Never Look Bored or Scared Again

On the one hand the camera can magnify things like our stomach or our double chin.

On the other hand it can minimize things.

There are some things that look fine in real life but just look weird on TV or on video.

For most people when someone’s talking to you your face goes blank.

You’re listening to the person but your face goes blank.

Now imagine I’m being introduced on a television show and the host is being nice and saying Ladies and gentlemen we have internationally renowned media trainer to presidents and prime ministers Nobel Peace Prize winners Miss Universe as T.J.

Walker is here.

You’re hearing all these nice things about me.

But now the camera’s on me and this is what they see.

How does that seem to you.

What would be your first impression of me.

Well I looked bored.

Boring.

Kind of like a mug shot practically dead.

Would you want to listen to that person.

I don’t think so.

So here’s the key.

Any time you’re in front of a video camera you need a little bit of a smile on your face just a little bit of an upturn so I’m going to just pretend that I’m being announced and the host is talking and I’m in have a little bit of a smile on my face.

You tell me how it looks.

It’s not a gigantic TV evangelist smile it’s just a little bit of an upturn.

Think of it as just bringing your cheeks up a little.

You don’t even have to show any teeth in a smile.

Now here’s the thing.

This is confusing to people because they think well T.J.

I’m talking about serious issues and a flood or a disaster.

Someone’s been hurt.

I can’t do that a little bit of a smile on your face won’t look like a smile.

You’ll simply look more relaxed more confident even during a crisis when their injuries involved.

You want to calm people down so having a little bit of a smile on your face will in fact just make you look more comfortable and confident it won’t look like you’re treating this like a joking matter.

So for example let’s say I have some bad news to announce.

Unfortunately with the economic downturn we had media training worldwide have had to cut back.

We have laid off all of our trainers fortunately they have great job interview skills I’m quite confident in how they’ll do.

Now having a little bit of smile on my face but I was talking about a serious issue having to lay off people.

But ideally it didn’t look like I was treating it as a laughing matter because I don’t want to be seen as callous as someone who fires people and thinks that it’s funny.

So it makes a huge difference and it’s something I’m going to want you to practice in a moment.

It’s not hard to do in the sense of learning a new skill like learning how to play the violin or learning how to hit a driver at the golf course.

Those are hard skills.

All of you have been smiling your whole life.

The hard part is consciously telling yourself OK I’m on camera I’m going to smile a little.

And it’s not a frozen look.

It’s not something that’s big.

It’s just a little subtle thing but it will make you look more comfortable confident relaxed and after a while you’ll know that you look more comfortable confident and relaxed which will make you actually feel more comfortable confident and relaxed.