.  Have a short version, 30 seconds to two minutes, for networking and introductory videos. Plus, have a longer version that you can share in a longer format, like on stage or on your ‘about us” page of your website. You may even do slight adjustments to emphasize different elements when you are speaking to a select niche audience.

Spend some time on your signature story. It may feel self indulgent to some, but the ability to help others and increase your business is directly related to rapport with your market, and your unique story is the best way to connect that you’ve got!

Creation of your visual brand is a powerful marketing step.  That’s a given.  But what if you are trying to reach executives?  Don’t they prefer charts, figures, whitepaper and written statistics to video?

Truth is, executives are just like the rest of us.   A recent study by Forbes  (Forbes Insights) shows that while it is true that younger execs have a higher preference for video, even their senior counterparts are turning to visual medium more often.

75% of executives surveyed said they watch work-related videos on business-related websites at least weekly; and 52% watch work-related videos on YouTube at least weekly.

So they are watching, but are they reacting to video?  Yes; Overall, 65% have visited a vendor’s website after watching a video. Younger executives, however, may be more fully engaged with this type of media, and appear more likely to make a purchase, call a vendor, or respond to an ad.

Video has a social appeal that written word is lacking.  The same sense of connection that we get from a conversation with someone in the same room is duplicated when they are looking at us through a camera lens.  We have a sense of knowing that person, and being connected with them.  That’s why I say that nothing builds recognition and credibility faster than visual media.

Executives may love their facts and figures, but they react with the same primitive instincts that we all have when it comes to preferring a face and movement with a message as compare to written word.  Facts and figures can accompany your video pitch, or communication either embedded in the video or alongside.

It’s good to know that executives are among the masses that prefer more and more to have their information delivered in a visual format. Whether you are pitching an idea, product, charitable opportunity, or looking for investors, video formatting your message may be the most effective way to get your message across.

For more ideas on how you can utilize video or visual media in your business ventures contact Charisma on Camera for a consultation and a brainstorming session!  Our production team is always available.

Guidelines to Get What You Really Need 

Are you being swindled?  Are you handing your credit card to people marketing information to you that you already know? Or, worse yet, are you buying from people marketing information to you that you never actually get? Your immediate response is most likely, “not me!”   If that’s true, fantastic!  Now read on and consider which of your friends you may help… you might save them thousand of dollars.

First, I confess, I’m hopping onto the complaint train for just a quick trip here…it’s not typical of me, at all (in fact, “complaining “ is a dirty word as far as I am concerned), but if it keeps even one of you ( or your friend) from spending your valuable cash on a faux guru that it’s worth it.

What do I mean by “faux guru?”

I am referring to someone who positions themselves as a guru in business, mindset, marketing, spirituality, etc., but whose true skill is sales. (Ironically, I must respect the skill because many of them are very financially successful)  They sell you on the idea that you will learn something, and when you get to the event/ seminar/ webinar you are sold again on the idea that there is a BIGGER something that you need to pay to learn and so on and so on.   I have seen an incredible amount of this manipulation, and I am offended.  I am offended because I consider content to be of utmost importance when I “have the stage,” whether it is a literal stage or a webinar.   Lately, I have seen a few “gurus” deliver little, if any, value to their audience. (This is where any respect I had for their sales abilities is negated).

For me, if someone leaves without a at least a nugget of new and valuable information that they can take and use immediately, then I have failed.

I work with visionaries, and my responsibility to them is to provide them with the tools to enable them to make the difference they were designed to make in the world.  If I do not provide tools for them that they can take away and build with, my time with them is wasted.

That’s what it come down to … are you getting what you really need? How can you know?

Here are a few guidelines:

1. Will this “expert” give you something you can use immediately, and effectively, to change your current state for better?  Will you develop skills or clarity that will be able to be utilized and built upon in order to create the life that you want?
2. Will this “expert” provide a product for you that you can utilize immediately and effectively to change your current state for better? And: Is this product something you cannot create on your own?
3. Will this “expert” introduce you to people who can immediately and effectively change your current state for better?

