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Step 1
Be very familiar with your script before you ever have to look at it via the teleprompter. Read it over several times out loud so you can hear yourself. With a producer's or casting director's permission, tweak it if you have to so it falls into your style of delivery. If you are a public speaker and it's your own copy, just be sure you go over it several times to catch any typos or grammatical errors. (If you are a TV news anchor, and the producer had to quickly type in a script you have not seen, you will have to wing it, of course. But if you have learned the basic technique, this should not be a problem.)
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Step 2
Practice with the teleprompter before you ever have to actually perform with it. Typing in all capital letters is highly recommended. It's much easier to see, especially from a distance. Once your script is loaded, have the prompter operator scroll through it as you read. The main goal here is to make sure the spacing and letter size is working for you.
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Step 3
During your practice time, try this odd, but helpful tip: Look at the line following the line you are speaking. So, you are essentially looking one line ahead. Try it. What happens is that your brain will process that one line, and you can go ahead and glance down to the next line as you are finishing the previous one. This will keep your eyes from darting back and forth on camera. Have you ever seen news anchors with those darting, "deer in the headlights" eyes? It's distracting. This step will take some practice, but once you get it, it will make a huge difference in your delivery.
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Step 4
Get acquainted with your prompter operator. He or she should know your reading pace and style and be able to follow you without throwing you off. If you are a slow reader, a fast-paced reader or if you tend to improvise during a read, your operator should know all that and be able to adjust as you go.
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Step 5
Have a hard copy of your script with you at all times. It is not uncommon for a prompter operator to make an error, or for the teleprompter to go down. You don't want to get stuck in an embarrassing situation simply because you don't have the script or note cards with you.
