In any public forum – whether it’s a debate team, a classroom, or even the dinner table – you want to be able to stand up for your beliefs and win the argument. But what are the best techniques for achieving this? Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of expert tips for winning every debate. Keep reading to find out how to use these strategies yourself!

Want even more tips for making an incredible speech? Check out our blog to learn more! 

 

 

1. Do your research

This is perhaps the most important tip of all – if you want to win an argument, you will almost always need to be armed with a good understanding of how the world works.

 

 

The key to having quality debates is being well read on a range of topics – it’s important to know at least a little bit about a lot of things and to consume your news from a range of sources. But you shouldn’t stop there – read non-fiction, discuss interesting ideas with family and friends, and be ready to have your perspective challenged. It’s all part of the fun!

Some debating competitions will even provide you with a topic area, which will allow you to focus your research on specific areas – this gives you the opportunity to deepen your education on this subject so you’re prepared for anything your opponent might throw at you.

 

 

Without a strong understanding of current affairs in society and general knowledge, it can be difficult to come up with arguments that are based on how society actually functions. If you’d like to learn how to strengthen your general knowledge, here’s our longer blog on the subject!

This is not to say that all debate arguments must be empirical in nature: of course, it can be effective to use an emotional appeal to tug on the heartstrings of your adjudicator. However, when debating against a team that has done their research, it is more difficult to win if you’ve got less education on the debate topic than they do.

As a result, debating can be an extremely effective tool for education. If you’re thinking of joining a debating course (or any of the wide variety of courses that are out there for public speaking and debating education), remember that by taking the time to prepare, you’ll be able to debate with confidence.

 

2. Keep calm and collected

Getting worked up and emotional will only make you look bad and lose credibility. If you can keep a cool head, it will be much easier to argue logically and persuasively.

 

 

A debate can be a heated exchange, with people on both sides passionately arguing their points. However, in order to debate effectively, it is important to remain calm and collected. When you are calm, you are able to think more clearly and choose your words more carefully. This can help you to make a more convincing argument and persuade others to see your point of view.

Additionally, staying calm also shows that you are confident in your position and helps to build trust with your adjudicator. If you are debating as part of a team, remaining calm can also be important for setting the tone of the debate and keeping your team members focused. Of course, it can be challenging to stay calm in the heat of the moment, but doing so can give you a significant advantage in a debate. Therefore, it is worth taking the time to learn some techniques for remaining calm under pressure.

 

 

First, it’s important to remember that debating is about critically thinking about and understanding other points of view. There’s no need to get defensive or take things personally.

Second, try to focus on the issue at hand rather than getting caught up in side arguments. This will help you stay on topic and make your points more clearly.

Third, take a deep breath and relax at the beginning of your speech, and at any time you feel that you’re losing your sense of calm. It can be helpful to visualise calming images or scenes. Debating education courses can help you to build these techniques in real life.

By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be better prepared to debate effectively and have more fun doing it!

 

3. Be assertive, not aggressive

There’s a difference between being assertive and being aggressive. The former is necessary in order to win an argument, but the latter will only put people off and make them more likely to side with your opponent.

 

 

When debate team members take the lectern, they have one goal in mind: to win the debate. In order to do this, they need to be assertive without coming across as aggressive. This can be a difficult balance to strike, but it’s an important one. After all, being too forceful will only put people off and make them more likely to side with your opponent. This is especially true for adjudicators, who are meant to be inherently reasonable. On the other hand, if you’re not assertive enough and fail to persuade anyone of your case, you’re unlikely to win the debate.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help ensure that you come across as confident and convincing. For starters, pay attention to your volume. You want to be loud enough so that people can hear you, but shouting will only make you seem angry and unreasonable. Likewise, your pace, posture, and eye contact are all important factors in how you come across. Remember, you’re trying to be persuasive, so it’s important to appear confident and charismatic.

 

 

If you’re serious about debating, there are courses and strategies you can learn that will help you debate more effectively. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that unlike arguing at home, debate is about more than just winning arguments. It’s also an opportunity to learn about different points of view and to find common ground. When approached in the right way, debate can be a positive and productive experience for everyone involved.

 

4. Make sure you’re really listening

Listening is just as important as speaking over the course of a debate.

 

 

Just as you need to develop your argumentation and debating abilities, you also need to learn how to listen effectively. Active listening shows that you’re interested in what the other person has to say and it gives you valuable information that you can use to rebut their arguments. When you’re listening, make sure to write down key points so that you can refer back to them later. Another trick is to repeat back what the other person has said in your own words during your speech. This shows that you’re paying attention and it gives you a chance to clarify which specific point you are responding to.

 

 

There are many debate courses available that can help you improve your listening and debating skills. However, even if you don’t take a course, you can still use these strategies to improve your listening and debating skills. While a course can provide an amazing opportunity for real feedback from an experienced coach, with practice and the right advice you can become an effective debater and listener.

 

5. Choose your battles wisely

 

 

Within the context of a debate, it is not always necessary or beneficial to respond to every idea that is put forward by the opposition. It can be more strategic to focus on key arguments that are more likely to sway the debate in your favour.

