I had a great coaching session with a new client today – stepping into that intimidating world of excellent performance in front of the camera. I told the client the only point I wanted written down during the first session was, “Spontaneity is conditioned reflex.” I borrowed the line from Denis Waitley’s The Psychology of Winning. The line definitely sparked a perplexed look. “What does that mean?” was the reaction.
The next time you watch a really great on-camera personality, watch for how easy they make it look. There’s a spontaneous nature about their performance. Actors, TV news anchors, reporters, you name the on-screen presence, and the good ones make you forget the technical aspect of what you’re watching. They bring you in, convey a story – or a message. The ones who lack practice make the technology yell. They’re reading a teleprompter! They’re nervous in front of the camera.
If you’re in front of a camera or in front of an audience, you want to convey a level of spontaneity. The only way to get to that point where great communication is a natural outgrowth of what you do and who you are – won’t happen spontaneously. It will take much practice – to create a conditioned reflex.