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Handling Hecklers: Navigating Audience Dynamics with Humor and Confidence

Three things every speaker must know to successfully and confidently silence a heckler.

On Stage

Public speaking

New students

Stage performance

Michael

Port

Co-Founder

minute read

Published on

January 20, 2025

Encountering a heckler is highly unlikely. But if it does happen to you, make sure you know these three things.

There’s one question we always get when we teach how to lead compelling Q&A sessions or how to design successful audience interaction experiences: What do you do if somebody heckles you?

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It’s only normal to worry your audience will push back against your ideas. Especially if those ideas are new, challenge the status quo, and go up against conventional wisdom. After all, revolutionary ideas, no matter how well crafted, aren’t always readily accepted.

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But the chances you’ll encounter a heckler onstage are pretty low (go ahead, breathe a deep sigh of relief).

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In fact, it has happened to me just once in my twenty-year career. But even after delivering hundreds of speeches to hundreds of thousands of people, it was still absolutely shocking.

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I was forty-five minutes into a speech at the Harvard Club in New York City. It was going just fine—I’d done it what felt like a million times—and I was right in the middle of a section about networking and sharing your knowledge, connections, and compassion with others. What would seem like a pretty straightforward, non-controversial topic. Or not.

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From the back of the room (they’re always in the back), this guy (it’s always a guy) stands up and shouts, “Yeah, I tried it. It doesn’t work!!!”

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I was stunned.

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This dude just yelled at me, aggressively, out of nowhere. Everyone heard it, and in that moment, it’s all anyone could think about. It’s not the kind of thing you can ignore. When the unexpected happens, you have to respond, in some way or another.

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Your Likelihood of Encountering a Heckler: Unlikely.

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As I mentioned above, it's incredibly rare you'll have a heckler. I hope you speak so often for so long that you increase your odds of getting one. That would mean a very successful and sustainable speaking career for you, which is a win.

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Heckling—actual heckling—means you're interrupted by an audience member with derisive or abusive comments or shouts. Usually it’s in such a way that it becomes almost impossible to continue.

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This happens regularly to comedians. They prepare for it. They train for it. Sometimes they even design jokes for hecklers ahead of time. For them, it's part of the job, and many comedians even hope for hecklers. But what about for a keynote, breakout, or TEDx speaker?

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As a speaker, you'll often get pushback for your ideas. And if you're a woman or a woman of color, you may find you get more pushback. You’ll also encounter showoffs, know-it-alls, and people who have difficulty adhering to social norms. You might encounter someone who challenges your ideas or tries to lure you into a heated debate—usually these people just want to show off, aim to grab attention, or have very little self and/or social awareness. But very rarely will you come across an actual heckler.

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Whether dealing with pushback or handling a heckler, you can confidently maintain control of the situation if you know your speech and your audience.

Full Transcript

Don't

debate anyone, and never get defensive.

your homework: know your speech like the back of your hand and understand who’s in the room.

Know Your Speech

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Handling hecklers is simple when you know your speech like the back of your hand. When an interruption arises—whether it’s a heckler, a power outage, or any other surprise—you don’t have to worry about losing your place. You know exactly where you are. You can step out of the speech, deal with the situation, then get right back on track when you're done.

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Fortunately, I had done my speech what felt like a million times, so when the dude in the back of the room shouted at me, I could pause, deal with it, and then pick right back up where I left off. And I had also spent time during client theme calls and at the event getting to know that specific audience—which is an essential part of every professional speaker’s job.

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Know Your Audience

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At every gig, you need to understand who's in the room. You need to have done your homework. Knowing who’s in the room will help you decide how to respond.

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Here’s what I knew about the crowd that day: First, I was speaking at the Harvard Club in Manhattan to a networking group that only accepts members who are CEOs of companies that earn more than five hundred million dollars a year in revenue (needless to say, there were a lot of blue suits and red ties in the room). Second, members could bring a guest to these special events—and that guest didn't have to be the CEO of a five-hundred-million-dollar company.

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So, either this person was a member himself and he had done this before (which means other members weren’t surprised and probably didn’t like him too much) or he was a guest (and the members were absolutely mortified).

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As I processed what just happened and decided how to respond—an internal calculation that takes only seconds but feels like an eternity in slow motion—the hundreds of hours of rehearsal and reps in front of audiences enabled me to determine the right approach almost immediately.

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In a heightened state of performance, where reflexes sharpen and decisions flow almost instinctively, you are able to navigate challenges with agility. Think of Patrick Mahomes scrambling out of the pocket while successfully completing a pass to a receiver with double coverage 50 yards downfield—precision under pressure, born of relentless practice, focus, and heightened awareness and vigilance.

