Some tips on dealing
with pesky hecklers

If you perform long enough, you will encounter hecklers. There are a variety of ways performers deal with the interruptions, from shouting the heckler down, to belittling him to gently deflecting the situation.

I want to share some advice from Bert Decker, chairman and chief executive officer of Decker Communications Inc. The example he uses comes from the political arena when U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, shouted "you lie" during President Barack Obama's health care reform speech.

Now, the point here is not to be political, rather to see what Bert can teach us about dealing with unexpected interruptions. Decker deals in communications, not the magical arts, however, I believe we can learn from his advice.

The bottom line is 1) Don't argue, 2) Use simple behaviors, and 3) Keep control. You can read Bert's blog here (as well as see the clip of the exchange between Obama and Wilson).

Update: Fixed link to Bert Decker's blog. 1-1-10. Bobby.