how to write introduction of persuasive speech

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How to Write an Introduction for a Persuasive Speech

Last Updated: October 2, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Gale McCreary and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Hall . Gale McCreary is the Founder and Chief Coordinator of SpeechStory, a nonprofit organization focused on improving communication skills in youth. She was previously a Silicon Valley CEO and President of a Toastmasters International chapter. She has been recognized as Santa Barbara Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year and received Congressional recognition for providing a Family-Friendly work environment. She has a BS in Biology from Stanford University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 150,209 times.

A persuasive speech is meant to convince an audience to agree with your point of view or argument relating to a specific topic. While the body of your persuasive speech is where the bulk of your argument will go, it’s important that you don’t overlook the introduction. A good introduction will capture your audience’s attention, which is crucial if you want to persuade them. Fortunately, there are some simple rules you can follow that will make the introduction to your persuasive essay more engaging and memorable.

Organizing Your Introduction

• For example, if your speech is about sleep deprivation in the workplace, you could start with something like “Workplace accidents and mistakes related to sleep deprivation cost companies $31 billion every single year.”
• Or, if your speech is about animal rights, you could open with a quote like “The English philosopher Jeremy Bentham once said, ‘The question is not, Can they reason? Nor, Can they talk? But, Can they suffer?’”
• For a speech about unpaid internships, you could start with a relevant anecdote like “In 2018, Tiffany Green got her dream internship, unpaid, working for a rental company. Unfortunately, a few months later Tiffany returned home from work to find an eviction notice on the door of her apartment, owned by that same rental company, because she was unable to pay her rent.

• For example, your thesis statement could look something like “Today, I’m going to talk to you about why medical marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states, and I’ll explain why that would improve the lives of average Americans and boost the economy.”

• For example, if you’re a marine biologist who’s writing a persuasive speech about ocean acidification, you could write something like “I’ve studied the effects of ocean acidification on local marine ecosystems for over a decade now, and what I’ve found is staggering.”
• Or, if you’re not an expert on your topic, you could include something like “Earlier this year, renowned marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson published a decade-long study on the acidification of our oceans, and what she found is deeply concerning.”

• For example, you could sum up your conclusion by writing something like, “To show you that a shorter work week would benefit not only employees but also their employers, first I will touch on the history of the modern average work week. Then, I’ll discuss the mental and physical toll that a long work week can take on a person. Finally, I’ll wrap up by going over fairer, better systems that we as a society could implement.”

• For example, if you time yourself giving your speech (introduction included) and it takes you 5 minutes, your introduction should only take up about 45 seconds of your speech.
• However, if you were giving a speech that’s 20 minutes long, your introduction should be around 3 minutes.
• On average, you’ll want about 150 words for every 1 minute you need to speak for. For example, if your introduction should be 2 minutes, you’d want to write around 300 words.

Tip: If you know how long your speech is going to be before you write it, make the first draft of your introduction the right length so you don’t have to add or delete a lot later.

Polishing Your Writing

• To make your writing more conversational, try to use brief sentences, and avoid including jargon unless you need it to make your point.
• Using contractions, like “I’ll” instead of “I will,” “wouldn’t” instead of “would not,” and “they’re” instead of “they are,” can help make your writing sound more conversational.

Tip: An easy way to make your writing more concise is to start your sentences with the subject. Also, try to limit the number of adverbs and adjectives you use.

• For example, if your audience will be made up of the other students in your college class, including a pop culture reference in your introduction might be an effective way to grab their attention and help them relate to your topic. However, if you’re giving your speech in a more formal setting, a pop culture reference might fall flat.

• For example, you could write something like, “I know a lot of you may strongly disagree with me on this. However, I think if you give me a chance and hear me out, we might end up finding some common ground.”
• Or, you could include a question like “How many of you here tonight have ever come across plastic that's washed up on the beach?” Then, you can have audience members raise their hands.

• You can even record yourself reading your introduction to get a sense of how you'll look delivering the opening of your speech.

