Brand Development Tips – What NOT To Do In A Video Interview
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Michael Gilmour the other day in a video session and I made a lot of mistakes during the interview. He did a great job at cleaning/editing some of the less than presentable moments, but there are still aspects of the overall experience I feel lacked proper translation (On my part). Rather than looking at this in a negative light, I’m going to use it as a learning tool for myself and others so that we can continue to better our best and hopefully not make the same mistakes in the future.
Below, you’ll find the video interview followed by the mistakes I was able to identify (After the fact) and solutions on how to approach/avoid them in the future. One of these days I’ll be able to flawlessly engage in such video interactions (After a lot of practice, reflection, and learning).
Video Interview
(Michael Gilmour & Eric Lyon)
The Interview Mistakes
Lets go over some of the mistakes I made and outline what should have been done.
- Rest – With only 3 to 5 hours sleep each night for the last week, it’s obvious I was pretty tired during the interview. This made the experience for viewers less than optimal. – Solution: Make sure to get plenty of sleep before doing an interview in the future.
- Scheduling – With Michael in Australia and me in Texas, USA, there’s an evident time difference. My mistake here (with lack of proper rest) was not double checking the time difference. I mistakenly wrote the interview day on the calendar for Wen (Which was what day it was for Michael), while the actual interview was Tue. (In my time zone). This led to me not being fully prepared when I got the notification reminder about the appointment. – Solution: Always double check your time zones for accurate scheduling.
- Brand Exposure – With the scheduling mistake (Outlined above), last minute preparation in a rush led to bad brand exposure for Scorpion Agency™ & NamePros™. I set up our 45 inch TV to deliver the brands in the background and without adequate prep-time, I completely botched the positioning and lighting for a clear view. However, without being aware at the moment, I realized (After the fact) that I was wearing the NameJet shirt given to me by Scott Pruitt at NamesCon 2017. They got some great front row brand exposure from me, which benefits them in a brand strategy sense. – Solution: Always double check your time zones for accurate scheduling and make sure you prepare way ahead of time. Don’t forget to wear the right shirt prior to an interview.
- Freezes and Pauses – Again, with the scheduling mistake (Outlined above), last minute preparation in a rush led to missing notes and key point reminders. There were a few instances where I looked blankly upon the screen when asked a question I could have answered if I had my notes with me and was less sleep deprived. – Solution: Get plenty of rest prior to an interview and make sure to prepare way ahead of time. Keep your notes with you for reference.
- Video Connection/Quality – With preparation and testing, we may have been able to avoid a lot of the video disturbances due to connection failures/glitches. There were a few spots in the video that made it hard to follow what we were saying or may have led to a lack of context. – Solution: Make sure to test your connection in advance.
- Pre-Communication – While running late, Michael attempted to get a hold of me via email and direct message on NamePros. My intervals of checking those communication sources was gaped by 30 to 45 minutes of valuable time we could have been instantly connected to sort out the interview time. When I realized my scheduling mistake via his communication efforts, I emailed my mobile number (After the fact that I was already late). Solution: Exchange phone numbers with everyone involved in a video interview so that you can instantly notify one another of any changes or send reminders.
In Conclusion
I truly enjoyed my time with Michael Gilmour and honored that he suggested a video interview after a few facebook and email correspondences about his blog and how beneficial the information he provides on it is. I recommend that anyone looking to learn more about business in a creative way, check out his blog to see what he has to share. Reference: WhizzBangsBlog
It’s my hopes that the video interview and the noted mistakes/solutions I covered in this article lend a helping hand to anyone else looking to do anything on video. Learn from my mistakes so that you don’t make them.
Happy Business building Everyone!
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Since 1996, Eric has managed companies with 240+ employees, online communities with over 1 million members, attended numerous industry related events/conventions and has personally worked with start-ups, personalities, small mom and pop businesses, corporations, freelancers, news outlets, and a variety of domain investors one-on-one from all over the world. That equates to a lot of years behind the scenes with his fingers firmly on the pulse of multiple industries.
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