How to Improve On-Camera Performance

Most people don’t fear the camera itself. They fear what it brings up.

They hear their own voice and think, “Do I really sound like that?”
They see their body language and fixate on every hand movement or blink.
They rewatch a take and cringe.

Even if the content isn't bad, they can’t stop judging how they come across.

That self-consciousness is a huge block. And the advice most people get of "just be yourself" doesn’t help much. If anything, it makes it worse. Because what does that even mean?

What you actually need is a process.

A way to prepare, speak with clarity, and get into a rhythm where your focus shifts away from yourself and onto the person you’re trying to help.

Confidence on camera doesn't mean you have to be overly polished or have a big personality. You just have to feel grounded in what you’re saying and who you’re saying it to. Once that clicks, everything else starts to settle down.

We’ve seen this happen over and over again with teams we coach. The IT director who didn’t want to do a single video is now the go-to person for walkthroughs. The roofer who couldn’t get past the second sentence without stopping now batches five videos in a row without breaking a sweat.

These professionals got over their fears and learned how to get comfortable in a new medium, because that's what was needed to succeed in business today.

This article will help you show up that way.

We'll walk through the SIMPLE On-Camera Performance Checklist we use with teams every week. When you have a reliable approach, it takes the guesswork out of delivery and gives you something to focus on beyond your nerves.

Becoming a Lead Magnet

Before we get into the strategies, let me introduce you to someone.

Ellie Abbott thought she was applying for a job as a furniture salesperson at La-Z-Boy Southeast. She had no idea that within months, people would walk into the store asking, “Is Ellie here today?”

Ellie didn’t even know these people. 

But they knew her.

La-Z-Boy Southeast had gone all-in on video. They committed to showing what others weren’t willing to show. And Ellie became one of the main subject matter experts on camera.

At first, she was hesitant. Like many, she was nervous about how she looked and how she sounded. But she stuck with it. She learned how to deliver with confidence and warmth. And something unexpected happened…

Buyers started asking for her by name.

They wanted to buy from Ellie because they already ‘knew’ her and trusted her guidance.

Through working on her on-camera performance, Ellie became a magnet for trust and business.

For her, it was “SIMPLE.”

Editor's Note:

If you want people walking into your business asking for your team by name (just like they do with Ellie), you need more than visibility. You need a proven system that helps your people show up in a way that builds trust before a buyer ever reaches out.

That’s exactly what the Endless Customers System™ is built to do.

When your sales, marketing, and leadership teams learn how to use video to teach and guide, they stop sounding like everyone else. They start sounding like trusted advisors. The fastest way to get there? Clear, consistent, on-camera communication that answers real questions and moves real buyers forward.

The SIMPLE On-Camera Performance Checklist

When you’re new to video (or just trying to get more comfortable) structure helps. It takes the pressure off trying to “be natural” and gives you something concrete to work with. We use the SIMPLE Checklist with teams all the time because it brings out what’s already there: your clarity, your calm, and your credibility.

Start With A (3-Second) Smile

Right before you hit record, pause and smile. Just for three seconds. This will feel awkward or dumb when you first try it, but it resets your energy and helps you open with warmth instead of tension. Start the smile before the camera is rolling, so it looks natural when you begin speaking. That one small move shifts how people receive you.

Imagine the Camera is a Real Person

Don’t talk to the lens. Talk to a real person in your mind. Someone you’ve worked with. Someone who needs your help. That simple mental shift changes your tone, your pacing, and how connected you sound. If you're the videographer behind the camera, try asking your subject, "Who are you talking to right now?"

Momentum: Follow the No Stop Rule

You’ve likely been on camera and felt the need to be perfect, stopping every time you made a mistake. The thing is, once you’ve stopped once, you’ll continue to mentally stumble on that same point each time trying to get it perfect. Don’t stop if you mess up. Just keep going. Most people don’t realize how much more natural they sound when they power through instead of chasing a perfect take. You can always edit your takes together later.

Posture Matters

Your body affects your delivery. Standing gives you more control over breath and gestures. If you have to sit, sit up and be grounded. Don’t slouch back into the chair. You want your presence to match your message. Movement, even small gestures, helps you connect.

