In this post we will go over some more types of evidence you can include in each segment of your speech. If done correctly, these will support your main point so effectively that your audience will be primed to accept your call to action. That’s when you will be most effective when public speaking.
Remember, you don’t need to use all of these types. Choose the ones that best back up your assertions and forget the rest. Also, don’t feel you have to overload each segment of your speech with a lot of supporting evidence. Usually, one or two pieces will suffice.
In the previous post here we discussed case studies, testimonials and quotes, and visual aids.
Now let’s look at some other types.
· Analogies and Metaphors
Comparing your point to something familiar to the audience can make it easier for them to understand what you are saying. They can make complex ideas simpler or clarify ideas that are vague.
For instance, say your company has had a major problem with its computer system. You know it needs a major overhaul, but are going to make a smaller fix right away that alleviates the issue in the short term. You want to make clear that even with the fixes the overhaul is needed.
In your presentation you might liken the computer system to a human body, saying both are extremely complex. You could say the smaller fix can be considered a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. The Band-Aid stops the immediate bleeding, but doctors still need to operate to retrieve the bullet out of the body.
To be clear, analogies and metaphors are best used to illustrate ideas or make them understand.
I do not recommend them as persuasion tools, though. In my experience, if you try to use an analogy or metaphor to persuade someone opposed to your idea, the person will dismiss what you are saying by latching onto whatever differences exist between the two things you are comparing.
For instance, if you used the analogy above as your argument, rather than an explanation, a doubter might argue that the computer system isn’t going to die completely, unlike a human with a bullet wound, so why not do the smaller fix and see how things go?
· Surveys or Polls
Relevant surveys and polls that support your points can be very persuasive, especially if they are recent.
Say you are in charge of pitching the idea that your company should move its headquarters from Indiana to Texas. A survey of CEOs of companies that moved to Texas in the past five years might have results that could be useful. For instance, if a large majority of them reported cost savings from the move.
Make sure the survey or poll is valid by looking into the number of respondents, who they were, who funded the research and when the poll was conducted.
For instance, the poll might not be persuasive if it turned out the CEOs were of companies that moved from New York to Texas. Would that really be applicable? No, because the costs of doing business in Indiana probably are a lot lower than doing business in New York.
Would a survey taken before the pandemic lockdown and ensuing inflation be credible? Likely not.
· Personal Experiences or Stories
A personal story that is compelling can engage audience members’ emotions and make it easier for you to gain their confidence. This is especially true if your story establishes you as an expert of the topic you are discussing. If listeners see you as a subject matter expert, they are more likely to be open to your arguments.
Be careful not to rely solely on your personal story, though, especially if it might not establish you as an expert. That would risk losing some audience members who might feel manipulated.
For instance, a soldier who suffered wounds in combat would be able to tell a compelling story about being under fire, and the pain endured during her recovery. But that would not make her an expert on the annual defense budget. Having her testify at a budget hearing might come across as manipulative to listeners.
But say instead that the hearing was being held to investigate rumors of soldiers being mistreated at a particular hospital. If she were a patient at that hospital, then she would be seen as credible.
· Raw Data and Statistics
I put these last because people tend to think that throwing a lot of raw data and statistics into a presentation is the best way to win over an audience.
It isn’t.
Have you ever been at a presentation in which the speaker throws up a PowerPoint slide with lots of numbers and columns and rows, and then drones on explaining what all the data points mean? Has that ever persuaded you? Probably not. Instead, I would bet your eyes glanced over the slide and then you turned back to the speaker and hoped he would skip to the next part.
The simple fact is that presentations that are loaded up with data and statistics tend to overwhelm listeners and, well, are boring. And bored listeners are not easy to persuade.
My advice is to keep raw data and statistics to a minimum. Use only the most essential to establish your point. Keep the rest available to refer to if someone asks for more details but don’t bog down your presentation with information overload. It isn’t persuasive.
In the next post we will discuss some best practices of using PowerPoint to present your evidence.
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