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It might sound strange if you haven’t experienced it, but at a certain level of proficiency as a performer, you gain the ability to watch yourself perform while performing. It’s as if you become both the performer and the audience simultaneously.

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How to Respond to Hecklers

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There’s no one best way to respond to a heckler. But when you know your speech and you know who’s in the room, you’ll be able to respond confidently—and even playfully. Humor is one of your greatest allies in moments like these.

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Given what I knew—Harvard Club, NYC, a guy that likely no one approves of—I decided I could probably shut him down with an offhand remark. So I flashed a big goofy grin and responded, "Maybe for you it doesn't." The audience laughed and I picked up right where I left off in the speech.

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But that wasn’t the end of things.

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Five minutes later, the guy stood up again and shouted again. This time, a little old man (who looked like he was at least 110 years old) stood up and shouted back at him: "Hey, buddy! Shut up and sit down!" The entire place broke into applause. That was the last we heard from the heckler.

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You’re Not Onstage to Prove Yourself—You’re There to Deliver, Surprise, and Delight.

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After the speech, I learned that the heckler was indeed somebody's guest. Dozens of members came up and apologized for the man’s behavior, and many even suggested that whatever I was paid, they should double it (I’m still waiting on the extra check).

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Remember, you’re not there to prove yourself. You’re there to help. Some of your audience members will have opinions that differ from yours, and that’s perfectly fine. As a professional speaker, it’s not your job to debate your audience.

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When you let someone drag you into a debate, you give them power. Don’t do it. Maintain control of the room at all times. If you encounter an audience member who starts to challenge your opinions and lure you into a debate, just move on. If you don’t give them any attention, you can easily silence them into oblivion with your indifference.

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At the Harvard Club, I could have just as easily responded, “I get that. And it's great that there's no one right way to do anything." Saying something like that allows you to recognize and acknowledge the comment or differing opinion, then quickly and respectfully move on. That would be my typical response. I chose a different (and riskier) tactic and, this time, it worked.

Don't

aim to prove yourself onstage.

maintain control of the room at all times by remembering your purpose: to serve your audience.

Remember, Your Audience Is on Your Side

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Your audience is a powerful force that can quickly influence the outcome of an unexpected situation. When an audience member is rude or disruptive, the audience will usually come to the speaker's aid. After all, they are there to hear your message, not some rude, offhand remarks from a back-of-the-room critic.

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As the speaker, you are the authority in the room. You hold the power to transform your stage into a space of engagement, connection, and overwhelming positivity—armed with the support of your audience and the strength of your message.

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When you can confidently and humorously respond to any situation that comes your way, you demonstrate reliability and professionalism, two qualities meeting planners crave. Most importantly, you’ll follow through on your promise as a speaker—to deliver a transformational experience for your audience.

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Three Things Every Speaker Should Know

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Let this humorous anecdote remind you of the three things every professional speaker should remember when it comes to dealing with hecklers.

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It's incredibly rare that you'll have a heckler. In fact, I hope you speak so often, so successfully that you increase your odds of getting one.
You’ll be much better prepared to respond to hecklers (in the rare case it does happen) when you know your speech and your audience. Do your homework.
When an audience member is rude or disruptive, the audience will likely come to your aid. They’re on your side, and they want you to succeed.

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You have a powerful message to share. As you focus on upleveling your speech and serving your audience, both your onstage confidence and your impact as a speaker will increase dramatically. Because when courageous speakers combine mastery with purpose, they change the world, one speech at a time.

Don't

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Know Your Speech

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Know Your Audience

‍

At every gig, you need to understand who's in the room. You need to have done your homework. Knowing who’s in the room will help you decide how to respond.

‍

How to Respond to Hecklers

‍

But that wasn’t the end of things.

‍

You’re Not Onstage to Prove Yourself—You’re There to Deliver, Surprise, and Delight.

‍

Dont

aim to prove yourself onstage.

maintain control of the room at all times by remembering your purpose: to serve your audience.

Remember, Your Audience Is on Your Side

‍

Three Things Every Speaker Should Know

‍

Let this humorous anecdote remind you of the three things every professional speaker should remember when it comes to dealing with hecklers.

‍

It's incredibly rare that you'll have a heckler. In fact, I hope you speak so often, so successfully that you increase your odds of getting one.
You’ll be much better prepared to respond to hecklers (in the rare case it does happen) when you know your speech and your audience. Do your homework.
When an audience member is rude or disruptive, the audience will likely come to your aid. They’re on your side, and they want you to succeed.

‍

Don't