Question

Maya is planning a presentation to persuade the audience to vote for year-round schools. Some members of the audience think a traditional school schedule is better.

Knowing this, how can Maya best prepare her presentation?

She should include information that addresses the objections.
She should allow time for audience members to present information.
She should boldly tell the audience that their point of view is wrong.
She should ignore the concerns and hope no one mentions them.

Answer 1

Best choice: She should include information that addresses the objections.

Why: Anticipating and directly answering the audience’s concerns makes a persuasive talk more credible and harder to dismiss. Prepare clear evidence, concessions where appropriate, and respectful rebuttals to the most likely objections.

Also useful: plan a short Q&A or discussion so audience members can raise concerns. Don’t dismiss or insult opposing views, and don’t ignore them—both hurt persuasion.