Managing a Disastrous Presentation
What to do When Things Go Wrong During a Speech or Presentation
Most people experience some degree of apprehension when speaking in public. Perhaps you’ve been in situations when someone in the audience is either a critical parent or a demanding boss, or you’re simply not prepared. Here we are all ready to go, and for some reason we either panic or start trembling at the notion that we will undoubtedly fail. Most people are actually terrified to speak in public, regardless of who is in the audience. Jerry Seinfeld made the memorable joke that at funerals most people would rather be in the coffin than giving a speech in front of the gathered crowd.
Aside from sheer panic, sometimes things do go wrong during a speech or presentation, leaving the presenter in a precarious position. Public speaking is an essential skill in today’s business environment. So is being able to mitigate or move gracefully through mishaps and keep the attention where it belongs – on your presentation as it relates to the audience and your credibility on the topic at hand.
What do you do when you have to present and you feel off? Do you run to the bathroom? Find the nearest exit? Call your mom? Have yourself arrested? Take a shot of Whiskey? See the audience naked? (this might scare you even more in some cases, depending on who is in the audience at that time.) No, none of the above is recommended to actually attempt resolving the issue.
The first way to ward off a disastrous appearance is to avoid obvious reasons speeches bomb. They include:
Lack of preparation
Lack of skill or technique
Lack of expertise on the subject matter
Being unaware of the dynamics at play on a stage
Technical difficulties or unforeseen circumstances such as poor attendance, weather conditions, tardiness, mic not working, a power outage, etc.
Illness or sudden malaise
Those all can be handled ahead of time. What should you do if things head south while a speech or presentation is underway? The first thing is recognizing things do go awry. As much as it may sound cliché and simplistic, it is precisely because things happen on our watch that we can do something about them.
Essential to recovering from a disastrous speech is learning to manage the moment as it unfurls or in the immediate aftermath. Here, then, are some ways to maintain control of the situation.
Recognize it’s human to become mildly tense, shy or anxious. Mistakes are normal, so learn to tolerate and even welcome them. When a speaker makes a simple and harmless mistake – such as mispronouncing a name – he or she mustn’t draw attention to it excessively. Simply "move on.” It demonstrates professionalism. You can also use the mishap to laugh at yourself a bit. It will help you feel more human.
Remember that you are an expert, not a martyr. No one ever perishes from publicspeakingosis, though a major gaffe may seem mortifying at the time. Still, one way to avoid the fear of “dying on stage” is to remember: Your credibility on a subject comes just as much from what you believe about yourself as it does what you accurately convey on a topic. Project confidence, but remember that a little humility goes a long way as well.
Keep in mind public speaking borrows from theatrical convention. A speaker willingly gets in front of an audience and delivers rehearsed lines. As such, it’s a voluntary act, created for a stage much like an actor internalizes a script and then replays it with conviction for dramatic effect. Your content might be critically serious but the delivery is theatrical. You are an actor playing to an audience and must become accountable at that level. Remember: You did not wake up on that stage unaware, you chose to be there. Therefore, remembering why you are committing to speak can greatly reduce some of the inevitable nervousness and subsequent mistakes.
A speaker is in charge of all aspects of a presentation, including mishaps. Think of the notion of the captain of a ship. A speaker is the captain. Welcome the role rather than shy away from it. Everything happens under your watch. Own that position like a lion tamer or an orchestra conductor. Become the “great host” to an unforgettable dinner party.
Audiences are willingly “passive.” It is precisely because an audience is aware of what goes on that the speaker must be upfront about what is going wrong. Assume your audience is always aware, even if they say nothing. So, the first thing to do is to acknowledge mishaps as they occur, maybe even ahead of time if you sense your delivery is losing steam. The situation will only be made worse if you try to hide it. For instance, if I drop my glass of water and then proceed to pretend it didn’t happen, I have robbed myself of my audience’s focus. Now everyone is thinking about the glass of water and why I pretended it didn’t happen.
Use humor to demonstrate that you are human and that you have dealt with similar situations in the past – especially if it is true! If it isn't, make a joke out of the situation and demonstrate your “lighter” side!
