What do you do if your speech is plagued by technical issues?

It's important not to let technical glitches disrupt your speech or presentation. They will inevitably happen at some point, so the best approach is to be ready for anything. The most effective way to deal with these situations is to acknowledge the problem and then move forward.

Technical disruptions happen often - when they do, your first step is to embody calmness. Remember, the audience will mirror your reactions. Displaying ease under pressure reassures them that you're in control. Use these unexpected breaks as an opportunity to connect with your audience, perhaps with a light-hearted comment or a relevant story. This approach can ease tension and maintain engagement during the technical hiccup. Often times, this will make your presence more memorable to them than the actual message.

The tricks I use to stay calm are a result of great preparation. I'm not saying that you will want to use them, but here are my four top tips for myself: 1) Expect a technical issue and be ready with a way of making the audience feel it's all going to be OK and that it won't affect their enjoyment of your presentation. A technical issue is an opportunity to be spontaneous and involve the audience in the collective experience. 2) I usually speak without slides to minimise anything going wrong with them and keep the audience's attention on my face, props and gestures. 3) If I use slides, I minimise the number, ensure any text is huge and prepare for how I'll present if the slides don't appear. 4) I'm prepared to speak without a mic.

It's crucial to remain composed and not let the technical difficulties fluster you. Take a deep breath, maintain your composure, and reassure yourself that you can handle the situation.

A calm and composed speaker will always make a positive impact on the crowd. Technical glitches aren't your fault so there's no reason to be anxious. Yes, you are driver of this act but technical glitches are something out of your hand. As it isn't because of you, why should you be nervous??? So Avoid being nervous and anxious. Stay calm and composed. Try to assess the situation and don't seem and look awkward. Try to hold and manage things with effectiveness and confidence.

It's important to remember why you're there in the first place - which is to serve the audience - not deliver perfection. Audiences aren't after perfection. They're after someone that is entirely authentic and puts them first. Technical difficulties, whilst frustrating, don't actually disturb your ability to deliver on these fronts. Re-connecting with this and that bigger reason to speak can help quieten down the noise in your head, stop you from spiralling inwards and keep you WITH your audience. It's not you Vs them. You're on the same team. All of this should help to keep you calm.

Don't panic. All tech is the icing. You are the cake. You have to be prepared to do what you can with what you have. I've had to leave the stage and walk through the audience to finish a talk. Sometimes the failure in tech can lead to something really special happening. When you show the audience that you are cool under pressure it allows them to not focus on the technical mishaps.

Being calm is super enough to manage the situation and also one smart look aside is also important because it shows your still confidence enough... To speak over there ...

If you get interrupted by technical issues, don't panic. Breathe deeply and acknowledge the problem calmly. Keep the audience's attention with humor or interactive questions. Be flexible if slides or the microphone don't work. Keep it effective by adapting your delivery style or content. Keep in mind, it's not the end of the world. Audiences understand that glitches happen. Keep your cool and stay confident. Even when things go wrong, your attitude can keep listeners engaged. Focus on delivering your message with clarity and enthusiasm regardless of technical challenges. You can still leave a good impression on your audience by staying calm, adaptable and confident.

Stay Calm: Remain calm and composed, even if you're feeling flustered or stressed by the technical issues. Panicking will only make the situation worse. Acknowledge the Issue: If the technical issue is noticeable to your audience, acknowledge it calmly and transparently. For example, you could say something like, "It seems we're experiencing some technical difficulties. Please bear with us while we work to resolve the issue." Troubleshoot Quickly: Try to troubleshoot the technical issue as quickly as possible. If it's a problem with audio or visual equipment, check connections, restart devices, or switch to backup equipment if available.

Preparation is key! Anticipate potential technical snags by preparing alternate solutions. For presentations dependent on technology, ensure you have backups accessible through various means, including other devices or cloud services. In the event of total technical failure, be ready to deliver your speech unaided. Familiarity with your material to the extent that you can proceed without visual aids not only demonstrates professionalism but also fosters a closer rapport with your audience.

Always have a backup plan in place for your presentation materials. This could involve having printed copies of your slides or notes or storing your presentation on multiple devices or platforms. Having a backup ensures that you can still deliver your speech even if there are technical glitches.

Absolutely agree on having a backup plan! In addition to digital backups, I often bring along laminated pictures of things I love or actual physical objects related to my talk. These tangible items not only serve as a fail-safe against technical issues but also add a unique, personal touch to the presentation. They can make the message more memorable and bring it home for the audience, creating a deeper connection even without the tech.

