Bernadette Marciniak is a video producer who works specifically with speakers and event organisers, giving her a rare dual perspective on what actually gets speakers booked. She has captured footage at live events, produced demo reels for speakers at various stages of their careers, and uses speaking engagements herself as a visibility lever for her business.

What you'll take away from this episode:

• Why most demo reels function as sizzle reels and what the difference actually costs you
• What event organisers are specifically looking for when they watch your video
• The "through line" principle: how to build a reel that shows your message, not just your mic drops
• Whether a lower-quality demo is better than no demo at all
• How to start capturing footage when you have no stage access and no budget
• When to bring testimonials into your video and when to leave them out
• What a practical media library looks like and why YouTube is part of your booking strategy
• The AI tools that could help polish your final cut without compromising authenticity

Connect with Bernadette Marciniak:

Website: solhausmedia.com/speakers (Solhaus spelled S-O-L-H-A-U-S) LinkedIn: Bernadette Marciniak Instagram: Bernadette Marciniak

Chapters:

00:00 Demo Reel Myth Busting

00:58 Meet Bernadette Marciniak

02:13 Her Speaking Origin Story

05:37 What A Demo Reel Does

08:58 Demo Versus Sizzle Reel

11:57 Good Enough To Share

17:08 Capturing Footage Right

20:28 Editing For A Through Line

25:29 No Stage No Problem

31:44 Watch Yourself Improve

33:54 AI In Demo Videos

38:00 Budget And Hiring Pros

40:07 Long Form Clips On YouTube

44:17 Wrap Up And Where To Connect

47:25 Final Takeaways And Next Episode

FAQ SECTION

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a speaker demo reel include to get booked by event organizers?

According to video producer Bernadette Marciniak and speaking coach John Ball on the Professional Speaking podcast, a speaker demo reel should demonstrate two things above all: your presence on stage and the through line of your message. Marciniak distinguishes between a sizzle reel, which showcases mic drops and highlights, and a demo reel built for bookers, which shows what an audience is going to get from you. Event organisers are not looking for cinematic production or audience testimonials; they are looking for evidence that you can deliver a coherent message in front of a crowd. The ideal length is two to three minutes, with a clear narrative structure rather than a compilation of unrelated sound bites.

Is it better to have a bad demo reel or no demo reel at all?

Bernadette Marciniak's position, discussed with John Ball on Professional Speaking, is that having a demo reel is better than not having one, provided you are intentional about how and where you distribute it. Poor lighting or iPhone video does not automatically disqualify a reel if the audio is clear and the speaker's presence comes through. What Marciniak identifies as genuinely undermining is an over-reliance on B-roll and cinematic sweeps that give the viewer no sense of what the speaker actually says or how they engage with an audience. The goal is always to improve the footage over time, not to wait for perfect conditions before starting.

How can a speaker start building a demo reel with no stage experience?

John Ball and Bernadette Marciniak discuss several practical entry points on this episode of Professional Speaking. Speakers can hire a local videographer for a small room presentation, gather a group of peers who each speak for five minutes to a live audience, or capture footage from workshops, retreats and local events. Podcast interviews are also flagged as legitimate speaking engagements that generate video evidence of a speaker's communication style. Marciniak recommends building a media library consistently over time rather than waiting for a single high-production opportunity, and suggests partnering with a videographer across multiple events so the footage looks cohesive.

What is the difference between a speaker sizzle reel and a demo reel?

John Ball explains on Professional Speaking that a sizzle reel is designed for public awareness, while a demo reel is designed for bookers. A sizzle reel is a highlights compilation intended to build brand visibility and is appropriate for a speaker's website or social channels. A demo reel, by contrast, is a two-to-three-minute video built around a through line: a coherent message that reflects what an audience will experience if they hire the speaker. Bernadette Marciniak adds that both serve a purpose, but speakers who want to land more paid engagements need the demo version, not just the cinematic highlight package.

Should speakers use AI tools when creating a demo reel?

Bernadette Marciniak and John Ball address this on Professional Speaking with a clear distinction between useful and damaging AI applications. Marciniak cautions against using AI-generated video to simulate speaking experience a speaker does not have, arguing that misrepresentation is a fast route to damaging a professional reputation. However, both acknowledge that AI tools can legitimately assist with audio clean-up, removing isolated errors, adding text overlays, and smoothing transitions between segments. The principle Marciniak applies is that any AI enhancement should serve authenticity, not replace it.

How should speakers use YouTube as part of their booking strategy?

Bernadette Marciniak recommends using YouTube as a media library rather than a public-facing channel, a point developed with John Ball on Professional Speaking. Full keynote recordings and longer clips of speaking engagements can be hosted on YouTube as unlisted videos and sent directly to event organisers who want to see more than a two-minute demo reel. Marciniak notes that bookers will often skip through a full recording to check how a speaker opens, handles transitions, and interacts with an audience, making the longer format valuable even if it is never shared publicly. A YouTube playlist of speaking engagements also provides an organised reference point that can be linked from a speaker's website or proposals.

Visit https://strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form https://forms.gle/mo4xYkEiCjqtz9yP6, and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect with me, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn

You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PresentInfluence

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algo recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating.

Most speakers know that they need a demo reel.

2

Very few know what it's really for.

3

If you think your demo reel is there to

impress people who stumble across your

4

website, you've built the wrong thing.

5

Bookers aren't looking for the

highlight reels of your best moments.

6

They want to know what your audience

is going to get from you, and

7

whether you can deliver it under

pressure in a room full of strangers.

8

In this episode of Professional Speaking,

I'm talking with Bernadette Marciniak,

9

a video producer who works specifically

with speakers and event organizers,

10

she's been on both sides of the

camera and both sides of the

11

booking conversation, which makes

her take on this unusually useful.

12

We're covering what a demo reel is

actually for, what a sizzle reel is, and

13

why most speakers get the two confused.

14

How to start building footage when

you have no stages yet, and what

15

bookers are actually watching for

when they press play on your demo.

16

Welcome to Professional Speaking, the show

for people who are serious about speaking

17

and becoming known, booked, and paid.

