Your presentation is in full swing when the projector fails. How do you keep your audience engaged?

Maintaining a calm demeanor is crucial when faced with technical difficulties during a presentation. As the center of attention, your verbal and non-verbal cues are highly noticeable. Smile, acknowledge the issue, and seamlessly continue the discussion by asking questions or engaging the audience with an activity to keep them focused.

Stay calm. This will enable you to establish the technical hitch that caused the projector to go off. If it is something you can fix a calm mood will enable you to fix without panic. Staying calm will help to find an alternative way of doing it the technical hitch can not be fixed.

When faced with a projector failure during a presentation, quick thinking and adaptability are key to keeping the audience engaged. Firstly, maintain composure and calmly inform the audience about the technical issue. Use humor or a light-hearted remark to ease tension and maintain a positive atmosphere.

Next, pivot to an alternative method of presenting, such as using handouts, flip charts, or even a whiteboard. This demonstrates flexibility and ensures that the flow of information continues smoothly despite the setback. Engage the audience by encouraging questions or discussion to foster interaction and maintain their focus on the content rather than the technology.

Additionally, utilize storytelling or anecdotes related to your topic to captivate their attention. Personalizing the presentation with real-life examples not only makes the content more relatable but also keeps the audience emotionally invested. Furthermore, leverage your knowledge and expertise by delivering key points confidently and articulately. Demonstrating mastery of the subject matter reinforces your credibility and maintains audience interest

Stay calm and use the moment as a break to engage directly with the audience or answer some questions from your audience. By taking this moment as questions session, you will be able to seek help from the technical team before resuming the presentation.

When the projector, screen or tech fails, turn it into an opportunity for direct engagement. Shift the focus from the screen to yourself and your audience. Ask questions, encourage discussions, and invite comments. This approach transforms your presentation into a dialogue, creating a more intimate and engaging environment. By involving your audience, you keep their attention and make the content more memorable. Use this moment to showcase your adaptability and make the presentation dynamic and interactive.

During my brief time as an assistant professor, I learned that student enagement and comprehension of topics in general chemistry required the use of a chalkboard or whiteboard. One could easily use the monitor on the computer that is running the presentation to help give the presentation. Of course, you must apologize to the audience and inform them of a projector outage. Maintaining a calm demeanor is still key.

“The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.” – Mary Catherine Bateson I recommend structuring stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end. This helps in keeping the narrative engaging and ensures that the key points are effectively communicated.

You should ALWAYS have a go-to plan for a tech failure. Have a backup script, outline, printout of slides, etc. Tech issues happen more often than not.