Suddenly Virtual

CHAPTER 5The Value of Video in the Corporate World: The On‐Camera Coach Perspective

In the mid‐2000s, Karin left her job as a TV news anchor and reporter to apply her skills in the corporate world, and there was plenty of opportunity. With a wealth of media channels to fill and more coming on board almost daily, businesses leapt to fill those channels with their own video content. Often, that meant hiring people like Karin to be professional on‐camera spokespeople, but over a period of a few years, she recognized a trend. More and more of her spokesperson gigs involved performing on camera alongside company employees pulled from the corner office or even the corner cubicle.

This propensity to use “real people” for corporate videos exposed a significant skills gap. It was assumed that if someone was an eloquent and compelling speaker to an audience in the same room, he or she would be equally captivating on camera. Unfortunately, this misperception was often exposed at the worst possible time – mid‐production. No matter how many suggestions the producer or the director made, the performance level of the on‐camera neophyte typically continued to tank, leaving the production staff shaking their heads and the C‐level executive shaking in his shoes, having recognized his or her contribution to the video was subpar.

Speaking on camera requires a totally different skill set than delivering a message to a live audience in person. The most confident public speakers can be reduced to ...