Example Introduction for a Persuasive Speech

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/chapter/11-2-persuasive-speaking/
• ↑ https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/public-speaking-practice-and-ethics/s12-introductions-matter-how-to-be.html
• ↑ https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/ace/downloads/tipsheets/persvsargu.pdf
• ↑ https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Tips-for-Writing-a-Persuasive-Speech.pdf
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/14-1-four-methods-of-delivery/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/argumentative_essays.html
• ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/speechlab/connecting-with-the-audience-26.htm
• ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/speechlab/practicing-presentations-33.htm

About This Article

To write an introduction for a persuasive speech, start with a hook that will grab your audience's attention, like a surprising statistic or meaningful quote. Then, introduce your thesis statement, which should explain what you are arguing for and why. From here, you'll need to demonstrate the credibility of your argument if you want your audience to believe what you're saying. Depending on if you are an expert or not, you should either share your personal credentials or reference papers and studies by experts in the field that legitimize your argument. Finally, conclude with a brief preview of the main points you'll cover in your speech, so your audience knows what to expect and can follow along more easily. For more tips from our co-author, including how to polish your introduction, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech

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The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience to agree with an idea or opinion that you present. First, you'll need to choose a side on a controversial topic, then you will write a speech to explain your position, and convince the audience to agree with you.

You can produce an effective persuasive speech if you structure your argument as a solution to a problem. Your first job as a speaker is to convince your audience that a particular problem is important to them, and then you must convince them that you have the solution to make things better.

Note: You don't have to address a real problem. Any need can work as the problem. For example, you could consider the lack of a pet, the need to wash one's hands, or the need to pick a particular sport to play as the "problem."

As an example, let's imagine that you have chosen "Getting Up Early" as your persuasion topic. Your goal will be to persuade classmates to get themselves out of bed an hour earlier every morning. In this instance, the problem could be summed up as "morning chaos."

A standard speech format has an introduction with a great hook statement, three main points, and a summary. Your persuasive speech will be a tailored version of this format.

Before you write the text of your speech, you should sketch an outline that includes your hook statement and three main points.

Writing the Text

The introduction of your speech must be compelling because your audience will make up their minds within a few minutes whether or not they are interested in your topic.

Before you write the full body you should come up with a greeting. Your greeting can be as simple as "Good morning everyone. My name is Frank."

After your greeting, you will offer a hook to capture attention. A hook sentence for the "morning chaos" speech could be a question:

• How many times have you been late for school?
• Does your day begin with shouts and arguments?
• Have you ever missed the bus?

Or your hook could be a statistic or surprising statement:

• More than 50 percent of high school students skip breakfast because they just don't have time to eat.
• Tardy kids drop out of school more often than punctual kids.

Once you have the attention of your audience, follow through to define the topic/problem and introduce your solution. Here's an example of what you might have so far:

Good afternoon, class. Some of you know me, but some of you may not. My name is Frank Godfrey, and I have a question for you. Does your day begin with shouts and arguments? Do you go to school in a bad mood because you've been yelled at, or because you argued with your parent? The chaos you experience in the morning can bring you down and affect your performance at school.

Add the solution:

You can improve your mood and your school performance by adding more time to your morning schedule. You can accomplish this by setting your alarm clock to go off one hour earlier.

Your next task will be to write the body, which will contain the three main points you've come up with to argue your position. Each point will be followed by supporting evidence or anecdotes, and each body paragraph will need to end with a transition statement that leads to the next segment. Here is a sample of three main statements:

• Bad moods caused by morning chaos will affect your workday performance.
• If you skip breakfast to buy time, you're making a harmful health decision.
• (Ending on a cheerful note) You'll enjoy a boost to your self-esteem when you reduce the morning chaos.

After you write three body paragraphs with strong transition statements that make your speech flow, you are ready to work on your summary.

Your summary will re-emphasize your argument and restate your points in slightly different language. This can be a little tricky. You don't want to sound repetitive but will need to repeat what you have said. Find a way to reword the same main points.

Finally, you must make sure to write a clear final sentence or passage to keep yourself from stammering at the end or fading off in an awkward moment. A few examples of graceful exits:

• We all like to sleep. It's hard to get up some mornings, but rest assured that the reward is well worth the effort.
• If you follow these guidelines and make the effort to get up a little bit earlier every day, you'll reap rewards in your home life and on your report card.

Tips for Writing Your Speech

• Don't be confrontational in your argument. You don't need to put down the other side; just convince your audience that your position is correct by using positive assertions.
• Use simple statistics. Don't overwhelm your audience with confusing numbers.
• Don't complicate your speech by going outside the standard "three points" format. While it might seem simplistic, it is a tried and true method for presenting to an audience who is listening as opposed to reading.
• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• 5 Tips on How to Write a Speech Essay
• Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
• Writing an Opinion Essay
• How To Write an Essay
• 5 Steps to Writing a Position Paper
• How to Structure an Essay
• Ethos, Logos, Pathos for Persuasion
• What Is Expository Writing?
• Audience Analysis in Speech and Composition
• Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition
• 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students
• What an Essay Is and How to Write One
• How to Write a Good Thesis Statement
• How to Write a Graduation Speech as Valedictorian
• How to Write a Letter of Complaint

A Comprehensive Guide to Writing a Persuasive Speech

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

The term Persuasion means the efforts to change the attitudes or opinions of others through various means.

