Reading from a Manuscript
When you make a manuscript presentation, you read to an audience from either a text or a teleprompter. Manuscript presentations have many of the same problems as memorized presentations. Because speakers must look at a script, they lose eye contact with listeners. This in turn causes a loss of immediacy and inhibits adapting to feedback. Moreover, as with memorized presentations, you may have trouble writing in an oral style.
Some problems are exclusive to manuscript presentations. Most people do not read aloud well. Their presentations lack variety. Also, when people plan to read a speech, they often do not practice enough. Unless speakers are comfortable with the material, they end up glued to their manuscripts rather than communicating with listeners. Other problems may arise if your manuscript pages get out of order, or if you pick up the wrong paper or teleprompter material on your way to a presentation.
Although this last predicament may sound improbable, it can happen, as President Clinton can confirm. In September of 1993 Clinton presented a speech on health care to a joint session of Congress. He had been working on the speech for some time and finished revising it on the ride to the CapitoL
The final changes were entered onto computer disks immediately before he was to speak. Here is a report of what happened:
No one realized that a White House communications aide had already accidentally merged the new speech with an old file of the February 17 speech to Congress. . . . When Clinton took the podium minutes later, he was understandably alarmed to see a seven-month-old speech on the teleprompter’s display screens. Clinton told the news to Gore. . . . Gore summoned Stephanopoulos, who scrambled to fix the mistake, eventually downloading the correct version…. But for seven minutes, Clinton vamped with just notes.5
During the first seven minutes of iis presentation, the president was forced into an extemporaneous style—the method of presentation most communication instructors recommend. The speech was received with high acclaim:
For a man reading the wrong speech off his teleprompter, Bill Clinton spoke with persuasive passion as he addressed Congress and the nation about health care last week. Gone was the Slick Willie.. . . Suddenly Clinton looked the leader millions of Americans hoped they were voting for: decisive, forceful, even visionary.6
Manuscript presentations are most useful when the speaker seeks accuracy or eloquence, or when time constraints are severe, as in legal announcements, formal political speeches, or media presentations that must be timed within seconds. Extemporaneous presentations may also include quotations or technical information that must be read if they are to achieve their effect Because you will need to read material from time to time, we offer the following suggestions:
• Use large print to prepare your manuscript so that you can see it without straining.
• Use light pastel rather than white paper, to cut down on glare from lights.
I Double- or triple-space the manuscript.
• Mark pauses with slashes.
I Highlight material you want to emphasize.
• Practice speaking from your manuscript so that you can maintain as much eye contact as possible with your audience.
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