Who are you talking to?
By: Joe Avella
Tags: Influencers, Acting Performing, On Camera, Hosting

When looking back at the camera and that red light glowing on top, it’s easy to think that millions, maybe billions of people will see what you are doing. Your impulse can very well be: I’m talking to a lot of people so I need to act as such. This is wrong.

When I’m on camera, before we hit record, I simply think of a person or a type of person to talk to. Just one. This simple exercise is a great way to put yourself at ease and deliver a more natural performance. Deciding who to talk to will define the performance you are giving. But who will you choose…?

First, answer the ‘why’ of your video

It’s really, really, really important to have a clear why when making a video (or anything for that matter). Why are you making this video? Why are you showing us this thing or place or whatever? Finding the why is a whole other article so I won’t get too into it, but a great way to find your why is to start by asking:

Who wants to watch this?

Foodies who want to know more about a specific cuisine?

Gym rats that want to improve their diet and are also vegan?

Young couples looking to buy their first home?

In short, deciding who you are talking to will help answer the why of making a video. A few things to keep in mind:

If you say ‘my video is for everyone’ or ‘millions of people on YouTube’ or ‘young people’ then your video is actually for no one. Be specific. The more specific the better.

If you’re starting out, your who might not know about you yet. That’s fine! You will eventually connect them.

Picking a specific person or type of person will not alienate viewers who don’t fit the mold.

Now that you have that person, either real or a kind of person, imagine you are talking to them. Not in a weird, specific “Hey Bob it’s me,” kinda way, but more like if you knew this person and you are telling them about a kick-ass thing you discovered. Not millions of foodies all over the world, just one. It can be someone you actually know if that makes it easier to lock into an “OMG I have to tell you about this…” tone. When you have no or very little audience, acting like you’re speaking to someone you like will make you more comfortable and come off likable.

Example: A person in real estate and want to make videos about buying in a specific market aimed at young, inexperienced buyers. The why is to educate new buyers and also establish trust with them. Perhaps build a long-lasting relationship. For this, they could imagine they’re talking to a young friend or family member; how they speak, what they chose to talk about, and how they deliver the info will come across in a clear and honest way.

Now imagine that same person is looking to sell to anybody, young or old, experienced or inexperienced, a ‘who cares I need a sale’ attitude. Their tone will be way off from the first more focused audience of one tone and I guaranteed viewers will notice. Even if they can’t place their finger on it, the inauthenticity will shine through and turn most people away.

It’s a simple and effective trick. What I love the most about it is once I have that person in mind, everything else falls into place: my tone, energy level, what I chose to highlight or omit; my natural self comes through with way less effort. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.

BONUS: a cynical friend exercise

If you have a person in mind, but still don’t know exactly what to say, i recommend a method I call The cynical friend exercise.

It’s more of a pre-filming exercise. It really helps discover what's most important in the topic of the video you’re making. Imagine you are now talking to the person from above who is cynical. Imagine after everything you say, this person responds with a ‘big deal’ or ‘so what?’. This naturally puts you in a position to think of the most interesting or important thing to be said and deliver it in a more meaningful way.

An example:

You: “Mario’s Pizza is one of the best pizzerias in Denver.”

Cynic: So?

You: “So it’s the first of its kind to bring hand-tossed pizza to the state over 100 years ago.”

Cynic: who cares?

You: “A lot of people. Recently they have amassed a huge following and has die-hard fans who swear by it.”

Cynic: Eh, that’s not so special

You: “Yes it is because unlike every other pizza place, this one has this special signature sauce that people wait in line for several hours!”

Cynic: Big deal!

You: “It is a big deal, it makes it one of the most beloved pizza places in the US!”

Now let’s go back and take out the cynical friend part and tighten the responses a little. It’s a great start which gets to the heart of why your story is important:

Mario’s Pizza is one of the best pizzerias in Denver. It’s the first of its kind to bring hand-tossed pizza to Colorado over 100 years ago. Recently they have amassed a huge following and has die-hard fans who swear by it because unlike every other pizza place in the area, this one has this special signature sauce that people wait in line for several hours! It has become one of the most beloved pizza places in the US.

Pretty nifty eh?

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