Imagine having your life defined by the worst five minutes you ever experienced.
This was the fate of Bill Buckner, a baseball player who died a few months back.
Buckner botched a ground ball opportunity in the 1986 World Series. Watch the famous error here. Boston Red Sox fans blamed him for the team losing the World Series that year.
Buckner received death threats afterward.
The media endlessly replayed the gaffe. Eventually, the retired Buckner moved his family to the Midwest, in part to escape the taunts of fans.
What were your worst five minutes?
Most speakers and presenters are hobbled by the past as well.
Almost every speaker I've worked with has acquired a mindset or habit directly related to a traumatic presentation experience. Sometimes that incident occurred long ago during a school play or verbal book report. Often, my client can't even recall the incident--but the trauma lingers in her subconscious. That's how she learned to stutter, flash signs of insecurity or avoid eye contact with her audience.
Sometimes "the worst five minutes" has occurred during a sales presentation or job interview. The embarrassment of epic fails can linger for years.
Present Like a Pro students in my online speaker coaching course have shared "worst five-minute" incidents in great detail. Many have resigned themselves to "living with it" -- until I convince them that almost every public speaking issue can be fixed.
I help leaders and salespeople figure this out so they can forget about the unhelpful past and focus on commanding the room and helping others.
What's been your most traumatic experience as a speaker or presenter?
Let's talk about it so you can stop living in the past. Book your Breakthrough Call with me today.
[Check out my worst five minutes below. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (click the silver bell!) for great presentation tips.]