History is replete with those who could get up in front of a room and sway the crowd with their words. From politicians to religious leaders, to great generals, to business icons, their verbal skills have carved a place for them in history. At some point each of them realized that debating their positions, sometimes against very strong arguments, was a necessary skill in order for them to move their agendas along. What are the skills they used to win an argument? Can they be learned and used by others?
Enlist the help of Debate Experts
To become the best at anything you need to get coaching. Everyone who is at an elite level from sports stars, to business leaders, understands this truism. So master debaters enlist debate experts who can help hone their skills.
For debate experts like Thomas M Rollins teaching the skills required in debating is serious business. He focuses on giving them all of the necessary tools they need to become a top debater. Of course it is up to the student to practice what has been taught and to use these tools effectively.
Display Supreme Confidence
Master debaters are 100% sure they will win an argument no matter who their opponent is for the debate. Think about Michael Jordan before an NBA finals game and the confidence and surety he exudes. This is the demeanor of the master debater. This confidence does not come from their thinking that they are superior only, it also comes from their knowing that the preparation they have gone through positions them to simply be better than anyone else.
Preparation is the difference maker is nearly any subject. Those who take the time to perfect their ability to do well, can count on doing well. So the master debater prepares and prepares until he has mastered the topic, its arguments, how to present them both, the room, the audience, and every other big and small detail about the debate. When the master debater walks out on stage, in his or her mind the debate is already won.
Map Out Every Argument on a Topic
As mentioned, preparation is the art of being ready for whatever can come. In a debate, this means understanding and being prepared for any potential approach to a topic and every argument that can be made about it. The greats understand that they needed to be prepared to make their own arguments but they also need to know and respect alternative arguments that might be made by a detractor. And for every minute that is spent looking at their own arguments, there is an equal amount of time dedicated to the other arguments that can be made. Knowing both sides of an argument allows top debaters to position their own argument more effectively.
Know How to Work the Room
Debates are part knowledge, part ability to argue, and part performance. In nearly every debate, there is a story of an audience being swayed because of the performance of a debater. Discovering which way to sway a room requires a debater to pay attention to the type of room in which the debate is being held and then to craft his style for the debate based on this information. They are chameleons and able to get into the heads and hearts of those listening.
There is no debate that these tips will make you a better debater.
