Video helps you become a skilled innovative presenter. It’s like watching your golf swing — seeing everything you do right … and do wrong. You are probably thinking: “I HATE seeing myself on video.”
Well, experts can tell you that they never had a person in our presentation training or coaching sessions who looked at themselves on video and said, “Wow. I was absolutely phenomenal!” Seeing and hearing yourself can be a humbling experience as well as somewhat painful because you tend to be overly and unjustifiably critical of yourself.
Audiences are nowhere near as judgmental and harsh regarding your presentation as you are yourself. Eddie Redmayne, an English actor, singer, and model said, “Most actors hate watching their own films because all you see are the glaring mistakes — your own tricks and ticks.”
Accomplished actors including Dame Judi Dench, Denzel Washington, Johnny Depp, and Robert DeNiro have said they don‘t watch their movies. Even Meryl Streep, considered one of the best actors of all time, is a member of that group!
People all tend to see the minor, insignificant mistakes they make and blow them out of proportion. Keep in mind that your audience is not sitting down with an evaluation sheet and rating you on the tiniest performance slip ups!
When you look at your video afterwards — as difficult as it may be — try to be easy on yourself and be objective. Look for things that you can improve immediately and things that you know you’ll have to work on over time.
Judging yourself harshly is counterproductive and definitely not warranted. Use the video as a vital feedback tool. Professional speakers try to video themselves every couple of months to make sure they don’t fall back into bad habits.
The more you practice your speaking skills in front of audiences, the more you relax and reduce any stage fright you may have. That results in a more confident and self-assured demeanor. Do many different types of speeches and presentations to experiment with your style.
Try new content, humor, and creative ways to use your visuals, props, equipment, and accessories. The road to phenomenal presentations is through the tunnel of practice — perfect practice.