18

My name's John Ball, professional

speaking coach, keynote speaker,

19

stand-up comedian, and sci-fi nerd.

20

I'm here as your guide on the journey

to a successful speaking career

21

welcome to Professional Speaking

Podcast, Bernadette Marciniak.

22

Welcome to the show

23

Bernadette Marciniak: Thank

you so much for having me, John

24

John: It's a delight to be speaking

to you, and I've wanted to come

25

back to the topic of demo videos for

quite some time, and that's where

26

we're gonna spend some time today.

27

And I know that one of the things

what we talked about before recording

28

was that there's these different

tracks for it, like whether you're

29

speaking as a business, or whether

you're speaking to bring in business.

30

And so before we get into all that,

which side do you fall on there?

31

Are you speaking as a

business or for your business?

32

Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah, so

I am somebody who is speaking to

33

bring in business, who knows where

the winds may take me someday.

34

the spotlight is tantalizing and

attractive, as I'm sure it is to many.

35

but as of right now, I'm having a

really great time, having, speaking

36

engagements put eyes on my business

37

John: Great.

38

And so g- just to give us a sense

of, like, your speaking career, like

39

how long have you been speaking, and

roughly how many speaking engagements

40

do you have, uh, roughly in a year?

41

Bernadette Marciniak: within

a year I'd say I do probably

42

a handful, three to four.

43

And there, that, you know, there,

there's a variety of different ones

44

from stages to leading workshops.

45

I personally count podcast

interviews as speaking engagements.

46

I know that some folks might not

agree with that, but it's all about

47

visibility and, and PR at the end

of the day, especially in my case.

48

So I count podcast interviews

as speaking engagements.

49

I've been speaking for about a decade now.

50

and, yeah

51

John: what first got you

up on stage as a speaker?

52

Bernadette Marciniak: ooh,

that's a good question.

53

the one that's coming to mind right now

is when I actually won an award for a

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community that I was part of, and I knew

that it was a business community, so I

55

was, receiving, an award within this,

business community, and we all gave,

56

about 10-minute thank you speeches.

57

But that was a moment to also put a

spotlight on your business and what you

58

do, because there were a lot of people in

attendance that may not have heard of me.

59

you know, it was also a

networking opportunity for folks

60

who were not in the community.

61

And so, that was the one that is, I think

the one that was most transformative

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and I caught the bug and I was like,

"Oh, I need to do more of this."

63

I really loved the energy of being up on

stage and ha- like, uh, I rehearsed my

64

talk a bunch of times, and I practiced

like the cadence and the pacing and

65

everything, and I really enjoyed it

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John: Great.

67

And that's definitely something you

would want to be practiced and rehearsed

68

for, but also a, an ex- a really nice

reason to be up on stage as well.

69

So, great.

70

a good event, and I can de- definitely

associate with getting the bug for

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wanting to be up there and do more,

especially once you've been practicing

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and running through and coming off

thinking, "Oh, yeah, that went great."

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That's a really good experience.

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So it's great that speaking has been

a part of your business for quite

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some time now, and certainly some of

our listeners they may have similar

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length of time in the industry or

maybe much less, maybe just coming

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to this fresh and still fairly new.

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But it's good to know that we all start

from small things that give us a lead

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in into to doing this for the business.

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So was that where you also really

saw that there was an opportunity

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for you to use speaking as a lever,

a platform for your business more

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often or was it just actually more

fun that led to more business?

83

Bernadette Marciniak: No, actually

it was, and I had already been

84

learning about this, so I knew that

was kind of the goal with speaking.

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But I also had proof of concept after

getting up on stage and accepting

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the award because a lot of folks

actually reached out to me afterwards

87

and were asking about my services.

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They said, "We loved your energy on stage.

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We love the way, you

know, you approach things.

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and I would love to, you

know, work with you."

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And so I actually ended up

getting a couple of clients out

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of that one speaking engagement

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John: Great.

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That's fantastic, and that's what

it's all about a lot of the time.

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Let me ask you this.

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for, for our listener, for our

professional speaker who's tuning

97

into this, we've come here to talk

specifically about demo videos as well.

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So what is a demo video, and why

do they need to think about this?

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Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah, so demo

video or I, I know over here in

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the US we call them speaker reels.

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same thing.

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so it's a, kind of like a

culmination of the best of the

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best of your speaking moments.

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And listen, if you're starting out

and you might not have, uh, a huge

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library yet, uh, there's still gonna

be a thorough line between all of your

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talks, some-something that, that you

s- like say or hint to from talk to

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talk that's along the same message.

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And so it's about a two-minute video.

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I say you don't wanna go over much

longer, maybe three minutes at the most,

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but even I think at that point, you

know, attention spans start falling.

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but the reason you wanna have a speaker

reel is, y- A, you wanna be able to

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send it out to event organizers, so that

you, they can, you know, see what your

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speaking, presence is like, how you appear

on stage, and also what your message is.

114

Now, of course, there's the

expectation that your message is

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probably going to evolve over time.

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But regardless, you know, y- that's

why you're gonna get it updated, you

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know, every few years or whenever,

you know, you feel like you're making

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a big pivot or something like that.

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but that, those are the two main

reasons why you need one, is to

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show your presence and to show

what your message is going to be.

121

John: Yeah.

122

I think that's important what you said

as well because I do f- I find that

123

a lot of speakers get confused as to

what the purpose of the demo video is.

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a lot of them, a lot of people know

they need to have it, but they don't

125

always seem to know what it's for and

think it's more for public awareness

126

of them rather than being something

that's, kind of like a short ad or

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taster for the people who can book you

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Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah.

129

Well, so there's a few things that

I'd love to say to that point.

130

First of all, I've worked on

both sides of the coin here.

131

I have been a speaker, and I have

also been capturing, video at

132

events where there are speakers.

133

I work s- specifically with speakers

and with the event organizers.

134

And I will say that there are-- like

the conversation in, in, like with

135

the event organizers is that so many

folks are still not sending in videos.

136

And so the immediate way to stand out

is to attach a speaker reel or some

137

sort of evidence of you up on stage.

