When things went wrong during my first paper presentation

This story has been shared by Imelda Angeles, Faculty Member at University
of Santo Tomas, Philippines. Here, she describes why her first academic conference presentation was memorable.

My first experience in paper presentation is quite funny, scary, and full of wisdom all at the same time!

I am a professor, yet I have always felt that I lack the confidence to speak in front of many people, particularly professionals. But I could not evade this for long — soon there came a time when I had to give a talk in front of people. I created the PowerPoint presentation; I wrote a script; I consulted John, a public speaking mentor. In short, I did a lot to prepare for this event. After all, it was a first for me!

Since I had prepared a lot, I was sure that I would be able to manage the talk. But I learned one big lesson — things don’t always go down smoothly so it’s always important to be prepared.

Here’s what happened:

When I got to the event, I was surprised that speakers would be given only 10 minutes to present and, my gosh, I had prepared 20 plus slides!

A revision frenzy followed and I sent about four versions of revisions to the organizers. I had serious doubts about whether I would be able to present my talk within the revised time frame!

Can you imagine my anxiety?

But I got lucky. I was the last to present, so I had the chance to watch the other speakers, pick potential weak and strong points while presenting my paper. Just before it was my turn, I took a deep breath and told myself, “Ok, you are ready for this.”

And then it was time. My name was announced and I walked to the dais. To my horror, my clicker would not work. I was distraught! I did not know how I could make it work — whether I should extend my hand, lift it up, or hold it in some other way to make it work.

When I start feeling the pressure, I remembered some great advice a colleague gave me: “Own the stage. The people in the audience do not know your work and you are just about to tell them about it. Enjoy the process. Capture their attention with quotes, share stories that are related to your study.”

And that’s just what I did!

When the slides that were presented were not those that I revised, I took control of the situation and decided to manipulate the stage instead. I focused on the highlights of my paper and I told stories about my experience with my students (that was what my paper was all about).

True enough, there is no better way to catch the attention of the audience than to share something that they can relate to. After the presentation, I felt relieved but was worried that it might have been a total disaster. But, thank God, some colleagues approached me and expressed their interest in my study.

This experience taught me three things:
— Know and embrace your paper. When you are so familiar with it, you can say a lot about it, even when you need to deviate from your original presentation plan.

— Own the stage! If you’re on the verge of anxiety and pressure, manipulate the situation to your advantage and grab their attention with quotations, stories, or other relevant information.

— Pray! I gave glory to God. I asked for confidence. I asked for wisdom, and I asked for humility, and my prayer was granted. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and channel your own positive energy — you will do just fine.

After my first experience, I felt like I want to do it more often and make more presentations. I know that the next time, it is going to a lot better.