Transcription
If you want your videos to perform better, the easiest way is to improve how you speak. And it's not just what you say, it's how you say it and deliver it on camera. The words you use, your tone, energy, charisma, it all combines together to play a massive role in how well your content resonates.
Now, I've studied hundreds of the top personal brands and how they speak on camera. And the truth is, even though they have their own styles, they all use a very similar method to deliver with both high trust and high authenticity. So, in this video, I'm going to break down the three most important ways that you can level up how you speak in your content. And if you do this, people will trust you faster, relate to you more deeply, and want to buy from you way more often.
By the way, if you don't know me, my name is Callaway. I have a million followers. I've done billions of views, and content is all I do all day long.
All right, the first major point in leveling up how you speak is solving for camera anxiety. And I promise you, this will fix a lot of your speaking problems pretty quickly. Cuz the truth is, the reason most people have trouble speaking well on camera is that they're just really uncomfortable during the recording process. And trust me, nobody hates recording more than me. So, these tips will help you. I promise you that.
The number one reason you don't come off well is that you're in a heightened state of anxiety whenever you press record and sit in front of a camera. If you think about it, you'd have to be fairly sociopathic to be able to just talk normally into a camera your first time. And since most humans are not sociopaths, thankfully, it's very normal to feel anxious and awkward when you start doing this.
Now, the good news is there are five really easy things you can do when you sit down to reduce that camera anxiety and improve the way you speak on camera. The first one will sound silly, but it's actually to physically shake out your body to release tension before you record. If you've ever watched the UFC fight, right before the fighters start fighting, they're jumping around and shaking their arms violently trying to calm themselves down. They're not doing that to look cool. They're doing it because it significantly improves their performance when they can get the tension out of their body. As silly as it sounds to compare, recording on a camera is kind of the same thing. The reason you feel tight is because you're getting this subconscious adrenaline response cuz you're not comfortable doing it. And all of that will then show up in your voice. You're tense, you're rough, you're not smooth with the way you deliver. So before you record, in order to solve for this, just spend 30 seconds literally shaking out your body physically, rolling your neck, moving your shoulders, shaking out your arms. This will help a ton to reset the adrenaline in your body. It sounds silly, but it will work really well.
All right, the second micro tip is what I call throwaway reps. Before you start recording the actual video, just press record and talk for a few minutes. Try reading a few lines, look around, talk to the camera, ramble a bit. It doesn't matter what you say because you're going to be intentionally throwing this part of the recording away. The whole point of doing this is very similar to the physical shaking. You're getting past that initial sense of adrenaline and anxiety that comes with hitting the record button. So once you press it, you can talk for a few minutes and bring yourself down before actually starting. Think of it like a warm-up before a workout. You would never walk in the gym cold and then start max benching. You're going to warm up and work to it. This is like the warm-up for recording. And the reason this is so important is that the intro of most videos is the most important part. So, not only are you coming in raw, but you're spending the most valuable real estate of the video when you're the coldest and most anxious. The easy way to do this is to just spend some time on throwaway takes before you get into it.
All right. Now, the third tip for fixing this camera anxiety is actually a little weird, but it works super well. We all know the goal of most content is to try to feel conversational, like you're talking to a friend. But most of us have trouble visualizing a friend when we're staring into this cold black camera lens. To solve this, you should use what I call the friend photo. And I talked about this in another video, and people were obsessed with this. Take a photo of a close friend, somebody that you're comfortable talking to, and that's close to your ideal viewer avatar, and literally tape it at the bottom of your camera lens or just below on a monitor. And if you don't want to do this cuz it's a little awkward if they come over and visit and see the photo, then pull it up on your phone and just have that phone sitting up next to the camera. The reason this works so well is because the brain has trouble making up the friend when it's looking into the glass of the lens. But if you have a picture of the actual person, the brain can then connect to that person relationally and immediately drop into a more conversational tone. And that will shift everything about the way you deliver. You'll just automatically go into this friend-to-friend conversation, which is what you're going for when you record.
