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!

One of the best parts of working on TV is the clothes…I wish I could keep them, and some of the jewels as well.

Dressing like a soap star every day in real life isn’t in most people’s budget, but with the holidays just around the corner (hard to believe but true!) your VISUAL BRAND needs some go to soap-opera worthy glamour!

I love the idea of dressing up, and I also love the idea of keeping my bank account growing… THAT’S why I love these two companies!

I met Carol at an event and loved her… and her bling!  Borrowed Bling is the best way to look movie star fabulous and stay in your budget!  I mean, hey, the red carpet at the Oscars are filled with jewels that are borrowed, so why shouldn’t you do the same thing?

And another accessory that  speaks for you… your bag!  Check out Bag Borrow or Steal!

The holidays can be a great time to network.  People are just a touch more relaxed and the atmosphere a bit more fun.  You’ve been working on your messaging and your pitch (including the super short networking one) all year long, so put on that party dress(and bling and fab bag) and get out there!

You can make an impact with your life.. making an impact with your image doesn’t hurt!

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!

For each person, the source may be different, so a blanket answer  is not a guaranteed benefit  to anyone. There are a few ideas though, that I have discovered can help to ease anxiety in most people.

1. Fear is good. It shows that you care about what you are doing!  Realize that the twisted feeling in your stomach and shaking knees are signs of a very primitive part of your design, stemming all the way back to the “flight or fight” reactions of our ancient ancestors.  The original purpose was for good; to save us from harm.  What I suggest is to recognize that part of you that is the fear (even name it), then thank it for being there, but you are fine and it may take a back seat now, thank you!
2. Next, take your focus OUT, not in.  It’s about them, not you.  If you know your message and your purpose, then you  know exactly what you need to accomplish for your audience and set to it!  Know that you are there to solve a major problem for them. No matter if they are right in front of you, or on the other end of your broadcast.  Realize, that if your thoughts are with them and what you bring to that audience, your thought s cannot be in your head, fighting with your fears.  It is impossible.
3. Recognize that even the pros and superstars have a bit of that butterfly in the tummy reaction.

“A little bit of stage fright. Then I’m ready.” — Faith Hill

It’s not abnormal. It need not be paralyzing.  It is not indicative at all of your abilities.  In fact, the energy created from a bit of pre-show jitters can actually work for you.

Burn off a bit of that excessive energy by doing something with your body…jumping jacks, push ups or whatever!  Think of how clear-headed you are after a good workout, right?  Energized and relaxed at the same time… that is the perfect state to be in when you are presenting, right? So don’t let anyone’s surprised reaction stop you from running in place like a madman for 20 seconds… you’re going for the gold out there!

If you have stage fright, it never goes away. But then I wonder: is the key to that magical performance because of the fear?
Stevie Nicks

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Republican politician Newt Gingrich is known to tell a story about a lion and a field mouse; a lion can use his hunting skills to easily capture a field mouse with ease any time he desires, but at the end of the day, no matter how many mice he’s gotten, he will still be starving.

What Newt’s story means:  sometimes despite the risk and the work needed, it’s worth our time to go for the antelope.

Are you still chasing your mice, playing it safe and finding convenient reasons to wait to chase your antelope? Are you starving to make the impact you are born to make?

What wall of your comfort zone will you need to bust through in order to leap to the next higher level of your life?

It could be that you need to reach beyond your current circle of influence by connecting with those that play one or two levels up from where you are right now.  Or, it might be that you need to step up your visibility and create a more public image to draw a larger following of your own.  Most likely you need both.  We all do.

While nothing is more powerful than a face-to-face meeting with those whom you want to influence or collaborate with, it is sometimes impossible to find the time, or the access in the case of a high-ranking personality, to arrange an in-person meeting.

The solution is video and visual media.

Putting yourself and your service, product or company in a pitch video can be the door opener to sponsors or investors and sharing your knowledge by informative videos in the form of tips, FAQs, and how-to’s in your field of expertise.  Even stepping out as a guest expert on TV, will get you recognized as an expert and a leader in your field.

If placing yourself out there as the star of your video presentation has you feeling uneasy and anxious, you may be looking at your biggest hurdle to getting your antelope!

Here are three things to help you take action now:

Video trumps written word.  Reality is, people click on a video three times more than an article link on Facebook or in email.  You want your message to reach your tribe.  Delivery in a format we prefer seems to be a no-brainer.

The time is now, or you may not have a “later.” If this next prediction scares you, good.  Last month a New York-based media research firm estimated that if you do not utilize video on your website with in the next 17 months, your video-friendly competition will pull so far ahead it might be impossible to catch up.  Seem harsh? Remember how quickly we adjusted from VHS quality to DVD? Don’t be the one with the outdated delivery system.

