How to Present, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 15Dealing with difficult people

The ability to deal with difficult people in a way that is respectful for all concerned is the sign of a truly exceptional presenter. Maybe in the past your presentation has been hijacked by people in your audience who were behaving in a dysfunctional way. If that has happened to you, I wonder how you managed the problem at the time. Was it easy for you to regain control, or did you find yourself freaking out and feeling very uncomfortable or even angry?

I recommend you pay attention to disruptive behaviour and nip it in the bud as soon as you can to ensure the smooth running of your meeting or presentation — whether it be online or offline.

Keeping your audience on side

Have you ever been in a presentation where the presenter either accidentally or willingly insulted an audience member and, before you knew it, the whole group had turned against the presenter?

If you answered yes to this question, what you experienced is called the ‘ripple effect'. When you throw a stone into a pond, the concentric circles ripple out — and it's the same when you present. You can create your own metaphorical concentric circles by either insulting or complimenting your audience members. By either insulting or complimenting your audience members, the ripples you create will be either positive or negative, depending on what you have said or done as the presenter.

Excellent presenters send out hundreds of positive ripples in a single event. Unskilled presenters ...