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Because natural speaking has a variable rhythm, including starts and stops, there are no software solutions that can be a support to a good presenter yet. App-driven teleprompting is not real teleprompting and can make things worse. Whether you will be on camera or at a live event, regardless of the size of the event, human teleprompting has no match.
Ask for teleprompter(s) and an operator.
Rehearse with the teleprompter to become comfortable with its pacing and layout. Do not skip this step. Sometimes presenters are tempted to skip this step because they hope that the teleprompter will make rehearsal unnecessary. What you will find when you rehearse with a great teleprompter operator is that you will be supported at your best, you will discover some simple changes or things to remember. Your audience will have the best possible experience with you if you rehearse!
Maintain eye contact with your audience while occasionally glancing at the teleprompter for reference. If you have the right teleprompters, your audience will not even know you have teleprompting – ask us how that can be possible.
Speak conversationally. Sometimes it helps to picture someone you know very well and just speak to them. Make the script your own by working with the script writer or prompter operator for little changes that help you stay on point. If you don’t feel comfortable, no one will.
Read ahead in the script to anticipate the content and transitions. Pause to take a breath and catch up. The prompter operator will follow you – the timing is yours but you will probably feel more comfortable if you read just a little ahead of your speaking. There is not a way to practice this in a book or on a screen. That’s another reason that your rehearsal is so important.
Let your operator know what might help you. Larger font, line breaks, changes in colors and other queues are all possible. If you have a script writer, it is ideal to communicate changes in the script through your writer to the operator so that everyone is clear.
It is ok to make mistakes! No one expects a flawless performance. Breathe and have a great show!
