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HOW TO USE TELEPROMPTERS 183

say, would only be shooting himself or herself in the foot. Trying to use
one in an outdoor venue may be impractical. But in a large venue on
an indoor stage removed from the audience, they can be very effec-
tive—provided you know what you are doing.
Of course, it would always be best if you could appear before any
audience without a teleprompter—and still look like you are speak-
ing without a text. But to do that, you would have to become skilled
at prepared text delivery, which we talked about in the last chapter.
That might take some time and self-training (or a crash course with
a coach like myself). So if you cannot or will not use a written text,
you are not talking to a smaller audience, and you cannot manage
the “presentation” extemporaneously or with simple notes or outline,
then teleprompters are your best bet.
Here are some rules for using teleprompters:

If at all possible, try to make sure you or a trusted associate who
can be your eyes and ears has a chance to meet in advance with the
teleprompter operator. You want to be certain the equipment is
working well, that the script is loaded properly (and with the correct
script), and that the operator is experienced enough to scroll the
“crawl” to your individual delivery—fast, slow, or dead stop, right
with you every syllable of the way. If you have a chance to rehearse,
even better. A good operator will be able to anticipate, adapt, and
adjust to your style.

Check the font. Is the type big enough? Can you read it at a glance?
The font should not be too big nor too small. Both screens will carry
the same crawl simultaneously.

Uppercase and lowercase font is easier to read than all caps. Choose
black text on a white screen or white text on a black screen.
Now you should be ready to go. But if you have had little or no
experience, you might wind up bouncing back and forth from one
screen to the other like a spectator watching a fast tennis match at