Presentation Disaster – Michael Bay
Stage fright – freezing
A case of nerves can happen to anybody. The problem is, we feel if you are rich and successful and … work in entertainment, suck it up and move forward.
As a media trainer and presentation trainer I find that plenty of people are living in the world of their own thoughts. He probably had a swarm of uncomfortable thoughts going through his head. He was probably worried that everyone was staring at him.
You know what the audience was thinking? “Just talk Michael.” That’s it. If he was boring they’d tune out and read their phones. If he was interesting, great bonus. Most people are in between.
Michael Bay gave us something far more interesting, realizing his worst nightmare… failing on stage.
The interviewer here did him no favors. He should have created a safety net for Michael Bay and led him towards answers they rehearsed as well as yes and no answers. At least Michael would have stayed put!
What is the solution for the rest of us?
Know this:
-The audience / world is not staring at you to make you uncomfortable. They just want the “what’s in it for me.”
-Don’t be “me” focused (where the worry is.) Be “audience” focused. Think “What do they want? What will make this helpful for them, worthwhile, add value to their lives.” The more you do that, the more the personal anxiety goes away.
-Practice helps. It gives you something to fall back on.
-Smile and laugh. We’ve all been there. We’ve all been in an uncomfortable place when something doesn’t go our way. Smiling and laughing shows that you can laugh about it NOW and not just one day.