Earlier in the year, I was chatting with Thom McFadden, a Hollywood actor and professional acting coach. The premise for our conversation: making the knowledge of the Hollywood stars accessible to small businesses. Thom has acted alongside Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, Tim Matheson, and many more high profile celebrities. He has been coaching successful actors and professionals since the mid 80′s!
Just after connecting with Thom back in March, I got pulled away from work for a month due to a personal matter. Shortly after, I took a month off to drive around the United States to gather my thoughts. Upon returning, nearly my entire focus was on building a team and our internal company structure. This is because we (jiveSYSTEMS) grew very quickly. Now the heavy lifting has been done, I have the time to rekindle relationships with some amazing people like Thom.
Here are some notes Thom sent to me about his methodology for teaching people to communicate effectively on video camera:
1. The foundation for effective communication
It’s all about trust and rapport. You must understand who your audience is, listen to their needs, find out what causes their pain so that you can provide them with a solution. The basis for empowering behavior is clear and effective communication.
2. How to create instant rapport
Rapport = an unconscious agreement.
The principal is to enter the client’s model of the world so completely that they connect with your likeness to them. If the client trusts you, 90% of goal has been achieved.
3. BOP – be Balanced: be Observant; be Present
The essence of excellence. A universal state of focused neutrality that gives you a heighted level of performance. BOP is the ultimate state of readiness; the solid foundation for greatness.
4. How to make your character and videos exciting, unique, and interesting
Entertain the audience with your story about why you are passionate about your product or service. Identify the rhythm of your video personality, whether it be flying, flowing or molding. Create a state of excitement about the results that you can provide. It’s all about Personality, Personality, Personality!
5. Three main personality types: Passion, Humor, and Charisma
To create an effective personality for video you must understand how to tap into these characters within you and reveal them to your audience through externally based behavior and body language.
6. Understanding body language and its affect on your audience
As little as half a second of movement can reveal a person’s true feelings.
60% to 80% of messages that we convey to other people are transmitted through body language, whereas actual verbal communication accounts for only 7% to 10% of the overall message. Your audience passes judgment before you even open your mouth.
7. You need to know the differences between face-to-face communication and video
All of your ticks and tells are magnified on camera so you must remained focused. Your energy is being redirected, filtered, flattened out and jammed into a digital image so you must achieve and maintain a high level of energy to communicate effectively on video.
8. Bringing it all together on camera
Practice, Practice, Practice! There are no mistakes only feedback. The more you rehearse, the more congruent you will feel in your video.
.
Sounds like a plan, right? More content like this is on the way!