Technique: Build the audience’s confidence. When one’s confidence is strong, they are much more likely to listen to and think about others’ opinions. Conversely, when one’s confidence is weakened, they become defensive and shut off from outside views in the fear (subconscious or otherwise) that the other opinion would clash with their own serving as a further assault to their self-image. (Lance Canon p388. BC) Confidence can be built up temporarily at least, quite easily with some praise for the audience's: 1) knowledge of the subject 2) courage to address the issue head on 3) desire to learn more 4) accomplishments thus far that have brought them here unlike 99.99% of the populace. Tell them right off that “It is obvious from your presence here that you are tired of the status quo and are searching intrepidly for new ideas.” Or something similar to set them in the mindset that they are enlightened individuals with open minds. If you attempt to assure the person that they are wrong, and closed minded and otherwise clueless to the facts, then you will be closing off those people that you most want to listen and change their minds. Bill O’Rielly does this by praising the IQ of his listenership and extolling the street smarts of his base who are “never fooled by the politicians” People tend to acquire information and seek information and ideas that interest them and otherwise agree with their current beliefs. They also try to avoid information, which do not conform to their beliefs. When exposed to the disagreeable information they do one of the following 1) berate the messenger, 2) de-legitimize the message (irrelevant, incorrect, irrational, and illogical) or 3) distort the message to comply with their beliefs. Because of this, people have to be prepped to accept and process other’s messages. Boosting their confidence is one way to accomplish this. With confidence, they feel they can defend themselves if necessary and are strong, intelligent and creative enough to integrate new ideas into their belief system if they so choose.