Play it by tact and proper presentation

One of the most sought-after programmes of any trainer, well, including mine is ‘Impactful presentations’. However, we all have had our share of body language tips such as eye contact, diction, and the don’ts. A decade ago, I moved on to help people learn how to handle those colleagues who disturbed or interrupted presentations. Now, most second-level talent pipeline struggles with boardroom manners while presenting big ideas or status of monthly review meetings. A few tips on how to handle such hecklers despite hierarchy are listed here. Let’s understand why these interruptions happen and how to manage them well.

1. We are Indians: Yeah, don’t get me wrong. Presentations differ in each country and so do communication styles. Indians by race are impatient. Most of the time we cut the speaker short without even realising it because the crux was understood. 

Road ahead: If it’s done by any senior person, maybe their authority and command on the subject is higher than yours. Stay calm and talk through your points with relevant data. If you have sensed that it is ducking the topic, ask for a private conversation than a debate.

2. Long monotonous presentation: Boring slides and overdone talk gets on people’s nerves. Most attendees are hard-pressed for time themselves. Therefore, striking a balance between time and information imparted is crucial.

Map it out: Make a master slide of your agenda with the expected slots of particular information to be received during presentations. We are not like NASA as far as punctuality goes, but this trick will help getting through the mindsets of audience who would know exactly when to expect what.

3. Boundaries of confidence and dominance: The power of any person lies in the way of thinking. Most people feel powerful when they take decisions themselves and rely on self-gathered information. In corporate boardrooms, the situation gets trickier. If the interrupter has well-founded data to contradict the presenter, they are sure bound to speak up and point out in middle of presentation. If the presenter is of peer level, then that interruption may instantly move on to a different level of ego battle.

Carpe diem: This is your moment. Seize it. Be polite to your peer (who interrupted you) and say that you would be sure to take up his/her point at the end of the presentation. Even if the data your peer has spoken of is well-founded, as long as you have a solid groundwork to back you, go ahead with your presentation. 

WII FM: I think the oldest FM is short for ‘for me’ thereby the abbreviation ‘What’s in it for me?’ That’s what each person thinks who is listening to you. All departments come from some amount of disbelief in another vertical’s efficiency. No offence meant to great teamwork.

Play cool bands: If your presentation has each stake holder’s involvement in some way, everyone is listening to you. Movies like Baby and OMG- Oh My God! were great successes despite being non-masala Bollywood. A great narration with a problem addressed with hopes for great future. If that does not sell, what would?

Rama Moondra A strategic consultant and premium educator with Harvard Business Publishing, coach and author ramamoondra@gmail.com