Ending strong after a shaky start

When you start off on the wrong foot, it’s easy to get distracted and give up. If you feel like you’ve blown the opening it’s easy to mentally check out and just go through the motions–since it’s too embarrassing to just sit down.

Obviously, you want to start well. But if you didn’t, you have to deal with it. You can either give up, or you can alter your course.

When the speech is over, you can troubleshoot for what to do differently next time: Prepare sooner; don’t start until you’re ready; have an interesting opening; know what your opening is; not be distracted by who’s in the audience, or whatever it was.

But right now in this speech when you’re struggling, you can turn it around. If you end strong, they’ll forget the weak start. So there’s no time for thumb-sucking.

To get back on track remember: there’s a reason you’re talking to them and focus on what that is. Let go of the past. You can still help them if you don’t focus on yourself.

Pause and bring yourself back into your message. Stop talking and give yourself the opportunity to let your mind function.

It’s your choice. The choice is to stay stuck in the problem or to let it go and commit yourself to helping these people with this information. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to always be clear on how your information will help the audience. It makes it easier to maintain your story–no matter the circumstances.

No one will care if you take a long pause to reorient yourself– as long as the next thing you say is on point and said like you mean it.

You’re then back on track.

And when you get to the end, pause before your closing and deliver your bumper sticker message with conviction. And stick the landing. Don’t cave and run off. You’ve put the shaky opening to rest. Value your closing lines and what it means to the success of whatever the project is.    

The quicker you let go, the sooner you’ll be back in the groove and on point.

And that’s what your audience will remember.