Episode #163: How To Use Video In Your Presentation

Why do so many executives in Japan hide behind video in presentations?

In many 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in 東京 (Tokyo), leaders default to video the moment they feel insecure about their own presentation skills. Instead of building a powerful executive presence, they press “play” and hope the video will do the work for them.

The result is familiar: a monotonous, scripted introduction, followed by a long corporate PR video that was never designed for this specific audience or context. The executive becomes a narrator of someone else’s content rather than the true driver of the message. The audience experiences a disconnect between the “brand” on screen and the human being standing in front of them.

Executives often overuse video because:

• It feels safer than speaking with energy and authenticity.

• It fills time and reduces the amount of content they must own and deliver.

• It appears “professional” on the surface, even if it weakens the core message.

Mini-summary: Over-reliance on video is usually a symptom of weak presentation confidence, not a strategic choice. Leaders must be the main event, not the filler between videos.

When video takes center stage, several business risks appear:

1. You lose control of the room.
   While the video plays, the audience’s primary relationship is with the screen, not with you. Their emotional connection is built with images, music, and anonymous voices—not with the leader who must ultimately influence their decisions.

2. You invite damaging comparisons.
   A high-energy, well-produced video followed by a low-energy, monotone speaker creates a painful contrast. If your delivery is flat, the audience subconsciously wishes the video would come back.

3. Technical issues destroy credibility.
   In many boardrooms across Japan, leaders still struggle with:

   • Exiting and re-entering slide decks

   • Broken links

   • Audio failures

   • Incorrect file formats
     Every minute spent “fixing” the video sends a message: “We were not prepared.” For senior stakeholders, that is costly.

4. You interrupt your own momentum.
   Dropping a long video at the start of your talk prevents you from building a relationship first. The audience has not yet decided to trust you, yet you’re already asking them to consume passive content.

Mini-summary: When video dominates, you risk losing credibility, momentum, and emotional connection. The more senior the audience, the more dangerous these risks become.

Video can be extremely powerful—if used strategically, briefly, and in service of your message.

Video works best when:

• It does what humans cannot do as efficiently.
  For example:

  • Showing a factory tour in three minutes instead of explaining it in ten.

  • Demonstrating product performance at scale or in dangerous environments.

  • Visualizing complex systems, timelines, or transformations.

• It amplifies emotion, not replaces it.
  Video is ideal for telling a short customer story, highlighting employee voices, or visualizing impact. It compresses time, adds music, and combines multiple faces and locations, making abstract ideas feel real.

• It is tightly aligned with the specific talk.
  Most “corporate videos” are generic. For a high-stakes presentation, you should either:

  • Curate only the most relevant 30–90 seconds, or

  • Commission a tailored piece that clearly supports your narrative.

• It fits the brand and industry.
  In design-driven sectors—luxury goods, consumer brands, architecture, technology—video is a natural extension of visual identity. Here, fast motion, slow motion, and cinematic storytelling can showcase products and experiences that words alone cannot capture.

Mini-summary: Video adds real value when it shows what cannot be easily said, compresses complex realities into simple stories, and is tightly aligned with the goal of your presentation.

How should leaders design the “bridge” into and out of video?

Most presenters simply say, “Now, please watch this video,” press play, and hope for the best. This is a missed opportunity. Strong leaders deliberately design the “bridge” into and out of the video.

1. Before the video: frame it clearly

In プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), we encourage executives to answer three questions out loud before hitting play:

• “Why are we watching this?” (Purpose)

• “What should you pay attention to?” (Focus)

• “How long will it take?” (Expectation)

Example:

“In the next 60 seconds, you’ll see how one of our clients transformed their sales process. As you watch, focus on how their customer experience changes at each step. Afterward, I’ll show you how we can apply the same approach in your division.”

2. During the video: stay engaged and present

Do not hide behind the screen. Maintain partial eye contact with the audience, scan the room, and be ready to pause or stop if attention drops. You remain the leader—even when the lights are dimmed.

3. After the video: immediately connect it to your message

The first sentence after the video ends is critical. It must bridge from “what we saw” to “what this means for you.”

Example:

“You just saw how quickly their customer engagement scores rose once the new process was adopted. Let’s look at what that would mean for your team’s conversion rate in the Japan market.”

Then move directly into an action-oriented discussion, data point, or decision.

Mini-summary: The real power of video lies in how you introduce it, how you remain present while it plays, and how you translate it into clear meaning and next steps as soon as it finishes.

Senior leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in 東京 (Tokyo) must demonstrate that they can carry the message with or without video. That requires three capabilities:

1. Strong executive presence.
   Voice, eye contact, posture, and facial expression must convey conviction and clarity. Video should support your presence, not overshadow it.

2. Clear, audience-centric structure.
   You should be able to summarize the entire talk in a few key messages that are relevant to your stakeholders’ goals, risks, and KPIs. Video becomes one strategic proof point within that structure—not a crutch.

3. Confident facilitation and interaction.
   Today’s senior audiences expect dialogue, not monologue. After a short video clip, top leaders ask questions, invite reactions, and redirect the conversation toward decisions and commitments.

This is where プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation skills training) and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) become decisive differentiators. Dale Carnegie Tokyo helps leaders:

• Replace monotone delivery with natural, persuasive communication.

• Design presentations where every tool—slides, video, stories—has a clear purpose.

• Build confidence to lead high-stakes meetings without hiding behind the screen.

Mini-summary: Executives must be able to own the room regardless of technology. Training and coaching help ensure the leader is always more compelling than any video.

Dale Carnegie Training has over 100 years of global experience and more than 60 years in Tokyo helping leaders communicate with impact across cultures. Our work with 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) covers:

• プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training):
  Designing message-first presentations where video, slides, and visuals are used strategically—not habitually.

• リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training):
  Building authentic executive presence so leaders can inspire trust with or without multimedia.

• 営業研修 (sales training):
  Using short, targeted video or demos to support persuasive sales conversations, not replace them.

• エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching):
  One-on-one support for senior leaders preparing critical investor briefings, global town halls, or board-level presentations.

• DEI研修 (DEI training):
  Ensuring messages and stories—whether live or on video—reflect inclusive, respectful, and globally aligned communication.

Our focus is simple: video should serve the leader, the message, and the business outcome—not the other way around.

Mini-summary: Dale Carnegie Tokyo helps organizations transform video from a passive, generic add-on into a precise, high-impact tool embedded in confident, human-centered leadership communication.

• Video is powerful, but overused and often misused as a substitute for strong presentation skills.

• When video dominates, you risk losing credibility, momentum, and emotional connection with your audience.

• The highest-impact presentations use short, tightly aligned video clips framed by a strong “bridge” before and after.

• プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) with Dale Carnegie Tokyo ensure that you, not the video, remain the main story.

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.