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Avoid a Michael Bay Meltdown

It’s been all over the news this week that Michael Bay had an epic meltdown on stage for Samsung at CES after the teleprompter malfunctioned and he simply froze.  As a professional speaker, I empathize with him. I think we’ve all had a moment where our brain short circuits and we totally forget where and who we are!  After looking at the video (and cringing throughout), I wanted to give you a few speaking tips so that you do not experience a Michael Bay moment. While I do believe that my participation in youth theater rid me of stage fright, I understand that giving a professional presentation is a whole heartedly different experience than dressing in costume and performing in a play (that’s my subtle hint that some theater classes may also help). Nonetheless, here is my advice:

Prepare, prepare, prepare.

You cannot prepare enough for a formal speech. You have to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the material, know what you will say when each slide appears and memorize key phrases which are your impact points. Preparing for your speech also means rehearsing several times before you do it live. This makes for a more natural performance, because you are comfortable with the material.

I actually go through my whole presentation without the computer, so that I can visualize the slides I am speaking on. This will help you rely less on the screen and more on your words, so that you are speaking WITH the audience, not merely describing whatever information you’ve put in your slides. It is clear to me that Michael bay did not really prepare for his presentation. His plan was to rely on the teleprompter. So when that went on the fritz, he was lost. He even said, “I’ll try to wing it.” But clearly he didn’t prepare enough to be able to do so.

Anticipate the worst.

In my preparation, I include pauses where I anticipate a question from the audience. I think about what questions the audience might have and prepare my answers. I think about what questions I might pose to them to keep the conversation going. You also have to anticipate computer malfunction, disruptions from the audience (cellphones going off), power outages, etc. The more interruptions you can anticipate, the more you will be prepared.  Clearly, Michael Bay didn’t anticipate technical difficulties. Had he anticipated this and prepared his speech for it, he wouldn’t have walked off the stage.

Practice spontaneity.

This sounds a little strange, but you can actually do this. As part of your preparation, you should visualize yourself in the room, on the stage with double the audience you anticipate will be there. In your visualization, throw yourself some curveballs and practice your reaction. Imagine a heckler. Imagine your sound cuts out.  Imagine the teleprompter shuts off just seconds into your speech. While this is a bit like anticipation, practicing spontaneity is practicing your reaction. If you practice spontaneity, you will not have the deer-in-the-headlights moment that Michael Bay did.

My own Michael Bay moment.

In a presentation I made for PCMA in 2012, I was asked to put the powerpoint on a clip so they could use their computer, already hooked up and ready to go. I prefer using my Mac, but I wanted to be cooperative and provided the USB clip. Sure enough, about half way through my presentation, their computer crashed. I had a good laugh with the audience when I said, “Great! That’s my cue for the entertainment portion of the program.” I then did a mock tap dance while I sang, “Let Me Entertain You.”  I then explained that my Mac would never leave me high and dry in a presentation (more humor and a chuckle from the audience) and that I needed help (being honest, humble and human).  Two of the audience members came to my rescue and while they were getting the powerpoint back up, I was able to stay on point and continue to deliver my content. And the audience stayed with me. Was I embarrassed? Of course! My cheeks felt hot and I felt tremendous pressure to recover. But I had prepared well for my presentation, I anticipated glitches, and I practiced spontaneity. Many remarked that they were impressed with how I handled the situation because they expected a Michael Bay meltdown and instead got a Shanna Bright show. 😉  I wowed them.

I absolutely get that speaking in front of large audiences is a frightening experience. But preparation, anticipation and spontaneity are your tools for delivering a successful speech and one that engages and involves your audience. You are not a professor who is giving a lecture, you are a professional who is speaking WITH your audience. Rehearsing your conversation will help you navigate the talking points and deliver a more personal presentation. With that, you can completely avoid the on-stage nightmare that Michael Bay lived out in front of all of us.

Here is the video on the off-chance you have not yet seen it:

Tags: CES 2014, Michael Bay, professionalism, speaking