What do you do if your public speaking pitch as a beginner falls flat?

Everyone who speaks to others will find themselves in a situation where they fall flat. Dust yourself off and re-group. Rest assured no one is spending more time thinking about your mistake than you are. The key to public speaking is understanding the goal isn't to dazzle the audience with your brilliance, but to answer the age-old question every audience member is thinking when listening to a speaker: "why am I here?"

I know that a lot of people struggle with public speaking and engaging crowds. You begin to sweat,your voice cracks, sometimes you can feel your knees go weak and they shake a little.I would like you to know that this happens to a lot of people.It has happened to me.Normally not very easy especially if you are an introvert. The first thing you should do is to forgive yourself. Yes,it didn't go according to plan.You cannot change the past,but you can work towards your next pitch.Make sure that you research extensively on the topic because one thing I have discovered is that the more you know about a topic,the more at ease you will feel. Speak positivity into your life and believe in yourself.You can do it

Don't worry — falling flat is part of the learning process. Stay calm, breathe, and regain focus. Adjust on the go: ask a question, get audience involvement, and simplify your message if needed. Use body language and vocal variety to reenergize the room. Afterward, reflect and seek feedback — it’s key to growth. Rework and practice your pitch, rehearse often, and simplify. Progress, not perfection, is the goal. Enjoy the journey, and remember: the pain goes, growth remains. As T. Roosevelt said, "The credit belongs to the one in the arena who strives valiantly [...] who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." :))

Muitas vezes o orador está preparado, mas não conhece profundamente suas habilidades e dificuldades. O autoconhecimento é importante, mas, na prática, surgem imprevistos e cenários diferentes. Nosso corpo reage diferente e o que foi planejado pode não ser executado 100% como pensamos. Por esta razão é importante buscar feedbacks sobre o que pode ter falhado. Às vezes nem é sobre o argumento, mas sim sobre a forma de falar, como uma expressão facial mais fechada ou um tom de voz inadequado. Alguém de fora (que você confie bastante!) ajudará a entender onde houve a falha e, principalmente, como contorná-la!

Step 1 completed: you withstood the nerves and you successfully completed your objective. This is where you start picking up on non verbal cues. Key step: identify the few people who were engaged then approach them, ask direct questions with the willingness to learn from the audience. ,,,

Feedback ist entscheidend, um sich zu verbessern und zukünftige Präsentationen oder Vorträge zu optimieren. Es gibt verschiedene Möglichkeiten, Feedback einzuholen: 1. Direktes Feedback nach dem Vortrag Fragerunde: Erlaube dem Publikum, Fragen zu stellen oder Anmerkungen zu machen. Achte darauf, dass die Fragen auch als Feedback dienen können, indem du auf Unklarheiten oder interessante Perspektiven achtest. Kurze Feedbackrunde: Frage direkt nach dem Vortrag nach Meinungen (z. B. „Was fanden Sie am hilfreichsten?“ oder „Was hätte ich besser machen können?“). Dies kann mündlich oder schriftlich erfolgen. 2. Feedback-Formulare Anonyme Formulare: Nutze Online-Tools wie Google Forms, um anonyme Rückmeldungen zu ermöglichen.

Yes get wide ranging feedback , make responsive adjustments and hang in there! All other suggestions can also be used, over time.

If the pitch is falling flat, try to adjust your content a little to get back to the track. The two common situations that I have faced in the starting days of my public speaking: 1. Sometimes my pitch fell flat because the content was too complicated or jargon-heavy. Adjusting the content to explain concepts in simpler terms can make it easier for the audience to understand and connect with your ideas. 2. Sometimes my pitch seems to be dragging. So, adjusting your content to focus on the most important takeaways can help you cut unnecessary details and bring the audience’s attention back to the core message.

If the pitch is falling flat - CUT THE FAT!! The hardest part of writing your speech is the editing. As my coach, Michael Port always told us- "CUT, CUT, CUT." Your job is not to tell your audience everything you know about the topic. Remember: You can't drink through a firehose!!

As Ross says, PIVOT! Each time you speak, you should be able to discern what is working and what is not. So you spent countless hours working on a portion and hate to remove it? If it does not engage, inform, or transform your audience, then it is not serving anyone.

One thing that capture creativity is simplicity. When simplicity is added to speech but with powerful speaker using all the right tools of engagement, it is mostly a good speech that will be delivered with clarity given to the attendees.

Practice, Practice,Practice! All the men and women you see doing public speaking that make it look easy, effortless have done it a lot. Pitch, speech it does not matter. Practice and watch a lot of different people and learn. The next time will be better and better!

