Communication Tip 4: Practice on Camera

By Dan Nielsen

February 6, 2020


We are now on Tip 4 in our communication series based on the excellent strategies suggested by Michael Thompson in his article, “According to Warren Buffett, Honing This One Skill Can Improve Your Worth by 50 Percent.”

We’ve already explored Thompson’s first three tips for improving your communication skills:

  1. Develop a daily writing habit
  2. Watch popular speeches and learn how to critique them
  3. Observe the strong communicators in your own life

Today’s tip might strike you as a little more extreme—while it is a simple daily exercise, it is one that requires dedication and intentionality: “Record yourself every day talking into a camera for 3 minutes.”

Thompson suggests starting by recording yourself answering common interview questions, such as “tell me about yourself?” Review your recordings, take notes on what you did well and where you could use improvement, and then do it again every day until you are pleased with the outcome. 

After that, pick another question or topic to address and repeat the exercise, reviewing and adjusting as necessary, putting into practice the techniques you’ve learned from watching speeches and observing other strong communicators.

“By doing this one exercise every day for a few minutes you may be surprised by not just how much your communication has improved but also how much your confidence has risen.”

It might feel awkward at first, and creating the habit might take awhile, but once you get started there’s no doubt this strategy will help you quickly and effectively hone your communication skills!

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About the author

Dan Nielsen is the author of the books Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, and Presidential Leadership: Learning from United States Presidential Libraries & Museums. He regularly writes and speaks on leadership excellence and achieving greater success, and is available to deliver keynotes, lead workshops, or facilitate discussions for your group. LEARN MORE

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