It is present everywhere: election campaigns, salesmen trying to sell goods by giving offers, public health campaigns to quit smoking or to wear masks in the public spaces, or even at the workplace; when an employee tries to persuade others to agree to their point in a meeting.

How do they manage to convince us so subtly? You guessed it right! They engage in what is called Persuasive Speech.

Persuasive Speech is a category of speech that attempts to influence the listener’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, and ultimately, behavior.

They are used in all contexts and situations . It can be informal , a teenager attempting to convince his or her parents for a sleepover at a friend’s house.

It can also be formal , President or Prime Minister urging the citizens to abide by the new norms.

But not to confuse these with informative speeches! These also aim to inform the audience about a particular topic or event, but they lack any attempt at persuasion.

The most typical setting where this kind of speech is practiced is in schools and colleges.

An effective speech combines both the features of an informative and persuasive speech for a better takeaway from an audience’s point of view.

However, writing and giving a persuasive speech are different in the sense that you as a speaker have limited time to call people to action.

Also, according to the context or situation, you may not be able to meet your audience several times, unlike TV ads, which the audience sees repeatedly and hence believes the credibility of the product.

So, how to write and deliver an effective persuasive speech?

How to start a persuasive speech? What are the steps of writing a persuasive speech? What are some of the tricks and tips of persuasion?

Read along till the end to explore the different dimensions and avenues of the science of giving a persuasive speech.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE WRITING A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

1. get your topic right, passion and genuine interest in your topic.

It is very important that you as a speaker are interested in the chosen topic and in the subsequent arguments you are about to put forward. If you are not interested in what you are saying, then how will the audience feel the same?

Passion towards the topic is one of the key requirements for a successful speech as your audience will see how passionate and concerned you are towards the issue and will infer you as a genuine and credible person.

The audience too will get in the mood and connect to you on an emotional level, empathizing with you; as a result of which will understand your point of view and are likely to agree to your argument.

Consider this example: your friend is overflowing with joy- is happy, smiling, and bubbling with enthusiasm.

Before even asking the reason behind being so happy, you “catch the mood”; i.e., you notice that your mood has been boosted as a result of seeing your friend happy.

Why does it happen so? The reason is that we are influenced by other people’s moods and emotions.

It also means that our mood affects people around us, which is the reason why speaking with emotions and passion is used by many successful public speakers.

Another reason is that other’s emotions give an insight into how one should feel and react. We interpret other’s reactions as a source of information about how we should feel.

So, if someone shows a lot of anxiety or excitement while speaking, we conclude that the issue is very important and we should do something about it, and end up feeling similar reactions.

Meaningful and thought-provoking

Choose a topic that is meaningful to you and your audience. It should be thought-provoking and leave the audience thinking about the points put forward in your speech.

Topics that are personally or nationally relevant and are in the talks at the moment are good subjects to start with.

If you choose a controversial topic like “should euthanasia be legalized?”, or” is our nation democratic?”, it will leave a dramatic impact on your audience.

However, be considerate in choosing a sensitive topic, since it can leave a negative impression on your listeners. But if worded in a neutral and unbiased manner, it can work wonders.

Also, refrain from choosing sensitive topics like the reality of religion, sexuality, etc.

2. Research your topic thoroughly

Research on persuasion conducted by Hovland, Janis, and Kelley states that credible communicators are more persuasive than those who are seen as lacking expertise.

Even if you are not an expert in the field of your topic, mentioning information that is backed by research or stating an expert’s opinion on the issue will make you appear as a knowledgeable and credible person.

How to go about researching? Many people think that just googling about a topic and inferring 2-3 articles will be enough. But this is not so.

For writing and giving an effective speech, thorough research is crucial for you as a speaker to be prepared and confident.

Try to find as many relevant points as possible, even if it is against your viewpoint. If you can explain why the opposite viewpoint is not correct, it will give the audience both sides to an argument and will make decision-making easier.

