How to thrive when you are put on the spot

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How to thrive when you are put on the spot

Ever been put on the spot without preparation? Maybe you were asked an unfair question, maybe asked to deliver a last minute presentation with no idea what needed to be said. The sheer panic this situation creates can be enough to throw you off your stride.

A coaching client of mine recently asked, ‘How can I get better at speaking off the cuff?’ They said they are fine with preparation but are flustered without it. If you feel this too, it’s not your fault. It goes back to education. School teaches you to find the right answer, and the slightest deviation from that means you are wrong. School does not teach the grey areas, it teaches right and wrong answers and that is why you fear being put on the spot.

‘What if I say something wrong?’ ‘What if I don’t know the answer?’ - sound familiar? It’s okay to not have every answer, but you may also need some things you can do in the moment when you have that dreaded moment of being put on the spot.

Seek Comfort

The best chance you have of successfully speaking when being put on the spot is to be a comfortable speaker with preparation. Have practice using the nano speech across a few different speaking levels. To be a great speaker off the cuff you need range more than you need depth. You could be asked to speak about anything which means you need to be comfortable:

• Speaking for up to 10 minutes

• Speaking about different topics

• Speaking in front of small and large crowds

• Speaking in different forums - meetings, informal conversations, presentations, speeches etc.

To get comfortable in these areas you need reps. There is no secret magic recipe that gets you good at speaking without actually doing it. But you can create a 4×4 grid and role through one of the four at least once a week. This way you get reps and do it so you are scaling up across all four categories. Then when you are put on the spot you are ready and have successful reps previously in those settings and can be comfortable.

Listen intently

Being put on the spot can create a sense of overwhelm. As soon as it happens your brain fills with fog. Speaking off the cuff feels like the worst thing and your fear of public speaking takes over. All you know is you are going to be speaking in front of people.

You must focus with intent. What specifically are you being asked to deliver? What is the promise made to the audience? If you know this you can be more specific and if you have 5 minutes before, you have some time to collect your thoughts rather than worrying about the speaking element.

After listening, you should ask. Some briefs can be incredibly unhelpful so clarify how many people will be there, how long you should be speaking for, whether it is part of another meeting or you are the main event etc. The more detail you have the better you will feel. When you don’t have time to prepare, the questions you ask after receiving the brief is your preparation - use it well.

Be engaging using the nano speech

The worst speakers are those who ramble, make their point, and then tell you in 5 different ways what their point is again. You are automatically better if you stick to a structure and stick with what you need to say.

Open, body, close - this is your nano speech. This should never be an agenda, telling them, then repeating it in conclusion. Start with something engaging, be able to deliver your main point clearly and succinctly, and end with a call to action. This is the easiest way to play it when you are put on the spot, without pressure to tell a story (unless you have an obvious one that comes to mind)

Don’ deviate from the structure, otherwise you become the rambler you are trying to avoid. People love when things finish early - they get some time back from the meeting or they get to go home early. Keeping the structure means you finish on time and you keep the audience happy.

Actionable takeaways

• Practice every week before you are called on to speak. Use the 4×4 grid to pick up reps in the important places.

• Listen intently when you are put on the spot. Ask questions to further clarify what you need to say.

• Use the nano speech as an engaging structure to ensure you don’t ramble. Stay on track and you will finish on time or early which will keep the audience happy.

That's all for today!

As always feel free to reply to this email or reach out @liamsandford as I would love to hear your feedback.

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