By Thomas Davis, DNAP, MAE, CRNA
Lt. Col (ret) USAF
Follow @procrnatom on twitter
Recently I was scheduled to be the last faculty speaker on the final day of meetings at Encore Symposiums. Attendees had various reasons for checking out ahead of my presentation – prior engagements and airline connections among them – but having spoken to this group for several other sessions throughout the weeklong meeting, I felt entirely comfortable with this schedule. Practically speaking, I anticipated an audience somewhat diminished in size and just hoped Leonard’s joke would not materialize.
Leonard’s joke:
After the morning coffee break on the last day of the meeting, there were two talks left before the meeting adjourned. In the meeting room were the speaker and only one other person. The speaker suggested sitting together at a table and going through the slide set. The other person replied, “I don’t care what you do, I’m the last speaker.”
If you’re a healthcare speaker, or a public speaker in any industry, no matter how well prepare you are, the potential for glitches is ever present. It’s your job as the leader of that moment to “speak easy.”
Recover Fast
In mid-September, our local Frederick Art Club, featured the well published women’s rights advocate, Edith Mayo, Curator Emeritus of The Smithsonian to speak to its membership. In anticipation, twenty additional guests were invited to join the audience at a luncheon enhanced by several displays by the iconic clothing designer, Claire McCardell. This was a “not-to-be-missed” presentation. According to attendees, Edie introduced herself and quickly announced without apology that her computerized presentation materials had not arrived, and she would be relying on her slides and an old-fashioned, borrowed projector. Without any further mention, Ms. Mayo reportedly immediately launched her spiel while the enhanced audience ate their meal. Edith gave the audience of art lovers a lot to remember and only a little to forget. At dinner that evening my wife gave the glitch a scant dishonorable mention, then talked about the pics that had been shown, the new museum being built and other interesting tidbits.
If your props or materials do not arrive, if the sound system fails, or even if the dog ate the homework, recover fast; think on your feet and do what you have to do to move forward, acknowledge the road hazard only if necessary and then get on with it. That’s leadership and leadership makes it look easy.
Tough Love
What do you do if it’s a tough audience? The best advice is to prepare the fall-out shelter. In addition to knowing your stuff and using cutting edge material, be there ahead of your scheduled appearance long enough to sit in on other speakers with the same audience. Get a feel for them. What makes the audience laugh, what annoys or bores them, are they text savvy, senior workers, foodies? Where are they from, why are they there, how are they dressed, is the sunny or gloomy weather affecting their attention or attendance? If you can’t be there early or if “sitting in” doesn’t apply or isn’t appropriate, get the answers from others. As a last resort, be a politician and ask the audience. “Good evening O-kla-ho—ma-how-are-you?!” Whatever you do, do not tell these pay-on-demand customers they’re a tough nut to crack. Along with disrespecting your whine, chances are they can get tougher after that. They can walk out.
Shift Gears
Nancy LaBrie, founder and owner of Encore Symposiums tells the story of the group of attendees and faculty whose driver delivered them to the Pier AFTER the cruise ship had sailed. Oops! The creative faculty made a seamless transition into delivering their presentations for two hours – outside, – while the ship returned to retrieve them. The speakers became the Captains of the situation with a truly captive audience! A solid optimistic leader can almost always pull up, even if your ship has sailed.
L.O.L
Speakership is leadership and if you intend to make public speaking part of your professional profile, you must handle glitches, tough audiences, unwelcoming venues or schedules along with all other unforeseen events, as part of the routine, with professional grace and aplomb. Indeed, a little humor could be called for. My wife loves to tell about the wide-girthed MS Vocal Mus Ed candidate back in the day. The singer, whose half-slip fell to the floor during her graduate performance of O Mio Bambino Caro, kicked it to the side of the grand piano while completing the aria to the roaring applause of the audience. Grace. Aplomb. It’s not the glitch you want the audience to remember; it’s the way you handle it.
My last two Encore presentations during the last two hours of an intense four-day schedule went very well. I could have encouraged the down-sized group to gather closer to the podium, but instead I walked out into the group, avoiding reliance on notes and focusing on the individuals in attendance. We communicated interactively with a professional phone texting activity. It was fun, it was professional, they stayed, and the speaking was easy.
Tom is an experienced leader, author and requested speaker. Contact Tom for an appearance at your next meeting.