He did not panic

How Steve Jobs beats presentation panic

Excerpt:

Steve Jobs had a serious and embarrassing Wi-Fi problem to deal with. It was plain to the thousands in attendance and the tons more people watching online: On Monday at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Jobs was struggling with wireless connectivity while attempting to demonstrate the new features of Apple’s iPhone 4.

“Our networks in here are always unpredictable, so...I have no idea what we're going to find,” he said. “They are slow today.”

What Jobs did next, according to Carmine Gallo, author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, was vintage Jobs (and a model for how presenters should deal with stage crises): He did not panic.

Comment: If you ever stand in front of people, you will appreciate this article. Last year I took a presentation skills class (which was largely a waste of time). At the final presentation, I did not rely upon PowerPoint or other technology. I just stood up (leaning on my crutches) and spoke without notes. I saw others in my class fumble when they had issues with technology. Our new thing at work (I think for the last 6 months or so for me) is Microsoft Live Meeting. So far it has worked well.