Coping with HECKLERS

The world in a turmoil today, hecklers and hostile audiences are common during elections.

          Handling hecklers requires care and skill. Dealing with interjections is a high-risk activity.  In most cases, the audience will be on your side and resent interjections.

          Risks are minimised if you deal with your subject in a professional way, you do not deal with personalities and you present your facts so they cannot be argued against.

Five of the best tips on ways to cope with hecklers and a hostile audience when giving a presentation

* Answer interjections only when you can use them to your advantage

          Ignoring them can be infuriating to the interjector. It’s best to smile and carry on.

          If the interjector persists, offer to discuss the issues with them when you have finished. Tell them, “Other people have come to hear what I have to say. Please let them hear my views.”

* Don’t get angry and argue

          Continue in a friendly manner and the audience will admire you for your control and composure.

* Humorous one-liners can be effective

          Some people are brilliant with one-liners but they can be high risk. You could potentially lose your audience if they are poorly aimed. They should be non-sexist and clean.

          Prepare a few ‘put-downs’ just in case you need them. “Sir, your bus leaves in ten minutes – be under it!”

          If you use one, return to your main message quickly. Avoid being side-tracked.

* Present your facts so there is no basis for an argument

          Your audience will respond to good manners if you have something worthwhile to tell them. They like new information, so be factual and professional.

          Every sentence you utter should have some content that keeps them interested.

* If necessary, appeal to the chairperson for help

          If persistent interjectors or questioners keep annoying you it is the chairperson’s role to deal with the situation.

          Always remember if you are using a microphone you can have the volume increased and gain an instant advantage over the hecklers.

-Geoffrey Moss (mossassociates.co.nz)

“Don’t tell people what they already know. Tell them something new.”

Source: “Persuasive Ways. ‘Tricks of the trade’ to get your ideas across”. First published by  Moss Associates Ltd., New Zealand and in Chinese by the Shanghai People’s Publishing House, the Singapore Institute of Management, Kogan Page Ltd, U.K and in Hungarian by Bagolyvar Konyvkiado.  Also published as the “Secrets of Persuasion” by Thomson and Cengage Learning Asia and as “Persuasive Presentations” by Vikas, India. It is sold as an e-book byAmazon.com.