How to handle mistakes when speaking extemporaneously?

Turn trouble into troubleshooting! Consider 3 strategies when you make mistakes while speaking extemporaneously:

1. The best kept secret in extemporaneous speaking is that the audience does not necessarily know (or care) that you’ve made a mistake. To not disrupt the flow of the presentation, sometimes it’s best to not to call out the mistake but march on.
2. Extemporaneous doesn’t mean impulsiveness. If the mistake involves misstating facts, check your source before making corrections. You don’t want to make the same mistake twice.
3. Don’t self-sabotage! When the pandemic forced everything online, some speakers chose to lament the “good ol’ days” when there was technology fail. An exceptional speaker would acknowledge the problem and keep the audience engaged by extemporaneously switching to an activity not dependent on the technology.

SEE ALSO:

How to maintain composure when speaking off the cuff?

How to develop the ability to think on your feet?

How to help your team improve their impromptu speaking skills?

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