“What if I forget the words when I get up in front of the room?”

“What if I forget the words when I get up in front of the room?”

It’s a fear many of us have when giving a presentation, that our brain will suddenly freeze and we’ll forget what to say next.

If you watched the NRL final last night, you would have seen this happen to Ryan James during his ‘Acknowledgment of Country’ (if you didn’t see it, here’s the video).

He was doing so well, then there came a pregnant pause….and the words, “I’m lost”.

Watching this live, I thought he’d pause a few more moments and recover, but the cameras moved off him and a few seconds later, Natalie Bassingthwaighte was up singing the national anthem.

I felt for the guy. So did many others on Twitter.

The good news is this: Your audience are supporting you and WANT you to do well up there. Public speaking is tough, it’s a huge fear many people harbour - so there is high empathy from the audience.

Some tactics if you blank up there:

• 💬 Preparation is better than cure: Pack some backup palm cards

• 💬 Pause and take 2-3 seconds to remember the next line

• 💬 Improvise - the audience doesn't know what's in your script

What else do you recommend?

p.s. The other good news? The referees seem to have stolen the thunder from Ryan.