Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of High Velocity Radio and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show, we have communication strategists with Your Digital Stage. Laura Doman, welcome.

Laura Doman: Hi, Lee, thank you so much. I love being here.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. For folks who aren’t familiar, can you tell us a little bit about your digital stage?

Laura Doman: Absolutely. I think most of us know what a physical stage is. The digital stage is what you have virtually. It could be Zoom, it could be putting together whatever you need. So your videos are going to be out there in the world. It’s not physical, but it’s just as valid.

Lee Kantor: So what is your backstory? How’d you get involved in this line of work?

Laura Doman: Well, I’m a corporate turned, creative, recovered cubicle dweller who finally saw the light and went back to her life’s passions. I started off as an I.T. sales exec, and then later reinvented myself and said what I really would love to do. And of course, this is a natural progression from being a sales exec. I decided to be an actor. So I started doing film, TV commercials, corporate industrials, print. I moved into voiceover, which I love doing commercials, corporate and creative projects. And then especially during Covid, I saw a lot of people in business had to be on camera and they just were not comfortable with it. They didn’t know how to use it. They didn’t know quite how to say things. They looked like a deer in headlights. And so I thought, you know what? There’s a niche here. I see a lot of people who could use the help of somebody who knows business with how to be in front of a camera and behind the mic, which I do every day, and bring it all together. So it makes sense. That’s what I do. So I help business people, business leaders become much more confident, comfortable, charismatic on camera themselves, and it helps them be trusted, believed and chosen in high stakes situations. So eventually they can start growing their business.

Lee Kantor: Now, can you explain to the listener how the different as a performer, how you kind of attack a different media in a different way? For example? Um, I know like theater performers, uh, are going to project and speak and move in a different way than an on camera performer would. Can you explain why that is and some of the ways that you kind of leverage whatever camera or audience you are performing for?

Laura Doman: Absolutely. And it translates beautifully to anybody who is not an actor. When you are on stage, you have to be able to reach the person in the very last row, and you have to be able to project, be louder than you normally would be and be able to sustain it. So it’s not necessarily a conversational, natural sounding voice. You know, it’s a performance voice, especially when you’re doing some characters. The other thing is your emotions are going to need to be big. You’re going to be moving around. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be ridiculously large, but you’re going to be physical, not just standing there, but when you’re going to be moving over to the camera. And this is what a lot of stage actors have to learn. And it’s very true for people who used to presenting in front of a focus of a big audience or even a boardroom, and then bringing it to the camera, you got to bring that large to a small medium. First of all, it’s 2D, it is not 3D, and you have a very small space. You have a frame to work in, literally a head and shoulders shot. And it’s usually going to be a small rectangle. And when you have something focused that tight, several things are going to happen.

Laura Doman: Instead of people seeing the whole person, the whole body and taking in peripheral vision, this, that, and the other thing, it’s all going to be reduced pretty much to the individual’s face and specifically their eyes, which is how we look to see do we trust you? Do you know what you’re talking about? Are you going to really be able to help us? Do we believe you? Do you believe in yourself? That is how we get the measure of a person with first impressions. And you’ve got to keep in mind that when you are speaking on camera, that everything you do is going to be magnified. I like to say huge, as small as huge on camera, because even if I were to move slightly to one side or the other, it can look like I’m shifting many, many inches, maybe even a foot if I get carried away. The same thing if your hand talker, if you’re going to be moving your hands around a lot in front of your face, it’s just way too much for the camera. You got to keep them below frame. And so you have to make those adjustments.

Lee Kantor: So how do you help your client kind of first of all, learn what type of, uh, communicator they are and then how to maximize their skills to the medium that they’re working in.

Laura Doman: Well, you’re right, one size doesn’t fit all. Everybody has their own superpower. Not everybody’s going to be high energy. Some of the best speakers are quiet, thoughtful, very introspective. Some people are very are very fast talkers. And they have a lot of high energy when they speak. You know, others are going to have a softer, more melodic way of, of being able to come across the thing that you got to focus in on. And this also relates to all the AI stuff that’s out there. It’s to finding out who you are as a human being. What is your personality? How do you authentically, naturally communicate? Because that’s what people are going to relate to. Because if you try to put something out there that’s not you, people can tell everybody’s BS. Meters are working so hard and overtime because of AI. They want to know immediately when they look at you. Are you really who you say you are or are you putting an act on for me? So you find out from what people have done in the past, I like to do a video assessment. Let’s see some of your presentations. Let’s see a sales call. You might have recorded anything you’ve got. We can also kind of make it on the fly, but the point of it is I want to see who they really are and how they engage with people when they’re one on one right in front of them.

