| This exercise, Handling
the Unexpected, was provided by Bryan Edwards of ABC
Training Solutions. Imagine you are delivering a presentation to a group of people, when the unexpected happens. How do you handle these situations? First, try not to take any of the unexpected situations below personally. Staying calm and professional throughout any of these scenarios will really work to your best benefit. |
|||
| Unexpected |
What Would You Do/Say? |
Possible Responses |
| Two audience members at the front start talking to each other. | - Give more eye contact to the two - Raise your voice a little - Give a pause in your presentation (they may wonder why you have stopped) - Walk towards them a bit - Finally, ask them in a friendly-tone, "Is there anything I can help you with?" |
|
| An audience member keeps butting in with questions during your presentation, when you specifically said during your introduction that you would take questions at the end. | - Perhaps they didn't hear you ask to hold questions until the
end. |
|
| The projector suddenly stops working. | - It's not the end of the world. - Make a joke/break the tension. Technology is great when it works! - If convenient, take a break - gives you time to take a break or change visual mediums (such as chalk board, flip chart, handouts, etc.) |
|
| An audience member asks a very challenging question that you don't know the answer to. | - Be honest. If you don't know, you don't know. - Respond assertively - "That's a good question and I would really like to give it some thought. Can I get back to you on that one?" - Boomerang method - "That's a good question. What would you like to see as the answer?" - Try to predict this type of question ahead of time and work out the response. |
|
| You prepare for a 30-minute presentation only to be told 10 minutes before the start that you need to cut it down to 10 minutes, as they are running late. | - Try to negotiate more time. - Plan ahead for this situation, thinking about which sections could be skipped. - Use summary slides or handouts. - Provide comprehensive handout. |
|
| An audience member starts nodding off. | - Clear you throat loudly. - Raise your voice. - If others look sleepy, give a 5 minute break. - Eye ball the person sitting next to them to wake them. Be discreet so as not to embarrass them. |
|
| An audience member's cell phone goes off. | - Before the presentation gets started, ask everyone to turn cell
phone ringers off. - If the phone must be answered, ask the person to leave the room. - Encourage them to use phones only during breaks. |
 |
| Disclaimer: Reference in this website to any specific commercial product, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by TechTrainer |