If so, you\u2019re not alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even experienced speakers face challenges\u2014and I certainly did during my TEDx Talk back in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, I went into such a state of panic that I almost ran off the stage!!!<\/span><\/p>\n \u2714\ufe0f Take deep breaths to ease my nerves<\/span> And at first, everything seemed to be going well. I delivered my opening lines exactly as rehearsed. Then, things started to unravel.<\/span><\/p>\n I usually advise speakers not to use a script. Why? Because when you rely on one, your focus shifts from connecting with the audience to worrying about what comes next. For this event though, I was asked to stick to a script because subtitles were being simultaneously projected in Japanese.<\/span><\/p>\n Early on, I missed a line. That threw me and I stumbled over my words.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While it can be helpful to write a script to be sure you can say what you want to (especially when presenting in your non-native language), attempting to memorize a script word for word puts you under a LOT of pressure and makes it hard to stay present and connect with your audience.<\/span><\/p>\n I was using a clicker for my slides, but I\u2019d only been able to test it briefly on the day of the event. When I clicked, the slides didn\u2019t advance as expected. That added another layer of stress.<\/span><\/p>\n Whenever possible, practice using the same equipment and setup you\u2019ll have on the day of your presentation. That way, you can troubleshoot potential problems in advance.<\/span><\/p>\n This was the most difficult challenge. The TEDx Roppongi stage used a high-tech projection system. A black mesh screen separated me from the audience, so that they could see me clearly and my slides appeared as holograms floating next to me – amazingly innovative. The downside?<\/span><\/p>\n \ud83d\udeab I couldn\u2019t see the audience\u2019s faces<\/span> As someone who thrives on audience interaction, this was terrifying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A bizarre image started to loom in my mind that I was standing alone and defenseless in front of 150 faceless, silent aliens! \ud83d\ude28<\/span><\/p>\n And a panicked voice in my head was saying, <\/span>\u201cYou\u2019re supposed to be a presentation skills coach and you can\u2019t even speak! What will people think? How embarrassing! This must be the end of your career!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n My brain went into fight or flight mode and, believe me, I was so close to running off stage!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But then, a tiny, supportive voice in my head reminded me:<\/span> So I did. I stumbled a little, but I kept going. Eventually, I found my rhythm again and finished strong.<\/span><\/p>\n When you\u2019re in fight or flight, the signal to the neocortex – the thinking part of the brain – stops because your body wants to act quickly and automatically to escape the perceived danger. So the key here is to shift your attention from yourself to the people you\u2019re speaking to. Moving the focus away from yourself eases the fight or flight feeling. To help the words to start flowing again, you can ask yourself, \u201cWhat do I want to tell them?\u201d Anything is fine, just to take the pressure off you. Then you can gradually get back to what you wanted to say.<\/span><\/p>\n If you have a presentation coming up, remember these 3 key takeaways:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2705 Avoid using a script, if possible<\/span> Even when things don\u2019t go perfectly, you can still deliver a powerful presentation. In fact, audiences usually connect better with speakers who make the occasional mistake rather than those who never miss a beat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n >>> <\/b>If you\u2019re curious, you can watch my TEDx Talk \u201cWhy Don’t Japanese Women Ask Questions at Work?\u201d here<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n (Cringe \ud83e\udd23)<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/opt-in_image_free_guide.jpg” title_text=”opt-in_image_free_guide” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Do you want to speak more clearly and confidently in your presentations and meetings \u2013 both online and in person?<\/p>\n This guide gives you<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/sasugacommunications.mykajabi.com\/englishphrases” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Yes, I want to speak confidently!” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever given a presentation that didn\u2019t go as planned? Maybe you had problems with the slides, your mind went blank, or something else threw you off?\u00a0 If so, you\u2019re not alone.\u00a0 Even experienced speakers face challenges\u2014and I certainly did during my TEDx Talk back in 2016. In fact, I went into such a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,55,60,57,56,65,54,58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-communication","category-conference-calls","category-facilitation","category-interviews","category-personal-development","category-presentations","category-meetings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17119"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18104,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17119\/revisions\/18104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Everything Was Great\u2026 Until It Wasn\u2019t<\/b><\/h2>\n
I was so excited about my first TEDx Talk. Before stepping on stage, I\u2019d done everything I knew to do as a seasoned speaker and presentation coach. I made sure to<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>\u2714\ufe0f Sip water to keep my voice clear<\/span>
<\/span>\u2714\ufe0f Walk onto the stage with confidence<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/TEDx5-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3 Challenges That Shook Me<\/b><\/h2>\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 I Forgot a Line from My Script<\/b><\/h4>\n\ud83d\udca1<\/span> Tip #1: Avoid Using a Script (If Possible)<\/b><\/h4>\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3<\/span> My Slides Didn\u2019t Transition Properly<\/b><\/h4>\n
\ud83d\udca1 Tip #2: Rehearse in the Actual Environment<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/TEDx6.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3\ufe0f\u20e3<\/span> I Couldn\u2019t See The Audience Reaction<\/b><\/h4>\n
<\/span>\ud83d\udeab I couldn\u2019t hear their reactions<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>“These thoughts and feelings are a normal part of the human survival mechanism. Shift your focus to the audience.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\ud83d\udca1 Tip #3: Focus on Your Audience<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/TEDx7.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFinal Thoughts<\/b><\/h2>\n
Despite the challenges, my TEDx Roppongi experience was incredible. I\u2019m so grateful to the organizers, Amber Chook and Daiki Toshima, for their amazing work. I also appreciate Alex Fazel, who introduced me to the event and gave me this opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>\u2705 Rehearse in the actual environment<\/span>
<\/span>\u2705 Focus on your audience<\/span><\/p>\n12 Essential Phrases for Clear, Confident English Presentations<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
\n