This is my Oral Communications Paper on
How to Handle a Hostile Audience
There are several ways to handle hostile audiences. Knowing your audience, the environment and your material is the best way to be prepared to handle an audience that may become hostile.
When you are the speaker, get to know your audience before your assigned speech time. This is a great way to gauge what preconceived beliefs the audience has about you and your subject. Before your speech, mingle and introduce yourself to your audience. Ask them questions about your subject matter and ask for opinions. This will allow you to get a feel for the people you will be speaking to. Carefully read the following statement from Abraham Lincoln decide to follow his example. Abraham Lincoln said, "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better."
A prepared speaker should have a firm knowledge of their speech material. Know places you can suggest that people go for more information or to make comments. Knowing your material will help you from getting lost if there are any interruptions or distractions. If you have an intentional physical interruption, do not totally ignore it but don’t let it take over your speech. Deal with the interruption and then continue on. Do not try to speak over the distraction, this will only anger the audience. Watch for ways to understand what is going on with the distraction and try to address the situation.
Your duty as a speaker is to deliver information to the audience. You want to focus on your audience and respond to their silent communication. Figuring out how to best serve them as a group will enable you to present your material in a more relaxed way.
Be open minded and listen to any comments with true intent. Answer all questions simply and honestly. If you do not have an answer, ask the person to allow you to find out the answer and get back with them after the speech. Be sure to remain calm and collected at all times. If you are verbally attacked, try to come to an understanding with the offender, but do not defend or attack back. Only cite proven or documented examples, refrain from throwing out untested or unproven information in the hopes that this will strengthen your point of view. This method often causes problems, proven resources and solid information will keep your speech honest.
Use soft self humor, but show respect for your speech material and your job as a speaker. Show your audience respect as well, through your voice and words, your body language, and the length of your speech. If you use any of their questions or comments, be sure to give them credit for their input.
Finally, if time allows, make yourself available after your speech to answer any lingering questions. Again, don’t get into a debate, even if driven or baited. You can always agree to disagree, allowing the situation to be diffused peacefully. Still listen to all the other points of view and try to understand why these points are being expressed.
In the end if things get out of hand during or after your speech, always plan a contingency to make a controlled exit. You do not want to incite a riot or have a huge argument take place. So, plan ahead on how you would remove yourself from the stage and gracefully exit the speaking arena.
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1. How to successfully speak to a hostile audience by Terry Paulson
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2005/09/05/smallb3.html
2. Techniques for handling interruptions to your speech by Ian Griffin
http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-deal-with-a-hostile-audience/
3. Seven Secrets to Handling a Hostile Audience By Larina Kase
http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Secrets-to-Handling-a-Hostile-Audience&id=633337
4. How to Deal With a Hostile Audience By Lenny Laskowski
http://www.presentation-pointers.com/showarticle/articleid/86/
See the huge mushroom on the top of the pile? My small can of mushrooms is stems and pieces or sliced mushrooms. They are great as sliced mushrooms go, but I am having 'kid' issues. All of the sudden I am hearing, 'I don't like mushrooms.' I don't know where that is coming from, my family has been eating mushrooms for ........... well, ever. So because I love mushrooms, I am not going to leave them out. I have been chopping the mushrooms into smaller pieces and I have not heard those "don't like" words. So maybe chopping them smaller have made them more tolerable for the kids.
I just grab my wonderful kitchen scissors, they are not kitchen scissors but I love them in there. Then I just start cutting, right in the can. Cutting and chopping until they are the size I think is best. I also dump them into the mixture slowing and take care of any uncut large slices. 
I have made a plan, and I hope that this does not happen again. With the implementation of my plan, we should never be without the new Make-Do Header Post again! 
I have been grabbing a scratch piece of paper and writing the recipe down but then I remembered this prescription drug advertising white board I had in my closet. 
I pulled it out the other day and scribbled a recipe on it. I went into the kitchen and slapped this puppy on the fridge- but I needed the help of this super duper magnetic holder. 
If one wanted- this board can be mounted on the fridge or inside a cupboard door with the 2 sided sticky tape on the top and bottom. 
Here is another way I get the recipe in front of me. I will print them out and then hang them from a hanger I have on the side of my cabinet.
This is showing how my pink magnetic clip can be used on the metal frame around my kitchen window. The metal frame is under the drywall and the paint- it is the corner beading. It is fun to put magnets on the corner beading- it sometimes looks like magic.
Here is a mess of little items in a sewing kit. A really cheap one, but one that would help out in a bind. I decided to put it in a plastic bag to keep everything together. But I didn't like the look of it. 
So I found an empty pill bottle and cleaned it well, to get any drug residue removed. 
Then I put all the little odds and ends into the bottle. Look how nice the bottle contains the odds and ends. 
I thought if I put it back in the plastic bag, I could put a couple of material swatches in it that could be used as patches or whatever. 
I know what you are thinking- Shari needs to organize her kitchen counter. You would be right............. but that is for later...... I will do it this afternoon or tomorrow after school.... or when I find some extra time............ For sure before Christmas.............. 
I took a half bag of Wal-marts beef meatballs and placed them in my medium oval crockpot. (Is there any other kind of meatball at Wal-mart? Anyway, I used beef.)
While it was cooking, I made gravy. I took a can of chicken broth, (I only have chicken), then I added some flour to thicken it, a little milk, a little leftover turkey gravy, salt and pepper. It turned out tasty, but I won't be able to duplicate it because I very rarely have left over gravy of any type, let along turkey gravy that my mom made!
Hubby also wrapped two very large Idaho potatoes and tossed them in as well. 
So I finally came up with a solution several years back. (Yes, I see we need a new one, but maybe some day I will get to it!) I took a magnet from a business card that I didn't need. I used to get them on the Yellow Pages phonebooks. Sometime they come in the mail. I have seen them in some stores, doctor offices and other places. 
So I took one I wasn't using and took a piece of paper and wrote 'Dirty' and 'Clean' on the paper and then glued it to the Magnet. Then I placed it on the Dishwasher. 
The second way was as a picnic table covering. It was nice on our table. And it looked good too. It was easy to clean, even when we got mustard and ketchup on it. The sticky marshmallow came off too, when I used very hot water. And I didn't have to throw it in the laundry. I didn't even hang it up to dry, it dried in place on the table. 
