Video feedback
The anxiety we associate with giving presentations colours how we perceive ourselves as public speakers. The negative inner image we have is what we think others see when we speak. One way to correct that image is to film ourselves when we give a presentation and then see how it actually looks and sounds.
When watching the recording, most people feel that their nervousness and anxiety is seen and heard far less than they thought. This provides a more realistic picture of you as a speaker than your experience of the presentation.
How can you do this?
- Film yourself giving a presentation on a topic of your choice for at least three minutes. You can do this alone, by placing your phone/camera on a shelf a distance away from you so that as much of you as possible can be seen, or ask someone to film you, depending on what you are comfortable with. Try to give the presentation WITHOUT using safety behaviours.
- Then it’s time to watch the recording. While watching, it’s important to imagine that someone else is holding the presentation. The purpose is to free yourself as much as you can from how it felt to give the presentation, and to as objectively as possible pay attention to what you see and hear in the video, as if it were someone else you were watching.
What’s your conclusion after watching the recording? Another way to get more factual information about what you are like as a public speaker is to ask someone you trust for feedback in a couple of areas that you wonder about. Examples: What does my body language look like? Do I sometimes look up from my script? Am I speaking at a reasonable speed? Reasonably loudly? Do I sometimes pause briefly?