I admit it – I’m a DIY junkie! I’ve watched tons of do it yourself videos and I thought I had seen it all, but last week I got a surprise. I noticed something about the videos that I had never noticed before: It didn’t matter what they were about – installing flooring, making Christmas decorations, laying concrete paths or building fountains. They all had one thing in common – all the comments from viewers were positive, as if they connected with the people who made the videos and appreciated their efforts. Viewers’ comments ranged from a simple, “Thank you for sharing,” all the way to, “You are seriously a genius.”
That got me to wondering. What it was about the videos that made people respond in such a positive way, especially when there’s so much negativity on the internet? So I started analyzing the video presenters to see what I could learn from them about connecting to an audience. Here’s what I noticed:
- They give their audience clear, solid information and make it worth the viewer’s time to watch.
- They’re much more interested in explaining their project than they are in being “stars” on camera. A lot of them just show their hands, but not their faces, as they work. If they do appear on camera, the women usually have their hair and make-up done very simply and the men have on their “working in the garage” clothes. The emphasis is definitely on explaining the process to the audience, not on the presenter.
- They don’t try to impress anyone with their monetary success. In fact, they usually give the prices for the materials they use and they only brag when they got everything for at least 50% off! They usually don’t use expensive tools, but just everyday objects that will do the job.
- They’re not afraid to admit that they don’t know everything. Most of them even seem to enjoy showing the mistakes that they made so that the viewers won’t do the same thing.
- They listen to their viewers. If someone writes in and asks a question, the presenters usually take time to write back and give the viewer an answer. They often thank the viewer for watching and sometimes even close with something as personal as, “Take care.”
I’ve learned a lot by watching DIY videos over the years, but here’s what they’ve also taught me about connecting with others: I can make sure I’m not wasting the other person’s time. I can be more interested in my listener than I am in myself. I can be modest. And I can genuinely respond to questions or concerns that the other person might have.
I can’t wait to try out these new ideas and see how they work for me! If I get really good at them, maybe I’ll even make my own DIY video and call it: How to Nail Down Strong Connections – Without Even Picking Up A Hammer!
