Harnessing the power of storytelling on camera
Photo by Annelies Geneyn on Unsplash
In conversation with creativity trainer Suvi-Kanerva Koivusalo
@suvikanera.k | www.suvi-kanerva.com
This conversation is part of a series of interviews on camera confidence held live on Instagram. In speaking with experts in different fields, my hope is to share with you their unique insight & resources. To embolden you to connect to your audience on camera with authenticity & empathy.
To watch our complete interview click here.
During my chat with Suvi, we discussed camera confidence and how using storytelling techniques can help you connect to your audience.
WHY STORYTELLING
The most important thing about storytelling is it can build a bridge between you and the audience. You can make your message easier to understand when you create a story and when you insert your own feelings within the story. For example, if you’re sharing information about yourself or your background as an entrepreneur, storytelling makes it much more relatable to the audience.
What is Applied Improv and how can people use these techniques to tease out their own story?
It comes from improvisation. Most people know it from the tv show “Whose Line Is It Anyway” or comedy shows, but a brief answer is that applied improv takes those theatre exercises into different settings, like healthcare, education or the business world. It teaches creativity, collaboration and storytelling. And teaches the ability to adapt to ever changing situations.
PRO TIP #1 - ADAPTING TO CHANGE IN THE MOMENT
Here is a storytelling exercise I often do with my clients. It’s a partner exercise:
- Partner A decides 3 words
- Partner B starts to tell a story
- Partner A then shares the 3 words, and Partner B has to easily weave it into their story and accept what’s coming at you.
It’s excellent practice for handling live situations, like a live interview or problem solving in-the-moment with a client or stake holder. It can even be a helpful way to practice speaking out loud.
Often people suffer from anxiety towards presenting in front of people or public speaking, because they have this idea of “what if I make a mistake, what happens, am I going to embarrass myself…” Mistakes make you more interesting and relatable! Also learning how to handle making mistakes is a skill that can be trained! You can practice adapting in the moment when you make a mistake. So you are more capable to adapt if and when those moments occur.
PRO TIP #2 - METAPHOR EXERCISE
This exercise highlights the importance of a. the content you’re presenting & b. considering who is in the audience.
Because whatever it is you’re doing, it might be so obvious to you, you forget others aren’t experts in the field. And this exercise helps with that.
Here’s how it works:
- Choose a product (example from a recent client, they chose an SEO audit)
- List qualities this product has
- Forget original product name, list what else do these qualities remind you of (Example: romantic relationships)
- List more of those qualities to really build between the product (ex SEO audit) and alternative product (example: romantic relationships)
You then end up being able to explain the benefits & value of your product in a new way. For example, SEO audits are like romantic relationships because they are so multilayered, fluctuating etc.
It makes it easier to understand for someone who doesn’t know much about (for example: digital marketing) to understand your project.
Metaphors are an excellent way of communicating something your audience might not be that familiar with.
As always with this series of interviews, I finished our conversation asking two questions:
Do you have a ritual or routine before going on camera?
I do! I learned it the hard way! Which is funny because I’ve done TV presenting and performing but sometimes I catch myself before virtual sessions - they’re still kinda new - and I feel really excited, a little bit nervous and what happens is I start babbling. And then people come online, and I get even more overexcited. So what I do - and what I did before getting online with you today - I plant my feet on the floor, take some deep breaths, through the nose, down to the belly, and slowly exhale through the mouth.
TOP TIP from HEATHER: TRY THIS!
Planting your feet & taking a few deep breaths is part of a pre-presentation routine I share with all my clients. And you can access it too! Click here to learn how to find calm & composure before any presenting situation.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to take a step forward, and be more confident on camera?
A friend of mine is about to give a lecture at her old university, and she said she was nervous. And I reminded her because I think she had forgotten that her audience doesn't know what she knows. Maybe she doesn't know EVERYTHING about her field, but she knows so much more than her audience. Remember that you probably know about what you’re talking about! You don’t need to know everything, that’s why we’re growing and learning the whole time, but likely your audience is learning from you, and they want to learn from you. So hopefully that thought might make it easier for you.
Many thanks to Suvi for sharing her insight on camera confidence. You can watch our full conversation here.
Suvi-Kanerva is a creativity and collaboration skills coach for international organizations. Her background as an actor and TV presenter combined with her education in international business communications are the perfect match for the job. Suvi-Kanerva believes in the power of play and regularly uses applied improvisation techniques in her training. Her previous clients include such brands as Apple, the Red Cross, Smartly, and the City of Helsinki.
Find out more about Suvi-Kanerva here.
Want to feel more confident on camera? Check out Camera Confidence: Your Director’s Notes - a new way to work with me, your resident presentation skills coach, to empower you to show up on camera feeling like the best version of you.
