2014/04/21
At some point we are all in front of an audience, whether it be just two or many, and we sometimes lose our train of thought, even as experienced trainers! Here are some tips to help look prepared and "having our act together". Enjoy the tips on how to recover gracefully when our memory goes!
Method 1: Make It Look Planned - I've seen a professional speaker do this - pausing, saying "This next part is so important that I need to read it to you," consulting his notes, then starting up again. One key lesson here is that you should always have your notes easily accessible. I keep mine in my pocket as a safety blanket; I rarely need them, but having them there sure makes me feel good.
Method 2: Paraphrase Your Previous Content - From Matt's book: "You will have to excuse me, but I am so passionate about my topic that I sometimes get ahead of myself. Allow me to review my previous point." Nine times out of ten, retracing your steps will help you find the path forward.
Method 3: Ask Your Audience A Thought Provoking Question - one of the best questions is "What seems to be the most important point so far?" I feel that this technique would work better in presentation that is highly interactive to begin with. However you can use this as a rhetorical question to either buy time with a long pause or to precede a review of your previous content (i.e. a lead-in to Method #2).
Method 4: Review Your Overall Speaking Purpose - Every speech should have a central theme - preferably encapsulated in a three-to-twelve word catchphrase. Repeating your theme is always welcome by your audience so a memory lapse is a reasonable time to throw it back out there.
Submitted by Maritta Terrell, Trainer & Application Support, Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C.