This is not to say that every debate should be approached in a purely calculated manner – sometimes, it can be worthwhile to engage in a more emotional debate if you feel passionately about the topic. However, if you know that you are not going to win an argument, or if the claim is based purely on emotion with no factual basis, then it might be better to let it go. Debating is about persuasion and winning over the adjudicator over the course of several speeches, so it is important to focus your energy on arguments that are most likely to achieve this goal. If you are debating as part of a team, this is even more important – you need to craft a debate strategy as a team and make sure that everyone knows what their role is.

There are many debating skills courses available that can help you grow these skills further. Ultimately, it is up to each individual debater to decide which arguments are worth pursuing and which ones are not, based on their own debate style and perspective.

 

6. Be prepared for rebuttal and counterarguments

 

 

Your opponent is likely to have some rebuttals up their sleeve, so you need to be prepared for them.

If your debating team is going up against a particularly strong opponent, it’s important to be prepared for their rebuttals. You’ll need to think about what kinds of arguments they are likely to make and have some solid comeback points ready. If you can anticipate their arguments, you may even be able to prepare a pre-emptive rebuttal.

The best time to do this is near the end of prep, where a third speaker – who has less prepared elements to their speech – can play the ‘devil’s advocate’ role, and come up with a range of arguments the opposition might raise, before detailing how they might want to respond to them. This is a way to stay one step ahead of the other team and give yourself an advantage in all of your debates.

By being prepared for your opponent’s arguments, you can debate more effectively and improve your chances of winning.

 

7. Use strong language

 

 

The words you use in an argument can be just as important as the arguments themselves. Choose your words carefully to make sure you’re getting your point across clearly and convincingly.

When you hear a speech or presentation, you’ll notice that some speakers are more persuasive than others. This isn’t always because they have better ideas, but often because they’ve chosen their words more carefully (or delivered them in a more meaningful way). As a result, their ideas are often communicated more clearly and convincingly.

If you want to become more persuasive, it’s important to choose your words carefully. This doesn’t mean using big words or complicated jargon – instead, focus on using language that is easily understood – your audience may not be experts in the particular field you’re discussing, and you don’t want them wasting brainpower thinking about what your words mean rather than thinking about how good your arguments are.

 

 

In addition, avoid using filler words such as “um” or “like.” These can make you sound uncertain and less confident in your ideas, as well as serving as a distraction from what you’re actually saying. Instead, take the time to practice your delivery so that you are able to utilise silence in these gaps between your words.

With careful planning and practice, you can learn to use strong language to deliver your ideas persuasively. You can also enrol in a course that can help improve your spoken communication skills. These can be very helpful if you want to learn how to debate more effectively.

 

8. Avoid using “you” statements

 

 

If you’re debating, whether it be with a friend or a colleague, there’s one thing you should always keep in mind: attacking your opponent is only going to make them defensive. It might feel satisfying in the moment to tell them they’re wrong or directly argue with them, but it’s not going to do any good in terms of actually getting the adjudicator to listen to you.

Instead, focus on making your own points in a way that isn’t directed towards your opposition. Remember that the goal is not to persuade your opposition – it’s to persuade your adjudicator and audience. Just as you’re very unlikely to end the debate siding with your opposition’s case, they’re just as unlikely to think your side of the topic is correct. This doesn’t mean you have to avoid all conflict – but it is important to speak in a way that doesn’t target your opposition. After all, the only way we’re ever going to progress is if we’re able to have constructive conversations with those who see things differently than we do.

 

9. Stick to the point

 

 

Arguments can quickly become derailed if you start tangenting off into unrelated topics. Stick to the issue at hand and resist the urge to bring up other things.

This can be difficult, especially if you are passionate about your argument. However, going off on tangents will only serve to confuse your audience and weaken your argument.

If you find yourself getting sidetracked, take a deep breath and refocus on the task at hand. You’ll be much more likely to win over the audience if you stick to the point.

 

10. Have confidence in your argument

 

 

If you don’t believe in your own argument, it’s likely that no one else will either. In order to be persuasive, you need to have confidence in your ideas (even if you wouldn’t necessarily agree with them outside of the debate).

This doesn’t mean that you should be arrogant or dismissive of other points of view. Instead, it means that you should believe in the strength of your own argument. If you are passionate about your position, it will be much easier to persuade others to see things your way. Of course, it’s important to back up your argument with evidence and logic. But if you don’t believe in your own ideas, it will be very difficult to convince others to do so.

 

 

So when you’re preparing for your debates, take the time to really think about why you (or someone else in your position) might believe in your position. What are the strengths of your case? What evidence do you have to support it? Once you’re confident in your own ideas, you’ll be much more likely to persuade others to see things your way.

Over the course of your life, you will need to share your opinions and talk with other speakers whose opinions may land on the opposite side of an issue you care about. While lots of ideas in society are debatable, we hope that these examples of tips and tricks that experts use to win arguments can help you begin to grow your speaking ability.

The next time you’re in a debate, have to give a speech, or are participating in a course, we hope that you will remember these tips and tricks. They can help make you more confident in your arguments, and ensure that you always come out on top.

 

 

If you want to learn even more about how to win any argument, enrol in one of our debating courses today. Our expert coaches will help you build the skills you need to speak with authority and conviction. With practice, these tips will become second nature – and soon enough, winning every argument will be easy!

 

Course Finder