Also, give credit to the source of your points during your speech, by mentioning the original site, author, or expert, so the audience will know that these are reliable points and not just your opinion, and will be more ready to believe them since they come from an authority.

Other sources for obtaining data for research are libraries and bookstores, magazines, newspapers, google scholar, research journals, etc.

Analyze your audience

Know who comprises your audience so that you can alter your speech to meet their requirements.

Demographics like age group, gender ratio, the language with which they are comfortable, their knowledge about the topic, the region and community to which they belong; are all important factors to be considered before writing your speech.

Ask yourself these questions before sitting down to write:

Is the topic of argument significant to them? Why is it significant? Would it make sense to them? Is it even relevant to them?

In the end, the speech is about the audience and not you. Hence, make efforts to know your audience.

This can be done by surveying your audience way before the day of giving your speech. Short polls and registration forms are an effective way to know your audience.

They ensure confidentiality and maintain anonymity, eliminating social desirability bias on part of the audience, and will likely receive honest answers.

OUTLINE OF A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

Most speeches follow the pattern of Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

However, persuasive speeches have a slightly different pathway.

INTRODUCTION

BODY OR SUPPORTING STATEMENTS( ATLEAST 3 ARGUMENTS)

CONCLUSION OR A CALL TO ACTION

1. INTRODUCTION

Grab attention of your audience.

The first few lines spoken by a speaker are the deciding factor that can make or break a speech.

Hence, if you nail the introduction, half of the task has already been done, and you can rest assured.

No one likes to be silent unless you are an introvert. But the audience expects that the speaker will go on stage and speak. But what if the speaker just goes and remains silent?

Chances are high that the audience will be in anticipation of what you are about to speak and their sole focus will be on you.

This sets the stage.

Use quotes that are relevant and provocative to set the tone of your speech. It will determine the mood of your audience and get them ready to receive information.

An example can be “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin” and then state who gave it, in this case, Tony Robbins, an American author.

Use what-if scenarios

Another way to start your speech is by using what-if scenarios and phrases like “suppose if your home submerges in water one day due to global warming…”.

This will make them the center of attention and at the same time grabbing their attention.

Use personal anecdotes

Same works with personal experiences and stories.

Everyone loves listening to first-hand experiences or a good and interesting story. If you are not a great storyteller, visual images and videos will come to your rescue.

After you have successfully grabbed and hooked your audience, the next and last step of the introduction is introducing your thesis statement.

What is a thesis statement?

It introduces the topic to your audience and is one of the central elements of any persuasive speech.

It is usually brief, not more than 3 sentences, and gives the crux of your speech outline.

How to make a thesis statement?

Firstly, research all possible opinions and views about your topic. See which opinion you connect with, and try to summarize them.

After you do this, you will get a clear idea of what side you are on and this will become your thesis statement.

However, the thesis should answer the question “why” and “how”.

So, for instance, if you choose to speak on the topic of the necessity of higher education, your thesis statement could be something like this:

Although attending university and getting a degree is essential for overall development, not every student must be pushed to join immediately after graduating from school.

And then you can structure your speech containing the reasons why every student should not be rushed into joining a university.

3. BODY OF THE SPEECH

The body contains the actual reasons to support your thesis.

Ideally, the body should contain at least 3 reasons to support your argument.

So, for the above-mentioned thesis, you can support it with possible alternatives, which will become your supporting statements.

The option of a gap year to relax and decide future goals, gaining work experience and then joining the university for financial reasons, or even joining college after 25 or 35 years.

These become your supporting reasons and answers the question “why”.

Each reason has to be resourcefully elaborated, with explaining why you support and why the other or anti-thesis is not practical.

At this point, you have the option of targeting your audience’s ethos, pathos, or logos.

Ethos is the ethical side of the argument. It targets morals and puts forth the right thing or should be.

This technique is highly used in the advertising industry.

Ever wondered why celebrities, experts, and renowned personalities are usually cast as brand ambassadors.?

The reason: they are liked by the masses and exhibit credibility and trust.

Advertisers endorse their products via a celebrity to try to show that the product is reliable and ethical.

The same scenario is seen in persuasive speeches. If the speaker is well-informed and provides information that is backed by research, chances are high that the audience will follow it.

Pathos targets the emotional feelings of the audience.

This is usually done by narrating a tragic or horrifying anecdote and leaves the listener moved by using an emotional appeal to call people to action.

The common emotions targeted by the speaker include the feeling of joy, love, sadness, anger, pity, and loneliness.

