Your voice falters, your brow sweats, and your hands begin to shake. Your muscles tighten and your stomach twists itself into knots. You’re about to speak to a crowd, and glossophobia has reared its ugly head.
Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking, and it’s very real. PsyCom reveals that up to 75% of the population suffers from a fear of public speaking. Individuals with glossophobia may have a slight nervousness, or they could experience complete panic. While the site states that persistence and preparation can reduce symptoms of glossophobia, a confidence monitor for speech may be just the thing to relieve stress for any presenter.
What is a Confidence Monitor?
While professional speakers can often get by without a slide deck, many speakers will rely on a PowerPoint presentation or something similar. While this visual presentation is a great way to connect with the audience, it can become something of a crutch. Oftentimes, speakers will need to continually look back at what is on screen, in essence turning their back on their audience. This can create a disconnect between the speaker and the crowd, and give the impression that they are unprepared to speak on the very topic they’re supposed to be addressing.
A confidence monitor is the perfect solution. Confidence monitors display a speaker’s visual presentation on a screen that they can easily see, without distracting the audience. It enables speakers to talk with confidence on any given topic without having to refer to what’s on the display behind them; they are seeing exactly what the audience sees through the downstage monitor stand.
Benefits of a Confidence Monitor
Delivering the perfect presentation comes with a lot of stress, even for those who are professional speakers. A confidence monitor eliminates much of this stress. With a confidence monitor, speakers can face the crowd with confidence, seeing their presentation on the monitor in front of them, without having to keep turning back to the presentation screen. Not only does this offer support, it also gives the audience the impression that the speaker is very well-connected to the topic at hand.
That’s not all. A confidence monitor also benefits presenters by keeping them on track with their delivery, providing a visual guide as to where they’re at in their presentation. This keeps their verbal delivery on point and reduces any awkward “um’s” or “uh’s” as they try to get themselves back on track.
Using a Speaker Timer
Some speeches need to be delivered quickly and concisely in order to ensure that each presenter has enough time to deliver their message. A speaker timer solves this problem. On the confidence monitor, only visible to the presenter, a timer allows them to see how much time has elapsed since they began their delivery so they can speed things up if necessary, or slow things down if they’re moving too quickly.
Offering Confidence To Your Clients
If you’re an NYC event planner looking to provide the best experience for your client (and their presenters), consider a confidence monitor rental. Not only will this make speakers look good to their audience, it’ll make you look good to your client! A confidence monitor and a speaker timer will help eliminate some of Inc. magazine’s 8 Bad Habits That Ruin Good Presentations:
- Reading from slides
- Turning your back
- Asking for extra time
- Talking too fast
To learn more about confidence monitors and other audiovisual solutions, contact the specialists at One Way Event Production today. We can help you put on a seamless production—and help presenters put on a perfect show.
