Which Teleprompter Should I Use?

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Teleprompters keep coming up again and again with my media-training clients. I’ve put together a guide that answers the most common questions I get from clients:

• Should I use a teleprompter??
• When do I not need a teleprompter?
• How do I use a teleprompter??
• Which teleprompters are the best for entrepreneurs??

Teleprompters are a common tool in the world of news and media. I’ve worked with dozens and dozens of anchors and reporters who have mastered the skill of using a teleprompter. But if you’re unfamiliar with them, it can be a bit daunting at first. So let me break it down for you.

When should I use a teleprompter?

Some people lean on a teleprompter more heavily than others. But in my opinion, there are two situations that call for it for small-business owners or authors:

1. When you have a lot of copy to get through and want to make sure it’s right.
2. When the stakes are higher.?

For instance, you may want to use a teleprompter when you’re making an introduction video for your website. I used a teleprompter to produce this introduction video for my site.?

I wanted to make sure to get across how I could help experts, authors and entrepreneurs appeal to traditional media and also produce their own videos. Because this is the first thing people see when they visit my site, PaulaRizzo.com, I wanted it to look polished and professional. Plus, because I’m a TV producer, I wanted to show that I practice what I preach!?

Creating an online course is another situation when a teleprompter is useful. For instance, I used a teleprompter for my LinkedIn Learning courses.?

?When do I not need a teleprompter??

1. Short videos — if your videos are not that long, it will probably look more natural to have one thought and memorize what you want to say. But beware of over-memorizing. Any TV reporter will tell you that is a recipe for disaster. If you stumble, it could throw your whole recording off. It’s better to have a sense of what you want to say and then go for it. You’ll get better with practice.?
2. Off-the-cuff videos for social media — again, this gives them the natural look and allows people to feel like they’re right there with you, wherever you are.?

However, even when you are doing an off-the-cuff video, you should always prep beforehand. Make sure you’re clear on the bullet points of what you want to get across and always have a call to action at the end. This can be anything from signing up for your webinar to downloading your free guide. Having a clear ending point for your videos keeps you from trailing off and losing your audience’s attention.

How do I use a teleprompter??

Here are some of my best tips:?

• Read slowly.
• Practice. This is super important so when it comes to the recording you’re not just reading off a screen. If you’re comfortable, your personality can shine through. You will need to practice several times to get good at this. Don’t get frustrated. Be patient with yourself and remember that it’s okay to need to try multiple times to get the best version.
• Be conversational with your writing. Use short sentences. Be yourself. Act like you’re talking to someone you know.??
• Use visual cues in your writing to direct yourself. When I worked in TV news, I’d write scripts for anchors and reporters daily. I knew what I wanted them to pay special attention to. I’d use visual cues to communicate it to them. For instance, I’d use “quotes” or stars around words to show them to emphasize them when they spoke. =Equal signs= are a cue to slow down. There are no rules here, but try out different cues to see what helps you. These are little tricks that make reading off a teleprompter so much easier.?

• Use all CAPS when writing your script. It makes it way easier to read and an added bonus is it helps to keep your eyes steady, so it doesn’t look like your eyes are moving as you read on camera.
• Smile!

Which teleprompters are the best for entrepreneurs??

Getting a teleprompter doesn’t have to be super expensive, and there are a variety of different apps you can use.

• Teleprompter – a Mac-based app to use on your desktop (free for the basic version or $59.99 per year for the Pro version)
• PrompSmart – for your iPhone/iPad and you can set up your camera behind it also. It has voice recognition so it auto scrolls as you speak ($29.99)
• CuePrompter – based in your internet browser and completely free!

BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.