Launch Google and input your own name. Then hit ‘images.’ If you’ve been building a career as an expert for some time, it should return an assortment of photos. Now take a look at the outfits you’re wearing from one image to the next. Is there a degree of variety? Or are you wearing the same clothes in every photo? 

Now try the same with your YouTube videos. Do they all look identical, or is there enough variation to create a good and credible impression when viewed collectively? 

If it’s all looking a little too familiar, make a point of mixing it up. YouTube videos are the most obvious culprit and the most easy to address. Next time you shoot one, be sure to wear a different colour, a different cut. 

Pay attention to the smaller details, and over time, the total impressions add up. 

Douglas Kruger, CSP, is a global speaker, who focuses on brand, culture and innovation. He is the author of five business books with Penguin and has won the national championships for Public Speaking, through Toastmasters International, a record 5 times.

In 2016, in honour of excellence in his craft, Douglas was inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame by the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa. In 2018, the National Speakers Association granted him the accreditation of Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by only 12 per cent of speakers globally.

See him in action, or sign up for his free newsletter, ‘From Amateur to Expert’ at www.douglaskruger.co.za. Email info@douglaskrugerspeaker.com