10 ways video can improve your presentations
The camera doesn’t lie, they say. More important, it detects little tics and habits that you might be overlooking but that are driving your audience bonkers. Here’s what to look for.
A longtime friend and colleague just completed a special speaking event, giving a sermon at his church.
As I was telling him how well he’d done on the video, he admitted he hadn’t looked at it and didn’t want to—so much so that he hadn’t even listened to the audio.
He has that in common with the best in the business: Any professional newscaster, actor or performer will tell you that they hate how they look and sound when recorded, so it’s no surprise we ordinary mortals do, too. (New research suggests that if you hate the sound of your own voice, there may be a physiological reason for that .)
As a coach, I see it differently: If you’re lucky enough to be recorded when you speak—whether you do the recording or someone else does—you’ve got a golden opportunity to learn things you might otherwise never know about how you speak.
If a video is made available to you, take the opportunity. You might also rig your own ultralight camcorder or entreat a pal with a smartphone, and take charge of your own recording.
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