All right. All right. Now, the fourth tip for reducing camera anxiety is to intentionally record line by line from a script instead of trying to go off the head in a whole take. Now, you're going to hear a lot of people give different preferences about the way they record. Some people like going off the dome. Some like a teleprompter with bullets. Others like specific word for word, line for line. For me, I really like the word for word line for line recording. For this reason, because I hate recording and I feel so anxious when I do it. I like the fact that I can have micro resets between lines. So, I can read a line, then I can look down, reset, and then go again. If you're trying to go off the top and you're in like a paragraph, if you need to stop, it's really hard to pick that flow back up. And so, by doing the off the cuff or the bulleted list, it actually creates a little more pressure on you to have continuity in the 8 to 10 sentences you're going at a time. For me, I don't have that. I can look down, read a line, take a break or look away if I don't feel comfortable, and then look back in. By doing these micro resets, it helps me make every sentence sound fresh cuz I can come with full energy each time I start. Now, some people are extroverted and they love just talking up the dome. So, if you're more introverted like me and you struggle with keeping energy and reducing the anxiety, try going line for line. You spend more work upfront prepping and then less work with the anxiety performing.
And lastly, the fifth tip for reducing this camera anxiety. It's the simplest one, but I actually think it's the most important. Whenever you're feeling bad about yourself going into the recording, just remind yourself literally this does not matter. And it's not that nothing matters in like a depressing way, but it's like this moment, this recording really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of whatever you're trying to achieve. Typically, anxiety spikes because of the pressure you're putting on yourself to try to deliver for this video, cuz this video will lead to this traffic, which will grow your business, and that's what you ultimately want. So, it's so much pressure and anxiety on the moment, especially when you're a beginner. But here's the thing. Nobody's going to see the bad takes. Nobody's grading you. And even if this video flops, you're going to need to make thousands more in your career to get your business where it wants to go. So, this video does not really matter. That anxiety you feel is just pressure that you invented in your own head. And so, when you have this as an emergency valve, this doesn't matter. It immediately resets that anxiety to zero. Sometimes if I'm spiraling, I'll just zoom out and say, "We're on a floating rock. None of this matters. we're going to be dead in 80 years." And that actually does do a good job of regulating the anxiety you may feel.
Now, all of those first five things were just little mental tips to try to get you off that camera anxiety. And I'm going to give you a lot more of tactical things about the rhythm and the way to talk next. But I find that if you can't sit down and get comfortable, that's the front or top of the funnel that you have to solve before you do anything else. And the truth is, if you get anxious recording, I'm just like that. I hate recording and it makes me feel super anxious, but I want to win more than I'm not willing to suffer through the anxiety. So, that's why I do it anyway. Let me be an example for you. You can get it this smooth with reps. You just have to solve the anxiety problem with some of the tips that we just walked through.
All right. The second bucket of ways to improve your delivery beyond the anxiety stuff is called rhythm speaking. And this one is huge because it directly affects how well people absorb what you're saying. You could have the best information in the world, but if you deliver it like a machine gun at a rhythm that people can't absorb, then it really won't land and it doesn't matter. And the frustrating part is people don't realize they're delivering with a suboptimal rhythm because they don't know what to look for. They think they're being clear, but the viewer is actually drowning. So, there's four things you can do tactically to improve the rhythm and increase the absorption from how you're speaking.
The first one is super simple, and it's just to use shorter sentences. Because the shorter the sentence, the less load on the viewer's brain to process what you're saying. Think of it like this. Imagine your brain had to take a full second for every word that it was trying to understand. If you had 30 words in a sentence, that would take 30 seconds to process before it could understand. If you only had six words, that would take 6 seconds. Now, obviously, it's not that extreme. Our brains are way more efficient. But directionally, this is what's happening. A 30-word sentence is so much more load for the brain to try to parse through the meaning than a six-word sentence. Just know that the brain processes things in chunks. And it doesn't mean that the more words you say per chunk, the more valuable it is. That's the common misconception. So when you're writing scripts or you're practicing before you record, go through the sentences and if you feel like one is super long, try to cut it in half or reduce a third of the sentence to make it a lot shorter and punchier. If you can say it in six words instead of 15, well then use six because way more people will understand it.
