Here’s a great article with ideas on using persuasion and proving your point.
https://www.digitalsparkmarketing.com/2013/02/03/combination-of-evidence/
Here’s the column:
Have you ever wondered how some people seem to be natural persuaders? Obviously good oral communication skills are important, but it takes more than good speaking skills for the best means of persuasion.
Whether you are defining marketing messages, advertisements, or making a presentation, you depend on evidence to make your case. Most people who are trying to persuade, however, make the mistake of using only the forms of evidence that they find most compelling.
But it is important to remember that no single type of evidence is compelling for everybody you want to persuade. Therefore, it’s important to offer different types of persuasive evidence throughout your presentation. Your case is ultimately stronger when a combination of evidence exists from these seven types of evidence:
Your personal experience is particularly effective when you are talking to people who you know and have relationships with. Personal testimony often persuades by reinforcing what they already know, suspect, or fear. An eyewitness account is often an excellent way to open a conversation or presentation because it immediately draws in your audience.
Expert opinions are most persuasive to listeners who don’t recognize you as an authority, because it puts you in the company of someone they do know and respect. If you choose to mention or bring in an expert authority, make sure it is someone your audience recognizes. The expert’s force will be diluted if you must explain the person’s credentials.
Great analogies work well when you are presenting material unfamiliar to your audience. When you compare two seemingly unlike things, listeners can use what already know to grasp what you are trying to explain.
Facts are particularly appropriate for people who don’t have time or patience to sit through longer, subjective arguments or carefully crafted arguments.
Physical exhibits work best when the audience can physically examine and test to experience their full sensory appeal. Keep in mind, however, the size of your exhibit relative to the size of your audience.
Give a demonstration is essential when your audience needs to see a procedure or product to fully understand it. Showing how a product or procedure works is a potent persuader when the audience can actually go through the steps.
Statistical facts attract people who work with numbers frequently in their lives. Accountants, controllers, and financial business people regard statistical evidence as a crucial part of most presentations. Statistics can be particularly dramatic and compelling when they reveal is surprising and counter to listeners expectations.
Remember, no single formula exists for all presentations. Varying the forms of evidence you use will improve your chances of connecting with each person in your audience.
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