Ace At Selling On Camera – Julie Hansen
Julie Hansen is the founder and sales presentation expert at performance sales and training. She is also the author of Sales Presentations for Dummies and ACTs Like a Sales pro.
There is a huge difference between reel life and real life. When it comes to sales, being practical and natural is more effective than being artificial. Julie has years of experience in the film industry and also she has gained expertise in selling on camera.
Generally, when people come in front of the camera, either they become so stiff that looks artificial or so nervous. Sometimes, to show confidence, people try to act being relaxed and sit in a relaxed position. While it is good in one hand, on the other hand, it creates an impression of having low energy or not interested in talking right away. Both are not good to work as a salesperson.
The ideal position is to sit up straight and even to lean forward about 10 or 15% because that looks like you’re on the edge of your seat waiting to talk to this person or waiting to hear what they have to say. So that’s the type of energy you want to bring to the sales calls. So you have to bring a high level of energy and then you have to know how to use it within the confines of this stage.
2 quick hacks when you’re on camera
Julie has shared two top techniques that will help us to be natural and confident in front of the camera.
- Eye Contact
Eye contact is important while you are on camera because it helps to build a relationship and increase friendliness. When you don’t look at the camera or you don’t keep eye contact, it feels like you are not that attentive and not paying attention. When you are on a video call and talking to your prospect, adjust your camera, and keep proper eye contact that will give your prospect confidence on you.
- Make the camera your friend
The above sentence may sound silly but the truth lies behind it. If you don’t feel the camera is your friend, it will be an obstacle between you and your customer because of which your customer may lose confidence in you. In order to make the camera your friend, name it and try to talk with it frequently. On a psychological level, it gives you confidence that you are talking to your friend and your customer. Your confident and energetic talk will attract your customers.
AMA with Julie Hansen
The following is excerpts from the AMA session with Julie.
What is the camera etiquette for online sessions?
When it comes to camera etiquette, you need to be yourself in front of the camera. You have to practice what reads well on the camera and then get comfortable with that until it becomes natural. So you want to have your movements within the camera frame and you need to make good eye contact with the camera.
How to be on camera for an introvert person?
If you’re an introvert person, I suggest turning off your camera view so you don’t see yourself when you’re on a call. You don’t need to focus on yourself. You need to practice these techniques off camera so you can be fully present and engaged in your customer.
How to avoid repetitions in speech such as “you know”, “Like”, etc?
Yes, those are the things we start to notice when we record ourselves and playback a conversation. Those filler words are often repeated because we’re not ending our sentences. They’re crutch words. You need to practice it when you’re talking to your friends or your spouse.
Do you ever turn to video recordings vs real-time?
I guess it depends on the purpose. So video recording is great content that you’re repeating. But, if it’s a demo that you’re going to present to multiple people and you want to get it out in mass, live is always best for a customer call, Because that’s your opportunity to connect and they can’t connect with you in a prerecorded video.
Does documenting one’s own life makes it more comfortable rather than testing on clients?
Yeah well, when you’re documenting your life, you’re not thinking necessarily about how you appear to the audience. So we’re not aware or we’re being that very natural state. Again, that doesn’t necessarily read as engaged and present.
Does voice modulation help or how important is it when you are speaking on camera?
When you think about voice modulation, the tools that you have are your voice, your facial expressions, your body language, you have the presence of your face. So the voice is very important and that’s an additional thing you can work on.
