Presentation tips for handling interruptions or technical difficulties

Plan ahead

While it’s great to be optimistic and hope that your presentation runs smoothly, issues can arise even if you tried practicing and preparing your presentation ahead of time. Anticipate potential interruptions and technical difficulties as you plan your presentation. Some disruptions that can happen during your presentation are a soundless microphone or a projector that won’t turn on. To combat these possible issues, you can go to your presentation’s location ahead of time. Test out the sound system, computer, projector, and other equipment you’ll be using to lessen the likelihood that you’ll have issues during your presentation.

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Don’t panic

You may still have interruptions or technical difficulties during your presentation even if you checked your equipment ahead of time. Don’t panic. While it’s natural to feel stressed when you have a disruption, try to remember to stay calm and confident. Take a deep breath, pause to evaluate what’s happening, and figure out what’s causing the interruption. Is it the microphone or the speaker? Is it the projector or the computer that it’s connected to? Pinpointing where the issue is occurring can help you efficiently resolve the matter.

Communicate with your audience

Your audience more than likely understands that technology can have glitches. Communicate with them by acknowledging the issue that’s occurring and letting them know that you’re working to resolve it. If you need to step aside to contact another person for assistance, let them know what you’re going to do before you do it. Before your presentation begins, ask the host who you should reach out to if you need assistance. Someone might remain in the room during your presentation, but in case they’re not there, you should have another way to contact them if you need help.

Keep your audience engaged

One of the most frustrating parts of interruptions and technical difficulties is how these disruptions can distract your audience. It’s important to keep your audience engaged and focused on the topic if an interruption happens. While you’re working to fix the issue, you can use the time to curate an FAQ segment with your audience. Answer questions they have about your presentation’s topic. Get their thoughts on talking points that you may have about the topic as well.

Have a backup plan

Sometimes, you and other people may not be able to resolve the issue in a fair amount of time. Always have a backup plan for instances like this. If you’re going to be using a microphone, make sure there’s an additional one in the room that you can use if the batteries die in the first one. The computer or projector might not have ports available for you to upload your presentation. Save your presentation in Microsoft OneDrive so you can access it from the cloud as well. Print out a copy of your presentation slides to follow along your talking points in case the screen doesn’t work at all. Having back-up plans will help you move quickly when it comes to resolving an interruption or technical difficulty during your presentation.

Remember what to do in the future

Experience is a great teacher. Celebrate what went well in your presentation so you can remember to implement those tactics again. Learn from any interruptions or technical difficulties you have while giving a presentation. Make a mental note of what occurred during your presentation. Afterward, find time to sit down and research solutions. there are support articles to help you make the most of using Microsoft 365 apps like PowerPoint and OneNote.

These presentation tips and tools can help you conquer any difficulties that arise while you’re presenting. Plan and practice ahead of time. Be flexible during your presentation in case things don’t go according to your original plan. And most importantly, have fun! Your audience will be able to pick up on your mood. If you’re nervous or frustrated, they can tell. Have fun while presenting so that your audience has fun while listening and engaging.