Effective persuasion with French audiences requires serious preparation. You should have done the intellectual work necessary to address your subject substantively—and this preparation will be evident in your performance. Audiences sense whether you have prepared thoroughly: Can you handle unexpected questions? Do you anticipate objections?
Do you show command of material beyond what you explicitly present? Insufficient preparation reveals itself through inability to go deeper when pressed, surprise at predictable questions, lack of depth beyond surface points. Thorough preparation demonstrates respect for your audience and subject.
It also produces the qualities French persuasion values: logical structure, engagement with counterarguments, demonstrated expertise, precise expression. Do the work before you attempt to persuade.
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