Whenever you are on stage, you are leading the room. You are bringing them somewhere. And you shouldn’t complain because you don’t lead by complaining.

You should never let your audience focus on an issue. They are there to focus on you, on the value that you have to provide, on the story that you’re going to deliver.

You should never underline a problem because most of the time, if there’s a problem in your presentation, you are the only one that knows. So keep it a secret.

Don’t talk about your gear malfunctioning. Don’t talk about the projector or your clicker, and if there’s a glitch, just carry on without underlining it.

When you are on stage, you should become a presenting machine. Let’s say that your slides disappear, well, you have your structure committed to memory, so you can absolutely go on.

Let’s say that the laptop stops working completely. Well, in case you have a demo, you can always describe it. Let’s say that your microphone stops working. Well, you have to find another way to get heard by your audience.

The only case you can complain is when the problem is felt by your audience first. So, if the room is too hot, you can complain. But remember, side with them.

Summary:

• Don’t highlight problems. Soldier on with your presentation.
• If there’s a big problem that is felt by your audience, side with them.