138

That's not to say that you will

immediately get disqualified

139

if you don't, but you will

immediately stand out if you do.

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John: I, I think that's, that's really

important for people to understand as

141

well, and I hope it sinks in for people.

142

'Cause I think it's good to know that you

absolutely can still get booked without a

143

demo, but if you really want to stand out,

it's gonna make a big difference for you

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Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah.

145

Yeah.

146

and you mentioned, that some folks

see it as a form of public awareness.

147

I think the, the reason that happens is

that a lot of speaker reels are not made

148

or produced with this vision in mind of,

for lack of better terms, telling a story.

149

what I really mean is, like, having

your message, having your through

150

line displayed through the video.

151

What I see a lot of speaker reels, demo

reels, demo videos, show is just some,

152

like a compilation of mic drops and

sound bites that may not necessarily be

153

reflective of what you wanna be known for.

154

And, you know, the video might be great,

the audio might be great, whatever.

155

But if that storyline isn't there,

then yeah, then it does become

156

a, " Hey, look at what I do.

157

Like, I'm really cool up on stage,"

not, "Hey, hire me because this is what

158

I'm going to give to your audience."

159

Event organizers are looking

specifically for what you're going

160

to provide for their audience, and

there's no better way to show that

161

than proof of concept in a video.

162

John: Yeah.

163

And, my take is this, that I think some

of the confusion with this comes from

164

the fact that some speakers do have

what we call more of a sizzle reel,

165

which is like some of their highlights

or, as you say, the mic drop moments,

166

and that is meant for the public.

167

That's not really meant for the bookers.

168

That's just meant to like you,

you land on my website and maybe

169

we have other services as well.

170

You say, "Hey, wow,

that's, that looks great.

171

That looks really, glossy and shiny."

172

But that's not what the bookers

are looking for to book you.

173

They're looking for a

demo a bit different.

174

And I think I, I tend to think that's

where the confusion has come from,

175

that there is that difference between

the sizzle reel that is for the public

176

and sort of like, "Hey, look at me.

177

Aren't I great?"

178

And then there's the one for the bookers.

179

It's like, are you actually gonna be

any good if we book you for our event?

180

Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah.

181

And, you know, there's a

place for both, honestly.

182

It, like, even if you currently

have that version of a reel that's

183

just the mic drops, that still lends

itself to really great content.

184

Public awareness, brand awareness is

really important when you are-- especially

185

if you are, uh, building a, a speaker

business as your main source of revenue,

186

but also if you're using speaking as a way

to funnel more eyes onto your business.

187

Um, you know, co-content is

content, and I know that we're,

188

like, all overwhelmed with content,

but, you know, it, it exists.

189

It's there, and there's a, there's,

uh, you know, the people who are going

190

to resonate will resonate with it.

191

So it, it does all have a place.

192

It's not completely useless.

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But if you are looking to get on

more stages, then you need this demo

194

reel that has that thorough line.

195

John: Absolutely.

196

Let me ask you this 'cause I've

asked this only to a handful of

197

people ever on the show because it's

not always relevant to everybody.

198

But when it comes to demo videos, do

you personally feel that it's better

199

to have a demo re- demo video even

if it's not great, or that a bad demo

200

reel should not go up on your website

as like, like better to have a bad

201

demo reel than no demo reel at all?

202

Bernadette Marciniak: I mean,

first of all, it doesn't

203

need to live on your website.

204

I would say it's better to have one and

be intentional on how you distribute

205

it and where you distribute it.

206

The reason I would say it's better to have

one than not at all, especially if you're

207

trying to land more speaking engagements,

is that you are still giving a glimpse

208

to event organizers about your presence

on stage, about how, you know, you're

209

engaging with their audience, interacting

with their audience, what their audience

210

is going to get from you, which is really

hard to describe otherwise in written word

211

or, you know, to just try to explain it.

212

So, my personal take is use what

you have with the intention of

213

always aiming to make it better

214

John: Yeah.

215

No, I mean, that's a, a good suggestion.

216

my experience has been working

with clients that, it's a good

217

thing to have, but it's also have

to-- important to define what

218

actually would be a bad demo reel.

219

and I think it's really just gonna be

something that doesn't reflect you well.

220

So you're thinking, oh, the maybe the

micro- maybe the sound isn't fantastic,

221

maybe the lighting isn't fantastic,

or the camera was done on an…

222

Maybe it filmed on an iPhone

or something like that.

223

That doesn't necessarily

make it a bad demo.

224

It…

225

But something that won't

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be…

227

But

228

Bernadette Marciniak: I agree.

229

Yeah.

230

I would say, we want the best

quality, especially if we're

231

gonna be going out and paying for

professional video, audio, whatever.

232

Sometimes, you know, lighting, audio

is not in y- uh, your control because

233

of the way the event is organized.

234

That being said, even some sort of

snippet on an iPhone, as long as you

235

can clearly hear what's being said, I…

236

I'll say the examples of demo reels,

speaker reels that I have found

237

underwhelming are the ones that, like,

lean in way too much on fancy B-roll.

238

W- I-- Like, we don't care about that.

239

It would-- It's great to have B-roll of

audience engaging and interacting, nodding

240

along, laughing and whatnot, but, you

know, I've seen these, like, cinematic

241

productions of the sweep of the whole…

242

Like, that's unnecessary, and

243

John: I've seen that too.

244

Bernadette Marciniak: I see a lot of

speakers, like, that's, that's the, the

245

one and only shot they keep reusing,

and I'm like, "I know nothing about

246

what you're actually talking about,"

247

John: I think, I was talking with, a

lady called Maria Franzoni recently.

248

I don't know if you've heard

of Maria, but, sh- she's great

249

on th-this subject as well.

250

And, we had a little chat about demo

reels in a much bigger conversation.

251

But one of the things that she was

saying s-specifically that she hates

252

seeing in these demo reels, and I do

agree with her to a point, is the, video

253

testimonials from people in the audience.

254

That, whilst you want to include

your testimonials, it's far better

255

to have some text on the screen

than have someone else coming up and

256

speaking, because it's much quicker.