If the answer to any of these is a very strong yes, then go for it!  Full speed ahead! Set course for your biggest goals and call me when you get there!

If you hesitated for a second in any of these answers, it might be because you already possess the knowledge to get yourself from your current state to the better!

What may not help you:

1. Learning how to sell, from being sold (seriously, look for it!).
2. Interpreting your dreams (you do this already).
3. Interpreting your true calling (you and God do this already… just listen).

My bottom line…trust in your brilliance, your talent and your dream.  Your “big picture” is drawn by YOU every day.

Surround yourself with a great support team that can make that big picture happen, but before you bring someone onto your team… run them through the guidelines above. Do they truly qualify to help you make the impact you are designed to make? Will they deliver?

The world is waiting for you to make your impact.  We are counting on you to do it effectively.  I have faith that you will!

Guest appearances and stage presentations are to excellent ways to elevate your brand, increasing recognition and trust thus creating the possibilities for increased revenue for your business!

So, how do you get in that seat or on that stage? Even if you have a publicist working for you, wouldn’t it feel great to know a formula for your pitch that you can count on at any time? After all, you never know when you meet someone of influence and have the opportunity to pitch yourself right then and there!

Here’s a simple four-step formula to creating a perfect pitch when you are answering a request for a guest expert or stage presenter. Let them know you are the superstar they are looking for:

S. Source of Passion: Share why you are particularly driven to share your particular message. What is the heart of your story? Example: Did a near-death experience trigger a passion for health and wellness?

T. Timing: Why now? What is the relevance of your topic of expertise and the current events of the day? This is where facts and figures can be helpful!

A. Authenticity: What can you solve for this audience like no one else can because of your experiences and collected wisdom?

R. Refine it! Every word counts. Be succinct and check grammar and spelling. Realize the decision makers are busy and they most likely have many choices to weed through, so get to the point. Be very clear and positive.

Once your brand is elevated, you can begin to entertain new possibilities of revenue streams, books, courses, products, etc. Exposure like this can set a fire under your business as long as you pitch well, and then deliver once you get the opportunity. Make sure you have prepared and trained as well as possible so that you can leverage each and every bit of exposure!

I recently sat in a group of amazing women entrepreneurs; all were brilliant and had plenty of experience, yet every one of them showed some stress when presenting the price they charged for their service or product. Every one! I know women can sometimes have a weakness this area. One of the many theories is that some women perceive asking for their established fee as “pushy” or masculine.

Today, I am not going to focus on the why but rather the more immediate and important how self-sabotage can happen. This will expose the ways to avoid the potential problem and help you to collect your worth every time!

Stress at the close of a sale can manifest in body language in sneaky little ways and nearly all of them can be perceived by a potential customer as an undesirable quality if that potential customer or client is at all uncertain.  What’s surprising is that they may only be aware of this on an unconscious level, and make their decision on what they feel is a “gut” reaction.

Three examples:

1. Shoulders raise up: They pop towards the ears; even a slight indication of movement here can relay the sense of uncertainty.  This is the exact time in the conversation that you want to appear the most secure!

2. Head tilt: This seemingly friendly movement can be misconstrued as pleading (think of a dog at the dinner table begging for a morsel) or flirtatious. This is the exact moment in the conversation that you want to appear the most grounded and authoritative!

3. Stuttering or restating: Repeating the cost of a service, or stammering at all, can elicit a feeling of mistrust in the listener and this is just when you want to gain their commitment!

What you can do instead:

1. Always assume the listener CAN afford you and that money is not a problem.

2. Know that you CAN help them. Stand in integrity.

3. Practice staying physically grounded, body relaxed and asking for DOUBLE your fee.  Seriously, practice this all day long to yourself and by the time you tell someone the real fee, it will seem like nothing to you…  No stress should show at all in your body!  Can you imagine the feeling of freedom and ease associated with that scenario?  Beautiful to your bottom line, isn’t it?