Laura Doman: And that’s what we build on. The basics are still going to be the same. You’ve got to be confident in what you’re doing. You already are an expert. You can handle this. You can master it, be comfortable in your own skin. And there are a lot of ways to get people more situated in their bodies, and also to get that psychological game straightened out. And then as learning how to work with the camera, What are the restrictions? Where are the freedoms? How can you create intimacy in a three D feeling when you’re really just in 2D? Because you want to kind of break that fourth wall? You want to you want somebody there on the other side to feel like you’re one on one with them. Because here’s the biggest secret of all. The camera is really a 1 to 1 conversation. You’re not speaking out there to the masses that you can’t identify. You’re speaking to one individual because that’s how most of us watch the stuff anyways.

Lee Kantor: Now, are there any exercises or practices that a person could do? Because like you said, you could you have a camera right now on your phone or your computer and you could, you could practice over and over and never show it to anybody and just kind of learn by doing. Is there some exercises you recommend doing in order to kind of capture the content or expose maybe any delivery issues you have when it comes to how you’re presenting yourself on camera.

Laura Doman: Yes. And the first thing I try to do is to get rid of what I call either that mean teen girl that’s living rent free up in your head, or the devil on your shoulder, because so many folks and I had it too, gonna have some part of themselves telling them all the reasons they’re going to fail. You’re not smart enough. You don’t look young enough. You don’t really know what you’re talking about. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And that’s what derails us. And part of the problem is when you have a talk with yourself like that, you’re talking to yourself. You’re not talking to the people out there. So the first thing you got to do is get that psychological barrier removed. And in terms of that, I often like to give people an idea of a future memory. Just imagine you already gave your presentation, your talk, whatever it might be. It’s over there, all plotting. If you’re selling something there in the back of the room, lining up, waiting to meet you, people want to book you on some other stages. It’s been a great experience as you could possibly hope for. All right. Revel in that, see it, and then relive it as a memory. You’ve already succeeded. And therefore some of that stress, that barrier comes down. It’s not as easy as I make it out to be. I’m going to be honest. It does take practice, but it’s more of being in the moment, which is something a lot of actors have to learn, too. And being present and not worrying about that next step and where things are going to go. And then you’ll find that you’re able to drop in there and do so much better. Because if you keep practicing in front of a camera and you do the same thing 27 times.

Laura Doman: Do you really think the 27th take is going to be the one? No, it’s probably going to be worse than, let’s say, number 2 or 3 where you really did it well because you’re caught up in it. It’s become stale. You’re stressed out and then negativity is running through your head. There are other ways of doing it besides just practicing and keeping the psychological game. Prepare yourself physically. I’m assuming somebody’s already an expert and they know their stuff. You’ve just got detention. Do some light exercises, like some shoulder raises and drops just to loosen up the vehicle. Move side to side a few knee bends and drink lots of water. There are a lot of other vocal exercises and tongue twisters you can use, but when you feel like you’re relaxed and in your body and you don’t have a frog in your throat, you’re going to do a lot better as well. So those are just a few tips to get started. And I’m also going to say one more thing that I know a lot of people probably have on their minds. I’ve got a lot of things to keep track of. What do I do? I would say if you’re going to be speaking to camera, whether it’s recorded or not, keep a little list right next to it, right next to that camera just to keep you on point so you don’t forget what you want to say. But please do not ever, ever, ever read from a script while you’re speaking. The only people who like to have somebody, somebody read something to them. They’re probably small children at bedtime. The rest of us hate it. Your voice sounds different. You look different. And it’s boring as all get out.

Lee Kantor: So now, from a technical standpoint, when you’re coaching your clients, are you recommending they look directly at the camera or look to the side of the camera? What is where should the eyeline be?

Laura Doman: If you’re going to be speaking directly to somebody watching this, not in an interview. An interview can be different than typically, you’re looking off some 3045 degrees at an interviewer, and there might even be different camera angles to catch you and the interviewer speak to the camera because it is eye to eye contact. If you’ve ever been in a Zoom masterclass or any kind of a Zoom call, and somebody is so focused on looking at you or somebody else in that box, which could be way down on the other side of the screen, that connection is lost because all of a sudden you see the top of their head or up through their nose. Either way, it’s not a pretty shot and they’re not looking and talking to you there. They seem to be off doing something different. And even if in their head they are speaking from the heart and sharing what you should know, because they’re looking at you. You’re not getting it from the camera. So it’s very important to look at the camera and, and make it your friend, not your judge.

