What People Really See When You’re on Camera

About this episode

This episode features a conversation with Peter Hopwood about building trust and engagement on camera.

When you’re on camera, people decide how much they trust you a lot faster than you realize. In this episode, we revisit a conversation with Peter Hopwood, a speaking coach who works with presenters, sales teams, founders, and TEDx presenters on how to be more confident and credible on screen. Peter shares what helps people connect through a camera, especially when the usual in-person cues aren’t there. The conversation covers why curiosity is key to building trust, how voice and small physical movements influence engagement, and why many people misread audience reactions in virtual settings. Peter also shares practical advice on eye contact, standing versus sitting, recording yourself to improve, and avoiding common distractions that can undermine your credibility without you even noticing. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 - 01:29 Intro 01:29 - 04:22 Peter’s roots in the industry 04:22 - 09:23 Defining success on camera 09:23 - 13:50 Peter’s one tip for being on camera 13:50 -18:25 Why is trust so important on video? 18:25 - 23:43 Defining the role of visual aids 23:43 - 27:07 Things Peter has seen that can break trust and why setting matters 27:06 - 27:51 How to…

People in this episode

Host: TechSmith Corporation

Guest: Peter Hopwood

Topics covered

• trust
• camera presence
• engagement
• public speaking
• virtual communication

Keywords

• trust
• camera
• public speaking
• engagement
• virtual settings
• eye contact
• presentation skills

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: TEDx, LinkedIn, Twitter

Books & works: What People Really See When You’re on Camera

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