It’s time for a Communication Q&A – the best time of all!
If you need to record a lot of video – maybe you’re creating training videos for work or are creating a whole pile of resources for your clients or staff – a teleprompter might come in handy. Many companies also like to use teleprompters during their live events to make sure people stay on message.
Every time you record the video or do the live session, though, you end up sounding unnatural, even robotic. So how do you go about using a teleprompter while still sounding like yourself?
Today’s question is from Fatima, who asks
Hello Lauren – my company has been doing a lot of virtual and pre-recorded sessions for our advisors and clients. I’m usually brought in to Emcee, to introduce other speakers, and to give updates. We use teleprompters for both our recorded and live sessions. My company likes to keep the messaging very tight and we record so many of these that we really can’t memorize everything in advance.
Can you advise me on how to seem more natural when using these teleprompters? I find I come across as very stiff and unnatural when using the teleprompter. It comes across as though I’m reading from a screen, which isn’t the image I want to cast. Can you advise me on how to seem more natural when using these teleprompters?
Thank you very much, I really enjoy your videos,
Fatima.
Thanks for this great question, Fatima! As it turns out, there’s a few important techniques to using a teleprompter while retaining some semblance of a personality, so let’s dig into that answer in this Communication Q&A.
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FULL TRANSCRIPT
Teleprompters can be great, but sounding like a stunned robot isn’t. Watch on to find out how to avoid that effect.
Hello, I’m Lauren Sergy, and welcome to Communication Q&A where I tackle your pressing communication and public speaking questions. Before we dig in, please do hit that “Like” and “Subscribe” buttons so you can stay on top of YOUR communication skills.
Today’s question is from Fatima, who writes “Hello Lauren – my company has been doing a lot of virtual and pre-recorded sessions for our advisors and clients. I’m usually brought in to Emcee, to introduce other speakers, and to give updates.
We use teleprompters for both our recorded and live sessions. My company likes to keep the messaging very tight and we record so many of these that we really can’t memorize everything in advance. I find I come across as very stiff and unnatural when using the teleprompter. It comes across as though I’m reading from a screen, which isn’t the image I want to cast. Can you advise me on how to seem more natural when using these teleprompters? Thank you very much, I really enjoy your videos, Fatima.”
Thank YOU, Fatima – I really enjoy making these videos!
Teleprompters can be VERY useful tools, especially if you need to record a lot of presentations or segments – like your introductions and Emcee work – in a short period of time. There’s a knack to using them, though, and to sounding natural instead of as though you’re……using a teleprompter.
There are two things that tend to create that teleprompter robot effect. Number 1 – A stiff, formal script, and number 2: flattened tone and expression
Let’s look at that script first. Written language and spoken language are often very different. Most people tend to write more formally than they speak (unless they write a lot of spoken content). This means that many teleprompter scripts use language that we never use in normal conversation, like complex words or turns of phrase that are really awkward when spoken out loud.
Formal written scripts also tend to use whole words instead of contractions – like saying “we are” instead of “we’re,” or “let us” instead of “let’s”, “do not” instead of “don’t”, and so on.
You need to correct these script issues before you record or go live. If the scripts have been written by someone else, like your company’s communication or marketing team, get the files a few days before you need to be on camera.
Read through the scripts out loud, and see if they “sound like you.” When you come across words or expressions that you would never normally use or just can’t say comfortably, strike them out and replace them with something that works better for you.
Look for all of those words that we would normally say as contractions (like “they have”) and replace them with the contraction (“They’ve”). You’ll want to run through the script several times so you can find those contractions and replace those unnatural or awkward phrases.
Then, update your telelprompter files or submit the changes to the person in charge of them. If the scripts were written by someone else, you might get some push-back from the writer. Stand your ground on these changes – as long as you aren’t messing about with the SUBSTANCE of what you’re saying, then your adjustments should be fine.
Now let’s look at that flat tone and expression. You want lots of variety in your voice when reading from a teleprompter – lots of up and down, dragging some words out and saying others more quickly. This imitates how we naturally speak.
Reading out loud with expression is a learned skill and takes some practice. So grab those scripts and read them out loud! Once you’ve become a little familiar with what you’re saying, adjust your focus onto the HOW you’re saying it.
Practice reading the script out loud in several different ways, playing around with your pitch, tone, and speed. Mark down what you want to do on your practice script – underline words you want to emphasize, mark places where you want to speak quickly or slow down, and so on.
Then, run through it again! You’ll become familiar with the script and with how you want to sound, which will it easier to speak with expression and variety come showtime.
Unless you’re giving a very long talk, making adjustments to the script and practicing different expressions doesn’t need to take all that much time. Plus, it doubles a practice. This process will help you become familiar with the scripts before you take your place in front of the teleprompter, and that will make it much easier for you to feel comfortable and sound more natural.
I hope this helps you liven up those teleprompter talks, Fatima! And to everyone watching, I hope this gives you some insight on how you can also sound like yourself in front of a teleprompter!
Now before we sign off, remember to click that like button and subscribe to my channel for the latest updates. And if you’d like even more resources on business communication and presentation skills, head over to laurensergy.com and sign up in the pop up.
Thanks so much for joining me on Communication Q&A! I look forward to seeing you again soon.
