By Roz Morris ,Managing Director, TV News London Ltd

Many people tell us that they’re very worried about giving interviews on radio, on TV, and online.  Surveys consistently show that public speaking is still one of most people’s greatest fears and, of course, when you’re talking on the radio, TV or online, you’re talking to a big audience.

People feel very exposed and they worry about how they look and sound. 

But nowadays video is becoming an essential part of business communications and marketing.  Suddenly everyone is expected to look good in a video and everyone is expected to have the skills of a TV presenter.  Anyone who has glanced at LinkedIn or Twitter recently will see far more videos in messages than there were a couple of years ago when most messages linked to text not video.  

So how do you develop these TV presentation skills and come across as the expert you are in your videos and your TV interviews?

First, you need to practise talking to a video camera. You need to practise talking to your iPad and your phone.  Get your eyeline right and make sure you smile and don’t look worried.  If you haven’t done it before, you’ll find smiling does require an unexpected amount of effort.

You must sure that you look confident.  Why? Because no-one listens to a worried looking person. When you look worried it makes your audience feel uneasy. They stop listening and start asking questions  – like – Why are they frowning? Why does he/she look so sad/glum/ grim?

If you make sure you smile and look confident, people will listen to you

So how do you look confident when you don’t feel at all confident?

Fake it till you make it. That’s the most valuable advice you can give yourself.  It’s so useful because it works in two ways.

First, if you make yourself look and sound confident and positive, you will come across better and you’ll inspire more trust in your audience that you do really know what you’re talking about. 

Second, if you make the effort to look confident, you will actually feel more confident as you are speaking.

The best advice I can give you is to get some media training. Because if you don’t, people will think you’re less professional than you are.  Also you will be disappointed and feel that you could have done better.  At TV News London we provide media training for making your own online video statements and for giving effective professional broadcast interviews.

To find out more watch Roz’s video below or email us on info@tvnewslondon.co.uk