How to Recover from a Memory Lapse

• 00:05 So what do you do if you're giving a presentation and you have a memory loss?
• 00:10 Well, here are the three most important things.
• 00:12 Number one, don't panic.
• 00:15 Number two, don't visually show that you're worried.
• 00:18 Don't go.
• 00:20 And number three, oops.
• 00:25 I'm sorry I forgot now.
• 00:28 Don't do that.
• 00:29 Never apologize.
• 00:32 Here's the thing, inside you're thinking oh I forgot what to say next, but chances
• 00:37 are your audience doesn't know, they don't have your script in front of them.
• 00:41 They haven't memorized your presentation.
• 00:44 What gets speakers into trouble with their memory is not when they forget.
• 00:50 It's generally when they tell people they've forgotten.
• 00:55 That's what gets us into trouble.
• 00:57 It's sort of waving this flag, oh I'm sorry, I messed up.
• 01:02 Don't tell people you've made mistakes and they won't know.
• 01:07 So if you're trying to cover three points and you hit two,
• 01:10 and you can't remember the third, inside you think, oh no, what's the third?
• 01:15 But outside, you need to project calm and
• 01:20 act like you gave the two most brilliant points anyone has ever heard.
• 01:24 And you're gonna go to a completely different topic now.
• 01:28 You can always come back to that third point.
• 01:32 But that is why, it's somewhat dangerous to say,
• 01:36 let me tell you the three important cabinet agencies I will eliminate,
• 01:40 because if you tell people in advance the number.
• 01:44 Then it will seem odd.
• 01:45 It'll be obvious to everyone that oops, you forgot.
• 01:51 So, you're far better off just listing things you wanna cut or
• 01:55 listing the most important points.
• 01:57 Don't say the number in advance.
• 02:01 Part of what gets people into trouble is they're thinking oh,
• 02:04 I forgot this, what is it?
• 02:06 They're putting so much pressure on their brain.
• 02:10 I would advise you to cheat.
• 02:12 By that, I mean have a cheat sheet, have notes.
• 02:18 So anything that's really important in your presentation fits
• 02:21 on a single sheet of paper.
• 02:25 That way you don't have to pick it up,
• 02:26 you don't have to touch it, you don't have to turn pages.
• 02:29 Don't put pressure on your memory, have it on a cheat sheet.
• 02:34 That makes life a lot easier.
• 02:37 Don't tell people in advance the exact number and
• 02:41 that way if you forget one, it doesn't matter.
• 02:43 Don't put pressure on yourself to get a list in the same
• 02:48 order that you wrote it out, it probably doesn't matter to your audience.
• 02:52 So you can bounce around as long as you cover the main point.
• 02:56 The other thing great speakers do, they'll finish one point.
• 03:03 Inside they're maybe, oh I forgot the next.
• 03:05 But outside, they'll stop, pause and
• 03:09 I'll look at you like I just said something so brilliant.
• 03:14 You need a couple seconds to reflect upon it.
• 03:18 Look down, walk to the other side of the stage or the other side of the room,
• 03:23 as I were in a reflective state, calmly thinking about the next point.
• 03:28 Now inside I think, oh no, I forgot what I'm gonna say,
• 03:34 but outside I'm projecting complete calm.
• 03:38 I am walking in a purposeful way, as if this were completely planned.
• 03:44 That way, nobody will know you made a mistake.
• 03:48 Now, if you do forget something or you said something wrong, and
• 03:51 you're trying to remember the exact right thing.
• 03:55 Just don't talk about it.
• 03:57 You can correct yourself without telling everybody you were wrong before now.
• 04:03 If you said the number was $1 billion in revenue, and you actually had $1 million.
• 04:10 Well, I would correct yourself.
• 04:12 You don't have to tell everybody oh I forgot it, I forgot the correct number,
• 04:16 I'm a screw up.
• 04:17 Don't beat yourself up in front of your audience.
• 04:21 Let other people do that, if they're going to.
• 04:24 Instead, simply say what the correct number is now that
• 04:29 you remembered it, and leave the apologizing for later.
• 04:35 You wanna just deliver your information, make it as interesting and
• 04:38 as memorable as possible.
• 04:41 Don't put pressure on yourself.
• 04:43 The easiest thing of all of course, have the important things on a cheat sheet.
• 04:48 So that you can occasionally glance down and that way you don't put so
• 04:52 much stress on your memory.
• 04:54 The other big tip is when you're looking for that one word in you're,
• 04:59 what's the word, it's on the tip of tongue, don't look for that one word.
• 05:04 Instead, use the first word that comes to your mind that explains that concept.
• 05:10 Focus on the idea, not the word.
• 05:14 That way the simplest words, the best words will come naturally, and
• 05:19 you won't get tripped up trying to find that one perfect word.

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