Cuando hay interrupciones en reuniones virtuales, mantengo la calma y redirijo la conversación al tema principal. Suelo establecer reglas claras al inicio, como mutear micrófonos, y si la interrupción es inevitable, tomo un breve momento para reorganizar y retomar el foco sin perder el ritmo.

I once had a client who kept interrupting during a virtual demo, pulling the conversation off track. After the third interruption, I paused, thanked them for their input, and reminded everyone of the Q&A section at the end. From there, I used visuals to keep attention and guided the discussion back to the agenda. By the end, the flow was back on track, and the client appreciated the structure. How do you handle interruptions in your meetings?

I actually expect and welcome client interruptions, so I usually go into my meetings prepared to “flip the script” as needed. My view, interruptions reveal what my client is most concerned or interested about. So unless the words used to interrupt are demeaning, I prefer to just address the client’s point (occasionally jumping straight to the part of the presentation content that relates to it the most). Then I switch to my other points in the agenda if still relevant, to lead us to a close.

Managing client interruptions during virtual presentations requires a balance of patience and focus. Acknowledge their input to show engagement, then guide the conversation back on track by summarizing their point and suggesting a specific time to address it in more depth, such as a dedicated Q&A at the end. Politely remind the group of the agenda and the importance of covering all key points to stay within time constraints. Offering to follow up with more detailed answers post-presentation also helps keep the discussion focused while ensuring clients feel heard.

While addressing interruptions shows respect for the client’s input, maintaining your presentation flow is equally important. If the question touches on points you’ll cover later, politely guide the conversation back to your pace, saying something like, “Great question! We’ll be diving into that in more detail later, so let me finish this section first.” This approach acknowledges the client while ensuring you stay in control of your presentation rhythm, which is a key aspect of professionalism.