257

And also remember, this

is for your bookers.

258

They haven't come to hear people at

your events talking about you, but

259

they want to see that, but they don't

wanna spend a lot of time with it.

260

They want to watch you on the demo video.

261

what would be your take on that?

262

do you kind of agree with that?

263

Bernadette Marciniak: I can see how

that makes sense if you're sending it

264

out primarily to, to event organizers.

265

My one pushback on it is if you are using

a speaker, reel, a demo video as a…

266

Or I'm sorry, if you're using your

speaking engagements to get more business,

267

it might not be the worst thing in the

world to have those testimonials in there

268

as kind of like a hybrid of an intro video

to you and, and evidence of you, you know,

269

sharing your expertise out in the wild.

270

I actually did create a video like

that for a client where it was a hybrid

271

of a video business card, where she

also spoke directly to the camera

272

saying who she was and what she does.

273

We included testimonials and,

and, and a whole bunch of clips

274

from her speaking engagements.

275

and she's…

276

We made that video back in 2021,

and she's still using it to this

277

day, and she's getting up on stages.

278

So, I think it depends

279

John: It depends.

280

Yeah.

281

Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah, it

depends on w- which stages I

282

think you're gonna try to be on.

283

John: That makes sense.

284

Maria's much more focused on people

who are primarily speaking as their

285

business than people who are using

speaking to grow their business.

286

So that context does make sense.

287

and she may well concede that

as well in certain cases.

288

it's probably a good thing.

289

I, I have to see if I can ask

her about that at some point.

290

but yeah, fantastic.

291

So let me ask you this.

292

there may be some…

293

Maybe even a listener hasn't, maybe

a listener hasn't yet done a demo

294

video and is thinking, "Well, okay,

where do I even get started with this?

295

what do I need to be thinking about

and how do I put this together?"

296

How would you guide somebody to

getting started with a demo video?

297

Bernadette Marciniak: Sure.

298

So, if you're first starting out, I would

utilize any way you can to get video

299

footage of your speaking engagements,

and no matter how small or big they are.

300

if you are speaking at an event

where there's going to be an in-house

301

media team, ask if you can…

302

if they're going-- First of all,

ask if they're going to re-be

303

recording all the full keynotes.

304

Some places aren't.

305

But I will say that what I offer to my

clients who are throwing the events,

306

who are organizing the events, is to let

their speakers know that I am on site,

307

and even though I'm not hired to capture

all the speakers and keynotes for them, I

308

am available to capture, at an additional

cost, obviously, for individual speakers.

309

I actually just did that last week.

310

and, it…

311

And so that's how…

312

Like, if there's a media on team on…

313

if there's a media team on

site, definitely utilize them.

314

If there's not, I would definitely start

out with finding a local videographer.

315

I would make sure that they

know how to do audio and video.

316

Not all videographers are created

equal, and so somebody might say,

317

"Oh, I know how to do video," and they

might think, "Oh, it's easy enough to

318

just get video of somebody speaking,"

but, you know, you need to either mic

319

somebody up or be able to plug into the

soundboard and capture audio that way.

320

and so start collec- start building

a little library for yourself of

321

your speaking engagements that way.

322

I would say, like, if, if, if all else

fails, we're gonna l-lean on the iPhone,

323

but at the very least, make sure that

you have a microphone that you can plug

324

into your iPhone, those, like, little

microphones that content creators use.

325

you know, you can find

them easily on Amazon.

326

John: and

327

Bernadette Marciniak: at

328

John: not expensive.

329

Bernadette Marciniak: audio.

330

Yeah, they l- they work great.

331

I use them with my clients.

332

and so at least you have clean audio,

and ask a friend to stand and, you

333

know, monitor the video, make sure

that nobody just, like, stands in front

334

of the shot while, you know, while

you're recording it on the iPhone.

335

Um, we wanna make sure that it's

a flattering angle and not, you

336

know, like, from, from down above.

337

realistically, you wanna be hiring

somebody to take video of you

338

at your speaking engagements.

339

And Ultimately, I think the best move

would be finding somebody to partner

340

with for half a year, depending on,

you know, how many engagements you

341

have and in what timeframe, so that

everything looks consistent for the final

342

product of a demo reel, and for your

content and brand awareness in general.

343

and so it's not looking like it's

just, like, piecemeal from everywhere.

344

you w- you wanna have some, some brand

identity behind what you're capturing.

345

John: So, so let's say we've got

a bunch of events that we've done

346

that have been filmed, and now it's

time to put the demo video together.

347

Are we gonna leave that in the hands

of the videographer, or are we gonna

348

be actively involved in that process?

349

are we just gonna be using clips

from those, or are we gonna be using

350

other media and content in with that?

351

Or what would be your

recommendations there?

352

Bernadette Marciniak: So I would say,

again, it, again, not all videographers

353

are created equal, so just because

somebody can capture good quality audio

354

and video doesn't necessarily mean

that they know how to weave a story

355

that, you know, has that, that, that

storyline, that thorough line through it.

356

so I would see if the person that

you're-- if you're, if you are gonna

357

partner with somebody, you know, for

the year, ideally they can do both.

358

they know how to capture good quality, and

they know how to produce good quality in

359

that there is a, a story at the end of it.

360

If you're working with, a, you know,

a v-various videographers because

361

perhaps you're going, you know, to

a lot of different locations, you're

362

speaking all over the country or, or

the continent, then it's, you know,

363

y-you get the good quality video,

but then it's still important to have

364

somebody to produce it that has the

ability to do that, that, thorough line.

365

John: I like the point you're making

about making these things too flashy

366

as well, 'cause I certainly think

some people seem to think they have

367

to make a huge investment into having

the top flashiest demo video that they

368

can have that's gonna wow the bookers

and get them booked for every event.

369

And yet I've seen some of these, you know,

where people have spent, several thousand

370

bucks on a demo video, and it's come back

and it's like it, it's all just show.

371

It's more like, it's more

like that sizzle reel.

372

There's no depth to it.

373

There's no through line, as you say.