Lee Kantor: Now what is, um, who is your ideal client? Are these corporate executives? Are they entrepreneurs? Who is the, the, what’s the sweet spot for you in your business?

Laura Doman: Well, I honestly see people across the board. I work with executives and I work with entrepreneurs and all different types of folks. Um, if I were had, if I had to pick one, I would probably say that it’s somebody who is working in a business who midsize, let’s say, business, trying to get to that next level. They want to be seen. And after the boardroom, they want to be able to close those those high stakes sales calls. They have been trying to improve their presentations and their speeches and everything else they’re being asked to do, and they haven’t been able to find success. They’ve worked with other people. They watched YouTube videos, they’re reading this, that and the other thing, and it’s not coming together. I’m the last stop there. I’m going to be showing you exactly how to take care of it without any kind of nonsense or things you got to remember. But how to be open and natural. And that allows people to see you as the leader that you are. So all my work extends very well to people in the business for themselves and speakers and coaches. I do get a lot of business folks because they’re trying to close those sales calls, and they want to be promoted.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there something that happens in their lives where they’re like, maybe we should call Laura. Like, did a speech go bad and or did they not close the deal or they didn’t get the promotion? Is there something that’s a trigger, typically that says, hey, I got to get on Laura’s calendar.

Laura Doman: Usually it’s because they just had enough. And I can give you two different examples, very different examples about it. One was a VP with a PhD. I mean, she knew her stuff inside and out. She was the face and the voice of the nonprofit. However, she was not comfortable speaking in front of people or on camera. And she would read her slides, which were filled with technical jargon. Her CEO finally said, fix this. You got to be able to do a better job. I don’t care how you find it or where you go fix it. And she saw me emceeing and moderating several panels at a women’s conference, and she said, I want to be able to do exactly what you’re doing. I have to have that same persona and I need to work with you. So that was one type. Another type was a fellow who already knew a lot about creating videos, but he needed help to be able to take a small space and turn it into lots of different backdrops, and to be able to set things up quickly and easily with lighting and with sound, maybe using props so that he’s able to dive right in on it and not waste a lot of time.

Laura Doman: He had had prior coaching. He’s talked to lots of different people, and he actually found me through Claude because he knew exactly what he needed. And my name popped up right at the top of the list. So totally two different types of problems, different ways that they find me. But it’s a matter for both of them that I got a problem. I know what it is. It’s obvious. I got to fix it and I got to fix it now. Which is why I don’t necessarily drag this all out for a nine month or 12 month program. I don’t do that. I understand people are busy. You got a certain amount of budget, you got a certain amount of time and you have got a deadline. So let’s get started. And that’s why I work with them. Almost like a precision specialist. Exactly what they need. Hone in on it and let’s fix it. And then boom, there’s a transformation.

Lee Kantor: Now how do you help that business owner right now that’s creating content. They’re doing this all the time. How would they even identify that they could be better? Like they I mean, are they self-aware enough to know that this isn’t working? Or are there signs or signals for them to realize maybe you’re not coming across as clearly as you think you are?

Laura Doman: Well, could be a few things. Um, one, some people think that they’re doing just fine, but they’re not getting any results. So they’re blaming, uh, you know, nobody’s watching videos anymore. There’s too much AI stuff out there and so forth. And that’s definitely not true. Oftentimes it’s because they are analyzing their business and they’re figuring out what works and what doesn’t. And they’ve seen other people who do have videos and on camera appearances where people are beating a path to their door. And what’s different? They don’t know any more than I do. They probably have even less credentials. They know that something is missing, or sometimes people are just telling them, hey, you know, you do a lot better if you tried this or if you did that. And sometimes they’re. For example, this is very true for coaches or speakers who have an option to appear on summits and so forth. They’ll just say, you know, very nice, but you don’t seem to be speaking to the camera. It looks like you’re reading a script. You’re already at the bottom of your frame. You don’t come across very professionally. You were stumbling over your words. You didn’t look like you knew what you were really doing. And that kind of feedback is going to be powerful to get somebody, you know, um, back into motion and figuring out they got a problem to solve.

