When Your Mind Goes Blank: How to Keep Speaking During a Presentation or Media Interview

Imagine this scenario: You’ve worked hard to prepare for an important presentation, panel, or media interview. A lot is riding on your performance – for your company, and for your own reputation. The big day comes. You walk into the room. And suddenly your mind goes blank … totally blank.

Or perhaps you get off to a good start, and then something happens that throws you off and you can’t remember what you were saying or what you are supposed to say next. This is the stuff nightmares are made of!

If you’ve never been hit with a moment of speaker’s block, consider yourself lucky. The reality is that it will eventually happen to you.

Do you panic? Do you convey your sense of dread? There are better ways to recover and get back on track.

Remember this swimming lesson rule: Don’t panic

Even when you are legitimately disoriented and forget what you are supposed to say, the worst thing you can do is panic. Recall the swim lessons from your childhood. A panicking swimmer will find it difficult to stay afloat. When you stay calm, you will recover much more quickly and easily.

Similarly, when your mind goes blank, the fight-or-flight response can kick into gear, which means that you may feel the urge to ramble, you may start to sweat, and your heart rate may go from 75 to 110 in record time. In extreme cases, you may even want to walk off stage in the middle of your speech. If you feel these instincts surfacing, the best thing you can do is remain calm and take a deep breath, to counteract physiological and psychological reactions. Give yourself a few seconds to think about what you just said – or to think about something new to add while you take a moment to recover.

Pretend you are in Las Vegas: Keep a poker face

Truth be told, mere seconds of silence can feel like an eternity when you are the focus of everyone’s attention. Your own silence can feel deafening. To your audience, however, those seconds are merely a pause. Unless you somehow indicate to your audience that you’ve lost your place or that your mind has gone blank, they won’t know! This is worth repeating: Your audience will not know that your mind has gone blank unless you somehow tell or show them.

A look of dread on your face, a rapid and furious shuffling of notes, or saying aloud, “Uh, where was I…?” are surefire ways to tell your audience that you are struggling. So keep a poker face and don’t show them. It is comforting to remember that an audience cannot read your mind. You are the only person who knows what you are supposed to say. Calmly take a moment to collect your thoughts, and chances are you will get back on track within moments.

Engage your audience

If you freeze or lose your place, focus on your audience for a moment. Simply making eye contact with a friendly face can help reduce your anxiety.  You can also engage your audience. Ask them a question, ask for their reactions to what you’ve already said, or solicit their thoughts on the topic you are about to discuss. For example, simply say, “Before I go further, let me hear your thoughts about this.” Or, “Before I get started today, let me hear from you: What is important for you to get out of our discussion today?” By buying a few moments of time, you will be able to look at your notes or think for a few moments. You can also call on a co-presenter to share a thought, giving you a few moments to think about what you were saying or what you can say next.

Repeat, fast forward through, or glance at your notes

Jog your memory by repeating the last thing you said (aloud or silently in your own mind) or by jumping forward to something else that you remember. If the point you forgot is important, you can later incorporate it in your presentation once that message comes back to you. Or, you can always bring up that message point during the Q & A. Better yet, take a moment to calmly glance at your notes for a cue, at your slides for a reminder, or at your laptop or comfort monitor – with the presenter view enabled – to recall where you are supposed to go next.

It’s okay to ask for help

Your audience will appreciate your authenticity far more than they’ll appreciate your perfection. In a more casual setting, such as a meeting with a client you know well or with your team during a town hall or staff meeting, it may help to be honest. With a simple yet calm, “Where were we?” you’ll be surprised at how many empathetic people will jump to your assistance, reminding you of what you’ve said and giving you a prompt to work from.

Drawing a blank or freezing during a presentation or speech happens to everyone. The key thing is, don’t panic. Your audience doesn’t know what you’re going to say, so keep your cool. You can recover and move on. And remember: When you take the time to prepare properly and practice your presentation in advance, you will be less likely to go blank at all.