Professional Tip Re: Comfort Monitors · Inspiring Speakers (Free)

Professional Tip Re: Comfort Monitors

Today, I thought I would share a practical tip for speakers relating to Comfort Monitors (the monitor in front of you on the floor that shows you your slides so you don't have to turnaround and look at the big screens behind you).

To be clear - comfort monitors are great. NOTHING is more unprofessional, in my mind, than having to spin around to make sure you remembered to click so the right slide is showing. And yes, I use slides. Most people are visual learns so having an image on the screen behind me that illustrates my point can be very powerful.

But notice I said images.

Here is the tip: DO NOT PUT WORDS on your slides UNLESS they are just one point you are trying to make. Your slides should ONLY be images or a one sentence quote.

Why?

Because if there is more text, you are going to end up reading the slide (THE WORST!) and almost as bad, you are going to look at the comfort monitor far more often than you should.

Glance when you change the slide.
Use the quote or image to remind you of what story or fact you are about to share.
Look back at the monitor only when you click to the next slide (if you need to).

Comfort monitors are used by most of the amazing speakers we know and when used correctly, they do not take away from your impact.

But if your nerves get the best of you and you keep checking?

Then, you are the one taking your impact away.

Food for thought...

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