Within the first year of teaching online, I hit the power button on the computer during class. That meant that not only did we stop sharing out screen, we fully left the event. We had to reboot, reschedule the event, share the new login information to almost 30 students, and try very hard not to cry – all in the span of 15 minutes.
Another time we were doing a recruiter training event online, with two new Moore eSSentials employees in the room, and one visiting trainer. Right as we sat, I knocked a large iced mocha all over the desk, keyboard, mouse. But at least, we didn’t lose the class! I think only our in-the-room audience was aware and they panicked far harder than we did.
Twice, in two years, with the same company I was invited to their annual manager’s conference to speak. BOTH times had a blizzard stopping all flights out of O’Hare. On one of them, I was able to fly out the next morning (the day of the conference) after twelve hours in an airport. When I finally arrived onsite, with minutes left until I was onstage, I changed clothes in the rental car. I’m guessing I escaped the parking garage cameras though. The fun didn’t stop there. Our technologies weren’t compatible, so I had to teach a three-hour session on sourcing online, without going online, having a single slide, and barely any sleep.
After the laptop in the room during one NAPS conference didn’t work, we joked about it until Jason had a solution. It worked so well, that at the next year’s conference we were asked if it was part of the show. We laughed it off, until it happened to us again at that conference. Fortunately, some of those attendees were with us at the RMAR event soon after to see what it’s like when the computer works (our own that time) but the projector only displays your slides in shades of pink and purple.
For the sake of keeping this safe for work, I can’t tell you how many times or the exact details when one of us (usually Jason) has said something during a class which could be interpreted as sexual innuendo. When it’s unplanned and unexpected he turns a nice dark pink. Unfortunately, you can’t see that.
I suppose that’s better than the office full of recruiters who got to discussing Fifty Shades of Grey, in detail, while we were on a break. Reminder, mute your phones.
Which brings us to why I’m telling you this. In our Client Cornucopia class, one of the techniques we teach is using the power of public speaking to earn new clients. It’s often met with a degree of resistance. It’s said that a fear of public speaking is more common than a fear of death. Here’s a great article about why.
The short version: we fear rejection from the group. That rejection theoretically comes from screwing up in front of everyone. Which we have obviously done a few times. It’ll be okay. You can do it.
Entrepreneur, Headhunter, Trainer, Gladiator.
Tricia Tamkin, headhunter, advisor, coach, and gladiator. Tricia has spoken at over 50 recruiting events, been quoted in multiple national publications, and her name is often dropped in groups as the solution to any recruiters’ challenges. She brings over 30 years of deep recruiting experience and offers counsel in a way which is perspective changing and entertaining.