Here's how you can effectively solve problems on the spot as a public speaker.

Staying calm is important and it's a very difficult skill to gain. Not everyone can stay calm and listen to others properly under pressure. Staying calm and thinking properly and then giving a strategy would be really phenomenal.

Things always go differently as expected when you speak. That's part of live speaking! And if you panic, yo inhibit your ability to respond skillfully. Practice self-regulation, being calm and presence so that you can ask yourself in the moment: what's needed? How can I pivot or adjust in order to handle this situation skillfully? Tip: make sure you have a presence practice - that you ideally do every day - so that grounded presence is truly available to you when things go awry.

Calm and composed... The best way to solve problems We might feel anxious and alarmed by problems during a public speaking event. This can seriously affect our thinking and reasoning abilities. We might forget the very basics due to the pressure involved. Therefore, we must stay calm as this helps our brain to use logic and information which is crucial for effective problem solving.

Listen to their concerns and queries actively to know about the matter properly. After listening properly take some time and think and then solve their problems. Don't be in a haste.

Be honest. If you don't know the answer, admit it! "That's a great question - I'm not 100% sure of the answer and I want to get you correct info, let me grab your contact details before you leave and I'll get back to you" is genuine, transparent, and can move the Q&A along without being disrespectful of anyone's time.

Active listening is a GAME CHANGER! So what should you do? Listen carefully and attentively Try to understand their key points and concerns Nod and react accordingly Your facial expressions can help you build a rapport with the crowd. Pay attention to the key information and structure of the problem This would help you in solving it more efficiently. Your response can be more targeted and that is good for problem solving

Being a great public speaker can also translate into being an even better sales person. What is the #1 skill a great sales person should have, the ability to Listen! Active listening helps you as a presenter of any kind, know your audience, learn pain points or values, and allow you to clarify your message for impact.

Guys, flexibility is important in Public Speaking. Solving problems? Don't rigidly stick to your material You can always use the crowd to your advantage. Ask for experiences and personal feedback on the problem. This can help you understand things from a different perspective which improves problem solving. You can take a different approach for your problem solving by giving real life answers rather than short and confusing answers. The list goes on... Anything is possible So stay flexible!

Effectively solving problems on the spot as a public speaker involves thinking flexibly. This means being open to adjusting your approach based on the situation and audience feedback. For example, if you notice your audience losing interest, you could quickly shift to an interactive activity or tell an engaging story to recapture their attention. Flexibility allows you to adapt your content and delivery dynamically, ensuring you maintain engagement and address any issues that arise during your speech. This approach not only keeps the audience engaged but also demonstrates your ability to handle unexpected challenges gracefully.

Oh, rigidity is the downfall to anyone considering public speaking. If something can go wrong, it might, so prepare not for it to go wrong but to adapt when something happens. Can you pivot and deflect? Put the pressure back on the participant if an off the wall comment is made by asking him/her to explain further. Stay calm and be flexible, and you will be able to handle anything thrown your way.

We are all humans, and actually you exude way more confidence if you acknowledge the issue/failure, instead of trying to pretend it doesn't exist or getting totally overwhelmed by it. Once presenting a major Research Report on a conference stage I had a combo of technical difficulties like clicker not working and slides not loading for good 2 minutes. For the clicker issue I looked towards technical team and said "be my clicker please, let's go, next slide", whereas for the screen issues I just commented that probably the screen is as sleepy as me, as I'm totally not a morning person (for context - I was the first speaker on the 2nd day of the conference, so everyone was kinda sleepy in the room)

Using humor can ease up the stress of the audience a bit and help them believe that the problem has solutions. They'll feel a bit less stressed and worried and it'll help you tackle the situation properly.

If you encounter a challenge while speaking, it's often a great way you can engage the audience. For example, let's say during Q&A you're asked a question that you don't know the answer to. The audience is a room full of resources to tap into. Be honest that you don't have the best answer. Then you can engage the audience in a few different ways. If it can be answered by a poll, you can employ a raise hands or applause method by giving the audience a few choices. Or, you can ask for an expert in the room to be handed a mic if a deeper response is required.

Breakdown the problem into components for the mass to understand it properly. Be patient and stay calm while explaining each and every problem to them. Knowing and addressing the problem does half of the work.

Effectively solving problems on the spot as a public speaker involves simplifying complex concepts quickly. This means breaking down intricate ideas into clear, easily understandable points. For example, if you encounter confusion from your audience about a technical topic, you can use analogies or simple examples to clarify your point. Suppose you're speaking about data analytics and notice puzzled faces. You could compare analyzing data to finding patterns in a puzzle, highlighting how each piece of data contributes to the overall picture. Simplifying complex ideas helps maintain audience engagement and ensures your message is clearly understood, even under pressure.

In a workshop with educators, I explained a new teaching method. By breaking down the process into simple steps and avoiding jargon, everyone grasped the concept quickly. Say whatever you need to say with the least amount of words possible. Then explain if necessary.

Here's an underrated trick: Take some time to answer. There is no time limit set upon solving an urgent problem. Especially as a speaker, on stage, it may feel as if time is going by too slow, but too fast. Take time to think clearly. And understand the issue well.

I used to strive for perfection with my presentations and speeches. It dawned on me that if I was genuine and vulnerable, the audience would usually be forgiving if something seemed to not flow as well as it could. I also started watching other speakers I admired and found that talks RARELY went perfectly. Just be kind to yourself, do your best always and learn from the times that things don’t go to plan; it can happen.

People don't care how much you know, unless they know how much you care. Show them how much you care first Show them how much you know second Build rapport, and credibility Share your message authentically End with a call to action (that offers the value and is the fruit of how much you truly care)