Page 375 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Speaking of . . .

Murphy’s Law Revisited

There is no way to be completely prepared for the unex- Problem: Your visuals are out of order or upside down,
pected. The best defense is to anticipate problems and pre- or some are missing.
pare alternatives. Here are a few of the things that you need
What to do: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
to prepare for. (At one time or another, they have all hap-
cure. Check and double-check them before the speech.
pened to the authors of this book.)
If you run into this problem, try not to get fl ustered. Make
Problem: The battery in your equipment (audio a joke while you look for the missing visual; if you can’t
recorder, microphone, or whatever) is dead. fi nd it, verbally describe the visual or skip a part of the
speech.
What to do: Test the equipment the morning of your
speech and carry a spare battery. Problem: The computer you are using for your
PowerPoint™ presentation fails, or the projector does
Problem: There is no overhead projector or computer,
not work.
even though you reserved one.
What to do: Be sure to prepare backup visuals.
What to do: Call to confi rm your reservation on the
For example, we normally have overhead transpar-
morning of your speech. Physically check out the equip-
encies prepared that duplicate our PowerPoint™
ment if possible.
presentations.
Problem: The overhead projector’s lightbulb is burned
Problem: It takes a lot longer than you thought to dem-
out.
onstrate a process using your visuals.
What to do: Most overheads have a spare lightbulb.
What to do: First, always practice with your visuals so
Make sure you know where it is beforehand.
that you know how long it will take. Second, if you are
Problem: The slide projector (fi lm projector, DVD player, demonstrating a multistep process, have various steps
etc.) does not work. along the way already prepared.
What to do: Again, check it out in advance if possible. Remember, nothing can happen to you that hasn’t already
If it unexpectedly fails, you will need to verbally describe happened to someone else. Most audiences are sym-
what is on your slides. We recall one case where a per- pathetic to speakers who are obviously prepared and yet
son simply stood in front of a blank screen, pretended encounter technical diffi culties beyond their control. At the
to show slides, and described them in elaborate detail same time, audiences have little sympathy when Murphy’s
as he went along (“As you can clearly see from this Law strikes someone who is just winging it. And keep in
slide . . .”). It turned a frustrating situation into a humor- mind, “Murphy was an optimist.”
ous one.

Tips and Tactics
Using Presentational Media

Before your speech:
• Check the room and your equipment.
• Practice, if possible, with the same equipment in the same room where you
will give your speech.
• Double-check your presentational media immediately before the speech. For
example, make sure posters, overheads, or slides are in the proper order, right
side up, and ready to go.
342 • Allow ample time for setup and takedown.