Using a video camera can be a painful, but enlightening, way to improve speaking skills

One of the toughest parts about communication is knowing what you do right and what you do wrong. Working with a speech coach is important and can help you improve - but if you really want to see what you are doing there is a simple step -- use a video camera.

Using a video camera can tell you much more about what you are doing than just listening to a speech coach. However, you want to make sure to know what you are looking for, so here are some tips.

1. Have someone run the video camera instead of having it in a stationary spot. The reason for this is that if you have it in a stationary spot, you need to make sure to have it panned away far enough to catch all of your movements. If you are moving during your speech (which you should) and the video is too close, you might move off of the screen. The problems that might happen include: being off of the screen; the video is so far away that you don't catch everything; the video camera might stop recording or run out of space and you won't know it - and those are just a couple of the problems that might happen if there is no one there to man the camera.

2. Use a "live" performance. While practicing your speeches is very important and video tapping those can be beneficial, using a live performance will provide much better feedback. A practice is exactly that, a practice. When you are performing in front of an audience, your adrenaline is running higher - there is an energy in the room that isn't there during practices - there might be interruptions or distractions that you will have to deal with - and the list can go on and on. Getting that live performance will capture all of it and allow you to see how you handled the situation and how to fix it.

3. Review the video with your speech coach. This is the most painful part - watching yourself on tape. I say painful because you truly see what you need to improve upon. While you will catch some things, if you want to become a great speaker, you should review it with a speech coach. They will be able to not only catch some things you might have missed, they will also be able to tell you HOW to fix those problems, which is the goal of this activity.

4. Repeat. Once you fix those problems - or at least attempt to fix them - record the next speech and review that. Then keep fixing what needs to be fixed - just keep repeating the process. Soon, you will become a great public speaker.

If you can do those four things - you will see a dramatic improvement in your speaking skills and you will see the responses in your audience as well.

Sometimes the most painful experiences can be the most beneficial. While watching yourself on tape might not be what you want to do - it is necessary if you want to become a better speaker.

Picture from Chris Schuepp at Flickr.com