What to do when everything goes wrong on virtual presentation?

March 3, 2021

Thanks to my experience as a journalist, I discovered the art of improvisation and working under pressure. Tools that got me out of trouble in more than one live broadcast, when the news arrived at the last minute or, even worse, the teleprompter failed. There's no way to describe the feeling of being in front of the lens, acting as if nothing was happening, while everyone around you is looking at you with long faces because things are not going as planned or because of some failure that you can't see. 

This is what I call: uncomfortable moments, but also moments of truth, because there, with the pressure of the situation, preparation and practice come to the surface. That's why television and journalism taught me to be always ready, even when nothing around me is. 

Today I am grateful for this teaching because the virtuality in which we now live challenges us to consider many technical factors that are often out of our control, such as when the internet fails, the server goes down or the camera doesn't work.  

Interestingly, a couple of days ago I had the opportunity to conduct a coaching session with a group of more than 20 people connecting from different parts of the world. Without imagining what would happen, I made several successful tests to corroborate that everything on the platform was working correctly, so I had the peace of mind that it would always be like that. 

To my surprise, things went out of control when the technology kicked me out and left me with no playback of my image, no audio, and no way to see the audience or my presentation during the streaming. 

"Oh, oh, we're in trouble," I thought. How could I present if no one sees me?  If they can't hear me, and without the slides to guide the presentation? 

Already pressed for time, I had to take immediate action and improvise. I grabbed my phone, connected my audio through a call, and started presenting practically blind. Fortunately, I had the preparation that my media experience had left me with, which I want to share with you: 

• Pre-practice the speech.
• Turn off the panic button and don't freeze up. 
• Keep calm
• Be resourceful and use the possibilities you have at hand 
• Have at hand more than one electronic device. If one fails you can use the other one
• Print the slides (I always do it)
• Write notes with key ideas
• Have a positive attitude
• Never point out the failure unless it is something too visible. 

Don't lose control at times when everything seems to be going against you. Use your creativity and look for tools that will allow you to overcome the situation.  You as a speaker are the most important asset of your presentation (besides the audience). Be prepared.