No matter whether speaking at a conference or a meeting, you always risk encountering disruptive types. You can hardly influence an audience's behaviour in advance but some options do exist. Trainingmag.com recently described five of the most common audience problems and gave advice on how to prepare for them.
1. Latecomers
Almost always there is someone who returns late after a break. You can't prevent this from happening, but you can try a few tricks. The first is to use a common clock: all the participants should measure time using one clock, e.g. on the wall of the meeting room. As the speaker, you should clearly specify when your session will continue. After the break, begin with a brief summary of the first part or some anecdote so that you do not have to repeat new information to the latecomers.
2. Distracted audience
This group includes participants whose phones are ringing or those who tend to play with their computers during your speech. Their restlessness can easily distract you. How to prevent being distracted? A proven technique is to stop speaking and look directly at the particular person. He or she will not feel good under the attention of all the others in the room and therefore will cease the disruptive behaviour or leave. Learn to ignore those members of the audience who keep on writing on their computers. They may just be conscientiously taking notes.
3. Whispering audience
If one of your listeners is briefly explaining something to someone who, say, arrived late, ignore it. However, if listeners prefer talking to each other over listening to you, it may help if you approach them or stop talking for a moment and smile at them. If that does not work, you have no other choice than to ask the whispering listeners directly not to disturb the others.
4. Tireless questioner
Your audience should have the possibility to ask questions during your speech. This, however, does not mean that only one listener should ask again and again. Stick to the rule of answering questions as briefly as possible. If the same questioner keeps on asking, politely tell them that you are willing to discuss the issues privately afterwards. Ask them to allow some space for other people and their questions.
5. Heckler
Even in business-focused presentations, there may be a heckler in the audience. Ignoring them will probably not help you. First try to move aside so that the audience's attention shifts elsewhere. If this does not work, approach the person directly. You can say something like, "I can accept your different point of view and I hope that you can accept mine. Let's talk about it after the lecture." In the case of a personal attack on you, humour can help. If the audience laugh with you, the heckler will lose their attention. If nothing helps, try to reach the audience by asking if they are interested in the attacks of the heckler. In most cases the answer will be no.
-kk-