Then the snoring became unbearably loud. It was impossible for the audience to concentrate on what I wanted them to hear. Some of them couldn’t even hear me over the snoring.
Feeling distracted, I walked out into the group and laid my hand gently on the snoring member’s arm. He immediately jerked awake and looked around the room at all the smiling faces.
I leaned in close to him and asked, “Would you like to join the rest of us?”
Everyone, including the man who was snoring, had a good laugh.
That was the magic moment in which I became a professional speaker. I took control of the situation and I gained their respect because of the way I handled the instance.
From that moment on, I have never let my nervousness distract me from the purpose of inspiring and informing a group. When unforeseen situations occur, I work with them instead of resisting them.