374

There's no clarity about, you

know, beginning, middle, or end.

375

I can't see really what you're like

on stage other than a few clips

376

or where you've got your audience

maybe going, "Yay," or clapping,

377

whatever, and we wanna see more.

378

we need to see more than that.

379

So what kind of content, is it just the

talks that go into the demo reel, or would

380

you put other content in there as well?

381

Bernadette Marciniak: So I

would say it, it all depends on

382

what your ultimate goals are.

383

I have clients who are just set on

wanting to get on more stages, and at

384

that point, you want to show just stages.

385

If you are-- If your goal is to use

your speaking engagements, whether that

386

is podcasts, TV interviews, workshops,

stages, i- if you're trying to get

387

more of all of the above, then I would

say having evidence of everything, you

388

know, one, one clip from each of those

avenues in, in, in your demo video.

389

Yeah.

390

So it, it ultimately comes down

to your goals of, you know, where

391

you want to be appearing more.

392

And I've done, examples of, I've done

videos for clients, both ways, where

393

we're pulling in TV interviews and podcast

interviews and, and appearances on stages.

394

But this also means that you have to be

really diligent about keeping everything

395

organized, downloading it as soon as

you get it, essentially creating and

396

building a media library that is very

easy to navigate around for both you

397

and whoever is producing your reel later

398

John: Right.

399

that, that would be my downfall.

400

Excuse the church bell,

bells in the background here.

401

This is Spain, life in Spain.

402

but yeah, it's character.

403

It's character.

404

so this is all super important,

so it definitely depends on what

405

your objectives are with the demo

video, as to what kind of content

406

you should probably put in there.

407

We have a bit of an idea of the

timeframe and things like that.

408

What are the touches for you that make

it that bit more professional without

409

it having to become some big production?

410

Bernadette Marciniak: you know, I'll

say that like I, m- my personal belief

411

is that we don't need to make it fancy.

412

we're, we're using what we have.

413

we've like, you know, we're working

with what we've got and with the

414

ultimate goal in mind, and with

the ultimate message in mind.

415

And that, I think time and time again,

is going to be what beats out, you

416

know, any- anything flashy or any-

anything else, is to have that story.

417

I know it's a buzzword now.

418

I hate saying it but it, it still matters.

419

And, and that is like, it, it's, it's

the thing that people hate to hear

420

about, but the thing that matters most.

421

and that's the special

touch is something so basic.

422

Yeah

423

John: if someone is thinking, "Oh, it's

all good and well, but I don't have any

424

opportunities to get on stage just yet.

425

I'm just getting started, and don't

have access to a stage that I could

426

record on just at the moment anyway.

427

Certainly not to an audience right now."

428

are there any other things that

they could do that would still

429

be helpful for them for a demo?

430

Bernadette Marciniak: Absolutely.

431

So I would say that, first of all, you

can always hire a videographer to come

432

and, like, rent out a room that looks

like it's n- not like a room in a house.

433

Although it could still be, depending

on, you know, what kind of speaking

434

engagements you're getting after,

because there's a lot of opportunity

435

for like, to speak at smaller retreats

and workshops and stuff like that.

436

So hire a videographer, and even if it's

just you, or what I've done with some

437

of my clients is somebody organizes it,

obviously with my help, where w- they

438

get a bunch of their friends together

and, 'cause everybody has the same common

439

goal of having evidence of them speaking.

440

And so everybody goes

around for five minutes.

441

They speak to their audience, quote,

unquote, and it's all captured on video.

442

We also take photographs, because

photographs should also be captured.

443

It's not just about the video.

444

We need all of these

media, pieces of media.

445

and so you could just start by

creating the opportunity yourself,

446

with something like this.

447

Now, don't discredit also, like what

I was saying earlier, the workshops,

448

the little retreats, the smaller,

like, local things that you can do,

449

where you can speak to an audience

and again, hire somebody to capture

450

the video that way un- unless there's

going to be somebody, there on site.

451

And then lastly, I'd say n- again, let's

not forget about podcast interviews.

452

Like, if you really don't have the

budget to start out with hiring somebody

453

or, you know, or, uh, like haven't

quite gotten the ability to present

454

at, you know, these local workshops

or, or retreats, podcast interviews are

455

a really great way to get, you know,

your feet wet, to just test out the

456

waters and get evidence of you speaking.

457

This is still a speaking engagement.

458

Th- there's still an audience.

459

Right now at this current moment, my

audience is you, and then after this

460

goes live, the audience will be however

many people listen to this episode.

461

So it, you know, it still counts.

462

John: Yeah, absolutely

463

Bernadette Marciniak: you can do all

the- all of these little things, while

464

you're starting out and building.

465

We all start somewhere, right?

466

John: Yeah, and as you say, probably

in a few years' time you'll want to

467

re-record and improve it and, you

know, so I think it is a good thing

468

to come back and upgrade your demos

if n- if only because in two or three

469

years' time you might look a little bit

different yourself and you might be,

470

your talks might be a little different.

471

You're going to have developed

and evolved and, it is something

472

that should develop with you

473

Bernadette Marciniak: I would also say

though, 'cause I think there's this

474

mindset that, you know, y- you do, like

you do your first beginner reel or, or

475

demo video now, and that in two to three

years' time to burn it all down and,

476

and create something completely new.

477

The idea is not to do that.

478

It's to continue building

on what you've created.

479

and you know, at some point some

parts of your demo of, you know,

480

some clips of you speaking are

not gonna be relevant anymore.

481

Sometimes you might use stuff

from a decade ago because it still

482

stands the test of time and it's,

you know, it's still relevant

483

to what you're talking about.

484

So it's not about completely

reinventing the wheel every few years.

485

It's about building upon

what you already have

486

John: Yeah.

487

And gosh, if you've got a bit of your demo

or bi- bit of video that you absolutely

488

love or that people really respond well

to, why would you want to pull that out?

489

absolutely keep it in there.

490

Yeah.

491

No, that ma- that makes

a lot of sense to me.

492

We don't have, we don't have

to, burn the house down to

493

start building it all up again.

