Page 216 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

HANDLING HECKLERS 207

(Don’t forget to turn off the mike when you go.) This last tactic
could be viewed as a victory for the heckler, so it should probably be
used only in extreme situations when things are clearly getting out of
hand and there seems to be no chance of regaining the fl oor with
dignity. Typically, you would have to be facing more than one very
enthusiastic heckler to be forced to take this action.

Rephrase the question. Sometimes a heckler, when pressed to ask a
question, will counter with some heavily biased vitriol so loaded
with innuendo that it just begs to be recast as a simple declarative
sentence. Not only does rewording the question remove the sting,
but recasting makes the question a lot easier to answer.
For example, an angry former employer shows up at a new prod-
uct launch and shouts: “Why don’t you tell them about the pollution
your factory is pumping into the town’s groundwater every day?”
Your response could be: “The question is . . . what are we doing
to improve the environment in our community? The answer is . . .
a lot . . . and there’s nothing secret about it.” (Then explain your
pollution initiatives.)

Happily, heckling is infrequent. The first heckle is always the
toughest. If you expect to be a leader in your business or organiza-
tion, you can expect a little heckling from time to time. You can also
expect to surprise the heckler.