How to be a More Confident Speaker | 3 Mistakes Made with Confidence Monitors

3 Tips for Speaking in Front of an Audience Using a Confidence Monitor

Ahh, public speaking. Everyone’s favorite thing in the world. If you are in the event planning industry or host events, you are probably no stranger to it. I’m sure you have probably seen presenters that absolutely nail their speeches and on the flip side, I’m sure you have seen your fair share of people completely bomb their speeches. Stuttering, shortness of breath, flushed faces or forgetting what they are supposed to say. Yikes. Not fun to be the presenter and definitely not fun to be in the audience. Whether you like public speaking or it scares the crap out of you, it’s kind of inevitable. At one point or another, you’re going to have to speak in front of an audience so you may as well just get over your fear. It can help further your career, or quite simply, not make you look like an idiot in front of a crowd of people. Seeing as we are an audio visual company, we have seen plenty of presenters screw up their speeches when it could have been completely avoidable.

You probably know what a confidence monitor is but just as a refresher, it shows the content of a presentation to help ease the nerves of a presenter and help the fluidity of not only a presentation but the event. Pretty cool right? Confidence monitors should always be a standard for ALL general sessions and can be a key factor in creating kick-ass breakout session presentations. Please, please, please do not cut these from your budget, that’s just not a smart move. Including confidence monitors in your event production scope is a small price to pay for the insane value they give to your presenters. 

While confidence monitors can significantly help with a presentation, if not used correctly, they can be a disaster. If you are interested in using confidence monitors for your next event, which you 100% should be, I suggest you keep reading to learn how to not F it up.

Mistake #1: Too small of a confidence monitor

When is smaller ever better? Never. It’s no different with a confidence monitor. Imagine having one that’s too small and the presenter has to squint to see what it says. Awkward. Now they have to turn around and read off of the screen which completely defeats the whole point of a confidence monitor. Now with that being said, you don’t want a confidence monitor that’s so big it’s going to be an obstruction...because that’s just as bad. 

You need that happy medium. If you are the one planning an event, confidence monitors might be the last thing on your mind. We get it, totally understandable. So, why not just leave it up to us? I am going to repeatedly tell you we got your back because I mean it. You’re more than a customer to us and we will be there for you every step of the way.

Don’t skimp! We have worked with events of all sizes and magnitudes and are fully equipped to provide you with the perfect size confidence monitors for your presenters so they are available no matter what. Why? Confidence monitors are for your presenters that will be communicating YOUR message, and your job as meeting planners should be to support your presenters in any way you can! Our job at Clarity Experiences is to support you and your event any way we can so just call us up and one of our representatives will make it happen!

Here how Clarity's partners have benefited from confidence monitors:

Mistake #2: Thinking you don't need a confidence monitor

Now that we’ve gotten you set up with the right size confidence monitors, let’s chat about why they are so important. Confidence monitors make your presenters feel more comfortable. Set the stage up right so your presenters are engaging with the audience versus looking back at screens, reading notes, or looking at laptops on podium...come on! Then get personal, create custom views for each presenter using the same confidence monitors. Not everyone is great at speaking to a large audience so let’s ease the nerves and help your presenters feel as comfortable as humanly possible. 

Clarity Experience Recommendations:

• Clarity ALWAYS recommends 2 confidence monitors so presenters can see "notes" or "next slide" views
• Fun fact, you can also run a teleprompter or scripting software through your confidence monitors

Mistake #3: The confidence monitor becomes the elephant in the room

Lastly, we have that awkward elephant in the room. What would you say is the most important factor when it comes to throwing an event? I think the experience your audience has is the most important factor hands down. If your audience doesn’t have a good time, odds are the event wasn’t a huge success. Being in an audience and having something block your view is an instant turn off. What’s the point of being there if you can’t see the stage? Or what about if there is something else there that is drawing your attention? Not good. Let’s face it, unless your AV company has no clue what they are doing, out of place confidence monitors should not even be an issue.

When it comes to the confidence monitor blocking audience views, refer to the tips above! But to prevent the confidence monitor from being a distraction, all you really have to do is work them into the set design so they're not an eye sore. It’s really that simple. And if you’re worried about that, we can help you with this as well. And it’s yet another thing you don’t have to worry about. You’re welcome. As for the presenter not reading off the screen, you can have the confidence monitor delivered and installed the day before the event so the readers can practice and become comfortable before the big event!

That's How You Use a Confidence Monitor With Confidence! 

There ya go! Public speaking doesn’t have to be this big horrific event. A confidence monitor can be your best friend...when used correctly. The main takeaways from this blog are:

• Always have a confidence monitors available to your presenters
• Don't skimp here, get the right size
• Include 2 in your planning so you can offer a personal set up for each presenter.
• Most importantly don't forget the WHY

If you do that, you’ll be set. If you are interested in learning more about confidence monitors or think one would work for your next event, give us a call, we would love to hear from you!