All these emotions are best expressed in stories or personal experiences.

Stories give life to your argument, making the audience more involved in the matter and arousing sympathy and empathy.

Visuals and documentaries are other mediums through which a speaker can attract the audience’s emotions.

What was your reaction after watching an emotional documentary? Did you not want to do something about the problem right away?

Emotions have the power to move people to action.

The last technique is using logos, i.e., logic. This includes giving facts and practical aspects of why this is to be done or why such a thing is the most practical.

It is also called the “logical appeal”.

This can be done by giving inductive or deductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning involves the speaker taking a specific example or case study and then generalizing or drawing conclusions from it.

For instance, a speaker tells a case study of a student who went into depression as the child wasn’t able to cope with back-to-back stress.

This problem will be generalized and concluded that gap year is crucial for any child to cope with and be ready for the challenges in a university.

On the other hand, deductive reasoning involves analyzing general assumptions and theories and then arriving at a logical conclusion.

So, in this case, the speaker can give statistics of the percentage of university students feeling drained due to past exams and how many felt that they needed a break.

This general data will then be personalized to conclude how there is a need for every student to have a leisure break to refresh their mind and avoid having burned out.

Using any of these 3 techniques, coupled with elaborate anecdotes and supporting evidence, at the same time encountering counterarguments will make the body of your speech more effective.

4. CONCLUSION

Make sure to spend some time thinking through your conclusion, as this is the part that your audience will remember the most and is hence, the key takeaway of your entire speech.

Keep it brief, and avoid being too repetitive.

It should provide the audience with a summary of the points put across in the body, at the same time calling people to action or suggesting a possible solution and the next step to be taken.

Remember that this is your last chance to convince, hence make sure to make it impactful.

 Include one to two relevant power or motivational quotes, and end by thanking the audience for being patient and listening till the end.

Watch this clip for a better understanding.

TIPS AND TRICKS OF PERSUASION

Start strong.

A general pattern among influential speeches is this: all start with a powerful and impactful example, be it statistics about the issue, using influential and meaning statements and quotes, or asking a rhetorical question at the beginning of their speech.

Why do they do this? It demonstrates credibility and creates a good impression- increasing their chance of persuading the audience.

Hence, start in such a manner that will hook the audience to your speech and people would be curious to know what you are about to say or how will you end it.

Keep your introduction short

Keep your introduction short, and not more than 10-15% of your speech.

If your speech is 2000 words, then your introduction should be a maximum of 200-250 words.

Or if you are presenting for 10 minutes, your introduction should be a maximum of 2 minutes. This will give you time to state your main points and help you manage your time effectively.

Be clear and concise

Use the correct vocabulary to fit in, at the same time making sure to state them clearly, without beating around the bush.

This will make the message efficient and impactful.

Answer the question “why”

Answer the question “why” before giving solutions or “how”.

Tell them why is there a need to change. Then give them all sides of the point.

It is important to state what is wrong and not just what ought to be or what is right, in an unopinionated tone.

Unless and until people don’t know the other side of things, they simply will not change.

Suggest solutions

Once you have stated the problem, you imply or hint at the solution.

Never state solutions, suggest them; leaving the decision up to the audience.

You can hint at solutions: “don’t you think it is a good idea to…?” or “is it wrong to say that…?”, instead of just stating solutions.

Use power phrases

Certain power-phrases come in handy, which can make the audience take action.

Using the power phrase “because” is very impactful in winning and convincing others.

This phrase justifies the action associated with it and gives us an understanding of why is it correct.

For instance, the phrase “can you give me a bite of your food?” does not imply attitude change.

But using “may I have a bite of your food because I haven’t eaten breakfast?” is more impactful and the person will likely end up sharing food if you use this power- phrase, because it is justifying your request.

Another power-phrase is “I understand, but…”.

This involves you agreeing with the opposite side of the argument and then stating your side or your point of view.

This will encourage your audience to think from the other side of the spectrum and are likely to consider your argument put forth in the speech.

Use power words

Use power words like ‘incredible’, ‘fascinating’, ‘unquestionable’, ‘most important’, ‘strongly recommend’ in your speech to provoke your audience into awe.

Watch this video of some of the common but effective words that can be used in a persuasive speech.

Give an emotional appeal

Like mentioned earlier as one of the techniques of persuasion called pathos, targeting emotions like joy, surprise, fear, anticipation, anger, sadness, or disgust gives your speech an emotional appeal, and more feel to your content, rather than just neutrally stating facts and reasons.

