Facing up to Mr Sceptical

When you’re giving a persuasive presentation, you have to put across your arguments; the reasons why the audience should buy, do or believe the things you’re asking them to buy, do or believe. A persuasive address that doesn’t include this element is the culinary equivalent of a sugar-free meringue. But another key ingredient, that’s often omitted (think cornflour if we’re rolling with the meringue analogy) is refutation. It’s important that, within the body of your presentation, you voice naysayers’ ‘yeah but’s’ and explain why they shouldn’t be thinking ‘yeah but.’

I’m always surprised at how many speakers leave out refutation. Maybe they don’t include it because they’re fundamentally positive people and haven’t considered that some might challenge their thinking. Or perhaps they worry about putting negative thoughts in the mind of an audience that hadn’t already thought about them. Or maybe they’re a bit lazy and didn’t want to give themselves any more work. 

I’m a big fan of the refutation section for the following reasons:

1. It allows the speaker to show they’re not fanatically pushing their own agenda; that they have viewed the topic from different angles.
2. It can cut out post-presentation question time. 
3. It gives the presentation – which is always a monologue – a duologue quality. 

Use these tips to help you hone your refutation section:

• Put on your sceptic’s hat, and after every argument you’re going to put forward to support your case, consider what Mr Sceptical would say.
• Now ask yourself what percentage of your audience is likely to hold Mr Sceptical’s view. Don’t deal in any self-deception here. If that number is over 30%, then you need to face up to the view within your presentation.
• So if you are in that 30% plus zone then craft a clear and sensible refutation that will tell Mr Sceptical why he can put his red flag back in his flag drawer.
• Decide where you’re going to bring in your refutation. Are you going to do it directly after you’ve made the argument that the refutation relates to, or will you do it after you’ve delivered all your arguments or even before you make your arguments? There is no right or wrong; the decision is yours. 
• And finally - and this is so important! - as you deliver your refutation, don’t do it with any smart-arsed irritation or arrogance. Rather, lead into it by saying something like, “Now I’m sure some of you here will be thinking, “Oh come off it Emma! If you seriously think people are going to give their presentations this much thought then you’re living in cloud cuckoo land.” Pose the objection in the tone that the sceptics would.

If you have a team that needs to improve their persuasive pitches, take a look at Presenting an Argument.