In a democratic system, people are allowed to have different opinions. Quite often there is even no single truth. As both cartoons below illustrate, individuals can look at the same thing(s) or situation from different perspectives – without one being more right or wrong than the other.

(courtesy Malcolm Evans cartoons)

Recently I came across an artwork by the German-French artist trio Troika. Watch this video of their hanging steel sculpture, called: “Squaring the Circle”, and compare the perspective at the beginning of the movie with wat you see at the end…

As a business presenter, you might find that your audience has various opinions on the topics you discuss. As I mentioned in a previous post about “the duck and the rabbit,” it really comes down to how you present your material and how your audience perceives it or what they want to take away from it.

Be convincing when you present and defend your case, but remember that some audience members may have different opinions or reach different conclusions. Always stay open, tolerant, and respectful of others’ feelings, and be ready for a meaningful conversation (or a tough debate).

It’s always better to adopt a good mix of Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals:

  • Ethos: try to earn your audience’s respect and show them that you have the right to speak. Don’t be dogmatic, but don’t compromise on your principles either. Prove by all (verbal and non verbal) means that you mean what you say.
  • Logos: state your opinion consistently, clearly and crisply, and support it by reason and proof. Provide facts and figures, but beware of presenting faith, beliefs and opinions as hard evidence.
  • Pathos: remember that enthusiasm is contagious and can arouse positive emotions. If you manage to appeal to the emotions of your audience in a sincere and purposeful way, you may eventually break down their barriers to accepting your position.

And, finally, you could use the Q&A at the end of your talk to give people with a different opinion a forum to make their statement. But never allow any of them to dominate the conversation, or – even worse – override your message and hijack your presentation.