Presentation slides that make audiences sit up instead of switch off
AUTHOR: Lolly
public speaking nightmares
When public speaking, would you rather:
1. Mess up and embarrass yourself
2. Die
With more people being scared of public speaking than death, it's not such a dumb question.
But you can only recover from one.
how to recover from a presentation mishap
no matter how embarrassing
Has the universe dished you out a serving of pure, unadulterated humiliation?
Tech crashed around you? Missed a key point? Lost your place?
Well, you can’t claim for damages. But you can pick yourself up and continue your presentation. And, if you’re smart about it, you can even use it to your advantage.
how to handle mistakes during your presentation
Acknowledge it. Find the funny. Move on.
A syllable stumble can be met with the classic, “easy for me to say.”
If your mind goes blank, you can ask the audience what they’d benefit most from you covering next.
If your slides refuse to play nicely, ditch them. They’re only the support act after all.
turn mistakes into opportunities to connect with your audience
Audiences actually love a mistake handled well. It humanises you, puts everyone on the same level playing field and - if you handle it with grace and don’t draw it out - can increase respect.
No matter what it is that has forced you to relinquish control momentarily, don’t let it define your presentation. Let you taking back control with ease and humour be what they remember. Stay calm, take a breath and get back on topic.
reframe your presentation mishap as a victory
The battle for narrative control doesn’t stop there. When you’ve wrapped up your presentation and said your goodbyes, don’t you dare let the memory become a monster in your mind; taunting you, knocking your confidence, stopping you wanting to present again.
Reframe it as a victory. You handled the pressure. You turned it around. You won them back. You are a fucking legend.
You are not your embarrassing moment on stage.
don't let it be more than a line in your story
Don't know what that story is?
video
Reading is tough. Rest your weary eyes on this moving picture instead.