Lee Kantor: So it’s funny you mentioned coaches. We get a lot of coaches on the show, and we have a lot of coaches that listen to this content. Is there any, um, advice like coaching specific, uh, in order to get the most out of this medium?

Laura Doman: I think so, um, when you’re a coach, you are helping people emotionally, not just intellectually and people feel, and they want you to tell them that you understand where they’re coming from. They need to know you’re a human being on the other side and you really care about their pain. You have to be able to come across as a real human being. I do think a lot of coaches do a good job of that, but there are some of those who who just probably don’t quite know how to show up, or they don’t know what tools to bring along in that type of call. I mean, how do I use, let’s say, a whiteboard or how do I practice with this tool? I practice that and to share, You know, that can break it up and waste a bit of time. But essentially it’s not so much when people are getting in the call with a client, it’s getting those clients because there are a lot of coaches for a lot of things and people have a choice. So the real question comes down to why would they choose you versus somebody else? And oftentimes that’s going to come back to that old formula.

Laura Doman: They’re going to work with somebody that they like, that they feel like can really understand what they’re coming from and give them an answer, somebody that they can trust. And of course, they’re all their credentials. But very often it’s a matter of who you feel comfortable, who’s going to be one on one. That’s just going to be some synergy there. It’s a very personal thing, and that’s where a lot of coaches need to be able to stand up. They also have to be able to be speakers. If you’re going to be coaching, the best way to find clients is through speaking. And I’m not just talking about podcasts, I’m talking about, you know, in summits, in masterminds, in Chamber of Commerce meetings, in all different types of venues. And you have to be able to master the stage. And you learn that also from a lot of what I’m teaching. You have to be able to get people excited, involved and wanting to do business with you.

Lee Kantor: Now, are, are these kind of on camera skills nowadays? Um, must haves, not nice to haves anymore.

Laura Doman: I think so because 82% of content out there is video. And if you’re not out there, you’re probably not visible. And if you’re not visible, you’re probably not going to get booked. And if you take a look at how you’re going to be found online, there are a couple of things I think you need to consider. One, just the Google search or Bing search, whatever you use. And then AI and the whole, not just SEO, but the geo where they’re able to find natural phrases and conversations and references and backlinks and so forth. The way to be seen online is to have the content out there. You want to maximize it. And I’m telling you, I think that the blog is having a resurgence. It was very popular at the beginning of the century, and everybody had a blog. There was even a kids TV show, dog with a blog. My kids watched it and then shifted over to podcasts. The podcasts are still very important. People love listening in an audio fashion, but when you’ve got something written, guess what? Now that all of these search engines are looking for natural, conversational content and the way people normally are going to be speaking and asking a question, it’s going to have a much better chance of being found.

Laura Doman: Because if you write your blogs. Ai can help you get it. I started with structure and all that, but use your own natural voice and write as if somebody is asking you a question and you’re speaking directly to them. That will be found. Not just that, but when you have your videos, the tools are such that, especially if you caption them, the search is going to be able to find in your content what you are bringing. So you’re finding those phrases, the concepts that is going to be pulled up. And that’s how I’ve been found. And Claude and ChatGPT. But if you’re just going to be doing a Google search to find out how is this person new or they been doing it for a while, what are people saying? The more content you have out there, the higher you’re going to rank and people are going to see how many pieces are out there. For example, Google right now maximizes out with me. Last time I checked out about 14 pages and said there was even more because I’ve been making videos, even short videos, they don’t have to be very long at all. Even these vertical ones that you see on TikTok and Instagram, those count, those are videos.

Laura Doman: It’s finding all the videos, it’s finding the podcasts. It’s looking at the blogs. I got a LinkedIn newsletter. It’s looking at the posts, it’s looking at what other people are saying. And that grows and it grows and it grows and it’s going to make you more visible. The whole thing that I’m trying to answer is that video is a very, very important component, and it’s going to play so many roles when it comes to creating content, because you can strip the audio off and have boom a podcast, you can break it up into little chunks and have some small, short videos. You can do it as a Q&A, you can turn it into a blog, a post. It has so many uses. And I also would suggest that people store it on YouTube, maybe Vimeo. I use YouTube like a library of everything you’ve got. It’s another resource. And remember, YouTube is only number two to Google as a search engine. Google owns YouTube and it’s only growing, especially with younger and younger audiences. They’re getting a lot of the content, uh, you know, directly from YouTube and TikTok and Instagram. Put your stuff everywhere. You don’t have to create it once and let it die somewhere.

