Public Speaking

Handling interruptions is context dependent. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you’re considering what to do. The examples I put below each one are not exhaustive. This is to get you thinking about how you might handle your own situation.

1. Who is interrupting you?

• Your partner
• A heckler
• A colleague

2.     What’s their intention?

• They think they can tell the story better than you, or they just want to be part of the excitement of telling it.
• They want to draw attention to themselves.
• They heard or saw something that needs to be corrected before you get yourself into trouble!

3.     What might you say or do?

If you know your partner likes to be part of your stories, negotiate. 

You might want to tell stories your own way, or you might be happy for them to be involved. Try to get to agreement before any gathering where this interruption might happen. Maybe you do the narration and they do the dialogue. Maybe they sit back and just laugh/gasp supportively in the right places. 😉

Hecklers don’t usually deserve attention, but they sometimes have to be addressed so the show can go on.

Start by just keeping talking. Many of us stop because we think it’s impolite to talk over someone. But, someone has just done that to you so don’t stop automatically.

If they persist, succinctly see what their issue is and decide if something needs to be done about it immediately.  It seldom does.

If what they’re worried about is coming up in your presentation, say so. If it’s something new, make a note and say you’ll deal with it later. Sometimes, you just need to politely ask people to stop so that other audience members can get what they came for.

Colleagues in this situation will usually interrupt politely but some will be nervous about doing it and will try to have a game of charades first. 

If you notice someone gesturing urgently at you, calmly stop what you’re saying and ask that person to let you know what’s up. “Is there something you need to tell me?”

Your own intention is important when dealing with interruptions. Stay calm and curious about what’s going on but retain the right to be speaking.

If you’re nervous about dealing with interruptions, ground yourself by pressing your toes down onto the ground, the floor or the soles of your shoes. That will help to keep your voice steady.