Hence, to keep your audience engaged and not get bored, use emotions while speaking.

Make use of the non=verbal elements

Actions speak louder than words, and they create a huge difference if used effectively.

There is so much else to a speech than just words.

Non-verbal elements include everything apart from your words.

Maintaining eye contact, matching your body language with your words for effective transmission of the message including how you express your emotions, making use of the visual signs and symbols via a PPT are all important parts of any speech.

Check your paralanguage i.e., your voice intonation, pitch, speed, effective pauses, stressing on certain words to create an impact.

Doing all of these will make your speech more real and effective, and will persuade your audience into taking action.

Give real-life examples

Speak facts and avoid giving opinions.

However, just mentioning hard statistical facts will take you nowhere, as there is a chance that people may not believe the data, based on the possibility of them recollecting exceptions.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Hence, back up your statistics with real-life examples of situations.

Also, consider using precise numerical data.

For example, using “5487 people die due to road accidents every day”, instead of “approximately 5500 people”.

Have no personal stake

You can lose credibility if the audience feels that you have a personal stake in it.

Suppose that you are speaking for the idea of using reusable plastic products, and you say that you are from a company that sells those goods.

People are likely to perceive your argument as promoting self-interest and will not be ready to change their opinion about reusable plastic products.

Consequently, if you argue against your self-interest, your audience will see you as the most credible. 

So, if you say that you are working in a plastics manufacturing company and have a statistical record of the pollution caused by it; and then promote reusable plastic as an alternative to stop pollution and save the environment, people are likely to accept your point of argument.

The you attitude

Shift your focus to the audience, and chances are high that they are likely to relate the issue to themselves and are most likely to change.

Hence, use the “you attitude” i.e., shifting focus to the listener and giving them what they want to hear and then making subtle additions to what you want them to hear.

Make a good first impression

The first impression is indeed the last. This is the reason why image consultancy is such a growing sector.

A good first impression works wonders on the people around you, including the audience, and makes your work of convincing a lot easier.

Avoid appearing shabby, ill-mannered, and refrain from using uncourteous and biased language.

Doing these will reverse the effect you want from the audience and will drive them away from your opinion.

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION?

If you are the type who gets nervous easily and have fear of public speaking, practice till you excel in your task.

I used to dread speaking in front of people, and partly still do.

Earlier, unless and until someone called my name to state my opinion or start with the presentation, I didn’t even raise my hand to say that I have an opinion or I am left to present on the topic.

I had to do something about this problem. So, I made a plan.

2 weeks before the presentation, I wrote the script and read it over and over again.

After reading multiple times, I imagined my room to be the classroom and practiced in front of a mirror.

The main thing I was concerned about was keeping my head clear on the day of my presentation. And that’s what happened.

Since my mind was clear and relaxed, and I had practiced my speech over and over again, presenting came more naturally and confidently.

You might ask what is the purpose of impression management?

Impressions are used for Ingratiation i.e., getting others to like us so that they will be more than willing to accept or agree to your point.

If you like someone, you are drawn towards them and are likely to agree on what they agree or say.

TIP- Try to come early to the venue, and dress appropriately to the needs of the occasion. And don’t forget to smile!

PERSUASIVE SPEECH EXAMPLES

1. wendy troxel – why school should start later for teens.

Almost all the important elements of a persuasive speech are found in this TED talk by Wendy Troxel.

Take a closer look at how she starts her introduction in the form of a real-life personal story, and how she makes it relevant to the audience.

Humor is used to hook the audience’s attention and in turn their interest.

She is also likely to be perceived as credible, as she introduces herself as a sleep researcher, and is speaking on the topic of sleep.

Thesis of how early school timings deprive teenagers of their sleep and its effects is introduced subtly.

The speaker supports her statements with facts, answers the question “why” and most importantly, presents both sides of an argument; effects of less to lack of sleep and its consequences and the effects of appropriate and more sleep on teenagers.

The use of non-verbal elements throughout the speech adds value and richness to the speech, making it more engaging.

The use of Pathos as a persuasive technique appeals to the audience’s emotions; at the same time backing the argument with Logos, by giving scientific reasons and research findings to support the argument.

Lastly, the speech is meaningful, relevant, and thought-provoking to the audience, who are mostly parents and teenagers.

2. Crystal Robello- Being an introvert is a good thing

In this example, Crystal Robello starts by giving personal experiences of being an introvert and the prejudices faced.

