• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Media-Manoeuvres-Logo_NoTagline_Full-Colour
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • Media Spokesperson Training
    • Stakeholder Communications
    • Executive Presentation Skills
    • On Camera Presentation Training
    • Senate Estimates Performance and Preparation Skills
    • Crisis Communications
    • Schools Crisis and Issues Management
    • Royal Commissions and Government Inquiries
  • Online Virtual Training
    • Virtual Media Training
    • Virtual Presentation Skills
  • Team
  • News
  • Contact Us
    • Perth
    • Brisbane
    • Canberra
    • Sydney
    • Melbourne

CEO videos prove most effective form of communication – do you have the camera skills?

September 9, 2017 by Sam Elam Leave a Comment

It might seem easy to create, but there are certain skills required to make an effective online CEO video message. Whether you like it or not, people make judgements very quickly about the quality of your offering based on how you come across on camera. Viewers don’t want to watch a corporate talking head, they want the real you. To present naturally on camera takes specific on-camera training, and lots of it. That’s where we step in.

CEO videos are a formal or informal address conveying important messages to key stakeholders or employees. Examples can include a product launch, internal reporting video, welcome message or any other communication piece.

In this article we present one CEO who’s created a highly successful video message, followed by our assessment of how he achieved this.

Stats and facts to convince you of the benefits of a video message

  • The open rate on video is much higher than the click through rate on text
  • 59% of executives would rather video than text-Forbes
  • Viewers are 10 times more likely to engage, share and comment on videos
  • Almost 5 million videos are watched on Youtube everyday – YT statistics 2017
  • Emotion and tone can be added, making a connection with the audience easier
  • Exposure on video can enhance your public profile
  • Nailing the art of giving a good presentation on camera is an essential skill for all C-suite executives

Being prepared before camera

The following video is an example of how preparation creates an effective message. This CEO comes across as a natural in front of the camera and inspires us to change.

This is an example of a CEO who has really shed the starchy CEO image and instead has developed an engaging and approachable tone, enhancing his and his company’s profile and credibility.

  • Peter is relaxed immediately and looks natural
  • He is genuine and passionate about what he is saying
  • We believe him because he doesn’t appear scripted at all
  • He uses great eye contact and body language
  • He uses pace and varied tones very well

Top marks for Peter!

 

The key ingredients to deliver an effective on-camera message:

Get off to a good start and grab the audiences’ attention

 The way you start your presentation is critical. You’ve only got a short window of time to convince your audience to stay or switch off. Start with an attention-grabbing opener.

 Take a deep breath …and relax

It’s important to find ways to relax, as when you are not relaxed it’s hard to be

enthusiastic and passionate as you convey your message.

 Boring your audience to death is not cool

 Is there anything worse than a long, boring presentation?

It’s a fact that all great speakers tell personal stories. The audience loves to hear about the triumphs and hurdles of people’s personal experiences. Stories connect people.

Emotionalise the data

Stories help us remember things. An inundation of figures, tables, statistic and charts, doesn’t, and unless you are reporting a huge profit or increased shareholder dividends, you run the risk of people wanting to poke their eyes out!

Steve Jobs from Apple – a great speaker, was great at emotionalising the data, for example, rather than talk about the amount of gigabtyes an Apple device could hold, he would convert this unit of measurement into the number of music files a device could store –much more effective in the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) stakes.

Practice makes perfect

Lots of practise frees up your mind, gets rid of nerves, and allows you to be relaxed.

Smiling, having a persona, and looking confident in front of a camera is no easy task. When we watch media professionals or other speakers present with ease on camera we often wonder how they do it so naturally. For the majority, it’s specific on-camera training, preparation and relentless practising that results in that polished, on air and often times live performance.

Focus on the message

As you prepare your message, think about what your audience needs to hear. What’s the value of your message to them?

Keep it simple and to the point

Leave your audience wanting more. Less is more. The consensus is that corporate videos should be no longer than 2 to 4 minutes.

Use your body and your personality

Use the tools at your disposal. Use tone, facial expression, passion and emotion to its full advantage.

According to Albert Mehrabian’s rule of communication, viewers judge a speaker’s attitude, feelings and thoughts more by their body language and tone of voice than the words spoken.

If words and body language disagree, the audience will believe the body language more.

The benefits of specific on-camera training

Many people freeze when the camera rolls.

Something that seems so easy suddenly becomes hard.   Being unprepared and nervous before a camera can totally change your demeanour and expressiveness – a sure way to lose your audience.

But you’re not alone. Many seasoned presenters feel nervous before giving a presentation both on and off camera.

If you’re planning to create a quality video, make sure you have the skills in front of the camera to come across as authentic, professional and credible. These are easily learned with the assistance of professional journalist trainers, like Media Manoeuvres.

