Great Quotes #2

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Martin Luther King Jr

I got this from a recent Mike Pegg post  - he has been quietly churning out some great posts of late but this one on 3 tips for being at your best at big moments is terrific. It reminds me of one of my heroes, Michael Jordan, who talked a lot about rehearsing mentally for the big moment.

Mike as usual takes you through 3 easy steps to help with pressure moments. I use some of the techniques myself such when delivering presentations (as I will tonight). I remember back to the best ones, the ones where people laughed and I was in a state of flow where words, anecdotes and humour comes easily. It's hard to do that when you're worrying about presenting and looking bad. One tip I often give people who are new to the presenting game as a big worry for most is being asked a question and looking stupid

• It's almost inevitable that you know more than anyone in the audience on the topic you will present on so who can ask you a question you can't answer?.

Of course, if you don't know more than your audience, you really have to question why you're up there!

Comments

• Anonymous
  November 20, 2007
  Being a technical trainer and presenting to a wide range of audiences, I do find most of my confident comes from being knowledgeable about the topic that I am presenting about.    In a training setting there is usually a lot more audience and presenter interaction with hands-on activities, but it is still a presentation.  It is tough when someone does you ask a question that you don't know but sometimes I believe saying I don't know, I'll get back to you on that, is better than making something up out of the blue.  Personally I prefer to give accurate information, rather than inaccurate information.

• Anonymous
  November 20, 2007
  think its about prep, prep and more prep and then just allowing yourself to enjoy. If the audience see you enjoying giving of yourself - they will warm to you. Its also about putting the audience first - what do THEY need to know rather than how much of my superior knowledge can I tell them? Mike Pegg is a master at "always playing to your strengths". He has and continues to help me to focus on what is positive and drawing a positive mental picture. When you decide to focus on what you are doing right - strangely enough - things start going right more often.......Katie :)