A few ways to look great while on camera

You plan to be funny, interesting, lively and informative. But like they say, life is what happens to you when you are making other plans. Words don’t seem to form and sentences run in to one another, the steely eyed interviewer is not making it any easier for you. There are so many people who are outgoing and can pep up the most boring of conversations but become completely tongue tied once the tally light comes on.

Whether you are a popular podcaster, social media expert, or author, these tips can help you face the camera with ease.

Ten tips for free-flowing and absolutely natural video interviews

• Keep your answers crisp. The more you talk the more you may sound rambling or without focus. Be thrifty with words.

• Don’t look at the camera and maintain eye contact with the interviewer.

• You know what questions are most likely to be asked. Prepare answers beforehand. Do the homework yourself and don’t call up the interviewer to ask or confirm. You may come across as desperate and pushy.

• Wear light and water resistant make up. Studio lights can be very bright and generate lots of heat. The last thing you’d want is wiping away running make up.

• Power through small mistakes and mispronunciations. Nobody is going to pay that kind of detailed attention.

• Wear clothes you are comfortable with. There is no point in wearing the latest Prada dress if the only thing on your mind is a disastrous wardrobe malfunction.

• It is going to remain silent if you are collecting your thoughts or need time to come up with an answer. Silences are much better than mindless and round-about answers.

• Don’t hesitate to ask your interviewer to repeat questions in case you couldn’t hear them.

• Avoid putting on an accent or trying to sound unnaturally pleasant. It can out you under constant pressure and not let you concentrate on your answers. You don’t want to sound like a different person, after every question.

•  Ask a friend to conduct a mock interview. You can go over the recording, or better still transcribe your interview. Your interview transcript can help you in preparing more concise and interesting sound bytes.