Confessions of a Public Speaker

Appendix A. The little things pros do

When you do anything difficult for a living, little things make a big difference. Any reliable advantage I can get is one I always take. Over the years, I’ve come across some that can help anyone, regardless of how often you speak. Some require help from the venue you’re speaking in, but most only demand arriving early and some extra time.

The confidence monitor

To connect with an audience, I have to make as much eye contact as possible. But this is a challenge when my slides are projected behind me on a screen. To make sure the audience sees what I think they’re seeing, I normally have to turn and look at the screen or stay behind the lectern, limiting how much I can move or interact with the crowd. The solution is to use what’s called a confidence monitor. It’s put up at the front of the stage and shows me exactly what’s on the screen, which is an enormous advantage (see Figure A-1). First, I don’t have to turn around to see what’s on my own slide, preventing the rookie mistake of having my back to the audience. Second, I can use my peripheral vision to verify that the slide transition has worked properly without having to look directly at the screen. With a remote control, I can be almost anywhere on the stage and, mid-sentence, advance a slide with a perfect voiceover transition.

Figure A-1. A confidence monitor where the crowd can’t see it. ...