🐘 Let’s talk about the elephant in the room!

 

Imagine this: you walk on stage, ready to give your talk. Everything is going great… except for one tiny detail – a huge stain right on your crotch ☕😅.

 

You start speaking, pretending nothing happened, trying to keep your hands perfectly positioned to hide it.

But what do you think your audience is thinking about right now?

 

Probably not your brilliant message, but what on earth happened.

 

Could you prevent your audience’s imagination from running wild? Absolutely! 🙌

 

How? By addressing the elephant in the room, in this case, the big coffee stain

 

Something simple like, “My morning coffee decided to be part of this presentation” would clear the air immediately and bring everyone’s attention back to you 🎤.

 

Maybe you are nervous. You can mention that too.

I have heard speakers, from students to professors, admit how nervous they were, and what followed was laughter, applause, and support from the audience 👏.

 

Maybe you have a specific accent? No problem to mention why.

When I speak in Slovenian, I have a specific accent, as it is not my first language. I often get that out of the way at the beginning, so instead of trying to guess where I am from, people can focus on what I am saying.

 

So, if there is anything that might distract your audience during your talk, and you feel comfortable enough to mention it, go ahead. It will give you peace of mind, and them focus.