Notice how even without much statistics the speech is made persuasive by using Ethos as a technique; and how credibility is achieved by mentioning leaders who are introverts.

3. Greta Thunberg- School strike for climate

One of my favorite speeches is the above speech by Greta Thunberg.

She uses all the techniques; pathos, ethos and logos.

Also notice how the speaker speaks with emotions, and uses body and paralanguage efficiently to create a dramatic impact on the audience.

Her genuine interest is clearly reflected in the speech, which makes the audience listen with a level of concern towards the topic, climate change.

To sum up, we looked at the things to keep in mind before writing a speech and also became familiar with the general outline or the structure of a persuasive speech.

We also looked at some of the tips and tricks of persuasion, and lastly, got introduced to 3 amazing persuasive speech examples.

So, now that you know everything about persuasion, rest assured and keep the above-mentioned things in mind before starting your next speech!

Also, check out related posts:

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Persuasive Speech: How to Write an Effective Persuasive Speech

Most often, it actually causes the other person to want to play “Devil’s advocate” and argue with you. In this article, we are going to show you a simple way to win people to your way of thinking without raising resentment. If you use this technique, your audience will actually WANT to agree with you! The process starts with putting yourself in the shoes of your listener and looking at things from their point of view.

Background About How to Write a Persuasive Speech. Facts Aren’t Very Persuasive.

Most people think that a single fact is good, additional facts are better, and too many facts are just right. So, the more facts you can use to prove your point, the better chance you have of convincing the other person that you are right. The HUGE error in this logic, though, is that if you prove that you are right, you are also proving that the other person is wrong. People don’t like it when someone proves that they are wrong. So, we prove our point, the other person is likely to feel resentment. When resentment builds, it leads to anger. Once anger enters the equation, logic goes right out the window.

In addition, when people use a “fact” or “Statistic” to prove a point, the audience has a natural reaction to take a contrary side of the argument. For instance, if I started a statement with, “I can prove to you beyond a doubt that…” before I even finish the statement, there is a good chance that you are already trying to think of a single instance where the statement is NOT true. This is a natural response. As a result, the thing that we need to realize about being persuasive is that the best way to persuade another person is to make the person want to agree with us. We do this by showing the audience how they can get what they want if they do what we want.

You may also like How to Design and Deliver a Memorable Speech .

A Simple 3-Step Process to Create a Persuasive Presentation

The process below is a good way to do both.

Step One: Start Your Persuasive Speech with an Example or Story

When you write an effective persuasive speech, stories are vital. Stories and examples have a powerful way to capture an audience’s attention and set them at ease. They get the audience interested in the presentation. Stories also help your audience see the concepts you are trying to explain in a visual way and make an emotional connection. The more details that you put into your story, the more vivid the images being created in the minds of your audience members.

This concept isn’t mystical or anything. It is science. When we communicate effectively with another person, the purpose is to help the listener picture a concept in his/her mind that is similar to the concept in the speaker’s mind. The old adage is that a “picture is worth 1000 words.” Well, an example or a story is a series of moving pictures. So, a well-told story is worth thousands of words (facts).

By the way, there are a few additional benefits of telling a story. Stories help you reduce nervousness, make better eye contact, and make for a strong opening. For additional details, see Storytelling in Speeches .

I’ll give you an example.

Factual Argument: Seatbelts Save Lives

• 53% of all motor vehicle fatalities from last years were people who weren’t wearing seatbelts.
• People not wearing seatbelts are 30 times more likely to be ejected from the vehicle.
• In a single year, crash deaths and injuries cost us over $70 billion dollars.

These are actual statistics. However, when you read each bullet point, you are likely to be a little skeptical. For instance, when you see the 53% statistic, you might have had the same reaction that I did. You might be thinking something like, “Isn’t that right at half? Doesn’t that mean that the other half WERE wearing seatbelts?” When you see the “30 times more likely” statistic, you might be thinking, “That sounds a little exaggerated. What are the actual numbers?” Looking at the last statistic, we’d likely want to know exactly how the reporter came to that conclusion.

As you can see, if you are a believer that seatbelts save lives, you will likely take the numbers at face value. If you don’t like seatbelts, you will likely nitpick the finer points of each statistic. The facts will not likely persuade you.

Example Argument: Seatbelts Save Lives

When I came to, I tried to open my door. The accident sealed it shut. The windshield was gone. So I took my seatbelt off and scrambled out the hole. The driver of the truck was a bloody mess. His leg was pinned under the steering wheel.

