Speaking in public, whether live or online, can often be very stressful. You may know your subject inside out and give the same presentation for the hundredth time, and even then you may forget what to say at some point.
Don’t worry, though, even the best presenters sometimes forget what to say next. But what makes them the best? They practised techniques to recover quickly and imperceptibly.
Live Online Conference
Imagine organising a great live conference online. There are 300 people, who want to improve their skills and learn something new from you, who are motivated and actively participating during the conference. It couldn’t have been better! You are mega-proud of yourself, your team and the people who helped you organise this event.
Your part of the presentation is quickly approaching. You are getting increasingly excited because you’ve been preparing for several weeks, and you know your part by heart. You know when to throw a groaner and when to get serious. You have practised your presentation before your friends, children, and spouse. It just has to go right.
And that’s how it starts – you’ve got your flow. You ask engaging questions, get answers, and everything is as it should be… until suddenly, your head goes blank. You feel a hot wave spreading through your body as you forgot your presentation. You really cannot remember what to say next! You are trying to remember the rest of the presentation, but everything seems to get from bad to worse. Adrenaline and cortisol just won’t let you think clearly.
Fight or Flight
This is the moment that will prevail over the rest of the presentation – either you’ll finish quickly and run away, or you’ll continue to fight. It’s your choice.
Choose to fight!
It’s not as difficult as it may seem, and the below techniques come to the rescue. If you practice, they will help you overcome the void in your head, even when presenting in front of thousands of viewers.
Here are some tactics to help push your presentation forward:
Pause: your listeners will think you did it for effect, and you will be able to collect your thoughts more effectively.
Maintain eye contact with one person: when pausing, look only at one person, as looking at all participants can make you feel even more frustrated. When you focus on just one listener, it will be easier to think about what you wanted to say instead of stressing out.
Repeat part of the last sentence: The best way to remember what to do next is to repeat the whole or just part of the last sentence. You can also try to start a new sentence with the last words of the previous one, e.g. “Networking is a significant tool for getting contacts. Getting contacts is…” Thanks to this, you will not only activate your memory but also not lose your train of thought.
Skip to the other part of your presentation: Remember that your listeners do not know how you planned your speech, so they will not notice if you have changed the order of the information provided. You will always be able to go back to the part you forgot before, and who knows? Maybe the new arrangement will work better than the previous one.
Take a sip of water: preferably from glass so you look more professional. A short break like this will give the impression that you are relaxed and in control.
Check your notes: Just don’t make the mistake of printing your entire presentation out! Try to only print/note keywords that will help you remember what to say next. If you print the entire presentation out, it may be difficult to find what you are looking for.
Jump to the next slide (if using presentation): The next slide will act as a reminder but do not read it word for word – tell an interesting story instead.
Smile: Smile at your audience as if you had a big secret you want to tell them. Now, they will be more eager to hear the rest of your presentation.
Have an interesting anecdote ready: Prepare the anecdote in advance and practice telling it so that if your mind is blank, it will automatically activate in your head.
Involve your audience: ask them a question! It is proven that our brains cannot ignore a question, so while the audience is thinking about the answer, you can focus on remembering the next part of the presentation.
The above techniques did not work, and you still don’t know what to say? Don’t panic and just make a joke: Say, “What was I saying? Sometimes I have a memory like Dori from Finding Nemo, but I wish it hasn’t happened today, haha!” This lets you relax a little, making it easier to remember the rest of the presentation.
Remember to practice each of the above techniques regularly! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and nobody expects you to remember everything right away.
Practice not only your presentation but also what you will do if you forget what to say – that way you will automatically think of a great solution. Win-win!
