Page 27 - Tee Up Your Speech

Tee Up Your Speech: Golf is Like Public Speaking

Tip #24

Know when

to move on.

In golf, when you lose your ball, know
when to reset and move on. Do not
spend more than three minutes
searching for a ball. That’s the USGA's
(United States Golf Association) rule. If
you think you may not be able to find
your ball, you should play a provisional
ball. If you lose a ball in the creek or lake,
even if you see it, if you cannot retrieve
it quickly, move on! Your friends will
appreciate it...so will the foursome
behind you!

For public speaking, if you are having
problems, be sure you have a
"provisional ball,” your plan B and C. This could mean technical glitches during your presentation, or
even a person in the audience who is constantly asking questions or taking too long to ask a question.
Know ahead of time how you could deal with that. Your audience will thank you.

What are some ways you can control an audience member who is monopolizing the Question &
Answer part of your presentation? Think about strategies ahead of time. Invite them to discuss it
privately after the talk. After you answer their question(s), make eye contact with a different part of
the audience. Think of other strategies, so you can be ready to move on if this situation occurs.

25