Have you ever been attacked by technical gremlins (or techno-gremlins as I call them)?
It’s not pretty. You’re online, presenting a webinar. You feel good, you’re sharing great tips and everything seems “hunky dory.”
Then, you realize there’s a dead silence. No feedback, no static, nothing!
Oh, oh! There’s trouble in paradise.
That’s what happened to me last week during my copywriting webinar. And boy, was my face red!
There I was talking and showing my slides, but no one could hear me.
My hosts and I had agreed that we’d use our cell phones if anything went awry. However, when my cell phone rang, I was more concerned about it interfering with the recording and totally forgot about the system we’d set in place.
I was almost done with the presentation when I realized what happened. I shut down my PowerPoint, checked my cell and the webinar chat box and there were the messages saying, “Debra, call back in.”
Alas, by that time, it was too late.
At first I was not only disappointed, but embarrassed. I had let my hosts and attendees down. They’d all taken valuable time out of their day and were left hanging.
Be it phone lines, WiFi connections, or those gnarly techno-gremlins doing their thing, the bottom line was – at that moment – I had no control of the situation. What was done, was done.
You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. – Brian Tracy
So, I took Brian Tracy’s advice. I took a deep breath and changed my attitude. Then, I emailed all the attendees, thanked them (and my gracious hosts Cheri and Richard Martin) for their patience and understanding. And, rescheduled the webinar for this week.
How about you? Have you technical gremlins ever interfered with your plans and left you feeling out of control? If so, share your story below because I’d love to hear from you. Thanks and here’s to your sweet success.
Image source: Rawforbeauty.com