Filed Under: Uncategorised

Sam Elam

About Sam Elam

Sam Elam, Director of Media Manoeuvres, has been involved in the media and communications industry for over 20 years.

Sam established Media Manoeuvres in 1997 as a specialist media consultancy in media training and reputation management. She now combines her media and corporate communications skills assisting clients in media skills training as well as media strategy, issues and crisis management.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • The Power of an Apology
  • What Lies Ahead For Communication Professionals Post-COVID-19?
  • What lawyers think about communicators in a crisis shows the great divide still exists
  • Stakeholder Communication In A Crisis – Why Is It Important?
  • How does media training fit into the digital age?

Archives

Media-Manoeuvres-Logo_NoTagline_Full-Colour
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
  • Team
  • News
  • Contact
Melbourne:
575 Bourke St, Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Sydney:
391 Glebe Point Rd Glebe,
NSW 2037
Perth:
38 Webster St
Nedlands 6009

[email protected]

PERTH
1800 183 343

BRISBANE
1800 183 343

CANBERRA
02 6282 8660

SYDNEY
02 9905 8266

MELBOURNE
03 9510 6000

ON-CAMERA SKILLS TRAINING

The advent of the digital age has given rise to the importance of online video content. A video with a good presenter/s can engage and influence stakeholders. How others immediately perceive you or your business comes down to the first few seconds of you on camera!

Read more: Camera Presentation Training

VIRTUAL PRESENTATION SKILLS

Your impression when presenting online has been important for many years, but it is now crucial with almost all business being conducted via videoconference. Stand out from the crowd with impressive skills, taught by our international keynote speakers and webinar hosts.

Read more: Virtual Presentation Skills

LIVE ONLINE MEDIA TRAINING

Spokespeople from all organisations need to adapt to new ways to deliver their messages, and journalists are looking for great interviewees wherever they may be. Get ahead of the pack with our live, online media training which is customised and flexible, just like our face-to-face training sessions.

Read more: Live Online Media Training

ELEARNING MEDIA AND PRESENTATION SKILLS

Cost efficiency, time flexibility and the opportunity to train many more people are the significant benefits of online learning. Mobile-enabled eLearning programmes and modules, webinars, live and static digital platforms and forums can be blended (if required) with face-to-face formats.

Read more: E-Learning Training

MAYOR AND COUNCILLOR SKILLS TRAINING

Customised Media Spokesperson Skills training for newly elected Mayors and Councillors is highly recommended to ensure they are in control of their key messages and are able to hold their nerve in the face of a tough community meeting, as well as getting the media coverage they deserve.

Read more: Local Government Training

SCHOOL ISSUES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Media Manoeuvres has a well-established reputation as school crisis management experts. We provide strategic issues and crises planning and organisational media skills coaching to many national and international educational institutions and schools. Before the media calls, schools call us.

Read more: School Crisis Training

EXECUTIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS TRAINING

Whether you are presenting in person or on-screen, you only get one chance to make a first impression and that takes just a few seconds. Getting it right the first time is essential because repairing a poor impression is not easy.

Read more: Presentation Skills Training

SME ISSUES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Every organisation is vulnerable to a crisis – it’s knowing the right way to deal with a situation that changes the way companies are perceived by their stakeholders and the media.

Read more: Crisis Communications Management

MEDIA SKILLS TRAINING

Having good media spokespeople can make all the difference between a superior reputation and a bad one. That’s why training in this area will reap huge rewards for your business.

The Media Manoeuvres approach to media training across Australia is simple: Companies must have effective and efficient media spokespeople. Not only that, but training in this area should be ongoing for senior management, executives and team members.

Read more: Media Skills Training

ROYAL COMMISSIONS & SENATE ESTIMATES

“Democracy in action” is how some describe this exhaustive process whereby Commissioners, Counsel Assisting or Senators can ask endless questions of witnesses appearing. News stories don’t always begin in a Royal Commission or Estimates, but it is often the place where details come out, and reputational damage for you and your organisation can result.

Read more: Royal Commission Training

Read more: Senate Estimates Training

STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS KEY MESSAGING

A strategic approach to stakeholder and media communications, which addresses the importance of stakeholder needs, will guarantee connection and influence.
Designing thoughtful, meaningful and relevant stakeholder and media messages that align with company objectives is vital.

Read more: Stakeholder Communications Training

How some describe this exhaustive process whereby Commissioners, Counsel Assisting or Senators can ask endless questions of witnesses appearing. News stories don’t always begin in a Royal Commission or Estimates, but it is often the place where details come out, and reputational damage for you and your organisation can result.

    Request for "[article-title]" article