Leverage the Power of Story

Since the beginning of time, storytelling has been woven into our culture. Use that to your advantage. You don’t need a big, crazy narrative, but just even quick examples will do the trick. “Last week, a client asked me…” is sometimes all it takes. That’s how people remember you. Everyone is a storyteller. You already do it naturally. Now you're doing it with intention.

Engage Naturally

Drop the corporate speak. Say it how you’d say it in conversation. Clear beats clever. Warm and natural beats impressive. The best videos feel like a good chat. This is where most people struggle, because they’re trying to sound impressive instead of being helpful, or they're trying to pitch.

These skills won’t be mastered in a day. But when you apply this framework with intention and keep showing up, the results speak for themselves. That’s how dozens of subject matter experts inside our client teams went from camera-shy to confident, consistent creators.

Create a Setup That Reduces Friction

You may not have a studio setup with professional lighting and high-end gear. That's ok! What matters more is consistency. A space that helps you feel calm, focused, and in control every time you record.

Just a few small tweaks can make a big difference in how you sound and how you show up:

• Choose a quiet area where you won’t be interrupted
• Add rugs, curtains, or soft furniture to reduce echo
• Use natural light or a soft front-facing lamp to light your face evenly
• Keep your background simple and free from distractions
• Do a quick audio and video check before you begin

The goal is to remove friction. When you don’t have to fight your space, you show up more relaxed and confident.

Batch Recording Is the Shortcut to Comfort

Comfort comes with repetition. And repetition gets easier when you don’t have to reset your setup, your mindset, or your schedule every time.

Batching your recordings (recording more than one video in your session) gives you a rhythm. It builds momentum. And it helps take video from something you dread to something that naturally fits into your workflow.

If you’re working with subject matter experts across your team, scheduling time for video can be one of the biggest challenges. Instead of booking four separate 30-minute slots throughout the month, it’s far more effective to block off one two-hour window and knock out multiple videos at once.

This approach gives your team time to warm up and get in the zone. It reduces the friction of constant setup and teardown. And it’s easier on everyone’s calendar.

This is one of the habits that helps video become a normal part of the way you sell, teach, and build trust.

Teams we coach often find that after one good batching session, the next ones come easier. You build muscle memory. You trust yourself more. And that confidence starts to show up in every part of your communication.

How This Helps Grow Your Business

If you want on-camera performance to really stick, it has to be part of how your entire company operates.

The companies that do this best don’t leave it to chance, but they see the massive opportunity in front of them and train their full team. Leadership leads by example. Sales reps record buyer-focused videos. Marketers guide strategy and support production.

Everyone understands that video is one of the most powerful revenue tools available today.

That’s why at IMPACT, we coach your in-house videographer on how to provide your team with on-camera training as part of our Endless Customers Coaching Program. By having an experienced coach guide your videographer, it's much easier to build this capability across every department, and video will become a skill everyone can use to earn trust and win more business.

On-camera performance powers The Selling 7 by giving buyers a way to meet your team before they ever reach out. It gives Assignment Selling more impact by making complex ideas easier to understand and easier to trust. And it makes your YouTube and short-form content strategy more effective by helping your videos actually get watched, remembered, and shared.

When subject matter experts feel more comfortable on camera, they create more video. Not just because they’re told to, but because they see how it helps make their jobs better.

This is how companies become the most known and trusted brand in their market. One helpful, human video at a time.

Start Small and Always Keep Practicing

You now have a repeatable process you can use to get more comfortable and effective on camera. Whether you're explaining pricing, answering a buyer's question, or recording a simple introduction, the SIMPLE framework gives you a clear starting point and a way to keep improving.

It helps shift the focus from your insecurities to the person you’re trying to help. And with a little consistency, any nerves start to fade.

The teams that win with video are the ones who commit to showing up consistently. They use video to teach. To build trust. To move buyers forward with clarity and confidence.

That’s exactly what this framework helps you do.

Start small. Pick one video. Apply what you’ve learned. Watch it back. Improve it. Then do it again.

If you want to build this skill across your entire team, the Endless Customers System™ is how you do it. Order the book today or talk to our team about coaching.