Now the second tip for improving your rhythm is what I call breathers. And this is where you let certain words in the sentence land by adding a half-second pause after them. So what do I mean by land? Right there when I said you let certain words land by adding a half-second pause after. Now I did a little bit extra there for emphasis but after land I let it breathe for a second. Now why did I do that? Most people rush through their best lines. They machine gun pitter-patter all the words and the brain doesn't know where to focus. When you add a little bit of space, it drives attention to that specific word. And that little pause is what turns a mess of information into specific focus which leads to insights. Now the key is you have to figure out which word to add the emphasis on. See right there I did it for word because word was the subject of the sentence. Now the best way to get better at this is something called copy speech. Copy work is where you take something that was written and you handwrite it yourself to learn how to write. Copy speech works the same for speaking. Take a video, download that video, get the transcript of that video. You could do it in sandcastles.ai. And then play the video and read back word for word as if you're performing with the original video. This is called copy speech. Now, it'll feel really weird at first, but what it's doing is internalizing the tempo, the rhythm, the emphasis that you like from that creator. It'll it'll help you understand how to speak with more fluid rhythm.
All right. The third way to improve your rhythm is something that most people have never thought about. And once you hear it, you will start noticing it everywhere. It's called downward inflection. When you're nervous or unsure of yourself, typically what happens is you end your sentences in an upward tone syllable. This is called upspeak. It almost sounds like you're asking a question. It sounds like this. This is how you actually grow on social media. Is this why I'm sounding like this? When I speak at the end, is that upspeak? that at the end. It sounds annoying when I'm doing it on purpose, but people do that when they're unsure of themsel, as if they're asking themself a question about what they're saying. When you're confident, your voice does the opposite. It has a downward syllable at the end of the sentence to confirm that thought is ending. For example, it would sound like, "This is how you grow on social media." This is me talking with a downward syllable. It's the same exact words, but it's a completely different level of perceived authority. And the scary part is most people don't even realize they're speaking with upspeak until you bring this to their attention and then they're like, "Ah, I've been doing that this whole time." It's a really quick fix that you can then start shifting down. You'll sound way more confident if you do this.
All right, the last tip for the rhythm section is what I call dropping phrases. And this is what happens when your volume starts out at a strong level at the beginning of a sentence and then it trails off towards the end. You start running out of air and then as you talk, the volume starts to kang. This is called dropping phrases and it's a huge problem because the viewer both can't hear the end words at the end of the sentence which really matter and it signals a lack of confidence because you're like timid as you finish. Now the good news is you can fix volume leveling in post-production. You can just boost the volume but you can't really fix the energy fading. You can't give yourself more energy in the edit. So you really want to be conscious that you're not doing this. Now, the easy way to solve this is to record line by line like I'm doing right now. Because with this, I don't have to think about what I'm going to say next. I memorize one line. I look down, I read it, I look up, I deliver it, and I can hear my energy constant through the whole thing. If you're going off the top of your head or you're reading a teleprompter, as you're reading and finishing one line, your eyes are going down or your brain is moving on and you're trying to think what to say next. That's where dropping phrases comes from.
Now, all four of those things I just went through were very tactical ways to improve your rhythm and energy. And when you do these, your confidence will go up and the perception from the viewer will be a lot stronger. Now, before I go on to the last one, which I do think is the best in this video, if you're trying to build a personal brand and that's a priority for you this year and you want to work with me directly, me over your shoulder to give you feedback and really steer, I just opened a few slots for the first time this year to work with business owners. I'm only working with business owners and I'm only taking a few. The slots are going to fill up immediately. I've got a link below if you want to work with me. I find what you're missing is a system and then an expert over the shoulder that knows what they're doing. I've codified everything I've built into a system and then I personally will stand over your shoulder metaphorically and help give you all the feedback you need so you can amplify your brand quicker. If you want to work with me, I've got links below. You can check that out.