Help is out there. For many people, putting themselves out there as the star of their pitch video, interview circuit, or even website greeting is outside of their comfort zone.  Experts can feel like a fish out of water when it comes to talking to, or in front of, a video or TV camera, and that’s understandable.  After all, the people we see as most at ease on TV have been trained for years to appear that way. Well, the pressure is on, and the good news is that that training is available for you, Find someone to work with you who not only knows the basic skills of on-camera training but who can understand your brand and help you to shine with all of your strengths and uniqueness like no one else can.

Your antelope is in sight. Go for it.

There are those extraordinary, memorable speakers that command the highest respect and have created multi million dollar businesses.  You see them just once, become an immediate fan and recommend them to everyone you know because of your great experience.

And then there are all the others.

The memorable speakers share a common denominator and although they may be savvy business developers, the common thread is more creative than logistical.

What is the one thing that separates the good from the extraordinary?  What’s that thing that can fuel a speaker’s climb to the multi -million dollar business level?

It’s the art of telling their stories.

They separate them selves from the pack by homing their ability to tell their story in such a way that they impact the audience on a deep, emotional level.

At that depth of rapport it’s much more possible to lead them to a better way of thinking, a more successful business, a healthier lifestyle or whatever it may be that needs to be revealed to them.

There are three elements that can help you to connect with your audience in this way.  Each element has a direct result:

1. Vulnerability creates empathy. By sharing your story with transparency and vulnerability, the distance between the stage and your audience seems diminished.

2. Honesty creates trust. To brand yourself as an expert, trust is essential.   No sugarcoating the facts here.  Most modern audiences are pretty savvy and will be looking for the underlying reality anyway, so give it to them. They will respect you more if you share the facts, both good and bad.

3. Transformation creates inspiration. If you did it, against all odds, then so can they… Where were you when something happened, and what were the lasting, life-changing results?

By building your stories  (by the way, I guarantee, you have many) with vulnerability, honesty and transformation, you can lead others to step into their power, and, as Zig Ziglar said, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”

TV hosting workshop for Entrepreneurs

Join me for a special day designed just for you!

Reserve Your Seat

In this one-day workshop, you will experience the foundational training that I give to my private training clients including:

· Secrets of the stars to be the best HOST of your website video, pitch video, product video or even your own segment on a TV show!

· Powerful skills to move quickly along the road to confidently OWNING YOUR SPACE in front of the camera.

· Change your nerves into productive energy

· How to work your gestures, and body movements to tell your story, NOT distract from it!

PLUS

· Secrets of the stars to look, sound and talk your best!

Leave this semi-private class with an understanding of what it
takes to create effective memorable moments on camera!

The Date:
July 23

The Time:
11 am – 2pm

The Place:
The Sports Club LA, Olympic Room

1835 Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, 90025

Dress:
Camera ready! As it fits your brand.

My private sessions are close to $400 each… grab the info from me on this day designed for you–the entrepreneur, expert in your field, star waiting to shine!

Cost: $247.00 Just 95.00! Early bird registration before July 10 is only $85.00

If you can’t communicate effectively, your message won’t get heard. Take your steps toward mastering the camera today.

Join Me in Dallas!

Well, times change, and our understanding of how we can best succeed evolves constantly. Currently, one of the most important shifts is a newfound understanding and appreciation of the word “quit”.

No longer are these four letters taboo in the realm of success, particularly when it comes to building your platform as an expert, host, speaker, teacher or coach… now, quitting is absolutely necessary.

All of us, in one way or another talk to ourselves; our inner voice speaks in the background of every situation and conversation. Our inner voice can be very fond of critiquing, sometimes harshly, each of our decisions. That’s when I call that voice the “Negator.”

What is necessary is to quit listening to it! We all have a Negator. His job, at one point might have been to keep us “safe.” By telling us that we cannot accomplish something, (that we are not worthy, talented or smart enough, whatever it might be), he was keeping us from being hurt. His mantra might be “better safe than sorry.”

Once we understand the job of the Negator, it can be a lot easier to say, “Thank you, but I am ok, now let’s get on with it!” And then quit feeding him!

Take away all of the language that gives the Negator strength: this means words like, “could,” “would,” “but,” “hope to,” ”can’t,” “not enough…” and “I wish.”

Feed your consciousness instead by speaking words like, “will,” “when,” “can,” “shall,” and “yes!”

Our language is so very powerful, and our inner conversations create our beliefs and therefore our actions.

If you are preparing to be a presenter, coach, trainer or media star, or even a performer, the action steps that you take are directly fueled by your inner sense of self, and by replacing all negative phrases with positive ones. Always. Not just at the time of day when you say your affirmations but become aware of every time that you push yourself away from your goals by using words that do not fuel your forward movement.

If you find this task too challenging, a coach can help. I work directly with my clients’ beliefs and strategic visioning before we even get into logistics of on-camera work. When I know that they can clearly see themselves living in their gifts, reaching their goals, then I know that we can work at an incredible pace to bring those beliefs into reality.

Don’t waste another moment feeding your Negator. You have a purpose that is much bigger than he can see!