Address the elephant in the room before it steals the show.

You’re standing in front of the audience, ready to deliver your carefully crafted presentation.

But there’s a problem.

Everyone in the room is thinking the same thing. And it's not about your presentation.

It’s that your shirt has a coffee stain.
Or there’s a deafening pneumatic drill outside.
Or the room is boiling hot and nobody can concentrate.

Whatever it is, that unspoken distraction is the elephant in the room.

And unless you call it out, it will own the spotlight.

Why you must mention the elephant

When something obvious is left unspoken, it becomes the centre of attention. Whether you like it or not.

The audience won't hear your opening. They won’t absorb your key points. They'll be too busy whispering, wondering, or watching the distraction unfold.

But if you bring it up first, something powerful happens. You show self-awareness. You make people laugh, relax, and focus on you again. You take back control.

How to do it

Let’s say your arm is in a sling. If you don’t mention it, your audience will spend half the meeting trying to guess what happened. Did you fall off a bike? A skiing accident? Was it a heroic act or just clumsiness?

But if you start with:

'Yes, I know ... This sling makes me look like I lost a fight with a revolving door. But I’ve got something far more interesting to share.'

Now the mystery is gone. You’ve acknowledged what everyone was thinking, made them smile, and regained their attention.

Same goes for external distractions:

'I’m aware of the pneumatic drill outside. It’s not ideal, but at least it drowns out any awkward silences.'

Or environmental discomforts:

'It’s warm in here, isn’t it? I promise to keep this short, or we’ll all melt.'

You’re not making excuses. You’re showing the audience that you’re with them, not oblivious to what's going on.

What happens if you don't address the elephant

The distraction lingers.
You lose authority.
People stop listening to what you're saying and start focusing on what you're not saying.

And after the presentation, instead of discussing your ideas, they’ll talk about that weird moment where you ignored the obvious.

By addressing the elephant, you take the air out of it. You turn a potential problem into a relatable moment. And, most crucially, you bring the focus back to your message.

To sum up

Presentations aren’t delivered in perfect conditions. There will always be something unexpected: noise, nerves, heat, interruptions. The trick isn’t to pretend it’s not happening. The trick is to own it before it owns you.

So next time there’s an elephant in the room?

Point to it. Laugh with it. And then carry on like a pro.


Hate public speaking? Let’s fix that.

If you want to start your journey to banish your fear of public speaking and presenting, improve your confidence, and boost your career prospects, then check out the online masterclass here at Better Public Speaking.