It is common for some people to find errors in what they are talking about during the actual speech. Instead of panicking or moving on without acknowledging the mistake, you have to pause and talk about the error.
When you move on quickly, the people listening to you will either believe the false information you told or no longer listen to you if they know the truth. You want to address the issue because you are the speaker and the source of knowledge at that point.
Don’t panic if you see the mistake and pretend nothing happened. Tell everyone about the error you spotted and apologise about it. Give the listeners the correct information before you proceed with the next part of the presentation. Allow them to ask questions regarding the mistakes so that everything becomes clear before moving along.
Don’t make excuses
Some people also start making excuses because of the mistakes they noticed. They talk about how tired they were when preparing the speech. They also talk about how lame their staff were for not spotting the errors. You are the presenter, and you need to take responsibility for it. You made a mistake, and you need to own it. You are giving the correct information anyway, so you don’t need to feel guilty.
Print information
Instead of relying only on what you are saying, you can tell the people listening to you to also refer to the printed material you prepared for them. You can show them the correct ideas based on the information you researched. It is also easy for them to follow what you say when they have a piece of paper or folder containing the ideas. You can check out www.betterprinting.co.uk if you think you need presentation folders to aid in your speech.
If you spotted a mistake in the folder, you also need to do the same. Tell everyone that the information is incorrect and apologise. Give them the correct idea and move on.
Smile and crack jokes
You can also joke about the mistake to lighten the mood. It does not mean that you are brushing off the mistake. It means that you want people to know that the error is not serious, and you are giving them the right answer anyway. You can also discuss how you are getting old and forgetful, and it caused the said error. You can always make fun of yourself and take the blame. You might even get their attention because of the jokes you crack.
Errors are normal
You don’t need to feel nervous because you committed an error. You have to understand that preparing a speech is not easy. Even when you prepare well, you will still might make mistakes. You have to embrace these mistakes and pat yourself on the back for not giving up. Besides, it is not like you are covering up your mistakes and blaming others. Own up to them and let everyone know that you are sorry.