Lee Kantor: Now, as part of your work in helping that aspiring, um, influencer, uh, learn how to maximize the medium and communicate most effectively, is that part of what you do? Or is most of your work kind of around a corporate person or an entrepreneur or a business owner that wants to just use it better for their own business?

Laura Doman: My whole program is all about visibility and how to make it effective. So if somebody wants to communicate, you know, focus just on communications and delivery, perfect. We’ll do that. You know, the content, let’s focus on the delivery. Other folks want more of a business strategy and how do I do it? And how do I get set up? And yes, I also work with them in that area as well. I’ve helped people set up YouTube channels talking about how you can modify things for LinkedIn, which is a business audience versus Instagram, which is a little more social and TikTok. You know, people find a lot of great stuff on TikTok. There are a lot of different ways to be able to play with it. So I would say at the core, mine is all about delivery, but the delivery vehicle and how it’s put out there, if that’s what somebody needs, and that’s something we can spend time with. And I can certainly share and get them going.

Lee Kantor: So what is that onboarding of a new client look like for you? What are some of the questions you ask or maybe some of the pre-work you have them do in order to be prepared to get the most out of an engagement?

Laura Doman: Well, first of all, I’d love to have a 1 to 1 call. I offer it complimentary. No charge. 45 minutes. Let’s sit down and talk about what it is that you need to do. It always starts with what is your problem? What have you tried? What succeeded, what hasn’t? And then let’s see how I can help you. And this is, by the way, how I might be able to do so when they decide to work with me. I love to start off with a video assessment. If you have a short video or a clip of something, send it to me. Let me take a good look at it so I can then evaluate it. Tell you what you’re doing very well and what you need improvement on, and where we can go forward to make it even better in the future. And then lay out a program on how you can get there and the different steps. And these are the deliverables. And yeah, there’s going to be a little bit of homework because you got to practice what you learn. And then let’s fine tune it. Sometimes I help people in real life, you know, they’re trying to create a video and I’m right there coaching them through it or how to set things up. Other times it’s a matter of you sent me maybe 3 to 5 short videos. Take a look at them. This is what you did. Well, this is how I would modify it. Sometimes it’s delivery. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying, hey, lop off those first couple seconds where you’re not saying or doing anything at the beginning because those first few seconds are crucial.

Laura Doman: Let’s put a strong hook there, or let’s pull this piece and let’s put it over there. And don’t forget to caption it. Et cetera. Et cetera. So it depends on what people want. If you’re talking about my full program, let’s say somebody is coming in. I need to be able to do it. And I don’t know anything at this point. The soup to nuts usually deals with four categories. First, let’s see where you are. Got to get a baseline. Then let’s talk about how to get confident, comfortable on camera, the psychological and physical aids. Next, let’s talk about how you set things up and what you need, and some low cost, easy alternatives so you can set it up and have your own studio. Then it’s a matter of how do you work with the camera? What’s the framing and eyelines? And what if there’s another person in there? And if you’re a big hand talker, what do you do? And do you use props? And what about a script? And then the fourth component would be the dynamic delivery, especially for those who want to keep an audience engaged over time, who maybe they want to be the go to industry expert, and they know how to feel comfortable in front of a camera, even on a TV set. That’s something we could talk about. Usually, though, it’s all about tone and pauses and delivery and fluency of speech and, you know, things like that. But it’s all tailored to the individual because nobody is the same and everybody has different strengths and weaknesses, and therefore they each have their own path forward.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more, have a more substantive conversation, what is the website? What is the best way to connect?

Laura Doman: Well, please reach out to me directly at Laura domain.com, and that’s LAURADOMAN. You’ll find resources there. You’ll also find notices of upcoming masterclasses, and I’ve got a few coming up this summer, and you can reach out and schedule a call. I’d love to talk with you.

Lee Kantor: Well, Laura, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Laura Doman: Well thank you, Lee, it’s been a pleasure. And, uh, may I offer a free gift to anybody who would like to download something? Sure. If you go to Laura domain.com/gift GIFT, you’re welcome to download my lights, camera clients PDF, ten of my best steps and strategies so that you can look confident and comfortable and charismatic on camera yourself.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. Well, that’s very generous. Thank you. Laura.

Laura Doman: My pleasure.

Lee Kantor: All right, this is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.