I am sure that you heard about Michael Bay’s embarrassing 
experience at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas http://goo.gl/9sLisB. This innovative director and producer was ecstatic about introducing Samsung’s new Curved 105-inch UHD TV to an eager audience, but walked off the stage when the teleprompter malfunctioned and he couldn’t ‘wing’ his talk. Did he experience stage fright as some suggest or was he simply not well-prepared?
Frequently busy executives who are experienced presenters grab a script or review a teleprompter once before a big event and perform well. However, unexpected lighting changes prohibiting easy reading of the script, slides in the wrong order, or a teleprompter failure can prompt disaster. Anyone who has experienced Murphy’s Law during an important presentation will know better the next time. We carry a script or note cards in our pocket or have rehearsed the talk with the slides enough times that we can talk spontaneously about each one. If a speaker is uncertain of the message to be delivered, panic can occur and deep abdominal breathing or relaxation may not help enough to rescue the presenter.
Here are a few suggestions to assure that you excel at your next presentation:
- Know the core of your message and the key supporting points.
- Practice speaking through your slides for several days before the big event.
- If you can’t rent a teleprompter, download the Teleprompt+ app on your IPAD http://goo.gl/xEpCbn.
- Have a back-up script or note cards.
- Test the equipment immediately prior to the event.
- Relax and enjoy the applause.
Contact us at www.voicetrainer.com if we can help you make your next presentation a big success. Consider online video-coaching from your office. Just 15 or 30 minutes may be all it takes to ensure you do not repeat Mr. Bay’s unfortunate experience!
