Computers, microphones, projectors ... these are all presentation tools which tend to fail when you need them the most. If you plan to give a speech at a conference or a presentation in front of important people, you should always be prepared for the possibility of technology failures. Five practical pieces of advice for this case were recently published on Inc.com.
Take advantage of the technology failure for future communication
In case you fail to run a video or show a slide, go on without it. Use the failure as an opportunity to further communicate with the audience in the future. It can be a reason for you to send them an e-mail with more information later or to bring them to your website.
Take full advantage of your time
If the technology doesn't work at the beginning of your speech, don't wait until it is repaired. Try to take advantage of all the time available. You can start by an introduction and a summary of what you will speak about.
Trust your audience
Remind yourself of the fact that the audience has come to see your speech because it interests them. They don't want anything bad to happen to you and they will give you energy to manage the speech without technology.
Be alert
Realize that you don't need any technology to handle your presentation successfully. What is preventing you from putting a broken microphone away and asking the participants sitting in the last rows whether they can hear you?
Prepare a Plan B
The backup plan for the case of a technology failure is simple - take the opportunity to share what is in your head with the audience. If you want to follow the original presentation, take precausions like saving it on multiple media or printing it out.
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