The Time I Gave Myself a Bloody Nose…
…and what it taught me about how to handle the unexpected.
Everyone seemed to be laughing a little bit longer than usual after my opening joke. It involved sticking my finger violently in my nose as part of the punchline. “Great crowd,” I thought to myself as I happily proceeded into my next bit. Then feeling a little coolness on my upper lip, I nonchalantly dragged my index finger under my nose and got my answer as to the crowd’s extended laughter: a bloody nose. Now what?
Many times as we’re cruising through a training, presentation, or speech, something unexpected happens or goes spectacularly wrong. The mic stops working. Our slides crash. The fire alarm goes off. There’s no way to list all the possibilities, but here are three things to remember if Murphy’s Law shows up during your presentation:
Keep calm and carry on: “Never let them see you sweat” was a popular Gillette ad campaign line back in 1984. When something unexpectedly goes wrong, it’s totally normal to feel that horrible chill run through our veins, but don’t let it linger. As comedian Elaine Boozler said, “In comedy, being nervous is natural. Looking nervous is deadly.” And it’s the same for any kind of public speaking. Looking nervous during a sales demo, making a product pitch, or training a group of people kills your credibility. Whenever I’ve stayed calm after an unexpected surprise, a witty remark or solution always presents itself to save the day.
Turn the pain into gain: Unanticipated moments can be absolutely golden. Don’t run away and hide from them. Call attention to the issue in a lighthearted way. The classic example that’s happened to me (and many others) is someone’s phone going off while you’re presenting. If you’re daring and want to have some fun, let the person take the call and ask, “Can I talk to them?” Take the phone and have a conversation with the caller right in front of everyone. “Hey……who’s this?……I’m Jeff……Yeah, we’re doing a training……What’s for dinner?” Meet your challenge head on when it presents itself.
Don’t be hard on yourself: There’s only so much preparation you can do. If something goes wrong or if someone does something you weren’t expecting, roll with it and chalk it up as experience. Don’t blame yourself. Unplanned setbacks or disasters are mostly out of your control. Enjoy the journey. Worst case is you’ll have a funny story to share just like me and my bloody nose.
And speaking of bloody noses, how did I handle my unexpected moment? I said, “Well, no need for you to punch me in the nose if these jokes suck! I’ve just taken care of that.” More laughter and someone from the audience handed me a napkin. So, remember the above. And for goodness sake, keep your fingers out of your nose during your presentations.
What unexpected surprises or disasters have you had while teaching, training, or speaking with a client? How did you handle it? Comment below. ⬇️