Small business owners know all too well that they are their brand.  It's not enough to offer quality services or goods.  One of the first things I learned as a small business owner is that people want to do business with people they know, like and trust.  

Your website, social media posts, media interviews, and videos will show people who you are and help build connections that can lead to sales.   Clients have come to me because they were too camera-shy to appear in website videos or sit down for a TV interview.  What better way for your potential customers to get to know you than to see you in action?

With training and practice just about anyone can become media-friendly.  The most important element is your brand messaging.  How do you describe your products or services when talking to friends?  No doubt you are enthusiastic and authentic.   In media training we coach clients to communicate to a wider audience in the same natural way they do in personal interactions. 

Tone of voice, speaking speed, gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, posture, makeup and clothing can either add to or distract from messaging.   Many times people don't realize they do distracting things until they see themselves on camera.  A few examples of bad habits that can be broken:

• Looking up toward the ceiling as if the answers are up there
• Touching your face while speaking
• Saying "um" over and over again during an interview
• Twisting in your chair
• Wearing clothing that appears wavy on camera (very thin stripes for example)
• Using industry jargon that your audience doesn't relate to

In our everyday conversations we make eye contact with the people we speak with and we don't bore them by rambling on and on. The trick is to use those same social skills when you communicate with your target audience in videos and in media interviews.  Good story-telling sells.