Memory
TweetFollow @enjoypresenting
One of the biggest fears in presenting is forgetting what you have to say! And there is a reason for this!
We all know that we have a fight or flight response system that was conditioned years ago when we were running from dinosaurs or fighting for our survival. Our system is perfectly designed for this situation.
We see danger and make an instant decision as to what to do, run or fight. Blood is taken away from our digestive system and other non essential areas, and is re-directed to our muscles, adrenaline is pumped into our bodies and you heart beats faster, your mind is scanning for danger and our skin flushes with colour.
You may be able to see how this response is not always going to be the best one when going on stage to present or when you forget your lines. In both of these situations your body treats it just as if you were being attacked by a Dinosaur!
You mind goes blank because all of the blood has been diverted to your muscles. And it makes the situation worse.
The only way to be totally focused and on stage is to be relaxed.
I am going to split this piece into two, the first is things that you can do before your talk to improve your chances of remembering what you want to say and the second is things you can do if your mind goes blank during your presentation.
Firstly before the presentation
· Take your talk and reduce it down to key words that will remind you of each section that you need to talk about. That way you only need to remember a handful of words that will trigger different sections of your talk
· Imagine each scene really happening, so if your presentation is telling a customer about the benefits of your product then run through in your head before the presentation seeing the customer using each of the benefits you want to talk about
· Link the different topics of your talk with vivid imagery and colour. I remember reading a book entitled “train your brain” that gave you a list of 10 items to remember. It then recommended putting each item in a room of your house and walking round seeing these things in your rooms. This made it really easy when you were asked to recall the items to walk back around your house seeing them
· Something magical happens between pen and paper when you write out what you want to say and it just seems to stick in your mind. Write out the topics you want to talk about in the order you are going to talk about them. Carry them in your pocket on a small card as a back up
· Get the beginning and the end word perfect. The two most memorable points in any talk or speech are the beginning and the end. They are also the two points when an audience is most sensitive to nerves. So practice and get to know these parts well and then let the rest of your speech flow from the subject headings
If your mind goes blank in the middle:
· Take a deep breath to slow your heart rate and relax. The more relaxed you are the easier it will be for you to remember what you have to say
· See the whole thing going well before you get on stage. Condition your mind to the talk, speech or presentation going well and that is what you will get on the day
· Control your mind’s chatter. Yes we all talk to ourselves; the most important thing is what you are saying to yourself just before and during the presentation. Control your inner chatter and say positive things to yourself beforehand such as “this is going to be fun” or “how can I best connect with these great people” or “I know my subject”. Say positive things to yourself if your mind goes blank such as “I can remember what I need to say”
· Have a backup subject. If you really are nervous about this then have a backup part of your presentation that you know you will use for 30 seconds to a minute if you go blank until you can relax again and get back on track Know this segment well and use it encase of emergency!
This should give you plenty of ideas on how to remember your speeches and what to do if you do have a momentary lapse in memory!
Good luck with the next speech
