Salespeople are discovering first-hand how difficult it is to connect with customers on camera. Talking to a camera is not a natural skill. Yet actors, sports broadcasters, reporters and, news announcers are proof it is possible to connect and engage with audiences virtually.

In this episode of “Sales Lessons from a Career on-Camera,” I speak with Jen Mueller, the Seattle Seahawks sideline radio reporter and member of the Seattle Mariners television broadcast team on ROOT SPORTS. Jen discusses connecting with your customer through conversation, the value of preparation, and truly owning your space.

About Jen Mueller:

Jen chose to pursue a career in sports broadcasting after continuously receiving comments from teachers, friends, and family that she “talks too much.” Now, with more than 15 years of sports broadcasting experience, she expertly provides straightforward business communication strategies as a keynote speaker and sales coach.

In 2009, Jen founded Talk Sporty to Me after noticing a communication void in the workplace that could be filled with sports conversations. She is also the author of two books, Talk Sporty to Me: Thinking Outside the Box Scores and Game Time: Learn to Talk Sports in 5 Minutes a Day for Business.

Key Takeaways:

The truth about connecting with your audience:

“I recognize that people are hung up on scripting and camera presence because they think it’s inauthentic. It’s about reaching your audience where they are, and your audience needs this from you.”

Conversation is key:

“I know that conventional wisdom is, ‘Hey, just ask people about themselves because people love to talk about themselves.’ And that is a terrible way to get a lot of people that are making buying decisions to talk because why in the world would I let my guard down when you’re trying to get me to part with money or time or resources? So, we need to first understand the types of questions that you ask can set up those responses. It’s OK to get a one-word response, but you better be prepared for another question right after it.”

“When we are in a virtual space, we really don’t want to keep the audience guessing as to what happens next. We really want to be clear on what our expectations are and that could be the expectations for what we plan to get out of the conversation.

Be prepared:

“Make sure that every time you’re on camera you are prepared and expect that to be the only chance that you get.”

“When it’s actually time to be on camera, I’m not going in cold. I’ve already kind of warmed myself up. I’ve given myself the opening act. I’ve already got the energy level right. I’ve got the words right and I am in control of what’s happening and that’s where you want to be when you’re on video.”

Own the (virtual) room:

“This is your space and you need to own and control that because this is all the audience knows about you.”

Making “eye” contact:

“I think most people misunderstand what a conversational interview is … They think the best way to get to that outcome is just to wing it and to react off of what the other person says because they think they’re going to be able to stay in the moment.”