Secrets from Teleprompter Pros

Watch any skilled speaker on TV - a celebrity, news commentator, or political leader - and chances are, much of their seemingly "effortless" delivery is due to practiced use of a teleprompter.

It's also likely that, at some point in your role as a professional communicator, you'll be called on to use a teleprompter, if you haven't already done so.

Teleprompters are valuable tools, there's no doubt. But like any technology, their use shouldn't distract you from your primary goal: connecting with your audience. That's why we turned to two of our favorite teleprompter pros, Bethal Bird and Andrea Sawchuk, for their advice on taming the teleprompter so you appear engaged and conversational from start to finish.

Teleprompting 101
Let's start with the equipment itself. Physically, teleprompters are simply glass plates or monitors that project rolling text to the speaker without being visible to the audience. As a presenter, you may be faced with several options depending on variables such as the type of event, size of the venue, and your personal speaking style. Here's a quick "how to choose" tutorial.

Once you've nailed down the type of equipment, it's time to move on to best practices for its use. Bethal Bird, owner of TexPrompt, a Texas-based provider of teleprompter services, cautions speakers who rely on the equipment as a crutch. "Teleprompting, like any tool, is there to support your efforts and allow you to connect with your audience." But keep in mind, support is NOT a replacement for knowing your content backward and forward.

Your new best friend: The operator
Whether you're a teleprompter newbie or pro, it's comforting to know that there's a real live person behind the technology - one who is dedicated to your success.

The teleprompter operator's goal is to help you present your best self, and will be available for at least one rehearsal (if not more). During rehearsal, he or she will get to know your pace, make special notations within your script to serve as reminders when you speak, and make minor text changes in real time as needed.

Tips from the pros

The basics still apply
Skilled eye contact is a requirement for connecting with your audience. The presence of a teleprompter doesn't change that fact. "View the teleprompters themselves as focal points," suggests Sawchuk. "Then look to the far left and right of the screens, and of course in the center, to appear to have eye contact with your entire audience."

Speak fluidly, with natural pauses and inflection. Your goal is to "glance and grab" a phrase from the teleprompter, keeping a minimum of 90% direct, roving and continuous eye contact with your audience. Adds Bird, "You also have to move your body as much as your eyes." Turn your body to include everyone, because if you simply move your eyes between the teleprompters, you risk appearing "shifty".

Maximize the tool
Although not difficult to learn, there's no doubt that mastering a teleprompter takes practice, or in some cases the guiding hand of a speech coach.

By practicing with your operator on-site, sharing your concerns and preferences, and collaborating with them on minor content tweaks, you're certain to nail it like a seasoned teleprompter pro.