Critique your performance so you can improve

A pastor I know is quite comfortable getting up in front of his congregation, but he’s a mediocre preacher. When I asked him if he watched the videos of his weekly sermons, he said, “No. I don’t like to see myself on video.”

These days, more and more of us are appearing on video more often than ever before.

On our video channels, for example, we have a collection of videos with publishing information, videos promoting our books, videos of me giving talks, and our just-for-fun unboxing channel.

Beyond Zoom meetings, video chats, and even Facebook Live sessions, people who never thought they’d spend time in front of a camera are finding an increasing number of reasons to record and share messages for viewing later.

These recordings are a great opportunity to improve the way we look and speak—but only if we watch them and learn from them.

So if you’re uncomfortable watching yourself on video, get over it. I know it might be painful but watch anyway. It’s the best way to get honest feedback. As you watch, ask yourself these questions:

  • How’s your posture?
  • Are you fidgeting in a way that could distract your audience?
  • Are you speaking clearly and distinctly without a lot of unnecessary pauses or uhs and ums?
  • Is your expression warm and natural?

The key is to view with an eye toward constructive criticism, not to beat yourself up because you made a few mistakes or your appearance isn’t celebrity-perfect. At the same time, look for the things you did well and celebrate them—no need to be modest when you nailed it.

Am I an expert public speaker? No. But I get better with each presentation because when I have it on video, I watch it and use it to improve.

Related:
10 Tips to Create Videos Your Viewers will Watch, Like, and Share

Jacquelyn Lynn
Follow me
Latest posts by Jacquelyn Lynn (see all)