What advice do you give first time livestream speakers?
Most livestream speakers have never been in front of a camera, so how does Gradient Live get them comfortable enough to put on a great show?
Most livestream speakers have never been in front of a camera. So don’t underestimate the amount of rehearsal they’ll need. Assume they’ll need to run through their presentation at least three times before they get comfortable with the set-up and their speaking material.
Once they are comfortable, remind them of the usual public speaking advice: Find a really comfortable posture to avoid twitching. “Do. not. Rush.” “Go slower than you’d expect.” “Remember to breathe.” And if you can, get them to joke around a little: laughter really helps reduce nervousness and reminds them of the humanity of the folks on the other side of the equipment.
Key point: really encourage the use of prompters, even if the speakers know their subject matter. Having even bullet points visible helps stay on top of the storyline.
Finally, speaking into a camera is not as easy as it looks. Humans like to look into someone’s face when they speak. So either ask someone to stand right next to the camera so you can talk to them or place a monitor very close-by where they can see the faces of some of the folks they are speaking to, like the moderator.