Common Problems and Solutions

NERVOUSNESS?

1. Practicing will give you confidence.

2. Don’t apologize for anything.

3. Try to develop a routine that you do to combat nervousness. Try breathing, stretching, taking a drink, taking a brisk walk, etc.

4. Don’t fight nervousness, accept that energy and try to use it.

5. Before presenting, let your body relax, let your arms dangle, tense and release your muscles from your feet to your head.

6. Breathe deeply.

7. Don’t sit with your legs crossed.

OVER THE TIME LIMIT?

1. Cut out material rather than talk faster. A rushed presentation always is worse. Your audience doesn’t need to know everything.

2. Plan beforehand what you’ll cut in case you start to run long.

AUDIO/VISUAL EQUIPMENT BREAKS?

1. Print a copy of your slide show beforehand so that you can work from it even if it can’t be projected.

2. Relax and don’t apologize or mention the malfunction unless you have to.

3. Either move on, take a short break to fix the problem, or get help.

4. If you can successfully move forward, your audience will respect you even more.

SHOULD YOU USE NOTES?

No. use your visuals instead of notes and practice to give yourself confidence. If you have to, place a piece of paper with a couple of guidelines on a nearby table for support in case of emergencies. If you hold it in your hand, you’ll refer to it even if you don’t need it, which then might pull you off track.

FOOD?

1. Never try to compete with food.

2. If there’s food in the room, provide a break for people to get food or tell them before you begin that they should get their food first.

RUDE OR HOSTILE QUESTIONS?

1. Remember: you’re in control. Never lose your temper. Avoid defensiveness. Never respond sarcastically.

2. Take it in stride, try and be helpful in response.

3. Diffuse the situation. Move through the problem slowly or defer the question/comment to a later date.

4. If the question or comment is a suggestion, thank the person for it and move on.

SKEPTICAL AUDIENCE?

If you sense that your audience is, or will be, skeptical about your authority or material, use straightforward, logical arguments. Avoid making grand, unsupported assumptions.

MULTIPLE PRESENTERS WORKING TOGETHER?

1. Know one another’s strengths and weaknesses, who likes to lead? who is better with details?

2. Listen to each other during the presentation.

3. Avoid contradicting each other.