Quick Tip – Record Yourself on Video

🚀 You might be surprised by what you see – Issue #143

I once worked with a person who made interesting facial expressions during our conversations. Whenever I asked him a tough question, he sneered before responding.

I’m sure that he wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. But, it gave the impression that he was disgusted that you’d dare to ask him such a question (Hmmm, maybe he was?).

I also had a colleague who had a somewhat disconcerting conversational habit. If you asked him about anything, he would turn his head to face the wall while he thought about his answer.

He would say, “Ummm…” and then turn back to speak. He did this every single time.

Most of us are unaware of our tics that express themselves when we’re feeling stressed or anxious. We sometimes have subtle facial expressions that we don’t know that we are making.

It’s not surprising. How often do you get a chance to watch yourself speaking and responding to others?

So, my tip for you today is a follow up to yesterday’s advice. Record videos of yourself speaking and answering questions.

You can do this solo, but I would also encourage that you record some sessions while a friend is asking you questions (e.g., job interview questions). We respond differently and make a wider variety of facial expressions when we are facing someone else.

You should also record yourself standing and speaking to review your body language:

• What are you doing with your hands while you talk?

• Do you fidget and act nervous?

• Do you move naturally?

• Do you look and sound confident or uncertain?

• Are you swaying back and forth?

• Do you rapidly blink your eyes?

• What facial expressions do you make when answering a challenging question?

I’ve received a lot of training in public speaking, have spoken at numerous events, and record video to see what I’m doing when I talk. I still catch myself fidgeting, and pacing back and forth.

That’s why you always have to practice and review! Bad habits creep into our speaking habits.

Keep tuning your delivery style, and you’ll make an even stronger impression during your next job interview or presentation.