Read time: 4 mins
Today we’re sharing how to handle some of your public speaking nightmares.
If you’ve ever wondered how to gracefully handle cranky, disengaged people in the room, this newsletter is for you.
Let’s get into it:
We’ve all been in a situation like this at some point. You’re presenting and:
- A cranky exec asks an impossibly hard question,
- An annoying colleague contradicts you in front of everyone,
- And every time you look at Tony, there he is, rolling his eyes or checking his watch.
As if public speaking isn’t hard enough, right?
Handling a tough crowd well is important.
If you do it poorly, you not don’t tend to get the outcome you want.
And if you react by getting aggressive, or by shutting up and ceding your authority, it can also affect your reputation.
Good news: it is possible to handle these situations with grace and come out on top.
Here are 9 tactics to help:
9 TACTICS TO TRIUMPH OVER A TOUGH CROWD
#1-3: Handling Impossibly Hard Questions
These are stumbling points because they’re so hard to prepare for.
Try these 3 tactics to reply confidently:
1. If the question isn’t clear, ask a question back:
“Thanks for asking, John. So I can answer fully, can you tell me about your underlying concern here?”
2. If the question isn’t relevant, park it:
“That’s outside the scope of what we have time to cover today, but if you like, I could discuss it with you later, John. Do you have any objections to that?”
3. If you don’t know, give options:
“That’s a really good question John. I don’t have all the information, so I can give you my high-level thoughts on it now, or I can come back to you. Do you have a preference?”
#4-6: Handling Contradictions
When someone doesn’t agree with you and voices it publicly, it can feel like an attack.
But contradictions can also be a source of value, so it can be useful to be open and curious when they come up.
Here are 3 options to deescalate smoothly:
4. Be curious and open to finding the value:
“That’s an interesting perspective, Mary. Can you share more about what’s prompting that statement/concern/etc.?”
5. Accept they can have a different view:
“Thanks Mary. I’m all for sharing different perspectives, and I appreciate you sharing yours. Now let’s continue where we left off.”
6. Be clear on your position, while finding something to agree on:
“I can see your point Mary, and agree (x) is important to consider. I believe (y) is also required for (a, b, and c reasons).”
#7-9: Handling Bad Energy
The energy of an entire room can be influenced by one person.
Whether they’re constantly looking at their phone, endlessly shuffling papers, or sitting back with crossed arms, it is more productive and powerful to address it.
As the saying goes, ‘we teach people how to treat us’.
For all of the examples below, we recommend trying to speak privately to the individual first (i.e. during a break or when the session ends).
If not possible, use your judgment to decide whether to pause what you’re saying, and address them kindly and directly.
Here are 3 ways to do it:
7. Draw attention to the issue, and ask if they’re okay:
“Hey Tony, I noticed your arms crossed and a frown on your face. I just wanted to check-in. Is there anything I can do to help?”
8. Set clear boundaries, politely.
“Tony, this is the second time you’ve interrupted Sharon. It’s important that everybody has the opportunity to state their point. Let’s ensure we respect each other’s ideas. Sharon, please continue.”
9. If the bad energy continues, consider stopping the meeting or asking them to leave.
“Tony, I love that you’re passionate about this topic, but you’ve interrupted Sharon again. I’ve asked you to stop. If you can’t contain yourself, we’ll have to end the meeting.”
These can take guts.
But people often don’t realise how disruptive they are and will almost always apologise and change their behaviour when it’s addressed directly.
Always try to keep your voice calm and level, and speak politely with a smile.
Then you can walk away with an even better reputation when you started.
For the action takers:
- Think of the 3 most likely things to go wrong when you speak in public next.
- Write out what you would say for each scenario.
- Practice responding out loud in front of someone you trust. Ask for feedback on your language, body language, tone of voice and overall confidence.
If this is hard for you, we can relate.
Let us know here if this is something you’d like our additional support with.
Thanks so much for reading!
Speak soon,
Lynne and Steve
TLDR
- Handling a tough crowd effectively is an opportunity to enhance your reputation.
- Use and adjust the tactics above to help you handle the tricky situations that you come across.
- Get better at handling challenging scenarios by practicing and preparing your responses in advance.
When you’re ready to accelerate your career, here’s how to ask about working with us:
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