494

a- and that's probably useful for a lot

of people to know because, as you said,

495

we have-- we all have to start somewhere.

496

Again, I was just thinking, even if

what you have is, like, not from one of

497

your keynote talks, you've got footage

of you, I don't know, in a, doing

498

storytelling or, from your Toastmasters

clubs and that, it's still gonna be

499

helpful for somebody to see what you

sound like, what your energy is like.

500

Bookers are looking to have confidence

that they can put you on a stage,

501

and they're gonna have some sense of

what you're gonna be able to deliver

502

or do in front of an audience.

503

As-- Which is one of the reasons why I

do think it is, if you can, it is good

504

to actually be filmed with an audience

there so they can see, all right,

505

you're not just there, you are actually

in front of people delivering this,

506

because some people obviously do have

fear and panic attacks when they get

507

put up on stage in front of audiences

508

Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah.

509

So e- exactly.

510

That's why I, you know, I m- mentioned

earlier gathering a, you know, your small

511

community to, to show that there's, butts

in the seats, for lack of a better term.

512

But that's ul- the ultimate goal

for the event organizers too.

513

That's why, you know, they're

hiring you is to attract people

514

to, to come to their event.

515

I…

516

You know, that's a very interesting idea.

517

I wonder if Toastmasters, li- like

if you're going to Toastmasters

518

and, and you've been practicing or

something, if they'd allow you to bring

519

a videographer, especially if you're

just, if the videographer is only gonna

520

get like the backs of heads of people.

521

And you can also, you know, offer

that to the other people there

522

saying like, "Hey, I'm bringing in a

videographer, and they're available

523

to you," you know, probably at,

you know, at, at an extra cost.

524

But you know, like, it, it

like, it, it's about a, a rising

525

tide lift, lifts all boats.

526

So if you have to be the one to

create that opportunity, um, for,

527

for a community, then, uh, y-

I, I personally, uh, don't think

528

there's anything better than that

529

John: I do think as a, as someone who

trains and coaches speakers that I w- I

530

generally advise people to film everything

because they need to watch it back,

531

and they probably need to watch it back

with, someone else with them as well.

532

But you're never really gonna see or

sense what you're doing on stage unless

533

you watch yourself back, and I think some

people just get a little antsy about that.

534

They're like, "Oh, I

don't like hearing myself.

535

I don't like seeing myself."

536

It's like,

537

Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah

538

John: just have to get

over it, unfortunately

539

Bernadette Marciniak: do.

540

You know, I can completely resonate

with folks who don't wanna watch

541

the, you know, the Monday video

as we call it here in the United

542

States, uh, you know, with football.

543

You know, to watch yourself do it

again to give yourself, you know,

544

feedback and see what you're…

545

Like, it is, as the

millennials call it, so cringe.

546

but the sooner, like, l- like, let's just

accept, yes it sucks, yes it's cringe, yes

547

it's awful, and we're gonna do it anyway,

'cause there's no other way around it.

548

it has to be done.

549

Whether, you know, you're giving

yourself notes or you're trying to,

550

you know, get clips together for a,

a speaker reel, a demo video, then

551

it, like, it, you're gonna need to

watch yourself at one point or another

552

John: Yeah.

553

So if

554

Bernadette Marciniak: I will

555

John: if it's not if not for

the demo video, at least for

556

your own development, right?

557

Bernadette Marciniak: I'm sorry?

558

John: if the video is not for

your demo reel, it's at least

559

helping with your development

560

Bernadette Marciniak: 100%.

561

I will say a lot of the time when we're

looking at the video and like, 'cause

562

I, you know, I also know that there's an

element of like perhaps not loving the

563

way we look on video, and that is just

also a crapshoot because you never know

564

what the lighting situation is gonna be.

565

You never know like how it's

gonna come out on video.

566

Again, we're all our

own worst enemies here.

567

we're our own worst critics,

and so literally nobody else is

568

going to be looking at it with

the same critical lens you are.

569

but it's only going to

benefit you in the end

570

John: Yeah.

571

Have you-- I don't know if

you've come across this.

572

I haven't, but I'm suspecting it

might come up, of people perhaps

573

being tempted to use AI-generated

videos in their demo reels

574

Bernadette Marciniak: have

not come across that yet.

575

If I did, it would be like, are you--

do you mean that they would have

576

AI-generated examples of them speaking?

577

John: You could potentially, couldn't a,

an AI video generated of you on the stage

578

with an audience and they're all, and

they're giving you a standing ovation.

579

You could do it.

580

I don't know how good it would

be, but I suspect that these

581

things are gonna start appearing

582

Bernadette Marciniak: I obviously,

I, again, I a-agree with you.

583

I wouldn't be surprised

if they started appearing.

584

I would say could see the

benefit to doing it w- like once.

585

If you are, again, at like, at the

beginning, I think you would still

586

have to feed it some sort of audio

to, to, you know, have it create

587

John: Yeah.

588

I've never tried to create

something like that, so I d- I

589

don't know exactly, but, yeah,

590

Bernadette Marciniak: I would like

if, but if you're looking to be

591

on stage in front of real people,

then it would be a disservice to

592

offer footage that is inauthentic.

593

but I'm sure that's something event

organizers are going to start dealing

594

with, sooner or later, but I think

that's also a really quick way to earn

595

a reputation for not getting hired.

596

you know, you'll quickly become

a one-and-done deal and people

597

won't wanna have you back

598

John: Yeah.

599

I think it's more of a credibility

burner than anything else.

600

probably something to steer clear of.

601

But, you know, often if you are

actually out there doing some

602

speaking, there's no reason to do

an AI video o- of yourself anyway.

603

I think it's more for like the people who

are perhaps trying to look like they're

604

further ahead than they are, the sort of

fake it till they make it kind of people.

605

but yeah, like, like you,

I, I wouldn't recommend it

606

Bernadette Marciniak: The-- And that

being said, I'm-- There are some

607

AI tools that could be helpful in

producing a demo reel or a speaker

608

John: Sure

609

Bernadette Marciniak: I would say I

know that we are trying really hard not

610

to, like, as a speaker, to have filler

words, say "um" and "uh" too much.

