You might not appreciate someone telling you to change your viewpoints. You might get suspicious if you think someone is trying to persuade you.

Use any visual aids or handouts that may be helpful.When your instructor announced on the syllabus or in class that you would be required to give a persuasive speech for this class, what was your reaction? “Oh, good, I’ve got a great idea,” or, “Oh, no!”? For many people, there is something a little uncomfortable about the word “persuasion.” It often gets paired with ideas of seduction, manipulation, force, lack of choice, or inducement as well as more positive concepts such as encouragement, influence, urging, or logical arguments. Work on maximum eye contact with your listeners. The speech should be delivered extemporaneously, using speaking notes and not reading from the manuscript. The conclusion should review and/or summarize the important ideas in your speech and bring it to a smooth close. get the attention and interest of your listeners,.Prepare a complete sentence outline of the body of the speech, including solution steps or action items.Determine the two to three main points that will be needed to support your central idea.Write a central idea statement, which expresses the message, or point, that you hope to get across to your listeners in the speech.Use visual aids to illustrate your message. Consider information that the audience might want to know that contradicts or challenges your claims and be prepared for questions. Time limits will require that you be selective about what you use. Using the information gathered in your search for information, determine what is most worthwhile, interesting, and important to include in your speech. You won’t be able to convert everyone in the audience from a “no” to a “yes,” but you might encourage a couple to consider “maybe.” Audiences are more likely to change their behavior if it meets their needs, saves them money, involves a small change, or if the proposed change is approached gradually in the presentation. Consider how this may affect the way that you will present your information. Think about what your audience might already know about your topic and what they may not know, and perhaps any attitudes toward or concerns about it. They may incorporate appeals to reason, emotion, and/or basic needs.

They may state a proposition of fact, value, definition, or policy. Persuasive speakers may plan to secure behavioral changes, influence thinking, or motivate action in their audience.

Table 14.6 Sample Speech Guidelines 1.TopicĬhoose a product or service that interests you so much that you would like to influence the audience’s attitudes and behavior toward it. “Vote, write your representatives, and help bring this issue to the forefront in your community.” “We need to encourage our own governor to examine the system we have for similar errors and opportunities for innocent people to be executed.” “Stay all executions until the problem that exists in Illinois, and perhaps the nation, is addressed.” “He is determined not to make that mistake.” Provide an argument by testimony and authority by quoting: “You have a system right now…that’s fraught with error and has innumerable opportunities for innocent people to be executed,” Dennis Culloton, spokesman for the Governor, told the Chicago Tribune. Retribution: Provide arguments by analogy, cause, and principle.Ĭase study: State of Illinois, Gov. Provide clear definitions of key terms.ĭeterrence: Provide arguments by generalization, sign, and authority. Information: Provide a simple explanation of the death penalty in case there are people who do not know about it.

Persuasive speech central idea examples