Best Ways to Handle Repeated Interruptions in Negotiation

Raise your hand if you’ve been interrupted mid-sentence - especially in a meeting full of men. 🙋🏽♀️ It happens more often than we’d like to admit. Women are often interrupted, ignored, or talked over, and it can feel frustrating, demoralizing, and exhausting. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here's how you can assertively take back the conversation and maintain control: 1. Pause: Don’t just keep talking. Pause, make eye contact, and say something like, “I’d like to finish my thought,” or “I wasn’t done speaking.” This sets a boundary without aggression. 2. Be silent: If someone interrupts you, let there be a brief moment of silence. This gives you space to reassert control and shows confidence in your words. 3. Repeat: If you’re cut off, calmly restate your point and say, “As I was saying…” This gently reminds everyone that your contribution deserves to be heard. 4. Use your body language: Be intentional with your posture. Sit up straight, hold your ground, and use confident gestures to reinforce your presence in the conversation. 5. Involve others: If the interruptions continue, invite others into the conversation to back you up. You can say, “I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, [name], after I finish.” Remember: You belong at the table, and your voice matters. Interruptions don’t show how credible you are. They show that others need to respect your boundaries. And you need to be confident in setting them. Don’t let anyone take that away from you. P.S. Have you experienced being interrupted in meetings? How do you handle it?

Tired of being talked over? 1. Get yourself a meeting buddy. Having someone who'll say "Hey, let's hear Bryan finish his thought" is a game-changer. Be that person for others too. 2. Don't back down when interrupted. A simple "I'd like to finish my point" works better than you'd think. Yes, it feels awkward at first. Do it anyway. 3. Put your ideas in writing before any meeting. Can't talk over a doc! When someone repeats or ignores your point, you can say "Yes, as I mentioned in my doc on line 37" Most important thing I've learned? This isn't a "you" problem. You don't need to be louder or more aggressive. You just need to hold your ground.

Ever feel cornered by cold offers or overly curious questions? Here’s a boundary-setting strategy that works: Repetition. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲. Whether it’s cold DMs, intrusive questions about your plans, or even sales pitches, it can feel overwhelming. - You don’t want to ignore them - that feels rude. - You don’t want to get angry - that creates tension. So, what’s the solution? 𝗔 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆: 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺, 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 1) It clarifies your point. Consistency removes ambiguity and sends a clear message. 2) It prevents escalation. Repetition is neutral and non-confrontational, unlike reactive responses like anger or silence. 3) It sets boundaries effectively. This approach is often referred to as "verbal judo" or "passive resistance," where the boundary is set without overt confrontation. 4) It interrupts the persuasion loop. The "broken record" technique from negotiation strategies helps maintain your position without engaging further. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆: - Cold caller: “Would you like Option A or B?” - You: “No, thank you.” (Repeat as needed.) Friend asking a personal question: “Why don’t you want to share your plans?” - You: “I prefer to keep that private.” (Repeat calmly.) This strategy works because it’s polite, firm, and calm. While it may not guarantee they won’t get offended. If they do - it’s their choice. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 - 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼. Someone asks about your plans, spending, or personal life? Have a consistent response ready like, “I’m not comfortable discussing that". This allows you to protect your boundaries while maintaining respect. 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁: - Create your go-to response for uncomfortable situations. - Repeat it calmly, no matter how many times they ask. - Watch how setting boundaries helps you feel more confident and in control. Because boundaries aren’t built in a day - they’re built through consistent, respectful action. * * * ➜ Follow for more on how to stay calm and be yourself in a hypocritical world while doing what’s right in life and business. ➜ I’ve left the corporate world, am building my own, sharing lessons along the way. ➜ My ultimate goal is to help others gain the freedom to build a life on their terms, aligned with their values.