To All Communi-Creators:
A popular question . . . what to do with the audience member who wants to talk about something other than the actual topic of your performance?
We've all had this happen. You're delivering a performance about the merits of SuperWidget 2.0 and suddenly a hand pops up, so you stop to take the question and the audience member poses an unrelated query about an unrelated product which has no bearing on the subject at hand whatsoever.
Being a professional, you answer the question.
And the audience member has a follow up. Again, unrelated. This time, it comes with a twist. This time they want to share some feedback or some other point along their recently presented, albeit entirely unrelated line of discussion.
So again, you respond.
And so do they. Now you're officially having a one-on-one conversation in front of an audience with on a topic unrelated to what everyone else in the room is there to discuss.
What can you do? There are a a few possible scenarios:
Scenario 1: You state you recognize the value of the discussion and demonstrate a willingness to discuss further offline. You promise to make yourself available after the performance to address whatever questions or concerns the individual has. At this point you are able to move on with your performance, job well done.
Scenario 2: You do everything outlined in Scenario 1, except this time the audience member doesn't concede the floor. They want to have this discussion . . . now. You empathize again with the individual's situation and reiterate your willingness to meet and apologize, but state there is limited time for the performance and you do need to keep the event on track. Frustrated, the alternate speaker concedes.
Scenario 3: Everything just like Scenario 2, except the alternate speaker doesn't concede - now what?
Now you leverage your greatest asset - the audience. You turn to them and say, as professionally as possible, that perhaps this alternative topic is worth discussing, but you know all in the room came to the performance with the expectation of discussing the merits of SuperWidget 2.0. You don't want to waste anyone's time so you're going to put it to a vote - how many want to talk about SuperWidget 2.0, and how many wish to discuss the newly defined "alternative topic?"
In all likelihood the vote will be heavily in favor of discussing SuperWidget 2.0. At this point you reiterate your empathy with the single audience member, reiterate your willingness to meet with them after the session - but state firmly that the rest of the audience would like to return to the original topic and so that is what you're going to need to do. Then do it.
THE POINT: Hopefully it never comes to this, but if it does - "majority rules" is a pretty simple concept to understand.
