What to Do After Giving a Bad Speech

Okay. It's over. (The speech, that is.)

Maybe it wasn't the most horrible speech in the history of the world, but it definitely won't be winning any awards.

So you, the embarrassed, humiliated, angry-at-yourself speaker have a few decisions to make. But before you do, it's important to take a few deep breaths and perhaps allow yourself to mourn… but for no more than 24 hours.

Let's face it - speech makers can't and won't be "on" all the time. Even the most prolific speakers occasionally do questionable (or downright horrible) work. So a bad speech is inevitable, especially if you give plenty of them (as in the case of teachers, politicians, and/or CEOs.)

After you've calmed down a bit, it's important to look at your experience not from your own eyes, but from the eyes of an objective individual. Step away from your emotions and begin to ask yourself the following questions:

• What was it exactly that made the speech ineffective? (Ditch the word "bad" - it's subjective and doesn't really mean anything. Aim to come up with some specific reasons that the speech didn't go over as planned.)
• Were there any elements of the speech that were out of the control of the speaker? (For instance, did the microphone constantly malfunction? Was the audience particularly hostile? Did the lights flicker on and off to the point of distraction?)
• If only one part of the speech could be changed to make it better, what would that be? (Perhaps the ending should have had more impact, perhaps a slideshow should have been included to add visual interest to the piece, or maybe the question and answer session should have been avoided at all costs.)
• Was the speaker prepared for the speech? (If the answer is "no", then what more could have been done? Was the research lacking? Was the speech maker trying to "wing it"? Was the speaker ignorant of the subject matter?)

As you begin to answer these questions (taking your time and really considering each one), the "cracks" in the presentation will begin to appear. Write down all your thoughts as you go through this evaluation process - you'll want to use those notes to ensure that the same negative experience does not occur twice.

Once you have all your thoughts, ideas, and critical analyses on paper (or stored on the computer), it's time to do the most important thing of all - walk away.

Seriously.

Unless you have an upcoming presentation the next day, take some time off of berating yourself or agonizing about your not-so-good speech. Take a walk, read a good book, chat with some friends, learn to ski… whatever! This mental break will give you time to shore up your esteem and clear your mind.

Without such a holiday from what you perceive as a less-than-stellar moment in your public speaking career, you'll have a difficult time getting up on the stage or in front of a group again.

After you've refreshed your psyche, you can return to your notes. Though you cannot rewrite your history, you will have the power to at least change your future by referring to them periodically. For instance, the next time you are given the opportunity to speak in front of an audience, use your jottings as a way to ensure you never make the same public speaking mistakes twice.

Remember - every speaker has a rough day. You're not alone. But the best ones press on and learn from their errors.

Rather than wallowing in pity, they pull up their proverbial "boot straps" and vow to do better. Some even get to the point where they talk about a bad speech during a good one to elicit laughter from their listeners! So be gentle to yourself, but always strive to keep growing.

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