Episode #161: How To Review Your Presentation

Why should executives review their presentations like top athletes review game footage?

Elite athletes and coaches constantly review video of their performance to find strengths to repeat and weaknesses to fix. Yet many senior leaders, experts, and influencers in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in 東京 (Tokyo) almost never record and review their own presentations.

If your presentation skills drive business outcomes, sales, team engagement, and change initiatives, not reviewing yourself is a missed opportunity. Video review turns a one-time presentation into an ongoing training asset, similar to structured リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training) or プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training).

Mini-summary: Treat every presentation like a “match” and your video like “game footage.” Reviewing yourself is one of the fastest ways to improve executive presence and impact.

You do not need a production team. A basic video camera, smartphone, or laptop plus a simple tripod is enough.

• Position the camera so you are clearly visible from the front.

• Use the built-in microphone if the room is small; in larger rooms, consider a simple shotgun mic.

• Inform the audience that only you will appear in the frame to avoid privacy concerns.

• Press record once, then ignore the camera and focus fully on your audience.

For leaders in busy 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies), this low-friction setup makes recording achievable in regular meetings, town halls, and sales kick-offs—far beyond formal プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) environments.

Mini-summary: Simple, inexpensive technology is enough to capture high-value footage of your real performance in real business situations.

When reviewing your presentation, use four levers: Delete, Add, Reduce, Amplify.

1. Delete

   • Remove distracting phrases such as excessive “umm,” “ahh,” or filler words.

   • Cut stories or details that do not directly support your main business message.

2. Add

   • Insert stronger examples, data points, or client stories relevant to 日本企業 (Japanese companies) or 外資系企業 (multinational companies).

   • Add clear calls to action so listeners know exactly what you want them to do next.

3. Reduce

   • Shorten overcrowded sections where you speak too fast or present too many ideas at once.

   • Reduce jargon that may not land with cross-functional or multicultural audiences.

4. Amplify

   • Emphasise your strongest insights; spend more time on the points that move decisions, revenue, or change.

   • Highlight moments where your energy, voice, and message aligned—and replicate that style.

Mini-summary: Use “Delete, Add, Reduce, Amplify” to systematically fine-tune your structure, language, and impact every time you review a presentation.

Video reveals body language patterns that you cannot feel in the moment:

• Mumbling or low volume makes even brilliant ideas sound uncertain. Confidence sells; clarity and consistency in your voice signal confidence.

• Swaying, pacing, or fidgeting can distract from your key points and signal nervousness.

• Hands in constant motion or “frozen” gestures reduce the power of emphasis. Gestures should appear intentionally, support the message, and then disappear.

As you watch, note any physical habits that would make a client, senior stakeholder, or global executive question your confidence or credibility. These can be addressed in targeted プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) or エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching).

Mini-summary: Video helps you see distracting habits in posture, movement, and gestures that silently erode your authority—so you can consciously replace them with confident behaviours.

Ask yourself: “If I were in this audience, would I feel seen?”

• Eye contact:

  • Avoid staring at the back wall, slides, or your notes.

  • Connect with one person at a time for about 4–6 seconds in a natural, random pattern across the room (front, back, left, right).

  • This approach works especially well in cross-cultural settings common in 外資系企業 (multinational companies).

• Gestures:

  • Use gestures to emphasise key numbers, contrasts, or decisions.

  • Hold a gesture for up to 10–15 seconds when emphasising, then “turn it off” and return to a neutral position.

  • Avoid repetitive or permanent gestures (e.g., hands locked in one shape), which can look inauthentic.

When you watch your video, check if your audience would feel involved or ignored. Strong eye contact and purposeful gestures are core skills in any リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training) and プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training).

Mini-summary: Intentional eye contact and controlled gestures transform a one-way speech into a two-way connection, increasing trust and attention.

How do I spot opportunities to strengthen content, visuals, and interaction?

Video also reveals what you could have done to make the presentation more persuasive:

• Props and visuals:

  • Identify points where a simple prop, chart, or image would have made the idea more memorable.

  • For example, in a talk on “AI in the Workplace,” you might show two images and ask the audience to vote which one was created by AI—then reveal that both were. This makes the concept vivid and interactive.

• Slides:

  • Check if your slides support, or compete with, your spoken message.

  • Remove text-heavy slides and replace them with clear visuals, numbers, or short phrases.

• Audience participation:

  • Look for moments where you could have asked a question, requested a show of hands, or run a quick poll.

  • Engagement is particularly important in 営業研修 (sales training) contexts, where interaction reveals buying signals and clarifies needs.

Mini-summary: Use video to notice missed chances for visuals, props, and audience interaction, then design these elements intentionally into your next presentation.

Sometimes event hosts or internal policies make recording difficult. In that case, ask a trusted colleague to give you specific, structured feedback.

Instead of asking, “How was it?”, prepare clear questions such as:

• “Did my opening grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds?”

• “Were my main points easy to follow and supported by credible evidence?”

• “Did I maintain engaging eye contact across the room?”

• “Did my stories feel relevant for our clients and teams in Japan?”

Provide a simple checklist in advance so your colleague knows what to look for. Unless they are a presentation expert, they will need guidance to give you useful feedback.

Mini-summary: When video is not possible, structured feedback from a trusted observer is the next best tool for targeted improvement.

Most professionals in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) only present a few times per year. That low frequency makes it hard to build mastery, even when they attend excellent プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) or リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training).

By using video or expert feedback, you can:

• Re-experience your presentation as your audience saw it.

• Spot patterns over time—both strengths to repeat and habits to change.

• Make each presentation a stepping stone, not an isolated event.

This “review and refine” cycle is the same principle used in 営業研修 (sales training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), and DEI研修 (DEI training): frequent reflection plus targeted adjustment leads to sustained behavioural change.

Mini-summary: Regular review compresses learning cycles, turning every presentation into a practical training session that upgrades your long-term communication and leadership impact.

• Record to improve: Treat every important presentation like game footage—video review reveals what you cannot sense in the moment.

• Analyse with intention: Use the “Delete, Add, Reduce, Amplify” framework to adjust structure, language, and delivery.

• Upgrade presence: Video makes it easier to correct weak body language, poor eye contact, and distracting movement.

• Design engagement: Look for opportunities to add interaction, visuals, and clear calls to action tailored to 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in 東京 (Tokyo).

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since through リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), and DEI研修 (DEI training).