All right. Now, the last concept, the last bucket of things is really my favorite, and I've never talked about this on any other video. It's called the likable expert. And this really is the ultimate goal when you're trying to speak well on camera. Because when you're building a personal brand, you really need two things to be true at the same time. You need high authority, meaning people trust you know what you're talking about. And then you need high affinity, where people actually like you and want to keep listening to what you have to say. Most creators and business owners specifically when they're building personal brand only have one of the two of these. They're either super credible but come off cold and luxury or they're super likable but it doesn't seem like they have proof or really know what they're talking about. The personal brands that grow the fastest, they have both. And it's not an accident. The way you come off with both of these things, high affinity and high authority is based on the way you speak and frame your points. And so that's what I'm going to go through right now. Five tactical ways to speak more like the likable expert.
All right, the first one is the most foundational and this is called believability. Here's what I mean by this. Have you ever watched somebody deliver a line in a video and it just felt kind of off? Like the words were fine, but you weren't convinced that they actually believed in what they were saying? That's because they probably didn't. And this is one of the biggest cons of letting AI or someone else write scripts for you before you perform them. When you go to deliver it, the phrasing just feels foreign to you. You don't believe the substance and you don't really like the rhythm. It doesn't match what you typically do. And weirdly, the viewer can sense that almost immediately. If you don't believe and buy in to what you're saying, they can sense it and it feels phony. So, the fix is very simple, but it's kind of non-negotiable. You have to feel connected to the words. And that sounds mushy, but what does that actually mean? If you wrote them yourself and you perform them, great. You're going to feel connected cuz those thoughts came from your brain. But if you had a ghostwriter or AI write them, then you're going to have to spend 10 to 20 minutes before you record really reading and tweaking those so they're more in the pocket of how you would typically talk. If you don't feel comfortable or believe the words you're saying, they're going to be able to sense it. So, you should audit for this. If you're having someone else on your team write the words, you got to buy in and believe the words you're saying.
All right. The second way to kind of get closer to the likable expert is something I call HTBT, happy to be there. And this one is subtle, but it does make a huge difference. Think about the last time you watched a video from a creator and you could genuinely tell they were just so happy to be there, so happy to make the content. That energy is infectious. Now, think about the opposite scenario. You watched a video and you were like, "Ah, man. This person doesn't even feel like they like doing this. They don't even want to be talking. They have a gun to their head or something." That's the opposite feeling. That energy is also infectious, but in the wrong way. In that bad scenario, as a viewer, you almost feel like you're inconveniencing them to watch their video. So, this is my rule. You have to have happy to be there energy. And if you don't, because you're not just on a 100 all the time, you shouldn't record. If you sit down and you're like, I don't want to be doing this, don't do it. Get up, go work out, go take a cold shower, go run around, try to get some endorphins flowing and then come back. It's not that you're going to ignore content forever or for that day. You're still going to do it, but you need to reset that energy before you start going. Because the difference between recording when you want to and when you don't is the likability. It's that invisible likability that is a key factor in getting someone to want to watch your stuff. And the hard part is no amount of editing can fix that likability in post.
All right, the third tactic that goes with becoming a likable expert is called proof-heavy. This one's pretty self-explanatory, but it really does matter. You want to be very specific and high volume with the proof that you share in your videos. If you're vague with your proof, like, "I grew my account really fast." The viewer is then left wondering, well, are they actually an expert? Grew what account? How fast? What numbers? But if you switch it to, "I grew my account from 2,000 to 47,000 followers over the last 3 months on Instagram with these three methods," that's very specific and it's easy to believe. Those details, that specificity is what creates credibility. That's the expert part of the likable expert. So, whenever you're making a point, ideally, as much as possible, you back it up with a concrete example or proof. Your stats, someone else's stats that you're explaining. Obviously, don't steal their stats, but say this came from someone else. An example, an article, something with hard evidence that can corroborate your point. And here's the thing that most people don't realize. When you share a lot of proof, it's not just that the viewer trusts you more. It's that you trust yourself more. You don't have to make a leap to say, "Do I believe this to be true?" Because proof is concrete hard fact. So, the more proof you share, the more stats and specific numbers you share, the more you will believe in what you're saying. To go back to the first point on believability.
