|
There’s a
simple two-pronged test to determine whether it is okay for
you to use a TelePrompter.
-
First,
you must have dozens of speeches to deliver every week
with no time to practice.
-
Second,
you must be in a position where if you misspeak, Sudan
might invade Kenya.
To our
mind, the only person who fits that description is the
Leader of the Free World. Everyone else should avoid the
TelePrompTer. That’s because, unless you’re extremely
experienced, it will make you sound stiff and you will
almost certainly fail to connect with your audience.
The
unavoidable problem with TelePrompTers is that you’re
reading your speech. And if there is one immutable rule for
public speaking it is this: don’t
read your speech. Reading kills the personal
style and passion that are so critical to any public
speaking situation.
Reading is
never as good as delivering the presentation
extemporaneously. The best course is to make some bullet
points and practice like hell. Then you can stand in front
of your audience and talk in a natural, passionate
manner, not like you’re reading a theme to your junior high
assembly.
“It takes
years to be able to read a TelePrompTer so that you don’t
sound like you’re reading,” says Colleen McEdwards, a CNN
news anchor and Speechworks coach.
We worked
recently with the president of a large company who had
carefully prepared a very nicely written speech. The
problem was that he was most comfortable using the
teleprompter. “That’s what we did last year,” he told me.
“I got a very good response.”
Maybe the
response was good and maybe it wasn’t. All we know is that
when we made him speak extemporaneously from notes and
showed him what he looked like on videotape he was stunned
at how much better he looked speaking without his script.
“It’s no comparison,” he told us.
Public
speaking is a chance for you to move your audience with your
passion. You can’t do that if you’re reading a speech. If
all you’re going to do is read your speech to your audience,
we’d recommend sending a memo.
At
Speechworks we help our clients learn how to communicate in
a way that connects and persuades. If you’re interested in
becoming a great communicator give us a call at 404-266-0888
or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net |
