Sometimes we make mistakes in our presentations, and it’s important for us to manage it. In this article, we talk about some tips for crisis management in public speaking.
Sometimes some things happen in our speech, conversations, and the ask and answer parts of the presentation that we have to change what we had planned. In another word, things always don’t go the way we want!
Sometimes, one mistake of ours or someone else’s interferes with all our plans. Crisis always happens.
The first thing to do is always to have a checklist. Write down all the stuff you need and all your plans in order. Also, double-check them to see if you missed something.
A small mistake can be disastrous, for example, not bringing your camera charger can disrupt the filming. The lower battery of your laptop is the same as well.
When the mistakes don’t depend on us, we have to have another solution. For example, I had a presentation once, and I forgot that I was the first speaker to go up on the stage. It was a huge mistake. I never fear from my mistakes, I learn from them.
Crisis management in public speaking is important because at the moment you will be anxious.
I thought my turn is in 15 minutes, and I wasn’t ready at all when the show-runner called me to go on stage and start my speech.
The mike wire wasn’t placed, nothing was ready, my slides weren’t ready, and I had to stall my audience to manage all that.
An idea came to me. I thought it’s best to do something new. This way, no one found out about my mistake:
When I went on the stage I said: the show started so soon that I don’t know where to put this. Will you help me? Thank you. I heard we have to do out buttons too. The presenter must be with you and don’t forget that it’s on. Your slides must be ready. Can you bring my slides, please?
The show-runner was amazed. He said: “oh, you are starting the lessons right from the beginning?”
See? I stalled my audience wit several sentences, and they thought they were my first lessons.
I also said: I want to talk about Elevator Pitch today, and I started my speech like this for you to see how would you feel when a presenter starts his speech like he has no clew, and he’s not completely ready.
By the time I said these things, the wire was connected, and I had my slides. Then I started the real speech.
To manage a crisis, you need to know your mistakes, learn from them, and realize how to manage them in an interesting way.
Everyone stumbles. It doesn’t make you a loser. You need to know about crisis management in public speaking.
I’ve said many times what to do when you tripped, and you almost fell down; when the mike disconnected, and the audience starts asking questions when you’re running out of time.
For example, once the show-runner called my name, and I suddenly tripped, almost fell on the stairs when I was going up there. Then the moment I managed to stand, I said with enthusiasm: “Wow, that’s how much I am excited to talk to my dearest audience.”
The reason also made them laugh. They actually became excited too.
So remember to come up with bright ideas when it comes crisis management in public speaking.
