It happens to all of us – we plan the speech of a lifetime only to have something go wrong. Now it feels like the failure of a lifetime. What are we to do?

The first thing to remember is that our perceptions are not as objective as we might think – in fact they are extremely subjective. There have been numerous times when I have made blunders and thought that the audience would never forgive me. After the speech I found out that they completely missed the errors, or didn’t think they were that significant.

The next thought is to remember that the enemy of a ‘good job’ is not a bad job, but an attempt at a perfect job. This is true for every aspect of our lives, not just public speaking.

How often do we make the decision that if we can’t do something perfectly then we’re not going to do it all. I actually think that this is why many people avoid public speaking. They’re afraid that they might make a small mistake in front of a lot of people. Their sub consciousnesses are busy asking how they could possibly deal with that level of scrutiny.

The truth is that none of us are perfect. The worst ones for expecting perfection is ourselves. Remember, our audiences aren’t looking for perfection – they are looking to be informed, moved, or perhaps entertained. Do a good job at that and they will be pleased.

If something happens during a speech, don’t let it shut you down. Don’t give up because perfection was missed. Instead be flexible and work your presentation around it as best you can. If your audience even notices then they will be understanding and appreciate you for doing so.

One particular memory of a speaking competition comes to mind. Now if there is ever a time when you are trying to hit perfection, it’s during a competition.

I was in my element – speaking with the eloquence of Winston Churchill himself. I had my audience’s rapt attention. As I flawlessly transitioned from my first to second point I thought to myself, “I have this one nailed.”

That rather self-indulgent attitude lasted for about five seconds. It was just as I began my second point that I realized that I had forgotten something very important. I had not addressed my audience. By not addressing the audience I mean that I had not said something like, “Ladies and Gentlemen”. In this case it was a Toastmasters competition so it should have been something like, “Mr. Contest Chair, Fellow Toastmasters and Welcome Guests.”

What was I to do? I was way beyond the introduction. There was no turning back now. This was a competition, so I was aiming for perfection. One moment I thought I was achieving it, and the next I realized that I have missed by a huge margin.

Fortunately I had the presence of mind to keep speaking. I had practiced my speech enough that I was able to continue while I searched for a solution. I continued speaking but still didn’t have a solution as I transitioned from my second to my third point. I was starting to think that I might just have to conclude the speech without solving the problem and live with the consequences. In reality that wouldn’t have been so bad. I had after all done a reasonably good job of the rest of the speech.

I was concluding my third point when I suddenly realized that I had an opportunity. Instead of using my rehearsed transition from the third point to the conclusion I used, “And so Mr. Contest Chair, Fellow Toastmasters and welcome guests, in conclusion…” and then went into my conclusion.

I learned an important lesson. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good. It worked for the audience and the judges. In discussing it after, no one had really noticed what I had done.

In our society we get carried away with the illusion of perfection. I believe that it’s those who take risks and deal with the bumps along the road that really make an impact on others. I also believe that you’re one of those people – I know that because you are taking the time and making the effort to conquer your fear of public speaking. Well Done! I know that your audience will be impressed as you ‘do a good job’ and handle problems as best you can.

In upcoming posts we will examine a few specific problems and how you can deal with them gracefully in front of an audience.