A reader recently asked if using speaker notes would reduce his opportunity for effective eye contact.
I responded that notes would interfere with eye contact if you talk while looking at them or start reading them to your audience.
Remember that eye contact includes holding on someone’s eyes or face for a thought, sentence or about 8 – 10 seconds, moving IN SILENCE to another person and continuing. During that logical pause, you can glace at your notes silently, remind yourself what to say next, find a new face and continue.
The larger the font on your notes and the fewer the words, the easier it will be to quickly glance at them in silence. Therefore, you’ll be maintaining proper eye contact almost the entire time you’re actually talking.
Presenter notes are different than your detailed preparation outline. Once you’ve practiced from that outline several times, create the few presenter notes you’ll need and put your outline away. Notes are not a complete text, cue cards or a teleprompter script. They’re just notes to help keep you on track and remember important facts or quotes. Simple and easy.