What do salespeople and sports broadcasters have in common? Connecting with people on video and getting them to open up!
Salespeople are discovering first-hand how difficult it is to connect with customers on video. Talking to a camera is not a natural skill. Yet actors, sportscasters, reporters, and news announcers are proof it is possible to connect and engage with audiences virtually.
In this episode of “Sales Lessons from a Career on-Camera” I talk to sports broadcaster Amanda Borges about how finding your voice on video, forming connections, asking good questions, scripting, improv, and much more!
About Amanda: Amanda Borges has interviewed more than 100 athletes and coaches and she’s scripted and hosted more than 30 live shows, either in-studio or on-location. She traveled with the New York Rangers as their Team Reporter and Producer before moving to the national stage interviewing all types of athletes for Yahoo! Sports. Most recently Amanda launched a podcast to share stories about women who work in sports called “And So She Goes.”
Key Takeaways:
Talking to the camera:
“There’s a lot of acting that is involved in being on camera – even though it sounds so confusing, even though you want to be yourself and you want to portray the true person that you are, you have to crank it up a notch.”
Working with a script:
“I need to know what I’m going to say, and I need to be able to say it in a way where it doesn’t sound like I am reading off every single line in my head. There is a way to come across as natural, even though you’re reading a script.”
Getting people to open up:
“My biggest thing is to just be relatable – people open up and are more willing to talk to you if they can relate to you. Once you open up to them, you open that door for them to be vulnerable with you as well.”
Preparation:
“Study as much as possible and know as much as possible, but just make sure that once you’re there, focus on that connection with that person because if you truly know what you’re supposed to say, it’ll just come out naturally in the conversation.”
Advice for salespeople:
“What do these people want to know? What can I bring them that they can’t get anywhere else? My advice is, don’t get caught up on how you look or how you’re speaking… as long as you can keep people engaged with your energy and the content that you’re presenting, that’s what’s most important.”
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Connect with Amanda:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/borgesamanda
Website and Podcast: http://www.andsoshegoespod.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aborgesn
Want more help Selling on Video?
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