The benefits of becoming aware of these subtle physiological signals are obvious when it comes to sales, but by building a strong stance in this most challenging of conversations, you can then tap into your strength at other times more easily. A good example of this might be during an intense media interview, or even during a live presentation when an audience member may become disruptive.  The power to stand in unwavering strength is so very valuable, particularly for female in business.  Ladies, this does not in any way undermine femininity; in fact, strong successful women can be very sexy!  Did you know that in 2011, women have the majority of wealth in America? Over the next decade, women will control two thirds of consumer wealth in the United States says Claire Behar, Senior Partner and Director, New Business Development, Fleishman-Hillard New York. Now, How sexy is that?

While Valentine’s Day focuses primarily on romantic love, I would like to invite you to escape the frenzy of your local greeting card store, which at this time is probably looking as chaotic as the once-yearly shoe sale at Barneys, and widen the lens through which we see “love” this month.

After all, if you are reading this, you are most likely in “work” mode, and business is on your mind so what can this drippy topic do for your bottom line?

Unless you own a dating service or are a relationship coach, romantic love may not be related to financial increase for you, but in a broader sense of the word, L-O-V-E can be a significant asset to the building of a much-adored personal brand, which is, of course, the foundation of a successful business.

A persona that elicits adoration, attention and interest from others owns the ability to influence. We need only look at some “media darlings” to see this. What is a media darling?  It is a well-recognized person that interviewers and audiences love to hear speak.  They are sought after for interviews and are often featured on magazines and TV shows.  If you are seeking to bring attention to yourself or your business through media, video or public speaking in anyway, learning from media darlings is as easy as, well,

L-O-V-E.

Love of Life: The public loves someone who loves life, and lives with an intense passion and purpose.  Example: Angelina Jolie is regarded as an incredible humanitarian, as well as a Hollywood beauty.  She openly shares her love of children and travels with hubby, Brad Pitt, worldwide to better the lives of others and draw attention to those in need.

What you can do: When you speak, share your passions, even those that may not be directly connected right now with your business. You’ll not only stand out but will attract those that share your vision.

Optimism:  Sharing your story with positivism is attractive, but media darlings take it one step further, they show gratitude. Example: Reese Witherspoon, Denzel Washington, and Rudy Giuliani all illustrate the use of gratitude with nearly each interview, and the media loves them for it.

What you can do: List all that you are grateful for in your path to success, and share the stories behind a few.  A benefit to this exercise is the positive outlook you’ll adapt for the rest of the day!

Victorious: We love winners! Example: Sharon Osbourne was always in the spotlight as Ozzy’s wife, but once she allowed us to share in her battle and win over cancer in their reality show, she endeared herself to us for life.

What you can do: Share your past struggles and how you overcame them.

Emotion: Personal charisma is effective at the emotional level. We are aware when a very charismatic person is speaking because there is a connection far beyond the definition of the words coming from their mouth.  It is visceral.  This is the level of optimum communication, where reception is greatest and your message can make the most impact. Example:  MLK, Ronald Reagan, JFK, Billy Graham.

What you can do: By utilizing the first three elements of LOVE, the emotional connection with your audience, or target market will be more easily accomplished.

Did you know that not only can long-winded answers be hard for the audience to follow, but they can actually cause your interview to go off track? Concise answers can keep you in control, and THAT’S where you want to be!

Brevity is the key word here.  Think of the quotes and sound bites you would like to have associated with your image and try to incorporate them as your answers when appropriate.

A doctor who created his own line of skin care was preparing for a media blitz.  The most important thing for him to learn was to stay away from the “doctor speak” and really emphasize the results of the products. As you can imagine, this was new to him.