Now, the fourth tactical tip that will help you get closer to a likable expert is a mindset shift that will really help your delivery. Before you record, as you're kind of writing your script and putting it together, just ask yourself one question. How could I be most useful to the viewer? And I know that sounds basic, but here's why that matters. Most people sit down with the energy of wanting something in return. They want views. They want followers. They want to get dollars out. And when you're in that head space, it adds a subtle pressure to your delivery. You're like, "I want this thing, so I have to do well." In a way, you're kind of trying to extract the value from the viewer. That's like what's going on in your head. Now, if you flip that, everything changes. If you genuinely buy into the fact that what you're going to share will be useful, the results will come, but it's also way less stress-inducing for you. If you know something's useful and you're going to share it with a friend, you're doing them a favor. In a way, you're also not really worried if it's going to work. Cuz if you know it's useful, then the right person will see it and be able to take that action. Ironically, that's the energy you want as the likable expert. The likable expert is someone people want to watch and they know they get useful value from. So, this one really goes back to topic selection and preparation. You should only make videos where you feel like you can actually be useful for the viewer. And if you do that, the tone in your delivery and the personal brand you build will take care of itself.
All right, the last tactical tip for becoming more of a likable expert is actually very counterintuitive. is probably the most counterintuitive one on the list, and this is using what I call admission lines. Admission lines are where you openly admit you were wrong or you had something you struggle with to build that vulnerable connection with the viewer. Like I said earlier in this video, I hate recording. I get super anxious on it. That was an admission line and it's actually true. I really don't like the process, but I'm building that rapport as a likable expert. If I came off and was like, "Yeah, I'm better than everyone." That's not what you want to hear. That doesn't create the likability part of the likable expert. Now, most people's instinct is to avoid the vulnerability, avoid the admission as much as possible. But actually, you build way more credibility when you infuse that into the story because once you admit you struggled then solved, all of the solved part hits way harder. You overcame a problem they have and now you have a solution. It credentializes what you're saying. So, when you're making content, if you do have a vulnerable thing, obviously don't lie. That's the worst thing you can do. But if you do have a vulnerable moment or an admission, put that into the story to justify how and why you got to the right answer because the story of the struggle will give the lesson weight and people will trust it a lot more.
Now, all five of the tactical pieces I just mentioned all combined together to create this more likable expert tone. And the thing is, if you think back, none of those were about being louder or like more polished. They're all about being more honest, more specific, and really believing in what you're saying. When you get that right, people aren't just watching, they trust you. And when people trust you, your personal brand will grow.
All right, guys. That is all I've got for this video. As a recap, we covered a ton of ground. I shared 14 tactical tips across the three main buckets that I think are the most important thing to level up your delivery. The first one was fixing the camera anxiety. That's probably the biggest one. Hopefully, you guys solve that immediately. The second one was rhythm speaking. And then the last one was trying to become this likable expert type persona. I guarantee if you put some of these in practice, you will increase trust so much faster because your delivery and speaking will just be so much better.
As always guys, I'm trying my absolute best to share things that you just don't get exposed to everywhere else. If you're a business owner, trying to improve with content and growing your personal brand is a very big priority for you this year. This will be the best channel that you could ever watch. So, make sure to subscribe. Make sure to check out the free resources I have in the description. If you want to work with me directly, I only have a couple spots open, so you can click that link below as well. All right, we will see you guys on the next video.