611

But if you get, the idea is yes, try

to not say those as much as possible,

612

but if they are in the, the speech or

in, in a talk or in the way that you

613

talk, getting rid of them is also going

to be a quick way to have a disconnect

614

in authenticity when you show up on

stage versus it being not in the video.

615

John: Yeah

616

Bernadette Marciniak: But I do know that,

there's also tools that now, like, might

617

help, uh, like if, if there's like a

word missing at the end of a sentence or

618

something, and like having that one word

there and being able to put like B-roll

619

over, that I could see being useful.

620

I don't see that as inauthentic.

621

I see that as like thought completion.

622

and I would also, again, use it

sparingly, not as, you know, a, a crutch

623

that you go to lean on all the time.

624

John: No, 100%.

625

No, I think that there are things that can

help clean up your audio, that might even

626

help be able to enhance video images and

things like that without changing things

627

too dramatically, but would improve that.

628

So I think there are AI tools that are

potentially helpful to having a more

629

polished demo video that you could

certainly use and undoubtedly the ones

630

that can help you, you know, even with

Canva tools and stuff, you can put

631

some, text on the screen and, and have,

like, little bits of B-roll or even

632

just links between each of the sections

or, so it blends more, more naturally

633

between the segments of your video.

634

So I think there, there is a lot of

tools that potentially could help

635

you to deliver a decent demo video.

636

But let me ask you this.

637

I, probably, closer to some- one of the

final questions of this, but what sort of

638

budget would you recommend somebody have

or invest into creating a demo video?

639

Bernadette Marciniak: Well, so this all

is going to come down to whether you're…

640

it, it's a whole cost because it's not

just about creating the, the video at

641

the end, but about capturing it at the,

you know, through the year, getting

642

the footage and the media that you

need throughout a certain timeframe.

643

now you're going to find, uh, as with

anything, a wide variety of price ranges

644

from videographer to videographer, you

know, video editor to video editor.

645

and I'll say there's some of the, the

cheapest folks might do a great job.

646

They might be diamonds in the rough.

647

But more often than not, you're

going to find that there's some

648

place that they fall short, whether

it's the way they frame, the, the

649

speaking in, your video of you on

stage, or the audio sounds horrible.

650

I think, you know, those are the two

big ones to watch out for, no matter

651

the price, whether they're, you

know, on the high end or the low end.

652

but for the production of the video at

the end, the demo, video at the end, you

653

do want to work with somebody who is more

experienced in weaving together stories.

654

Again, I'm going to use that word again.

655

not somebody who can just,

you know, say, "Oh, I can put

656

together a speaker reel for you."

657

Because then you will end up with that

sizzle reel of mic drops and sound bites.

658

It has to be somebody who is familiar

with marketing, familiar with

659

branding, familiar with your brand

and your goals to be able to produce

660

the video at the end that's going

to be reflective of all of that.

661

And those folks are going to be on the

higher end of the pricing spectrum.

662

John: Yeah.

663

do you think there's also value to

having longer versions or longer

664

clips of your talks available for,

potential bookers to check out as well?

665

Bernadette Marciniak: Sure.

666

I think that it's actually super important

to do that because first of all, like

667

any video that you get of you, speaking,

it, it-- That, that media library that

668

I've been talking about throughout the

course of this episode should not just

669

live in the depths of your Dropbox.

670

It should also be on your YouTube.

671

it, you know, you don't have to

post it on your website, but, like,

672

have a YouTube channel and start,

like, having a little library there.

673

The idea is not to grow a YouTube channel.

674

It is to have a place to send folks,

event organizers or whoever needs

675

examples of you speaking, where everything

is, you know, in, in one, one space.

676

And so once they watch that demo video

of you speaking, I know that a lot of

677

event organizers will also want to see

a longer example, because a demo video,

678

again, is still only two minutes long.

679

We are, along with the story, m-picking

the best moments, the best delivery,

680

especially if you're saying similar

versions of everything the same, you

681

know, through-throughout multiple talks.

682

but a full keynote recording is going

to give an event organizer evidence

683

of how you appear on stage and how you

interact with the audience throughout an

684

entire keynote or speaking engagement,

not just how you appear for 30 seconds.

685

and so th-that's why I'll, like, I like to

have everything, whether you're using your

686

YouTube for other thing, you know, have

a playlist of your speaking engagements.

687

You don't have to share the link, you

know, far and wide unless you want to.

688

and unless you're doing some serious SEO

work or something about your description

689

or caption pops off and for whatever

reason becomes viral, nobody's gonna

690

go searching for it, but you still have

this really great library of content

691

that you can show to event organizers or,

like I said, whoever else might need it.

692

John: Yeah.

693

And you can keep that stuff unlisted

so it's not just show- you know,

694

gonna be showing up in search as well.

695

I think that's re- really important,

bookers as well, they're probably not

696

gonna watch the whole 45-minute keynote,

but they are gonna sk- skip through

697

it and try and catch different bits.

698

They maybe want to see, see if you're

doing anything interactive with the

699

crowd, or maybe listen to you telling

a story, or see how you open and

700

close, or how you handle transitions.

701

all those kinds of things they might

wanna skip through and get a sense of it.

702

but having the whole thing available to

them definitely seems to make sense to me.

703

it's not something you wanna have up

on your website for obvious reasons

704

perhaps, but, but something that

bookers, might well be, may well find

705

valuable to helping to make the decision

about whether they book you or not

706

Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah.

707

And I mean, you can have

it on your website, you can

708

not have it on your website.

709

You can embed the playlist onto your

website, you know, at, you know,

710

as a form of credibility of like,

"Here's all the stuff that I've done."

711

Um, I know that there's a lot of folks

who on their About pages have links

712

to all of their speaking engagements,

podcast interviews, everything like that.

713

one thing that I did wanna touch on

is, you know, we've been talking about

714

audience engagement and interaction, and

if you are a speaker who is going to get

715

very interactive and engaged with your

audience, perhaps like going out into the

716

floor and, you know, giving the mic to,

you know, somebody to answer a question.

