How to turn foes into friends

As I’ve grown older, I’ve become pessimistic about the possibility of persuasion. Most of my efforts to persuade others to my way of thinking have been futile. Indeed, my efforts to persuade may have resulted in many becoming even further entrenched in their position.

However, some people are persuadable, at least at times. For example, I know of a number of people who once thought of themselves as socialists who are now ardent defenders of liberty:

To the extent that persuasion is possible, I aspire to do it well. To that end, I've collected examples of people who are especially skilled at the craft. Do you know examples of someone demonstrating great skill at winning over a hostile audience? Of calming a rageful heckler? If so, please send them my way!