Here's how you can build the resilience to handle unexpected interruptions during a presentation.

When I get interrupted during a presentation, what I do is smile and ask the question "are you finished?" After which I assess if the information from the interruption is worth more attention or not. Then I smile and continue. In the case of continuous interruption, I'll introduce some ground rules to avoid rowdiness. How well you manage interruptions, tells your audience how much stage control you have. The stage is yours and you should own it!

Sometimes people interrupt because they're excited. Sometimes they interrupt because they have a counterpoint. Regardless of how challenging an interruption can be, I never assume ill intent. Taking a beat helps to guide me in how to respond - whether it's to acknowledge the excitement around the topic and request another minute to complete what I was saying before opening the floor to feedback and questions. Or, to acknowledge that the content might be challenging to accept, and then asking to finish before opening the floor to questions or feedback. I find that acknowledging first, in a calm and positive way, sets the tone for how things go moving forward.

Here are some points to consider when the interruption comes from: 1. the audience throwing curveball questions at you midway during your presentation. As a preventive measure, you might want to state some housekeeping rules before you begin. For e.g. Q&A session is at the end of presentation so please keep your questions until the end. You can remind the audience again if any questions are still thrown at you while you are speaking. 2. technical issue with your slides or the sound does not play from your video, etc. You should keep some pop quiz or relevant stories in your back pocket just in case you need to whip them out when the technical issue is being fixed. Remember Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong will go wrong).

Going through your presentation before the main event gives you the ability to envisage interruptions that might arise from your presentation, especially if you know how your audience think. Note the areas of your presentations that might give room for interruptions and plan how to handle them.

Engaging promptly gives you off as an authority and prevents the audience from hijacking your presentation. If it is a question you do not have all the answers to, inform the audience promptly that you'll get back to them with all the right answers, as soon as you have them.

Not only practice flexibility but build in flexibility. It's one of the things I teach my clients. We build their presentations so they are able to expand or contract them as necessary - whether due to time constraints, technical glitches or other unexpected interruptions.

Confidence transforms interruptions into opportunities during presentations. By mastering your material, you lessen dependence on notes and slides, enabling you to maintain eye contact and stay connected with your audience despite disruptions. This thorough preparation not only fortifies your poise but also turns potential distractions into seamless elements of your delivery, showcasing your expertise and adaptability. Embrace practice as your ally, and let your confidence shine through every unexpected moment.

Did I come off to my audience as someone who should be doubted? Was my tone of voice coming off to my audience as being unsure of what I was talking about? Did my presence not have enough convincing aura? These and more are some questions I'll be asking myself if I constantly get interrupted during my presentation.

If I discover during my presentation that all the interruptions is coming from a particular quarters, I'm going to be giving extra attention to them than the rest of the audience. Experience has taught me that sometimes, someone interrupting you constantly doesn't mean they actually have a point to make,but they are just eager for their voice to be heard, too.