Yes, to scripts@speakeasyprompters.com. In fact, we prefer getting scripts ahead of time. We’ll reformat and prepare them for teleprompting so that we can arrive on show site ready for more. Any preproduction script prep that takes over 30 minutes will incur a small hourly charge. But that’s time you won’t have to spend on show site, thereby offering a great return on investment! Any subsequent scripts can be brought to the show site on a USB flash drive in any of the formats listed below, or sent via email pending internet access in the ballroom.
Yes… just give us your PowerPoint file (.ppt or .pptx). We’ll extract your notes and during rehearsals you can add to them as you see fit, so that you’ll not forget to address any important details. We can scroll your notes as bullets in our teleprompter software, complete with color-coded title headings and cues. If you prefer, we can even “advance” your bullets page by page rather than “scroll.”
They’re expected. In fact, we encourage changes throughout the rehearsals. But keep in mind, as show time nears, you’ll want to be as familiar with your copy as possible. If that copy has been in a perpetual state of change, or if you’re making drastic last-minute revisions, you’ll have missed the opportunity to really become comfortable with your copy before “show time.”
We’ll offer as much or as little help as you’d like. We can give your presenters a quick how-to “Prompter 101” course or a more advanced mini-workshop addressing how they can best utilize prompter according to their delivery style. The most beneficial thing we can do for presenters is to help them edit their script to be more conversational and in their own words, making it easy to speak– rather than read.
Jerry Seinfeld once quoted a survey that found more people feared having to speak in public than feared death itself. Therefore, he surmised, at any given funeral, more people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. With that said, we know how uncomfortable people can be about speaking in front of an audience. We, at SpeakEasy Prompters, aim to deliver on our namesake, using a variety of tools.
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The Presidential System: This type of prompter can be a great tool to make public speaking easier. While presenters appear to be looking at the audience, they’re actually reading their copy on the glass panels, and the audience slips into the background. The podium itself can be a comforting anchor.
- The Words: We can help craft the speech into your presenter’s own words, making it conversational and natural to speak. When our operators work closely with presenters throughout their edit sessions and rehearsals, we become an invaluable lifeline and a trusted partner, providing confidence and support. SpeakEasy is committed to your success.
- The Rehearsals: When your speech is scripted, you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to say. Now you can focus on how you’re going to say it, and with some gentle coaching, each rehearsal gets easier and each delivery becomes more relaxed.
- The Control: For some presenters, the reluctance to use the prompter stems from a fear of losing control over what and how they present. Just knowing they have choices can be reassuring. But maintaining control over their presentation, including which tools and methods to utilize, is paramount to their on-stage comfort. We can lay out the options and list the benefits. However, in the end, you can lead a presenter to prompter, but you can’t (and shouldn’t) make them use it.
Our operators come from several different backgrounds – some with journalism, communications, and media degrees, some with TV news experience, and some with impressive executive assistant credentials.
Here’s what you can expect from SpeakEasy operators:
- Computer savvy
- Quick, proficient typists and transcriptionists
- Mastery of the equipment we provide
- Professional set-etiquette, including knowing when to speak up, when to stay quiet, and when to defer to the powers that be
- Personable, experienced and dependable
- Service-oriented, anticipating your needs and delivering above and beyond the expected!
Our operators have many years of “in the trenches” experience! So go ahead… SpeakEasy – we’ve got you covered.
The choice is entirely up to you, but here are some things to consider. Scripting word for word will give you a more carefully crafted, formal “presidential” style of address. It will also help you achieve the following:
- Better control over the content and stay “on message”
- Articulate a complex issue without struggling for the “right” words
- Bring relief to your Human Resources or Legal Department with a carefully crafted “approved” address
- Come across as an expert in the content you’re delivering, even if you’re not. (Think “Presidential Address” – can he possibly be an expert on all of those complex topics? He doesn’t have to be… he just needs to read the words the experts have written for him.)
- Deliver your message within a given time allotment
Using “bullet points” or “talking points” for your presentation will help you to communicate in a more relaxed conversational manner, as long as you’re very familiar with your content. Bullet points work like a road map showing you where you are right now in your presentation and where you’re going next. They can offer the following benefits:
- Freely speak around each bullet, expounding or condensing at will.
- Connect with your audience using a more casual “off-the-cuff” delivery style.
- Don’t have time to write a script? You can use your notes from your PowerPoint file as a starting point, and then during your rehearsals, you can add any additional information you want to be sure to cover.
Both systems offer advantages. It comes down to your personal preference and your speaking style. The big question you need to ask is, “Do I feel more comfortable standing behind a podium or moving freely on the stage?” Consider the following:
The Presidential:
In the past quarter century, you’ve undoubtedly seen many U.S. Presidents use this system to delivery their addresses -- hence the name. Using the Presidential System will provide several advantages:
- You may find it more comfortable to stand behind the podium.
- Your prompted copy will be closer to you, making it easier to see.
- It will automatically offer you great eye contact with your audience.
Floor monitors:
These are nothing more than multiple TV’s placed right in front of the stage, which will display your script (or bullet points) and your graphics. Floor monitors can provide the following advantages:
- Freedom to move about the stage. And if you’re a comfortable speaker, this can create a more dynamic stage presence.
- No podium and no glass to obstruct you from the view of the audience, and also the view from the cameras that will be putting your image up on the big screen.
- Less dependence on your script.
Because of the location of the floor monitors, you should practice breaking away from the prompted copy every so often, in order to make eye contact with your audience. These “break away” moments can be determined ahead of time and even “cued” within the prompter copy. This can also lead to a more conversational delivery.
There may be cases when you won’t have a choice, due to what your company has requested for your convention. But regardless, we'll help you to best utilize whatever tools are available in order to best communicate your message.
SpeakEasy Prompters delivers more than just your lines. We deliver a professional, dependable service, focused on your success.
