Why Being Heckled is the Best Thing That Could Ever Happen to You

The first time I ever dealt with a heckler was at the age of 14. I was playing a tennis tournament in Kolkata, India and I was losing (or as I would like to think, coming in 2nd place). I was having a bad day. None of my shots would go in. It felt like the ball had a magnet attached to the net and everything I hit would miraculously stay on my side of the court. It was as if I was destined to lose that match.

It turned from bad to worse when suddenly, I started hearing someone yell at me from the bleachers. This heckler was relentless. They said things like:

“That was horrible!”

“You suck!”

“Boo!”

I was extremely vexed and burrowed my eyebrows to find this trouble-maker in the crowd. My plan was to find them and say something quippy to give them a piece of my mind.

Turns out, it was my mom.

I realized from this experience that being heckled is a gift. It gives you a chance to encounter something that is different and unique. It’s something that makes you feel uncomfortable and causes you to be agile in your performance. In the case of my heckling mother, it gave me a story.

So, the question that arises from such a scenario is, how do you re-frame the instance of being heckled as a gift or an opportunity? This could be during your facilitation, public speaking event, or even a taxing student in your upper division history course (yes, I’m talking about you, Michael).

Here are three ways that you can rethink the interaction of being heckled:

1. Get Excited!

I love hecklers! I get so thrilled when encountering an oppositional audience member because it gives me the opportunity to interact with someone through surprise and improvisation. Framing an experience as being one of excitement (as opposed to annoyance) changes the tenor of the heckling interaction.

Often, people heckle to get your attention and see you react negatively. If they see that it has zero impact on you, then their behavior is not reinforced. I once had a student who was very skeptical of me and questioned me at every turn during our first class. Every time he rebutted my lecture I would have a wide smile and be overly enthusiastic (like a golden retriever), which changed his entire disposition. It somehow made him more invested in my course.

2. Take control!

Don’t be a victim to heckling! Have fun with it. Through your disposition of being an excited performer, you can take control of the situation by seeing it as an occasion to stamp your authority on that audience. Finding the right balance between the role of an authority figure and an entertaining facilitator will help you to take command of the audience and nip disruptive behavior in the bud.

The audience will appreciate that you squashed a heckler through such a mirthful disposition. In some cases, even the heckler themselves will laugh when you shut them down.

One of my favorite jokes that my mentor said to an unabashed heckler was, “Congratulations, you paid 15 dollars to make your own joke.”

It brought me to tears!

3. Yes and… them.

What!? You’re telling me to agree with a heckler? No- I am saying, hear them out. In applied improv, Yes and… doesn’t simply mean agreement. It means that you make the other person feel heard. By hearing out a heckler, you are letting them express themselves, and you can understand where they are coming from.

It also gives you the chance to do some crowd work. My favorite experience is making the audience laugh through an interaction with a heckler. While teaching a large class I sometimes repeat what a disruptive audience member says with a perplexed look. It shows your flexibility as a presenter and lets the audience feel like anything could happen. That excitement can help heighten the audience’s engagement with your facilitation.

These methods will help you take a moment that seems to be a glitch into something that creates a personal connection, which audience members might cherish forever. Great presenters are ones that can make something out of nothing. Again, every moment of awkwardness is an opportunity to create something special. Being heckled gives you the possibility of experiencing something that is different from the norm.

And different is fun!

Personal note: I have started my own consulting company! I have always loved working with people and helping them find their own unique voice. Whether that be in teaching, public speaking, or writing, I enjoy helping people be confident and have fun. Please check out oaconsultinggroup.com for information about workshops and speaking engagements. I offer faculty development workshops, applied improv performance labs, writing tips, personal branding advice, and keynote speaking services.

I look forward to seeing where this journey takes me!