How to Deliver a Great Presentation When Everything is Going Wrong
If you can believe it, this was the post I meant to a few weeks ago when I wrote this one. It was inspired by my dog Winnie, and it was a response to how tired I felt the morning after she was up all night.
But I got so caught up in writing about why I had waited so long to take her outside, that I totally forgot I’d had a broader purpose.
What do you do when you’ve prepared yourself, yet everything still falls apart?
lack of sleep
weather
illness
family emergency
coffee spills on laptop
information in your speech is incorrect
tech problems
A couple of weeks ago, the Queen’s WE-CAN program asked me to return and give another workshop. This time, I gave tips and tricks on how to deliver your elevator pitch. (I’ll probably write a blog post about that in the near future. Does that interest you? Let me know!) I really enjoy working with this initiative, and I was prepared and looking forward to my workshop.
If you’ve worked with me before, you know I use a workbook that I created called Essential Public Speaking Notes. (There’s a FREE version of this that you get from signing up for my mailing list - are you on it, yet? Sign up here!) Usually I’ll upload it into the chat and we can all use it as I go through the 4 main elements of public speaking that I teach - Standing, Breathing, Speaking, Reading.
But - on this particular Zoom call, I couldn’t upload the doc. I have done this dozens of times over the past several months, and it was not an option. Not only that, I’d created a working document for crafting an Elevator Pitch as well, and I wasn’t going to be able to upload that, either. 2 critical documents for my workshop.
I wasn’t going to be able to upload the docs to the cloud and then paste the link into the chat all while navigating the workshop. Thankfully, there was a host for this call and she suggested I email the docs to her, and she then sent the docs to the participants. In the meantime, I improvised and got back on track.
Was it stressful? Yep. Did I let it railroad my work? No way. I knew exactly how to stay calm because that’s part of my prep work for my presentations. Sure, it involved using several parts of my brain at once, but once the solution was found, I was able to get back on the delivery line I’d created for this workshop.
Steps To Counter Disaster
Whenever possible, create a back up plan ahead of time. What happens if your computer won’t start? Make sure you’ve got everything ready to go on your phone so that you can use that if necessary. I now know to always have whatever docs I plan to use ready to go in the cloud in case Zoom is doing another update, and eliminates another function I use as a tool.
Stay calm. Use deep and controlled breathing to stay calm and focused. (Use this tool I made for controlled breathing - bookmark it on your phone!) If you start to spin out, you’re not going to be able to think clearly and decide on the best plan moving forward.
Let your audience know what’s happening. You don’t need to be overly apologetic, but they will be wondering what’s up because they’ll notice something is off. No big deal- things happen all the time! As long as you keep them in the loop, they’ll follow along and let you guide the way.
Assess all of the possible options moving forward, pick one and go for it. Try not to spend too much time debating which course is best - it’s better if you pick one and get moving, otherwise you might lose some of your audience members along the way.
Go back to the basics. Move into your basic Alexander stance (standing/sitting); Take deep and controlled breaths (breathing); Use your Optimum Pitch (speaking); Get back to your scripted road map (reading). You’ve already worked on that system, and so you already know what to do.
And that’s exactly why I teach the system - because it gives you a methodology to use in the midst of chaos, so that you can still do your good work, and your prep doesn’t go down the drain.
Remember to stay energetic and elastic - be open to having to go with the flow and think creatively to get back to your route. Stay positive and keep control of the situation. You’ll find yourself moving easily through the difficulty, and you’ll ensure you give all of your hard work the proper presenting it deserves!
Q: Have you ever had a series of disasters try to sabotage your presentation? What happened? What did you do? Let me know in the comments!
p.s. I found another four leaf clover yesterday!
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Are you ready to work with me and get super solid with this system? What would it feel like if you felt confident speaking? Schedule a 15 minute chat with me and let’s make a plan!
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