You’ve probably said some version of this: “I’m just not a camera person.”
We hear it all the time. We hear it from realtors who talk to strangers for a living to pastors who speak to a packed room every Sunday morning.
These are not shy people. So, what’s actually going on?
Here’s what we’ve seen after more than a decade of filming: standing in front of a camera isn’t the hard part. Knowing what to say is the part that trips people up.
The blank-stare problem
You hit record. That unwavering little red dot stares back, and every thought you’ve ever had about your business disappears. The red light can be intimidating, but usually the problem is one centered on planning. You walked into a performance with either no material or material you haven’t quite worked out how to explain.
Nobody would ask you to give a wedding toast without a minute to think, yet that’s what most business owners do to themselves with video. They open the camera app, hope inspiration will strike, and decide they’re “bad on camera” when it doesn’t.
Fix #1: Start with one question, not a script
Unsurprisingly, scripts sounds like scripts. It’s easy to end up reading the words you think are right and completely miss out on talking and engaging with your audience. Viewers can feel that.
Build each video around one question a customer has actually asked you.
You already know the answers. You’ve said them out loud a hundred times. The camera just needs you to say it one more time.
Fix #2: Write the first sentence and only the first sentence
The first three seconds decide whether someone keeps watching or keeps scrolling. So, make that first line the one worth memorizing and make it your jumping off point.
Skip the “Hey guys, so today I want to talk about…” and lead directly with your point instead. Something like: “Most people salt their pasta water wrong” or “Here’s what nobody tells you about buying your first home.”
Once that first line is out, the rest will come out much easier. Now you’re just explaining something that you know like the back of your hand.
Fix #3: Batch your content
Filming one video a week means warming up from zero every single time. Film five videos in one sitting instead. It will help you feel more comfortable in front of the camera over time.
The first take will almost always be the stiffest (and the one you won’t want to use). By the third take, though, your posture will be more relaxed. By the fifth take, you actually sound like yourself. Batching gets you to that version of yourself and keeps it there.
Fix #4: Keep the stumble sometimes
Guess what? You’re going to trip over your words sometimes. Everyone does. Unless it changes your meaning, just keep going. A small stumble reads as human while a perfectly polished delivery can read like an ad. Also, you never know when an outtake reel might be needed.
Where Helm comes in
This is exactly why we built Helm. We come to your business with a prep checklist and a hook library matched to your industry. From there we can coach you through every take. No acting experience is needed; you just talk about the thing you already know better than anyone. Then we edit, caption, and deliver finished reels so the only thing that’s left for you to do is post.
If you’re within 45 minutes of Orlando and video keeps sliding down your to-do list, book a free call.
And in the meantime, don’t believe that you’re bad on camera. Remember that you just need the right material.
