‘I Don’t Get It!’ – Holding Notes

Recently, a reader asked my opinion of holding speaker notes with two hands. I Don’t Get It, because I discourage the habit. It limits natural-looking gesturing, especially with notes in hand.

Instead, hold your notes in your non-gesturing hand, leaving your other one free to add visual emphasis as needed. Even better, lay your notes on a table in front of you so you can easily see them quickly without having to hold them at all. When you need to turn the page, do so in silence. That’s natural and logical. I do get that … and so will your audience.