Episode Details

In October 1968, Richard Nixon walked into a television studio to film ads. He sat stiffly on the edge of a desk, looked at the camera, and started to talk. One aide muttered, "I wish he'd use the teleprompter," to which another replied, "People think he's reading anyway." While Nixon never mastered the teleprompter, he did get good at recording ads without a script, taking multiple takes to find the right flow and words. This was all part of the "New Nixon" strategy - gone was the candidate of those bad 1960 TV performances. He embraced TV, hired ad agencies, and learned to talk to the camera. It wasn't easy, but his style of speaking directly to the American people worked. On election night 1968, Nixon won the presidency.

The reality is that even politicians like Nixon had to work to get good on camera. For most people, talking to the camera is hard - you hate the sound of your voice, notice every little imperfection, and think it's never going to work. But getting comfortable talking to the camera is just a skill, and like any skill, you can get better with practice.

The 2-Week Camera Challenge:

• Film yourself talking 1-2 minutes daily for 14 days
• Use your iPhone - don't worry about perfect setup
• Talk about something that happened that day
• Won't post videos, so don't overthink

Four Things to Focus On:

1. Rest Your Eyes on the Lens

• Don't stare at it
• Softens the whole feel of eyes and facial expressions

2. Talk to One Person

• Picture a single person you're talking to
• Talk like a friend over coffee or a beer
• Gets you out of "presenting" mode

3. Up Your Energy 10%

• Camera pulls energy out of us
• What feels normal in-person comes across flat online
• Extra energy makes videos feel more like in-person you

4. Pick One Thing

• After each video, choose one thing you liked and one to improve
• Don't pick multiple things - just one fix per video

Bottom Line:
Getting comfortable talking to the camera is a skill you can improve. Take the 2-Week Camera Challenge and you'll be amazed at how much more comfortable you feel.

Source: Joe McGinniss, The Selling of the President 1968 (Trident Press, 1969), p. 13.

For more tips on improving your on-camera presence, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

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