Public Speaking Coaching for Oprah Winfrey Network Auditions

I'm so excited to see who lands a show on the Oprah Winfrey Network!  I love the fact that so many women whose lists I'm on are going for a show on the OWN. I watch all of them, and I vote "yes" for everybody, no matter what I actually think about the quality of the public speaking on audition video itself.  After all, if I'm on somebody's list, it means I like the person and their message, so I'm going to lend my support with a quick click of my mouse.Here's my concern. People auditioning for a show have to be pretty good at public speaking. They need to engage, look and act naturally on camera. In some of the videos I've seen, despite truly original and interesting show ideas, the women's faces aren't animated.  Their expressions don't change.  They don't smile too much.  They don't look like they're having fun.  They're not communicating their passion because they look too uncomfortable in front of the camera. In short, they needed to get a little public speaking coaching.

On the Oprah Network audition site itself, Oprah and several of her team members themselves deliver short videos where they specifically state what they're looking for —  the "It" factor.  Yes, that does sound pretty opaque initially, but they do go on to give a specific description and use several key phrases repeatedly:  "energy," "passion," "charisma," "ability to communicate via t.v.," "personality galore."  (Think Rachel Ray.)  Oprah ends her expert advice video by saying that she doesn't really know how to define "It," but her team will know it when they see it.  In truth, they give listeners a huge amount of feedback to chew on.

So if you've got a great idea, but have trouble communicating your passion on camera, how do you overcome this obstacle?  Here are a few suggestions on how to get started.

1) Lose the self-consciousness and focus on your passion, your excitement over your subject and message.

2) Work on a variety of facial expressions to the point where you even exaggerate them a bit if you're particularly stiff on camera.

3) Pretend you're talking to your ideal client- the easiest one to sell.

4) Have fun with it!  That's when you'll relax and let your personality and charm show through.

5) Follow all of the expert advice tips that Oprah's team has posted on the audition website.  A lot of you haven't done that!

Listen, pay attention, absorb and apply the feedback.  All the elements you need for a strong audition video have been given to you for the most part. And for those that don't win this particular contest, there will undoubtedly be more in the future.  

Get those public speaking and communication skills down so you'll be well-prepared for the next opportunity.  The Oprah Winfrey Network is just getting started!

Related posts:

1. Public Speaking Phrases to Keep the Audience’s Attention
2. Public Speaking Tip: Gratitudes
3. Public Speaking: That Darn Elevator Pitch!
4. Public Speaking Tip: Using the Language of Your Audience
5. Public Speaking Tip: Improve Flow with Gestures

Tagged as: audience relationship building, fearless public speaking, video presentation