Watch yourself

A Facebook friend had been to the press launch of a new camera and queried the need for video as standard on new models. I commented that I always send people away from broadcast media training sessions with video of themselves and find it useful that I don't have to ask whether or not a particular camera will do the job; her response was that she hated watching herself on video.

Which is fine from her point of view as she's not one of my delegates. However, the media is going more and more "video" - YouTube is the second largest search engine according to some reports so you have no option, you have to take it seriously if you're building a business.

This means knowing what you look like on screen.

Broadcast tips

There are a few things you can do to make it all look a bit neater. First, ignore your instincts. You're going to spot that you don't look 25 any more, it's time to get back to the gym (I'm going today for the third time after a video interview last week!) and every stammer is going to be a stake through your heart. The big secret is that nobody else cares about this stuff.

You can, however, put a little polish on. First, establish in your own mind which points are the most important for you to make and gently steer the conversation around to them. Second, make sure you're dressed comfortably - if you're buying a suit or dress for the occasion, wear it a couple of times before the interview so it doesn't make you self-conscious, as I established earlier.

Also remember to wear blocks of colour. Modern TV and video technology has eliminated a lot of the strobing that used to happen with older televisions but it can still look distracting.

Other than that, have something relevant to say and you should be fine.