Many persuasive speeches center on controversial issues for which there are multiple valid viewpoints. If you choose such a topic for your speech, decide how you’re going to deal with points of view that differ from your own. Will you acknowledge these opposing viewpoints in your speech, or ignore them? Consider two things when answering this question.

First, think about how much time you have for your presentation. If discussing opposing views about your topic means that you’ll have to cut relevant arguments in support of your position, don’t do it. Second, ask yourself if your audience will already be familiar with the opposing views. If not, introduce a main point that compares and contrasts the opposing views about your topic. When you expose your audience to opposing views, they are more likely to resist future attempts by others to change their minds (Banas & Rains, 2010).