One of the first things I was told when I started speaking is that the audience wants you to succeed. They want you to be good, entertaining, and informative. Some professional speakers look at this as old advice, and I am sure it probably is, but for those of us who speak only occasionally, it is advice worth remembering.
As bad as you don't want to fail, your audience does not want to sit through a dull, lifeless presentation. The next few minutes, or few hours, of their lives are in your hands, and they want you to make them enjoyable.
Obviously, there are exceptions to this...your competition for the promotion may relish your failures, but the rest of the crowd really hopes that you wow them. Their reasons are that they don't want to be bored to tears, but their desire for your success is still there. They want you to be great.
Have you ever been watching a movie when one of the characters is failing miserably, and you start to feel their pain? The same thing happens to audiences when the speaker is struggling. They feel your pain, and most of them would not want to be the one on the spot in front of the room.
On the other hand, have you ever seen a movie where the character is inspiring and you start to feel inspired? The original Rocky film comes to mind. That is what your audience hopes that you deliver for them. Sure, that is a very tall order for the person who only presents on a limited basis, but shoot for greatness. Your audience is rooting for you!
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