15.5 Provide specific suggestions for adapting to receptive audiences, neutral audiences, and unreceptive audiences.

Be prepared to adapt your persuasive messages to receptive, neutral, and unreceptive audiences. If your listeners are receptive, identify with them, be overt in stating your speaking objective, and use emotional appeals. If they are neutral, hook them with your introduction, refer to universal beliefs and common concerns, show them how the topic affects them and those they care about, and be realistic about what you can accomplish. If your listeners are unreceptive, focus on areas of agreement rather than telling them that you are going to try to convince them to support your position, present your strongest arguments first, acknowledge opposing points of view, and use appropriate gestures.