It all comes down to a good preparation. When you are confident with your content, and know what you are about to say, technical issue won’t disrupt you too much. As part of the preparation, you have created a backup plan for such situations, and you start executing that in these situations.

This is other technic to make your session more active ... Engaging with audience and interacting with them makes them to feel more active and good listener also when you speak next after the resolving the problem of technical issue...

Utilize the interruption as a pivot to deeper audience interaction. Pose questions, solicit opinions, or initiate discussions related to your subject matter. This approach shifts focus away from the glitch, promoting a participatory atmosphere. Active engagement can transform a potential setback into a standout, positively impactful part of your presentation.

Technical glitches are an excellent excuse to engage with the crowd. Some random chitchat or maybe asking the crowd how they are feeling. You might start a game or crack a joke about the technical glitch 😂 You can ask people to share their experiences and how they will contribute towards the delivery of your speech. Try to add these people to kill time. The more engaged and occupied the people are, the less they focus on the glitches and issues. So keep them entertained and engaged. Keep on offering them something to interact with, something to react.

While the technical issues are being resolved, engage with your audience to keep their attention and maintain the flow of your presentation. You can ask questions, share relevant anecdotes, or encourage discussion on related topics to keep them engaged.

Whenever I encounter technical issues, I see it as a perfect chance to engage more deeply with my audience. I might ask, "How many of you have experienced XXXX, raise your hands?" or prompt them to break into small groups for a brief discussion on a relevant topic. Sometimes, I even introduce a quick, relevant game. These strategies not only shift focus from the glitch but also energize the room, turning a potential setback into an interactive and enriching experience for everyone involved.

Humor is a good option in such situations, as it gives you a relaxed feeling and shows your audience that you have things under control. However, be careful to keep the humor within limits so that it doesn’t get bigger focus than your content and presentation.

Who doesn't like to laugh??? I love to laugh So use humour to your advantage. A joke on your equipment, electricity or maybe internet connection might cheer the crowd. It might help you break the tension and create a relaxed environment. You don't want people to view things in bewilderment. You want them in your control. Humour will help you keep them laughing and enjoying the event. It will also help you become more appealing to the crowd. A good joke can do wonders for you and make the entire environment lively and happening. You can even ask people to join and crack some jokes to make people laugh and enjoy their time. So use humour for your advantage.

Humor can be an effective way to lighten the mood and diffuse tension caused by technical difficulties. Make a light-hearted joke about the situation or share a humorous anecdote to keep the audience entertained while the issues are being resolved.

If possible, simplify the technology you're using for your presentation to minimize the risk of technical issues. Stick to basic software and equipment that you're familiar with, and avoid overly complex setups that could be prone to failure.

Reduce complexity whenever and wherever possible. Maximize your use physical visual aids, paper copies of presentations, and meeting venues where a microphone is not required in order to effectively communicate with your audiance.

Great advice on simplifying technology use. I often take it a step further to enhance audience engagement, especially during unforeseen tech hiccups. I'll say, "Imagine with me..." to paint a vivid picture through storytelling, or sometimes, I might even sing a song related to the topic or act out a scenario to bring my points to life. To keep things streamlined, I use just a few key slides, particularly with larger audiences. And to ensure everyone still gets the full value, I offer a copy of the slides at the end. Attendees can simply scan a barcode and enter their information to receive them, making the experience seamless and engaging, with or without perfect tech.

Be prepared to adapt your presentation on the fly if the technical issues persist. This could involve skipping over problematic slides, adjusting your delivery style, or finding alternative ways to convey your message. Stay flexible and adaptable to ensure that your speech remains effective despite the challenges you may encounter.

The presentation is *you* Not your slides. Not your graphs. Not the props. You. 🗣️🎙️ You are what the room will or will not "buy into". The rest is just material they can use to rationally justify their choice, after their gut has already made it.

Treat technology as an aid, not the base of your presentation. Thus, any glitch will not interfere with the core of the message. People come to listen to you, not just to see graphs and data represented. They will tend to be forgiving of the tech but remember how you said things. The more complex the idea, the less visual input you should provide. Remember Steve Jobs' famous speeches. There's the key. Maximize your voice potential: changing the speed of your speech, the basses and trebles in your voice, the articulation of the key words at a slower speed. Reach out for those who are at the back too. Make pauses, breathe and smile.

Although technology is incredible advanced, I have come to expect that some type of tech related issue will occur. This will way it happens I'm not shocked and able to remain on course with the presentation. If no issues occur, then I'm pleasantly surprised!