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What do you do when your torch …… or technology fails? Here are 3 tips:
1. Find an expert
Maybe someone in the room can fix your problem, or maybe an audiovisual technician is available. Take a break and try to get the problem resolved
2. Apologize and proceed
If nothing can be done to fix the situation, apologize once and go on with the show.
3. Have a back-up plan/
Always have a hard copy of your notes so that you can continue with your presentation – no matter what. During the preparation phase, ask yourself this question: “What will I do when the A-V fails?” Use your back-up plan.

I really don’t think anyone would have noticed that the 4th torch was not lit during the Opening Ceremonies. The broadcasters made a really big deal about it. Often, in your presentations, if technology fails, the audience will hardly notice….. as long as you proceed professionally and have a back-up plan. Flame on!

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a sad day

What do you do when you are ready to give a presentation and there is an overwhelmingly intense news story that weighs heavily on the minds of your audience – like 9/11 or the Hudson Bay airplane rescue or the luger from Georgia who died in a practice run? What do you do? What do you say?

It’s best to acknowledge the news story in the opening of your presentation. Everyone is thinking about it, and when you talk about it, you can almost hear a sigh of relief come over the audience. You also are allowing them the opportunity to think and care about the incident. Actually, the audience will be more willing to listen to the rest of your presentation, and they will appreciate your sincerity and heartfelt connection to the world.

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Every opening should be spectacular

Remember the Olympics opening ceremonies in Beijing? ….. or Sydney….. do you? Or do you forget? Does your audience remember your opening from last week’s presentation? Was their attention 100% as you started speaking, or were they still fiddling with their laptops and cell phones? Here are three tips that will make your next opening one for the record books:
1. Surprise the Audience
Start with a great story or an interesting question or some statistics that will blow them out of the water. I can remember one presentation I made to a city council. Before it was my turn to talk, I noticed that all the commissioners were falling asleep. To wake them up, I did a drum roll on the table – my subject was about horse training facilities (and I was simulating hoof beats). That really woke them up and they paid attention to my entire testimonial.
2. Think”team”
If beginning a presentation is really really difficult for you – you get out of breath and are on the verge of panic, try starting with something that involves the audience. It will take all the pressure off of you. Ask a question and get input from as many people in the audience as possible.
3. Develop some hype
Get the audience interested in the topic – tell them how they can benefit from listening to you…. will they save time, learn a new procedure, save money? How will you make their lives better? Tell them in the first minute, and you are guaranteed to increase their attention.
Enjoy the opening ceremony. It sets the stage. Flame on!

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Don't miss the Presentation Olympics series

Are you getting excited? Giving a presentation often seems like an olympic event – the preparation, the nervousness, the adrenaline rush….
During the Olympics I will write a series of blog articles relating the sport of speaking to what’s happening in Vancouver. It promises to be fun, creative, and packed with great presentation tips. Don’t miss it.

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The rainbow ribbon

I stayed in a hotel for three nights over the weekend – I was competing in a dog agility competition. As I often do when I’m on the road, I try to guess what people do for a living, why they are staying in the hotel, and how they are connected to the people they are with. This turned out to be an extremely intense adventure.

Day 1: Riding down the elevator with my Sheltie and young Golden Retriever, I was trying my best to keep the white hair on the Sheltie and the muddy paws on the Retriever from annoying the elevator riders. There was a cute little boy who was in charge of pushing the elevator floor buttons for his family. The woman in the group asked what I was doing, and I explained that there was an agility trial five minutes up the road – maybe they’d like to come. She replied that they really wouldn’t have time. I felt sorry for the little Elevator Boy – he’d really enjoy watching the dogs race through the obstacles. I thought – oh they are probably going to a wedding – that’s nice. Later at breakfast I saw even more family members: a Grampa, a Grandma (I’m guessing here), maybe some aunts and uncles. Oh – maybe Elevator Boy was having a serious operation at a well-known medical center nearby; or maybe Grampa was having some treatments. Gulp.

Day 2: I rode down the elevator with my dogs again, but this time only one of the women was in the elevator. She mentioned that she was very happy that the elevator was working, because it was not working at 2am. I said, “Gee – what were you doing in the elevator at 2am?” She said, “We were toasting my husband – we’re burying him today. He was a security contractor killed in Afghanistan recently in the suicide bomber attack on CIA operatives.” Double Gulp. I gave her my sincere condolences, and quickly made the decision that I was not going to ride the elevator any more that day. I was heading out to the competition, and had to pull every motivational speaker bone in my body out to help turn my mood around. I decided that I would dedicate the rest of my weekend to her husband. It seemed so insignificant, but that’s what I could muster up. Later that evening I saw them on the news – the entire elevator family. Her husband’s name was Dane Paresi – the man closest to the suicide bomber – he saved a bad day from being worse. Wow!

Day 3: This time I rode down the elevator with Dane’s sister (I recognized her from tv). She was on a cell phone telling someone what a nice evening they had at Bennigan’s, a restaurant where you throw peanuts on the floor. She said everyone enjoyed that. I was relieved, because I did not have to speak to her – she was still on the phone. As I pulled out of the parking lot I saw the white limo waiting to pick up the Elevator Boy and his family.

And what about my weekend? My competition, dedicated to Dane, was the best one in over 6 years. A very intense calm and focus stayed with me all weekend, and resulted in an outstanding outcome. On Sunday, my dog received a Rainbow Ribbon – the highest award possible. Driving home I was still thinking about Dane’s family, and how insignificant my world was compared to what they were going through. The same thing is true for overcoming nervousness in presentations – keep things in perspective. That presentation is really not that important compared to all the critical things happening in the world. Keep things in perspective: it’s just a conversation. That’s all – just a conversation.