Have you ever had a public speaking engagement where everything went smoothly?
If you have, good for you!
However, most times, since public speaking is a kind of performance, things can go wrong no matter how good you are.
Scott Berkun, author of the book, “Confessions of a Public Speaker,” can attest to that.
… and because of that, he’s provided a few tips in his book on how you can respond when things go wrong in your public speaking engagements:
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When everyone is staring at their gadgets
Every audience has a culture, and in some cultures it’s common to stare at something other than the speaker.
Sometimes people are just taking notes or sharing what you say with other people, which is good, but other times, they’re playing Solitaire or wandering the Web, which isn’t good.
People in the audience should be free to choose how they want to listen, but you are also free to influence how they make that choice.
You can politely ask them to close their laptops or put their gadgets in silent mode at the start of your talk, or simply go with the flow and just focus on those who are fully engaged with your talk.
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When your time slot gets cut short
Event schedules have mistakes, and oftentimes, speakers pay the price. Cancellations, travel delays, or other logistical problems put event organizers in difficult spots where they have no other choice but to limit your time.
Here’s the thing: Unless you’re the organizer, it’s not your job to keep others on time. If you notice the schedule getting behind and your talk is late in the day, let the organizers know.
You can recommend to cut a break short, or ask several speakers to make up a few minutes each rather than force you to pick up the slack for the entire day.
Another option is to ask the organizer to introduce you and tell the audience it’s not your fault the schedule has fallen behind. This will help you gain additional sympathy from your listeners.
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When you feel like everyone in the room hates you
Admit it: There are days when the vibe in the room is all wrong, and it feels like the audience either hates you or just wants you to shut up.
It can especially feel this way when speaking in foreign countries or in corporations that have just announced major layoffs (but no one told you before). It could also be that you actually, unknowingly did something inappropriate in your audience’s culture, and they rightfully hate you for it.
One way to prevent this is to arrive at the venue early. Before your talk, engage with the people and get a feel for what they’re like. This could change how you’ll approach your presentation.
On some days, you just have to go on and deliver your talk as if you’re speaking to a crowd that likes you. Don’t get too affected by people who don’t like you—you can’t please everyone.
Continue with the show enthusiastically for the sake of the handful of people who might hate you less than you think.
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When you are asked an impossible question
There is nothing wrong with a tough question you can’t answer. There is no law that says you must know everything.
If you are speaking on an interesting topic, there will likely be questions you can’t answer. If you receive one during the Q&A session of your talk, don’t panic.
You can do either of these two:
– Simply say, “I don’t know.” You won’t die if you say these three words. – Take note of the question or ask someone to email it to you, then promise your audience that you’ll answer it through your blog or whatever platform you use. Another workaround is to offer the question to the audience. If someone knows the answer, at least you’ve helped the person who asked the tough question get an answer even if it’s not from you.
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When your laptop malfunctions
Some events force you to use the lectern computer to help minimize problems, but with video codecs and font issues, this sometimes makes it worse.
Mac or PC, almost all computers have issues, and every projector and video system has charming idiosyncrasies that the tech people who manage them are in denial of.
So, what should you do to prevent such a situation from happening?
You have to prepare by bringing your own gears and demanding a video or audio-visual check before your talk.
Additionally, know your core points and have a printout of your slides with you. In worst-case scenarios, you can use these as your notes or backup.
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When you feel sick
This is a judgment call because everyone handles being sick differently. Some can manage a cold or a headache so well that even if they don’t mention it, no one would know. Others can’t concentrate at all.
If you feel sick, talk with the hosts or event organizers as soon as possible and know what the options are. Given the choice of seeing a half-baked lecture from a sick person or rescheduling to see a good lecture from a healthy person, most would prefer the latter.
However, if it’s a one-shot deal, like at a conference, the audience would prefer the former.
In cases where there’s no other option but to push through with the show, bring some aspirin with you. It won’t cure you, but it will make you feel better for a couple of hours—just enough time to get through your presentation.
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When you have a wardrobe malfunction
This happens to a lot of performers as many unfortunate things can happen to clothing. So, always bring extra clothing in preparation for anything bad that could happen.
Additionally, always make a pass through the restroom and check yourself in the mirror… and just to be sure, have someone look you over before you go up the stage.
In the instance that you notice something that you need to fix in your clothing while you’re on-stage, discreetly hide behind the lectern to do it.
These are just a few of the things that could go wrong in your public speaking engagements. We haven’t listed down all the possibilities because if we did, we’d have a looooooong article by now!
We’ll probably just talk about the others in a future “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants” article.
For now, we hope you find the insights in this article helpful, and that you would use these to your advantage and be one step ahead in your presentations.
Be prepared to do the RIGHT things for when things go WRONG!
After all, disasters always make for great stories when you learn from them and not let them break you.
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Thursdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”
In a meeting with one person…
… a boardroom with five people…
… or a huge venue with hundreds of people…
—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.
No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.
What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?
Every Thursday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.
The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.
(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)
Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to communicate and present well will definitely give you an edge.
Have that advantage.
Hope you find this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Thursday’s “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!”
Cheers,
Henry Desai
Managing Director
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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