One thing you should not do is reference the missing slide and what-you-would-have-seen-if. Nobody cares. Also that’s a you-focused narrative, when what you want is an audience-focused narrative. Just tell them what you want to tell them. If you want you can blank the screen (b key in PowerPoint), or you can keep the previous slide visible, or you can use the white board to draw.

Hide it! The core of any presentation is the message, and slides are just one tool to support it. If the presentation is too reliant on slides, it might be an email. Never lose momentum by mentioning the missing slide — the audience doesn't know the plan. Instead, keep things moving with discussions, questions, or even a whiteboard. If you blank, ask the audience questions about the point you wanted to make, sparking curiosity and engagement. But one rule: never say, "technical issues" — that’s like a movie saying, "We couldn’t afford this location, so imagine this scene is happening in an old house in Sicily, where you would see…” Keep the energy, and the audience won’t notice.

I have a strategy of spending as much time as possible on the agenda slide and my presentation. If possible, I stick to a single slide or have a single slide/image ready as a backup that consolidates the entire presentation.

1. Stay Calm: Maintain composure; a steady demeanor reassures the audience. 2. Verbal Explanation: Describe the slide's content clearly; for instance, summarize key data points. 3. Use Backups: Refer to an older version if available; it can save time. 4. Engage Audience: Ask questions related to the topic to spark discussion. 5. Adapt Quickly: Shift focus to other slides or topics to keep momentum.