We incorporated stories and real-life scenarios like looking in the rear view mirror and seeing new crows feet!  (What?!)  We took those moments that the target market could understand and created his sound bites and quick descriptions of the products.

The results were very effective… heck, even his PR girl and I wanted to get the skin care!

How can you keep it brief?  Well, if you are not working with a media coach, then try these:

1. Recognize the “process” or “expert language”:  You may need to speak in a simpler fashion about your field of expertise unless your audience is comprised of your peers in business.  Use common words and save the details of your work, process, or methods until you have them hooked on the results!

2. Time yourself.  Seriously, grab a stopwatch and have someone interview you with the questions you most expect.  You might be surprised at how quickly time goes by!  Aim for 30 seconds or less per answer!

3. “Cliff Note” your tales:  If you have stories—your own or clients’ successes–clip them to the most condensed version.  Think of how you have to edit for Twitter, and you’ll be sure to keep only the good stuff!

Don’t forget!  Include what makes you different:  Do you have a signature quote? Or special philosophy?  Your short answers still need to include that special flavor that only you can bring.  Rehearse your philosophy description until is it short, sweet, and rolls off your tongue with ease.

There is a lot of focus on food and drink during this season… we are shown how to make it, how to serve it and how to make “healthy” versions of our favorites.  Holiday foods are traditional, comforting and all-out yummy.   They are hard to resist, but if you are presenting or speaking on camera, the holiday foods could sabotage your performance!  Even if they are the “healthy” version.

Whether you are full speed with Holiday networking at parties or taking it easy this season, the following foods are ones that I have on a “caution list” for my clients if they are preparing for an appearance on-camera or public speaking…  So, you may want to keep this list for the New Year!

• Dairy: cheeses and other milk products can produce mucus which can present itself as the need to clear your throat and weaken your voice.

• Fat:  Fried or high-fat foods like pizza, hamburgers, or fries can leave you feeling sluggish.  Since good energy is so important to your on-camera presence, why make it difficult to get yours up?    PLUS, they can cause bloating, and that just doesn’t help you to feel attractive. A better meal before you go on camera or make a presentation:  lean protein and veggies.  A chicken salad or even cottage cheese and crudités will serve you well.

• Sweet stuff: Chocolate included…Sorry! Sugar can actually dry the throat, PLUS as an after-effect you can have a drop in blood sugar that can cause tiredness and difficulty in concentrating.  If you are prone to nerves before going “on,” sugar can actually make you feel worse.

• Caffeine:  I know, I know… you think a cup of coffee won’t bother you, but I seriously can tell when someone is sensitive to caffeine and they try to sneak a cup before a session with me.  There is a brain “short-circuit” effect many times where memory can be affected.  You sure wouldn’t want to take a chance on missing a key point, so why chance it?

• Alcohol:  Just not a good idea in any amount.  Impaired judgment, lack of concentration and poor balance can surface with even one drink even if you think you can’t feel it. 

These foods can be hidden culprits in performance or memory problems.  Many people would not think to connect the food they ate at lunch with their scratchy throat or forgetfulness.  Being aware of how to feed your body and brain properly before you appear on camera or in front of an audience allows you to access a higher level of confidence.  Now all the work and training you have done can show with ease when you seize the opportunity to blast your brand and showcase your business.

There’s so much talk about passion these days. Some define passion as what they do; others use it to describe who they are. Who’s right?

I like to say that passion is your uniqueness that makes what you do uniquely you. Dictionary.com defines passion as: a powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. To me, passion walks hand in hand with purpose, but I don’t confuse the two.

Whatever you’re involved in, whether it’s a presentation, a project, an interview or any relationship; if you bring what is uniquely you to the table, you will be powerful and compelling. That’s passion.

To have passion or to be passionate, you must know more about who you are. I walk my clients through a series of exercises that allows them to discover what makes them uniquely them. We do a little digging, and passion is at the very heart of it. And while my process is more than what I’ll go into here, I’d like to share just one of the exercises with you that can give you, right now, something to bring to the table every time. It’s your personal alphabet.

