95. Help! Someone Is Sleeping During My Talk!

What do you do when someone falls asleep during your presentation?

My first thought after being asked this question during a recent presentation skills seminar was to recall the scene in the movie Larry Crowne, where Julia Roberts throws an eraser at her sleeping student.

My second thought was, “You can’t do that in the business world!” However, since I have been asked about sleeping or daydreaming participants a number of times over the last few years, here are some alternative suggestions:

1. Don’t take it personally; sometimes people just need to sleep. Some years ago, I noticed a woman sleeping in the first row of my seminar. I admit that it was a little unnerving. But she came up to me at break ...

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