Selling In A Virtual World.

Don't you just love a good ole Facebook reminder? It can do one of two things; make you reminisce over life's glorious moments or make you regret something, some time or even worse, someone... That one photo of your ex always seems to pop up when you least expect it. But let me stay on track. Comms. Good Comms, that's what we are here to talk about and Good Comms begins with solid information, tips, resources and wonderful mentors and educators who pass on their incredible communication knowledge. So back to facebook. Today I received a notification that looked like this:

This was 4 years ago. I remember it vividly. Back to back beauty spots on HSN for the launch of brand new products for Dr Brandt. Evening slots, followed by special appearances at midnight and back again for a morning session. Wow, I'm tired just thinking about all of that. Sleeping in the green room in between segments was my saving grace and helped me remain my "bubbly" self on less than 4 hours sleep. Looking back, so much has changed since my live shopping days on QVC and HSN. No longer hosting, but instead creating, consulting and coaching within the world of digital. But one thing remains the same- my gratitude towards the woman who mentored me through all of the live "Guest" appearances; Laurin Sydney. Laurin is bar far one of the most respected women in the industry when it comes to On-Camera Training for TV hosts. To put it bluntly, she knows her stuff and I had the honour of learning from her. With hundreds of thousands of people stepping in front of the camera and sharing "brand stories" I believe it is causing people to believe that selling on camera is easy. Don;t get me wrong, it should look easy, but it's far from simple. There is a skill required when it comes to sharing the journey of any product. So how do you learn? Yes, you can be self-taught, but you always need to be wanting to improve, stay relevant and remain interesting to your viewers. For that to happen you need a coach. Another eye to tell you what is and what isn't working. When I worked on live shopping channels I was constantly getting feedback on what words resonated with viewers, what stories helped sales spike. Of course, the everyday Content Creator doesn't have a crew or live producer, so make sure you choose your "Coach" wisely. If you can't afford a Media Trainer than opt for a close friend or colleague who you trust. Be realistic with their understanding and experience of your industry. Try to choose someone who would be a potential customer as they are your ideal audience when selling. Value what they say but don't take everything to heart. You should always be looking to improve but at the same time, creating content should offer you a time to play, experiment and try new things out. Working with a coach should not cause you to overthink or worry about your on-camera presence, it should so the opposite; help push you to be the best version of your self.

As I look back, the biggest lesson I was taught was to always be myself. As easy as that sounds, it takes practice. Selling a product and being your best self in front of the camera requires work. But it's all worth it. Once your audience trusts who you are, they will trust what you are selling. To find out more ways on how to sell virtually at OCP.