Media Appearance Best Practices – Appearance
Here are some lessons I learned listening to the media training course by TJ Walker.
1. When sitting in front of the camera, sit high and lean 15 degrees forward. If you lean back, your double chin will show, and if you sit straight, you will look stiff.
2. Most sentences that get more attention are the ones with emotion or the ones with strong words like, never, always, must, and have to.
3. Practice every media appearance.
4. Record your speech and listen to it to see how it comes across to others. If you practice on a recorded video multiple times, then you will not be nervous.
5. Be comfortable listening to yourself on the practice recording and look at yourself objectively. Only focus on the things you have control over, like your sound, e.g., is it monotone? or your movement—are you moving your body or are you looking like a robot. After identifying one thing to fix, fix that and record again. Keep recording until you have the final version that you like. Do not focus on fixing everything at once. Fix each issue one by one and record it. It will take time but it will be a lot better than remembering multiple things to fix while recording.
6. When listening to the practice recording, do not focus on the things you can’t change, like the amount of hair on your head or your weight, as you can’t fix them at that time.
7. Look at the camera and do not have eyes floating all over the place. You will look confused.
8. Have a little smile without teeth, when you are on camera but not talking, so that you do not look bored and scared. It should be a very slight smile, and it will help you look comfortable, confident, and relaxed. Even if the discussion topic is very serious, a very slight smile will look a lot better than a very serious face.
9. When talking, add some movement to your hands and head, so that you don’t look like a robot who is talking with only his lips moving.
10. If you are sitting on a chair, do not use the back and armrests. Also, do not use a table as arm rest. Sit high and lean forward. Keep your legs crossed, ankle over ankle, and back behind you or one foot forward and one foot back and flat. It will help you sit high and lean forward.
11. If you are talking standing up, keep your hand moving. Stand with one foot forward and one foot behind.
12. Dress according to what you want people to think about you and your dress should not confuse people. If you are wearing flip flops and you are a businessman, your appearance will confuse people. Do not wear strips and small patterns, they will take up too much attention. Also, do not wear any colours that make you blend in with the environment, like a black shirt on a black chair.
13. Take every opportunity, you get to speak in public. The more you speak, the better you will become and you will gain more confidence.
14. When speaking in public, if you look nervous and stiff, no one will remember you. If there is something that stands out visually, like extra bright make-up or a very colourful tie, people will be distracted and will not listen to you. In communication, you need to have both style and substance; otherwise, you will not be successful.
15. For ladies, Do not apply any wet lip gloss or bright lipstick. Using neutral colours will make you look more professional. For both men and ladies, put on the powder to hide the shine on the face.
See Media Appearance Best Practices – Message here.
