If the phrase “standard operating procedure” makes you picture a clunky Word doc gathering dust in a shared folder, you’re not alone.
Most SOPs are overcomplicated, outdated, and ignored. And most business owners are too busy to fix it.
That’s why I love Dan Martell’s “Camcorder Method.”
It’s fast. It’s clear. And most importantly, it actually gets used.
Why SOPs Usually Fail
The traditional way of building SOPs is backward. You:
- Wait until you have time (you never do)
- Try to write it perfectly (you get stuck)
- Overexplain every detail (no one reads it)
So instead of documenting how the work gets done, you keep repeating yourself. Or worse, you stay stuck doing it yourself.
Here’s the shift: Don’t write it. Record it.
The Camcorder Method, Explained
The Camcorder Method flips documentation from a writing project into a recording task.
Here’s how it works:
- Pick a recurring task you know cold.
- Record your screen while you do it, as if you’re teaching someone.
- Talk through what you’re doing and why.
- Upload the video to a shared folder or SOP library.
- (Optional) Have a team member turn it into a checklist or step-by-step doc.
That’s it. You’ve built a real, usable SOP in less time than it takes to write an email.
Why It Works
This approach removes the friction that usually stalls documentation:
- You don’t need to block off hours. Just hit record.
- You capture the real nuance. The stuff you’d forget if you tried to write it later.
- You give people context. They hear how you think, not just what you do.
- You get something usable today. Not “someday when it’s perfect.”
One of my clients started using this method to document their client onboarding process. Within a week, they had four videos that replaced dozens of back-and-forth messages. New hires got up to speed in days, not weeks.
When to Use the Camcorder Method
Use it for any task that:
- Happens more than once a month
- Requires multiple steps
- Lives in your head
- Gets messed up when someone else tries it
Examples:
- Setting up a new client in your CRM
- Running payroll
- Creating a proposal
- Publishing a blog post
If you’ve ever said, “It’s just easier if I do it myself,” this method is for you.
Get Your Team Involved
You don’t need to be the one recording everything. In fact, you shouldn’t be.
Here’s how to scale it:
- Make a shared SOP folder in Google Drive, Notion, or Trainual.
- Ask each team member to record one task per week.
- Create a naming convention (e.g. “Finance – How to Reconcile Statements”)
- Review and improve them monthly
You’ll go from “no systems” to “living playbook” in a matter of weeks.
Make It a Leadership Standard
If you’re in an executive seat, your job isn’t to record SOPs yourself. It’s to make sure this method becomes part of your culture.
Here’s how to lead from the top:
- Set the expectation: Require each department lead to record and maintain their top 3 workflows.
- Make it visible: Add SOP metrics to your team dashboard (e.g. % of critical tasks documented).
- Create a weekly win ritual: In leadership meetings, share the most useful SOP created that week.
- Reward adoption: Acknowledge the teams using SOPs to onboard faster, reduce rework, or ship faster.
When you normalize simple, video-first documentation, you reduce reliance on tribal knowledge—and increase execution speed across every department.
Make It Stick
The best SOP is the one your team actually uses.
Here’s how to make sure that happens:
- Link SOPs directly in your task templates and project tools
- Assign owners to keep them updated
- Review top workflows quarterly and ask, “Is this still how we do it?”
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about creating clarity that grows with your team.
SOP Tracker Template
Use this tracker to organize, assign, and measure the SOPs your team creates with the Camcorder Method.
| SOP Title | Dept/Team | Video Link or File Name | SOP Doc Link | Owner | Date Created | Last Reviewed | Status | Adoption Score (1–5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How to Onboard a New Client | Sales | Sales-OnboardingClient_v1.mp4 | link_to_doc_1 | Jenna R. | Jul 3, 2025 | Jul 5, 2025 | ✅ Active | 4 | Checklist built, used in onboarding |
| How to Run Payroll | Finance | Finance-RunPayroll_June2025.mov | link_to_doc_2 | Marcus H. | Jun 30, 2025 | – | 🟡 Draft | 2 | Needs update for new tax rule |
| Posting a Blog in WordPress | Marketing | Mktg-BlogPublishWalkthrough.mp4 | link_to_doc_3 | Talia N. | Jul 1, 2025 | Jul 8, 2025 | ✅ Active | 5 | Linked in Asana task template |
| Creating a Client Proposal | Biz Dev | BizDev-ProposalGen_v2.mov | – | Aaron C. | Jul 2, 2025 | – | 🔴 Missing | 1 | Video planned for next week |
Final Thought
Most business owners wait too long to document what works.
You don’t need a full ops manual. You need a way to stop being the only one who knows how things run.
Next time you catch yourself doing something important—camcorder your chaos.
Clarity beats memory. And progress beats perfect.
That’s how real systems get built.
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