A few years back I attended an NSA Influence Conference. Got to hear some fabulous A-list speakers. Folks who are at the top of their game — pushing the margins every time they step on stage.
I like to think of myself as a student of all aspects of presenting – from the roughest newbie to the 30 year, 50-dates-a-year seasoned pro.
You can observe a lot just by watching.
I remember seeing Jeanne Robertson when she had just turned a big number year. Even at her stage in her career she was and is the best of the best. She could easily rest on her laurels and deliver a passable presentation. But that is not how she got where she got. When I saw her, she was still developing new material, still fine-tuning the material she had. It was very inspiring.
When she steps in front of any audience, she brings her top game. There is no mailing it in. There is only the best she can offer.
This brings me to a particular unnamed mainstage presenter I saw at this NSA meeting. He was appearing on what could easily be considered the “Oscars” of professional speaking. Big time.
His background was as a sportscaster on a national network. You would know his name.
As he presented the material that he must have delivered dozens of times in the past, he would look down after each sentence and check his next line on the “confidence” monitor at the foot of the stage. It was obvious to everyone in the room. It was distracting and it totally negated any audience contact he may have had.
He was a pro and he blew it. Bad form with the confidence monitor.
Want more proof? Check out Michael Bay on YouTube being interviewed at a Samsung press conference. The confidence monitor was out of sync and he couldn’t put two logical thoughts together without it. I am sure Michael Bay, the famous director, is quite capable of speaking in public. But his mojo got slammed when the monitor went wonky and he stormed off the stage.
Confidence monitors are evil. Especially if you are counting on them for your exact wording. If you are just listing an outline and are practiced enough to only glance at it when you are stuck, then go ahead and use it.
My very biased opinion is that if you need a confidence monitor you have not rehearsed enough, and you are toying with the gods of disaster.
Beware!
Pump up your confidence muscles at: https://ready2speak.com/coaching
Tom
