Today marks the second Friday for the #Silent10 video project.
I’m oddly happy and challenged by the whole idea. This has been an intriguing and soothing experience.
Funny thing & strange reflections
A friend walked in during this recording (just above). I mouthed silently to her that it was “all good.” In the spirit of just accepting the situation as is, I kept the camera on and did not edit. It’s strange.
If this was a storytelling or instructional video, by golly I’d edit that silent mouthing part out. But I’m fascinated by giving this video-as-a-silent-meditative-exercise a real go. So it seemed ok to let it just be.
What do you think?
Commuting home yesterday, I ran into author & Digital Sisterhood founder Ananda Leeke. Here she participates in the #Silent10 project:
Are you game to participate?
-Love to learn your comments or certainly see/experience your own 10 second #Silent10 clip anytime.
A colleague recently shared her pre-game angst for giving a product demonstration. She felt less confident for this particular demo, especially when envisioning questions from attendees that could favor her competition vs her product.
Here are (3) tips that helped her increase her sense of ease, confidence, and control:
1. Set the tone and establish the dynamic early on.
She opened her remarks by overtly declaring her demo a full-on conversation zone; she distinctly invited curiosity about her work (and what they, the attendees, were looking for). Leading the tone in this way was a simple, empowering move. Cultivating this type of conversational environment head-on made my colleague feel like she was guiding the exchange (vs hiding nervously from potential questions).
2. Establish a clear, big-picture message and use that as a mental home base.
The nature of our products and services can be so carved out in our minds that a vivid, concise way to describe its meaning can get obscured. Before the demo, clearly define and articulate a key message that captures the value of your product. Linking mini stories to the key message can help make it all the more humanized, personal, and distinct.
As example: “My #1 interest is providing fantastic, fashionable footware that’s reasonably priced. Faculty at my alma mater are my best customers for this reason….”
3. Acknowledge competitor features, briefly, if prospects bring them up; but promptly re-direct attention to your product’s benefit.
It can be natural to defensively respond when people affirm competition in the face of your product. To diffuse your own anxiety and cultivate a sense of confidence, prepare ways beforehand to gracefully acknowledge competitor features should they come up i.e. “Yes Sallie’s Lime Cupcakes are tasty…” And practice how to immediately re-focus attention on your product’s distinction i.e. “I’ve found the bulk of my customers may try fruit cupcakes once or twice in the short term. But my customer community as a whole craves chocolate and vanilla. And we provide that in 85 creative recipes.”
I’m now craving a cupcake (vanilla, not lime) in the most urgent way(!)
Before signing off though, have you ever experienced anxiety before giving a product demo? What were ways you prepared when anticipating criticism from attendees?
…& the motivation for a new video project called #Silent10. A quick intro clip follows just below:
When engaging with an audience, speakers can evoke a sense of command by offering silence or amplify meaning of their spoken words. Honestly I’ve come to realize in the past few years that silence is one of my most cherished engagement tools to study.
Silence can serve as a distinct gesture…
…when a speaker gazes out to listeners, offering silence before or during a presentation. I have observed how silence, extended in a certain way from speaker to audience, can express unconditional acceptance between speaker and listeners. Even if just for a few seconds – the presenter’s quietness and directed eye contact can come across as an act of reciprocity to those listening. In collaborating with folks on different speech projects, I’ve been enthralled to see a certain exchange that silence can prompt. It’s like extended silence from the speaker indicates to the audience: ”Your dedicated attention is valuable and honored.”
Have you tried silence in this way as a public speaker?
Or have you exercised silence in other more introspective ways?
…like being quiet out in nature? Or have you exercised meditative silence to cultivate inner calm (or greater clarity of mind)?
With this new project, these questions come to mind:
Could online video & silence unite? And could that union create a simple meditative practice between those on both ends of the video clip?
That’s what the new video project - Silent 10 - is about: exercising silence & fostering its benefits through video.
Each week, a video clip of my silent face will show up on camera, a recording of just 10 seconds. It will be shared here at Live Your Talk.
Would you like to join in?
Would you share 10 seconds of silence & record it on video each Friday?
Years ago during a meditation class, the instructor suggested to meditate silently without placing any goals on the practice session.
I’m realizing now though I have hopes for this project.
to strengthen my ability to give and receive attention,
to be more present-minded,
to dedicate to regular practices of silence. Yet no matter what may occupy my mind each Friday – i.e. the hectic dimensions of life – showing up silently and looking honestly as possible in the camera will occur.
to learn, from a speaker development point of view, to be my own best audience first with the camera’s help, and yours if you’re game to participate too!
What do you think? You are very welcome to participate.
Feel free sharing your own #silent10 video clip, just you gazing silently for 10 seconds into the camera, here in the comments too.
I’m motivated about this and curious too (-curious if this may emerge a neat, meditative experience with others, or if it may end up being my cats and me staring at the camera each week!).
One pastry chef judging a major competition in France gave an interview toward the end about developing creativity. It really struck a cord; it brought to mind certain benefits (and concerns) mentors can have on our development as speakers.
Here’s a 90 second story, all motivated from one super tasty documentary (& a compelling pastry chef).