Take out a piece of blank, ruled paper. Down the left side, list the English alphabet from A to Z. Now go back and write in a word that describes you (nothing negative) that begins with each letter. The words can even be causes you love, character traits, special interests you have, skills or talents. You. Be brave. These words should bring a smile to your face.

Once you discover these 26 expressions of you, put them to use to bring passion to whatever you do.

Here’s my list of the Passion Baker’s Dozen: 13 Ways to make passion work for you.

1.  Passion is powerful – people can hear it in your voice, you can even feel the strength behind what you’re saying or doing

2.  Passion is compelling – it brings an irresistible effect and draws people in

3.  Passion brings emotion to your presence – there’s no dull or boring shadow over you, people will feel what you feel

4.  Passion shows strength and effectiveness – it allows you to stand firm on what you believe and what you say about it

5.  Passion will influence others – your excitement and commitment will have a direct influence on others

6.  Passion demands attention and is irresistible – when you talk, people will listen

7.  Passion displays authenticity – there’s nothing fake about even something that seems silly, when there is passion behind it

8.  Passion is very convincing – it’s almost a secret weapon

9.  Passion makes what you do easier – it just flows, without hesitation, resistance or fear

10. Passion is seen and felt by others – it shines like a light whenever you speak or smile; you can’t hide it, and they can’t hide from it

11. Passion gives you direction and purpose – it guides your conversation, your actions and your rewards

12. Passion keeps you on track – when you feel yourself wandering, come back to it

13. Passion brings excitement – nuff said

It’s time to bring your uniqueness; what makes what you do uniquely you, to the forefront.

© Copyright 2010 Deni Carruth

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Deni Carruth is passionate about the health and wellness of executives and entrepreneurs, and is known as THE Executive Wellness Coach. She is also known for her VICTOR Lifestyle programs that allow her clients to experience VICTORies everyday in their life and business. She invites you to dig deep to discover, rediscover or redefine your passion at http://www.masterkeyscoaching.com.

One of the main causes of discomfort for many entrepreneurs when they attempt a promotional video is the words they are trying to say.

Most often entrepreneurs and experts will come to their video shoot with a script derived from copy on their website.  I totally get it; working so hard to get that copy right it has to be just what you need to say, so why not just cut and paste it for a video script, right?

WRONG!

Even the best copy from a website or written advertisement is designed to be READ not said aloud.  It’s nearly impossible to seem authentic and natural when using copy designed to be read.

Need an example?  Try reading both of these paragraphs aloud taking care to sound as natural as possible.

1. Designed to be read:

Nothing feels better than a great fitting jacket. Virtually unlimited in terms of COLORS, PATTERNS & CONSTRUCTION. Included among them are two-ply EGYPTIAN COTTONS in SOLIDS, CHECKS & PLAIDS, Royal Oxfords (my personal favorite, wrinkle resilient & durable)… YOU’LL LOVE OUR SHIRTS!

2. Better for speaking:

Nothing feels better than a great fitting jacket. Our selection is virtually unlimited in colors and patterns, and we design for your body!  A few of our fantastic styles come in two-ply Egyptian cottons  in solids, checks and plaids, and, my personal favorite… Royal Oxfords. They need less ironing and last forever!  YOU’LL LOVE OUR SHIRTS!

Can you see how much easier it was to flow with the second paragraph?  It only takes a little tweaking but reading copy designed to be read is just a recipe for disaster; you cannot be on your game when the words coming out of your mouth don’t sound like YOU.

IDEA: Take some time and talk about your key ideas in your copy.  Record yourself talking about these points and THEN transcribe THAT into your script.

Now, when the teleprompter rolls, you will feel much more at home with the words and more connected to your purpose.

It might take more time than a cut and paste initially, but in the end, the video will take much less time to shoot as long as you are prepared with the RIGHT words!