It’s hard to be a teenager. Hundreds of life decisions face you as you graduate high school. You’re figuring out how to transition into adulthood. (You’re not alone.)
Learning to make decisions is hard enough, but selling the people you love on those decisions can be even harder. Thankfully, you’re not alone in this either.
Meet Praxis participant Gregory Williamson. He’s 18 years old. He made the choice to join Praxis instead of going to college. After applying to the program, he created this presentation to pitch the idea to his parents:
Takeaways from Gregory’s presentation:
1. He shows that he’s serious about his decision.
Your parents may not always be right, but they have had much more life experience than you have. And most of the time, they truly care that you’re making the best decision for your future. They’ll be much more receptive to your decision if you show them that this isn’t just some whim you’re chasing. Do your research! Know why you’re making this decision and take time to do a cost/ benefit analysis.
Gregory completed the majority of the Praxis application process before presenting this decision to his parents. By doing this, he showed his level of commitment to this idea (our application process is challenging!) and demonstrated that he was willing to pursue it to the end.
2. He includes all the information needed to research this decision.
It’s hard for anyone to say “yes” to anything when they’re faced with hours of research and hard work. Streamline the research process for the person you’re pitching an idea to, and they’ll thank you later. Think ahead about the main questions they’ll have and provide those answers before they can even ask them.
Notice how Gregory includes links to multiple resources: videos, articles, testimonials, interviews, and more. This adds to the credibility of his argument and allows his parents the opportunity of seeing the decision through his eyes.
3. He sticks to the facts.
Take care to be logical when convincing your parents about a life decision. Don’t use emotional arguments. Demonstrate your thought process in a clear, organized manner.
In this presentation, Gregory doesn’t try to pressure his parents into thinking one way or another. He presents the ideas and resources he collected along with his personal reasoning, then lets them make their own decisions.
One final note:
This idea doesn’t only apply to educational and professional decisions! The art of pitching an idea can be valuable in all areas of your life. 😉 Check out this example from a Praxis grad:
