No Pressure or Nerves are Required (This is Just a Test)

Two weeks ago, we talked about how to prepare ourselves to take the leap into new things and tamp down the accompanying (and annoying) feelings of nervousness.

Whenever I try something new, I like a two-pronged approach. First, I prepare myself to deal with any trying-new-things-jitters. Next, I prepare my audience for the aforementioned new thing because it is new to them too!

Okay, so let’s say I’m doing a BIG new thing. Like for example, trying a new technology to run my latest keynote. Before I took my keynote and the technology (Mentimeter) on the road, I practiced with some friends. A small group of 18 people in my professional circle came together to evaluate the presentation and test the technology. This practice run allowed me to get more comfortable with the controls, see how people interacted with the platform, and get feedback on what worked and what didn’t in a safe environment. What can you beta-test with a small group first? (Oh, and by the way, being a beta-tester is a great micro-volunteering opportunity to offer and can be a fun VIP experience. They get to experience it first, and you get valuable feedback before hitting prime time.

And new things don’t have to be BIG. Often I’ll try a small new thing in front of a big crowd because I’m constantly iterating my presentations, tossing out the bits that don’t work as well and replacing them with something I hope is better. A small new thing doesn’t require a beta test audience because if 2 or 3 minutes flops, that’s okay - the audience gets 57-58 minutes of hits. Even so, sometimes I’ll prime the audience that I’m trying something new so they are in on the secret.

Anytime you’re trying a new thing with your community, you can use words like these (feel free to adapt them to your use case), “I’m trying a new thing, and it might not work, and that’s okay—how are we going to know if we don’t try it?” Or, “I’ve never told anyone this story, but it illustrates a great point.” Or, “I get the sense that you might like to try a little something new with me…” Or, “I’m beta-testing this idea, and I’d love your feedback on what works and what doesn’t.”

Going into an experience with the mindset of, “This is just a test,” takes a lot of pressure off you and your audience.