Flipping through memories of my embarrassing time while missing and forgetting my presentation.
The morning started out chaotically.
When I got to my office after battling Bangalore traffic, my boss was already in the meeting room with other clients waiting for me to start.
In spite of my overloaded guilt of arriving late, I entered the meeting room.
After a good start, I got messed up in the middle because I forgot some points.
It is a very common blunder to make, and we probably have made it many times before.
During this time, some of us feel overwhelmed and leave the room right away.
We must, however, realize that this is not the end of the world.
The feeling of forgetting your presentation content in office meetings, classrooms, training sessions, etc. is never pleasant.
Most importantly, we have to realize that we can recover from this situation.
Presenters should remember that, since they are speaking, they are in charge.
I have always found that there are strategies that can help you overcome this challenge, and now it is helping my clients and they are:
PAUSE :
The first thing you should do is to take a pause and wait for a few heartbeats. Taking a moment to remember where we are in our speech will allow us to give ourselves some breathing room.
RECOLLECT YOUR THOUGHT : Take a moment to recollect your thoughts and repeat the last sentence or phrase you said. As you think about what you will say next, it will give you time to think, and at the same time, it will trigger your brain to recall what you wanted to say. Regardless of whether you forget what you were supposed to say, continue with your speech.
TAKE A SIP OF WATER
In case of a speechless moment, you can drink water. Even though your mind is now racing a million miles an hour, you will come across as relaxed and in control to your audience. Take advantage of this time to remember what you wanted to say.
KEEP YOUR NOTES HANDY
Keep your note handy so that you can refer to it whenever you need to remember something. Ensure you use bullet points that will help you remember, and write these words in large font to make them easier to see.
SMILE:
Your audience will feel like you want to share a big secret with them when you smile at them. Smile also gives you a sense of confidence which will give you the additional boost that you’ll need time and again.
ASK QUESTIONS:
If you're having trouble getting your point across, let someone in the audience speak for you. Just say, "I'd love to hear your thoughts on this before I proceed. Would anyone like to share their thoughts?”
Every once in a while, someone will give you the boost you need by putting forward their opinion. As an added bonus, it's a great way to wake everyone up!
Those awkward silences can be filled with some techniques, and then your presentation can continue.
These techniques will help you overcome your mind blockage and gain confidence when speaking impromptu. Stay confident and have a great presentation.
Want to learn more such techniques? I am there to add more value in your skill set. Contact us to learn more. Happy Learning :)