A few years ago, I hosted a live event with Dan Roam as the guest speaker. We did a smooth tech check thirty minutes before going live – everything worked. Then, thirty seconds before showtime, my setup crashed.
Total chaos.
Dan handled it brilliantly. We improvised a new setup on the fly, and the event still worked. But it was a reminder I won’t forget.
Here’s the lesson: If it can go wrong, it might.
Projectors freeze. Videos glitch. Wi-Fi vanishes. Mics cut out. Tech doesn’t always fail – but when it does, it won’t warn you.
I’m an optimist. But when it comes to presenting, I plan like a pessimist.
That means asking yourself:
What’s my backup if the slides don’t load?
What if my mic dies mid-sentence?
What if the video won’t play?
Hope for smooth delivery – but be ready for the opposite.
The best presenters are prepared for problems. And when those problems come, they switch gears and carry on.
Tech can break. Your message doesn’t have to.
Timeless Presenter, my new book on the principles of communication that never expire, will be released soon.
If you’d like to be notified when it’s out, you can join the early access list here.