Performance Coaching – Episode 2: Record Yourself

If you're like most people, you probably replay moments over and over in your head. It likely happens when you get into that chance conversation, have an argument, or do a customer pitch. Right? You think to yourself, when they said x y or z, I should have said or man, I wish I had said it that way. Have you seen those progressive instant replay commercials? You know, the one where the spouse or the mom says they did something and the other character is like, that's not how that happened? Then they both pull out the red flag and say, let's check the replay? Wouldn't that be great? At least sometimes. Here's the thing, technology has given you just such a tool for continuous improvement and critical listening. In fact, you're probably watching this short video on it. Your phone or laptop is a great device to record your every client interaction, if you so choose. The business climate has made it even easier with the normalcy of Zoom or Teams. Just hit record and conduct business as you always do. Wait. Strike that. Hit record, but never again conduct business as you always have. Use those recordings. Watch those recordings. Learn from those recordings. And when you record yourself, you set yourself up for continuous improvement and critical learning. Let's start with improvement. The number one reason I hear that people don't watch recordings is that they don't like watching themselves and they hate the sound of their voice. Here's the truth. Ninety nine percent of people hate watching themselves and don't like the sound of their voice. People who make millions of dollars off their voice hate what their voice sounds like to them. But it's the voice you've got, so let's move on. Do it anyway. The truth is is that having technology that records your interactions is a gift. Just like that progressive commercial, you have a documented replay of what truly happened. You don't have to wonder what you said or remember what those exact perfect words you seem to remember saying were. You'll have them exactly as you did it. As you watch, listen for what you said. Do you like it? Was it clear? What if you were to resay it? What would you say differently? Now, if you loved it, memorize it. Say it like that from this day forth. Not so much? Try some different ways and watch in future recordings for what works. This is a gift to your future self and every future client. Here's another thing to look for. Do you have a tell? Is there something you do when you're nervous? Do you come across angry? Do you exude too much confidence? Not enough confidence? Turn off the sound and just watch. What story do your actions tell? The best part is that anything you don't like, you can fix. As we learned when we were little kids, knowing is half the battle. Now, one of the most powerful ways to use a recording is for critical listening. Try as you might, you've probably realized that when you're actually in the moment, you're thinking about you, and you're thinking about what you'll say next. Am I right? This is a gift that you can benefit from after the moment has passed. Watch this recording like your friend asked you to tell them what you see. And listen for what you may have missed that your client was telling you. Body language speaks. How many times did they try to break in? Did you ever give them the chance to? When they did speak, what were they saying? No. What were they really saying? I found that if you listen, clients will often tell you exactly how they want to buy. And here's another powerful nugget. Before you send that follow-up email or proposal for your service, use the words and the phrases that they shared, you know, the ones you recorded, to help them feel like you really get them. You see, you do because you took the time to get them. I listen to nearly all my calls and pitches. I'm always evolving what I say and how I say it. Even if I don't win the deal ultimately, I know I deliver my point of view in the most credible way I know how. I can be confident that an ultimate loss is not due to a poor presentation or because I didn't put in the effort. Record yourself. You'll hate it. After twenty years, you'll still hate it. Except, you'll also kinda love the results.