The Phone
Presentation Mistakes to Avoid #2
While using a mobile phone for presentation notes is a relatively new practice, it is an awful one. Every time I have seen this practice, presentations devolve into a display of speaker self-sabotage.
Using a mobile phone (or tablet) for notes during a presentation is rarely a good idea. DON’T DO IT. Unless you are showcasing the device.
Holding anything in your hand of significant size distracts from your presence. This reduces your credibility and by extension your EFFECTIVENESS.
Any person can use their phone in a coffee shop, on a train, at work…. anywhere. It’s not special. In front of an audience, you cannot be common. You are the expert.
Don’t Distract People from You!
When you speak in front of an audience, you must present and maintain yourself as the expert on your topic. This means eliminating or minimizing anything that pulls attention from you.
By holding something in your hand of notable size, it will pull the eye of audience members to it.
Reasons for Not Using A Mobile Phone for Notes
There are no good reasons to use a mobile phone for speaking notes. Bad ones include:
Holding something impacts your hand and arm movements.
Something common minimizes your special presence as your present. All day we see people holding mobile phones. You need to be something and someone different when in front of an audience.
Tapping on your phone screen when it goes to sleep. Doing this breaks the momentum and flow of a presentation. Even worse is when a speaker must stop to enter a password or use a fingerprint to unlock the device.
The battery can die.
The device could make unwanted noise. It could ring for an incoming call. Or an alarm or social media notice. None of these contribute to delivery of an effective presentation.
So….I should use notes?
Good speakers don’t use notes. This generally includes teleprompters. If you are giving a sensitive speech where items must be covered (and avoided) teleprompters can have their place (like the State of the Union address).
In most cases for situations you are like to deliver speeches, avoid using notes. Know your material and practice. Practice as much as necessary (rule of thumb - eight times). Do this until you feel comfortable not using notes. If you must use notes, here follow these suggestions.
Use as few notes as possible on index cards. Use them as reminders instead of a verbatim script or for specific facts.
If you use more comprehensive notes, use an outline with bullet points and a large font-size so it’s easy to read.