It’s a familiar story. You’ve done your PowerPoint or Keynote, have a funny story to open, and have thought through any questions you may be asked. You’re ready to present.
Then, like a horror movie, you fumble your opening. Or lose your place. Or you’re interrupted. Or your joke falls flat.
And just like that, panic sets in. What follows is a terrible presentation in which you make no eye contact, rush through your points and just want it to end NOW.
I’m here to tell you that you that presenting is not a win or lose situation.
It’s a negotiated situation in which the sum of the parts determines the outcome.
So, how do you rescue yourself if your presentation isn’t going according to plan?
- Slow down – often when things go wrong, the instinct is to speed up. That’s just fear telling you to bolt.
- Look up – simple but effective. Shame makes you look down or away. Looking up projects confidence, allows you to find a friendly face and makes you human to your audience.
- Take a sip – have water close at hand. The action of opening a bottle or picking up a glass gives you a moment to pause and refocus.
- Think in parts – See your presentation as several blocks of content, instead of a single block of content. If one block fails, use the other blocks to build.
- Stay present – Often when a presentation starts to veer, so do we – there’s a second voice that begins in your head (why didn’t they laugh, my boss will be cross, damn no promotion for me). Remind yourself to stay in the now, not the past or the future.
- Ostriches don’t fly – after the presentation, don’t bury your head in the sand and try to forget what happened. You must replay the delivery to improve it. Get a cuppa and do the work.