Öffentliches Reden zu üben erfordert gezielte Vorbereitung und regelmäßige Praxis. Hier sind einige wirksame Methoden, um deine Fähigkeiten im öffentlichen Sprechen zu verbessern: 1. Trockentraining vor dem Spiegel Übe deinen Vortrag oder deine Rede vor einem Spiegel. So kannst du deine Körpersprache, Mimik und Gestik beobachten und verbessern. Achte darauf, wie du dich präsentierst und welche Wirkung du ausstrahlst. 2. Aufnahmen machen Nimm dich selbst auf Video oder Audio auf. Das gibt dir die Möglichkeit, deine Stimme, Aussprache und Tonlage zu analysieren. D Durch regelmäßiges Üben und schrittweises Überwinden deiner Komfortzone kannst du nach und nach selbstbewusster und überzeugender vor einem Publikum auftreten.

Few things are worse than having to endure a speech by an orator who is unrehearsed. It makes them appear unprepared, nervous, and uneven in their tone and delivery, and reflects a lack of respect towards themselves, their audience, and the subject matter at hand. An orator who is properly prepared delivers their speech confidently and in a smooth, even tone, almost as if they’re speaking extemporaneously about a topic they’ve known about their entire life. Audience members sense that immediately, and, as a result, are more attentive and engaged because they feel valued and appreciated.

Even seasoned speakers can have speeches that fall flat, which is why practice is key—but it’s not just about rehearsing the words. The best speakers focus on creating impactful moments. To truly captivate, be predictable in your structure but unexpected in your delivery, and most importantly, have a clear, authentic point of view. Let your audience see how you feel. Practicing in front of live audiences is crucial—the more you do, the faster you’ll improve. Communication is about connection, not just words.

Always remember what radio station your audience is listening to: WIIFM - What's In It For Me!! Say something that they will be glad they came to hear you. If they tell a friend what you said- you've really hit a home-run!!

Remember, there is someone out there that needs to hear the story that only you can tell. Find that person in the audience and ensure that they know that you are speaking directly to them.

It’s all about front! Consider your body language. Having a confident stance, being animated and moving around (rather than standing in the spot) will not only help you feel more relaxed but also engage your audience. Remember, they will probably have to sit through multiple pitches, so make yours matter. There’s lots of great stuff about body language on YouTube and once you learn the basics, the rest is easy. Good luck.

Something I’ve found that has helped me in my presentations is to find commonality with my audience. Life experience that connects us and incorporate that commonality into the message that I’m trying to convey. My message is very specific for a target audience and my story and personal struggle is very emotional so I think it’s easier to tell a life story in my opinion in comparison to teaching a process or speaking on metrics. That said, I’ve incorporated a bit of light humor into my presentations to keep the mood light and keep people awake and engaged.

I love that I am very intuitive when I speak. It is a great way to stay tuned in to know if I am reaching my audience. When I allow my body to 'flow' or more with ease I set a tone for being more present. Use your voice in different ways to have your audience lean in a little more. Raise your hands or move to create visual experiences for them. And most of all, you must love what you are sharing. If you are truly connected then others will be as well.

Pay attention to your mindset and what you tell yourself about the experience. Instead of internalizing the poor outcome, see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Shifting your perspective from self-criticism to self-compassion makes it easier to learn from it and regroup. It helps you build resilience and approach future pitches with confidence. It's an opportunity to refine your approach as well as to strengthen your well-being.

Não vejo como algo ruim falhar em um discurso! Contudo, concordo que a prática leva à perfeição e a fluência transmite uma mensagem com teor mais contundente. No entanto, ressalto que o “improviso” é uma ferramenta essencial para qualquer um dos casos e/ou problemas passíveis de acontecer. Aproveito para acrescentar também que esta habilidade pode ser treinada. Por exemplo, antes de uma apresentação, perguntar a si mesmo a sua reação frente a não saber uma resposta é uma dica. Geralmente ficamos nervosos por isso…Assim, tentar fornecer qualquer previsibilidade - até para si mesmo - já ajuda bastante.

Your pitch didn’t go as planned? Here’s what you need to do: 1) Reflect on the experience: What went wrong, and why? 2) Adapt your approach: Tweak your message and delivery for next time. 3) Practice continuously: Rehearse to build confidence and improve. 4) Read the room: Learn to adjust based on audience feedback. Learning from a flat pitch is crucial to growth. Public speaking is a journey, not a destination. Embrace every setback as a stepping stone. Each pitch, whether a success or a struggle, is a chance to refine your skills and become a more compelling speaker. Keep learning and adapting—you’ll get there!

Adapt to your audience and they will adapt to you. Be willing to change where changing is needed. Always remember that your confidence is reflected through your delivery.