Treat your audience as a partner. Respect them by confirming that what they just witnessed did happen and that you are still in charge of the situation. Stay present. Don’t act out a character in your presentations unless you are damn sure of what you are doing and have tested it before. For instance you may have been told to use humor and crack jokes, but it’s really not your thing. In other words, leave acting to actors and instead “be yourself.” Dazzle them with what is genuine about you not with what is inauthentic. If I’m in the middle of a “pretend act” that I’m not too confident in or rehearsed with, when something outside of my control happens, I will feel and look like a fool. In other words, stay close to the “real” you. Conversely, if you want to improve your style by becoming more humorous, hire a coach to help you add new skills to your repertoire.
Avoid "catering" to an audience, or trying to draw them in artificially. It’s an old theater saying “if you cater to an audience, they will always turn their backs on you”. You cannot make an audience like you or like what you are presenting to them. Often when something goes wrong or not as well as planned, we turn on the “pleasing” act. We find ourselves compensating. We smile when we don’t feel like it. We move about when we should stay still. We lose our sense of self. Instead, stick to your program. You can’t win’em all! If a presentation is not well researched, prepared or rehearsed, be up front and tell your audience. You will win points by being straight. Audiences are passive but not necessarily stupid.
Be watchful of your mood or attitude, especially if something goes wrong. You may wish for an error-free speech, but what if it doesn’t go so smoothly? Try not to be seduced by negative feelings, such as anger or frustration, that can somehow be projected out to the audience. An attitude results from something out of our control; it isn’t our fault. Move through it! It’s sometimes a good reminder that embracing a moment’s bad mood can (backwardly) spell DOOM.
If you are nervous to an extreme point, stop! Collect yourself by breathing deeply two or three times and stay in your body. In a worse case scenario, take the audience in confidence and reassure them that it will pass or that it will only take you a moment to recover. Know that at that point they are worried about you. Apologize authentically, then move on as if nothing happened. Remember that an audience always wants you to succeed.
Understand physiological and psychological reactions to nervousness. Your body responds to stress in the same way it responds to imminent physical danger. The nervous system produces chemicals that flood your bloodstream. This can feel wonderful or it can leave you exhausted. Accept that nerves are part of the package. Allow nervousness and it will disappear faster than you think. Breathe into it.
Remember that self-consciousness comes from two sources: (1) not trusting how we feel and (2) not committing to what we are doing and saying physically and emotionally. Try not to catch yourself thinking more about your actions or words, instead of being in action about them. Actions must be carried out to completion. If they aren’t, the speaker should explain why an action or a sentence was aborted, interrupted or changed to serve another purpose.
When in doubt, stand still and do nothing. Breathe. Smile. Yeah, it’s that easy. Your body’s instincts will tell you what to do next.
Make visual and tactual contact with the room and items in it, such as lights, objects, furniture, people, and so on. It anchors our focus in the physical world, which has the grounding effect to help avoid nervousness and, consequently, potential mistakes.
Beware of apologizing, self-pity, mocking, and preaching as visible means of communication. It usually spells disaster. The same applies to overt or covert anger towards someone on stage with you or a member of the audience. These are traps and/or very poor choices. Sometimes a speaker simply does not realize that his or her performance contains these forms of expression. He or she should become aware of the devastating effect it has on an audience. The only exceptions naturally are when the speaker who apologizes, explains or views himself as a victim does so purposely to illustrate, entertain or make a point. It’s a skill executed on purpose.
By confronting what confronts us, we make it disappear or at least dominate it. We thus break the dynamics that do not empower us. Remember, the public arena (the stage) is an empty space, which needs to be filled with life, intention, and self-expression. It requires skills and will power.
Public speaking is an intentional act. The speaker is the only active ingredient in the recipe just like an orchestra conductor is in a concert hall. Your sense of autonomy is crucial. In fact, it is called “privacy while being watched” for a reason. Anyone can feel private in their own bathroom or living room when they are indeed by themselves. Bring someone in and the privacy is gone. On stage, you are in fact on your own, much like a musician, a singer or a dancer executing a solo. Yet, you must claim and establish your complete privacy and autonomy, while being watched and scrutinized by the audience.
I grant you that public speaking, from this viewpoint, is not for everyone. Being the entire circus is an acquired taste, it isn’t natural. Yet, it has to be clear that to be successful at it, you must appear as the only one in charge. If it is denied, avoided, or repressed, it will be felt by your audience instantly and you will lose them. You must be the star of your own show, no other way out. If you accept the challenge, it can be extremely edifying and rewarding. This is again where the courage to speak and act gives us wings.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I work with speakers, leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives on clarity, communication, and performance.
