One of the hardest things about doing video is looking into the camera. It causes us to freeze up when we think we have to look into that lens.
It’s a mind game; video is ninety per cent a mind game because it’s almost as though we think that now that we’re on this side of the lens, on the other side of the lens is a whole bunch of people—maybe clients maybe friends of clients—and they’re throwing tomatoes at you, and garbage at you, and they’re telling you you’re horrible! But if you don’t look at that lens somehow, you’re safer, maybe if you look down and talk about the points you want to cover.
You need to do a couple of things to get over it because the eyes have it on video—we connect with each other through our eyes on camera. When you’re sharing a point, sharing some information, that viewer wants to connect with you, and if you’re looking down, not looking into that lens, then you’re putting up a wall between you and that person. Between you and the person you’re trying to help. Nobody wants to do that, so here’s what you do instead.
First, practice in front of a mirror — in the bathroom, in the bedroom, wherever you’ve got a decent mirror. Practice your content, get used to talking to that mirror—which of course is going to be your own face so get used to that too. But you, reflected in that mirror, are standing in for that client that you’re talking to in the video. So do a bunch of those and get over the oddness of it.
Then, download a photo of one of your favorite clients or a really good friend—somebody that you know has your back, who loves hearing from you.
Print that picture and stick it up in the vicinity of the camera lens, whether it’s on your phone or your laptop. Don’t be looking directly at that picture but be aware of it peripherally while you’re looking into the lens. Get used to the feeling that there’s somebody there that really likes you and wants to hear your content. Also, keep in your mind’s eye an image of that person, whether or not you put their picture there, just keep in your mind a sense of who that favorite client or that best friend is that you’re talking to.
Things will change. You will get used to talking to that lens and you will come to know, in your heart and in your gut, that that’s a person looking at you, a person really appreciating the content you’re sharing.
So, practice in front of the mirror; stick that picture up; think about that ideal client or that great friend that you’re talking to. Do it a few times and the magic will happen. Trust me.