A few years ago, I had my first speaking gig in a large auditorium, commissioned by a government ministry. I was super proud to be asked to speak at an event with nearly 900 people in the audience.
But things didn’t exactly go as I had hoped… 😳
I had only just started as a ‘musical speaker.’ I was used to large audiences as a musician, where I was more in the background. But not as a speaker, right there in the spotlight. I was nervous but mostly excited.
The introduction is something I’ll probably never forget. “Good morning, everyone. You might remember that the last time we had Victor Mids open the event,” the host began. “But he isn’t here this time…”
“Aaahh,” sighed 900 voices. “But we do have… NICOLAAS DUIN!!!”
That was the first moment I thought: oh no, this isn’t going well. And sure enough, no one in the audience had ever heard of me, so people looked at each other like, “what? who??”
But it got much worse. Because then the host said the legendary words: “Come on, guys, let’s give him a chance.” 😳
Ouch. How was I going to handle this? I decided the situation needed more energy. On impulse, I leaped onto the stage, going full throttle. Now that I have more experience, I know it would have been wiser to lower the energy at first. That way, you make a connection and build from there. But no, that’s not how it went…
During my leap, the transmitter for my microphone popped out of its holder and fell to the floor. The cable got pulled tight and completely yanked the headset off my head. “KKGGGGGRRGG,” it screeched. All I had left in my hand was the mic piece. I thought to myself, I need to come up with something funny, and fast.
And somehow, something popped into my head. I said into the mic, “Where’s Victor Mids when you need him?”
Pretty witty, if I do say so myself. I expected a big laugh from the audience. But no… Silence. 900 pairs of eyes stared at me. All those people were probably thinking: “Who is this guy?” “What’s he doing?” “Is this part of the act?”
It seemed like an eternity before a kind technician came to my rescue with a new mic. After that, I did my best to give my talk. Funny enough, I don’t remember much of it, but I’m sure it wasn’t my best presentation ever. Still, afterward, some people came up to me to say they found it so original. Whether they meant the opening or the rest of the talk, I’m not sure.
Did it make me more insecure? No, quite the opposite. Since then, I’ve felt much more relaxed on stage. Because hey, if even this can turn out okay, then everything will be fine!
So, today’s tip: always listen to Barry Stevens: “Vooral Doorgaan !!!” – “Just keep going!!!” 💪