717

I would say give your videographer a

heads-up that that's going to happen

718

so that they can prepare for it.

719

Otherwise, your footage might

not come out the way you want.

720

I always have a two-camera setup when

I'm capturing, uh, footage for my

721

speakers, just, you know, in case of that.

722

But also, I always ask them ahead

of time, "Hey, listen, if you're

723

gonna go out there, I need to

know so that I can prepare one of

724

the cameras to get that angle."

725

John: Yeah.

726

this has been good.

727

I think you've given a pretty

comprehensive overview of, what's

728

needed to create your demo video

if already got one, or maybe to,

729

pull this together or maybe upgrade

the one that you have currently.

730

So thank you for that.

731

it's really valuable and hopefully our

listener does understand very clearly

732

why this is such an important media

asset for them to have for their future

733

bookings as they go forward as well.

734

and one thing I would sort of say as

well, just to add to this is I often

735

hear people talking about the sort of the

costing and the resources that they have

736

available and things like that, and it…

737

This is one of those things that doesn't

really have to rely on what resources

738

you currently have available to you,

but this is where you can get creative

739

and get resourceful and maybe even find

other speakers who are looking to do

740

similar objectives and work together if

you can do that, because there's always

741

a way to make things happen with this.

742

Don't, as I said, don't be limited.

743

Don't be limited by your current

lack of resources or like, "Oh,

744

I don't know how to do this."

745

There, there will be a way

forward if you're determined and

746

resourceful with it as well, I think

747

Bernadette Marciniak: Yeah, and I think

it all comes down to how determined you

748

are and what your ultimate goals are.

749

As with anything, th- there are

gonna need to be resources used,

750

time, energy, money, to create these

pieces of content, to create the,

751

the demo video, the speaker reel.

752

But if your ultimate goal is to get up

on stages that, where you're getting

753

paid, you know, five figures or

more, then at the end of the day, the

754

investment to make it happen is going

to be a huge return on investment,

755

John: It's almost insignificant

by comparison really.

756

So yeah, very good point.

757

Bernadette, thank you so much.

758

This has been a valuable conversation.

759

I think we've covered pretty much

every aspect of demo videos that

760

people would need to be able to get

started and make their demo video.

761

We look forward to hearing back from

you, our listener, when you've got your

762

demo video made, come share it with us.

763

How did it go?

764

How do you make it?

765

Where did you get started?

766

What bits did you, of advice

did you find most useful?

767

for our listener, Bernadette, if, if

they would like to get in touch with you,

768

and find out more about you, what would

be the best way for them to do that?

769

Bernadette Marciniak: So I am on

LinkedIn, Bernadette Marciniak.

770

I also hang out a lot on Instagram because

I am a millennial, you know, that's

771

kind of what I was brought up with.

772

also Bernadette Marciniak, and if

you'd like to check out my website

773

specifically for speakers, you can

go to solhausmedia.com/speakers.

774

And, Solhaus is spelled S-O-L-H-A-U-S

775

John: But all those links will be

in the show notes for anyone who

776

would like to come and connect

with you and find out more.

777

Thank you so much for sharing

your knowledge and expertise

778

with us today on the show.

779

Really appreciate it.

780

And, and thank you for being my

guest on Professional Speaking

781

Bernadette Marciniak: Thank

you so much for having me.

782

I had a great time

783

John: one thing that's really important

to remember, I think, at the end of

784

this conversation is that you can

still get booked without a demo reel.

785

But having the demo reel is

gonna be a huge advantage to you.

786

Very often when prospective clients

come to me and I take a look at their

787

websites and they say, "Oh yeah, I've

got a demo video," they send me a

788

link to their demo, and I watch it and

think, "It's not really a demo video."

789

The reality is bookers aren't gonna

bother letting you know that your

790

demo video isn't actually a demo video

and isn't what they're looking for.

791

Th- they want to see what you can do

on stage, they want it to be somewhat

792

cohesive, and they want to know what

you can deliver and what the experience

793

of booking you as a speaker is.

794

Now, there's a, there's a degree

to which some of that can be

795

conveyed through a good abstract or

talk description and through your

796

conversation and communication with

the bookers that you connect with.

797

But having a demo reel that highlights

those things for you, even if you

798

have to hire a stage for an hour

or so to record some elements, if

799

you can, Splice it in with show

footage or podcasts you've been on.

800

Splice it in with any other

gig, any other gigs you've done.

801

If you've done some storytelling or

some stand-up or anything like that.

802

So long as it's suitable, you can

put some of that in, or at least

803

put some of the clips in maybe

with music rather than with audio.

804

I think there's a lot you can do

here, but it is gonna be better for

805

you to show that you can deliver on

stage than to not have that at all.

806

So whilst I say you can absolutely

get booked without a demo video, it is

807

a huge advantage for you to have it.

808

I hope this episode has inspired

you to go and make your own demo

809

video if you don't have one.

810

Or maybe you do have one and you're

thinking that it's looking a bit

811

old now, and it's time to update it.

812

Well, that would be a great

thing to get onto as well.

813

I'd love to see your demo videos too.

814

If you want a quick review of your demo

video, by all means send it through to me.

815

You'll find the contact links in

the show notes for this episode

816

or in the YouTube description.

817

Coming up very soon, I have an episode

with Brian Miller, who's recently

818

released a book called The One Page

Keynote, It's all about how to make sure

819

that your keynote has all the elements

in it That are going to be compelling

820

and engaging for your audiences.

821

And that's really critical for anyone who

is speaking professionally or otherwise.

822

He specifically talks in his

book about the lack of a need

823

for charisma, that you don't need

to have this g- highly developed

824

charisma to have a successful talk.

825

Well, I had some thoughts about

that that we got to discussing,

826

and

827

that's all gonna be coming

up pretty soon on the show.

828

If you're not already subscribed,

please make sure you do.

829

Otherwise, you might just miss some

of those great episodes coming up.

830

And wherever you're going, whatever you're

doing, have an amazing rest of your day.

831

Go and do something worth talking about.

832

See you next time.