Making a presentation in front of a potentially hostile audience is NOT fun. Public speaking is the leading cause of fear of most Americans. (Death is No. 4!). So knowing that your audience is likely to be negative about your message – and even you, personally – is enough to make most people sweat.
But if something has gone wrong within your company that has negatively impacted others or if people (whether your own employees, customers, Board members, colleagues, suppliers or neighbors) are angry, you MUST address their concerns – and do it as quickly as you can. Is there any way to help you prepare for such a presentation? Borrowing some ideas from the workshops I provide management teams of many different types of organizations, I can honestly say, “Yes.” There is an approach that will help you organize your thoughts and tame those butterflies in your stomach.
Forget “Intro/Body/Conclusion”
From our early days as students in English composition classes, we were taught to organize our thoughts this way. We would often waste incredible amounts of time trying to come up with a clever attention-grabber. This may work for a friendly after-lunch speech for the local Rotary or Kiwanis, but when people are upset about something, they want you to get right to the point.
So get to work setting out the three major points you need to communicate. (Be careful of doing more than three. People generally are not able to remember more.) Did something happen for which you need to apologize? Do it. Was a decision made that they will not like? Explain the reason. Are there rumors and misinformation multiplying on the grapevine? Provide accurate information.
If you want your audience to be able to understand the situation, you need to articulate your position in three major messages. (In media training lingo, we call these our “must air messages” – the things that must see air time in an interview.)
Frame the Messages in Sound Bites
Once you’ve got your messages decided, you face the challenge of expressing them in ways that people will (1) understand (2) remember and (3) if you are very good or very lucky, persuade them to see things from your point of view.
Again, in media training language, this is referred to as creating “sound bites.” A sound bite is hard to describe, but you know it when you hear it. It’s a dramatic or colorful or clever way to phrase an idea so that it is easy to remember. A sound bite can be a couple of words like the “wardrobe malfunction” used to describe this year’s Super Bowl half-time show fiasco. Or it could be a short illustrative story or a pointed example of something with which your audience can identify so that you can establish some common ground, thus lessening the feelings of isolation and hostility.
How You Say It is At Least as Important as What You Say
The first two points relate to message content. This last has to do with delivery methods and style. People will be checking your body language. They will be listening to your tone of voice and watching your facial expressions intently. They will be searching for clues as to whether you are concerned about the situation – empathetic and compassionate – or cold, uncaring, and arrogant. They will be looking for evidence that you are being sincere and honest, not just mouthing the “company line.”
If you haven’t studied body language, practice your presentation in front of a small group who will be willing to give you honest feedback on both the content and the delivery. Better still, record it on video so you can see for yourself.
Prepare for the Tough Q&A’s
The final step is to put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Think like they are thinking. What questions will they have? You will probably think of most of them – especially if you brainstorm on this subject with a few colleagues or do a “dry run” presentation for a small group. Don’t think you can just “wing” this part. Formulate your answers, paying attention to the words and maintaining the proper attitude. Try, whenever reasonable, to link back to your major messages. Always maintain your composure – even if members of the audience are losing theirs.
Nobody said giving presentations to people who are angry/upset/scared/hostile would be easy. But if you follow these steps, you will get through it in as positive a way as possible.
Judy Hoffman, a crisis communications expert, provides workshops/presentations on dealing with the media and handling angry people. Her book, "Keeping Cool on the Hot Seat" is highly acclaimed. She is available as a speaker/corporate trainer/speech coach.
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