How To Respond To Disagreement In A Presentation

Here’s what to do when someone disagrees with you in a presentation. These 5 effective steps will make you more confident and create stronger audience connection.

So I just had a coaching call that I thought was just so brilliant with one of my clients and she had asked me a really good question that I figured I should address with everyone and share the advice that I gave her.

So the question she asked me was, how do I respond when someone disagrees with me in my presentation?

Believe In What You’re Saying

And immediately what you want to do when someone expresses an opinion that is contrary to yours is to recognize first of all that you believe in what you are talking about. That means before you even think or as you’re preparing for your presentation, make sure you believe in yourself and you believe in what you’re going to be talking about. Because if you don’t believe in the subject and what you are sharing, then how can you expect them to believe in you?

So I realized that as I was giving her advice, I always make sure that every time I’m preparing for a presentation or even if I’m just describing something to someone, I own it!

I make sure that I own what I’m about to say. That I believe in it. Because the more I believe in it, there’s going to be so much more conviction in my voice that is actually going to be convincing for the person who hears it. So this is the first thing to do.

“Tell Me More”

And then the second thing to do is actually to embrace their contrary opinion and ask them to tell you more. Because most of the time when someone is expressing a different opinion, it’s more that they just want you to explain a little bit more of what you are saying to help them to understand more of your perspective.

It’s purely that maybe they were just not fully understanding where you were coming from. But if you just ask them to tell you more about where they’re coming from and why they have that contrary opinion.

Then you realize that no, actually we’re probably on the same page but the way I expressed it did not make sense to them. But if I show them that no, we’re probably thinking the same way. You’re going to find that they now understand you and they agree with you.

It’s OK to Disagree

And if they come to that place where you just don’t agree, that’s okay too.

But at least there’s a sense of honor and respect that you know you believe in yourself and they also see their different different perspective and that’s okay. You can honor and respect where they are coming from.

So I would say to you don’t be in any way rattled when someone disagrees with you. Embrace it, own it, and do as much as you can to make sure that there is a place of honoring both your opinion and their opinion.

Thank Them

And number three, don’t forget to thank them. Thank them for the perspective that they have brought to the discussion. Even if it was not one that was necessarily aligned with what you were saying. And you’re going to find that as you approach any sort of presentation where maybe you might have something like that happen.

You’re not going to be afraid of it because you believe in yourself. You believe in your material. And you also believe in honoring other people and where they’re coming from.

And that’s always a great place to be.

Praying For You

Okay so let me just pray for you for this coming week. Father I just thank you more than anything that this week, each and every lady who’s watching this video comes from a place of believing in themselves and believing in what they’re talking about. I pray that that would come across in all of the discussions that they’re having.

Whether it’s in a meeting, in a talk, even just in a conversation they’re having with their spouse. I pray that they would carry a sense of conviction and an understanding that I believe in where I’m coming from.

And I thank you Father that as they speak to people, there isn’t a sense of being combative but a sense of always respecting where somebody else is coming from but also honoring who they are and how they see things.

And I just thank you Father that they’re all learning to trust in their own opinions and perspectives as they move forward.

Bless them throughout this whole week in their work, in their families and in all of the interactions they’re having. In the name of Jesus.

Hallelujah!