The firefighters came a few minutes later, and it took them over 30 minutes to cut the metal from around his body to free him.

A Sheriff’s Deputy saw a cut on my face and asked if I had been in the accident. I pointed to my truck. His eyes became like saucers. “You were in that vehicle?”

I nodded. He rushed me to an ambulance. I had actually ruptured my colon, and I had to have surgery. I was down for a month or so, but I survived. In fact, I survived with very few long-term challenges from the accident.

The guy who hit me wasn’t so lucky. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. The initial impact of the accident was his head on the steering wheel and then the windshield. He had to have a number of facial surgeries. The only reason he remained in the truck was his pinned leg. For me, the accident was a temporary trauma. For him, it was a life-long tragedy.

The Emotional Difference is the Key

As you can see, there are major differences between the two techniques. The story gives lots of memorable details along with an emotion that captures the audience. If you read both examples, let me ask you a couple of questions. Without looking back up higher on the page, how long did it take the firefighters to cut the other driver from the car? How many CDs did I have? There is a good chance that these two pieces of data came to you really quickly. You likely remembered this data, even though, the data wasn’t exactly important to the story.

However, if I asked you how much money was lost last year as a result of traffic accidents, you might struggle to remember that statistic. The CDs and the firefighters were a part of a compelling story that made you pay attention. The money lost to accidents was just a statistic thrown at you to try to prove that a point was true.

The main benefit of using a story, though, is that when we give statistics (without a story to back them up,) the audience becomes argumentative. However, when we tell a story, the audience can’t argue with us. The audience can’t come to me after I told that story and say, “It didn’t take 30 minutes to cut the guy out of the car. He didn’t have to have a bunch of reconstructive surgeries. The Deputy didn’t say those things to you! The audience can’t argue with the details of the story, because they weren’t there.

Step 2: After the Story, Now, Give Your Advice

When most people write a persuasive presentation, they start with their opinion. Again, this makes the listener want to play Devil’s advocate. By starting with the example, we give the listener a simple way to agree with us. They can agree that the story that we told was true. So, now, finish the story with your point or your opinion. “So, in my opinion, if you wear a seatbelt, you’re more likely to avoid serious injury in a severe crash.”

By the way, this technique is not new. It has been around for thousands of years. Aesop was a Greek slave over 500 years before Christ. His stories were passed down verbally for hundreds of years before anyone ever wrote them down in a collection. Today, when you read an Aesop fable, you will get 30 seconds to two minutes of the story first. Then, at the conclusion, almost as a post-script, you will get the advice. Most often, this advice comes in the form of, “The moral of the story is…” You want to do the same in your persuasive presentations. Spend most of the time on the details of the story. Then, spend just a few seconds in the end with your morale.

Step 3: End with the Benefit to the Audience

So, the moral of the story is to wear your seatbelt. If you do that, you will avoid being cut out of your car and endless reconstructive surgeries .

Now, instead of leaving your audience wanting to argue with you, they are more likely to be thinking, “Man, I don’t want to be cut out of my car or have a bunch of facial surgeries.”

The process is very simple. However, it is also very powerful.

How to Write a Successful Persuasive Speech Using the “Breadcrumb” Approach

Once you understand the concept above, you can create very powerful persuasive speeches by linking a series of these persuasive stories together. I call this the breadcrumb strategy. Basically, you use each story as a way to move the audience closer to the ultimate conclusion that you want them to draw. Each story gains a little more agreement.

So, first, just give a simple story about an easy to agree with concept. You will gain agreement fairly easily and begin to also create an emotional appeal. Next, use an additional story to gain additional agreement. If you use this process three to five times, you are more likely to get the audience to agree with your final conclusion. If this is a formal presentation, just make your main points into the persuasive statements and use stories to reinforce the points.

Here are a few persuasive speech examples using this approach.

An Example of a Persuasive Public Speaking Using Breadcrumbs

Marijuana Legalization is Causing Huge Problems in Our Biggest Cities Homelessness is Out of Control in First States to Legalize Marijuana Last year, my family and I took a mini-vacation to Colorado Springs. I had spent a summer in Colorado when I was in college, so I wanted my family to experience the great time that I had had there as a youth. We were only there for four days, but we noticed something dramatic had happened. There were homeless people everywhere. Keep in mind, this wasn’t Denver, this was Colorado City. The picturesque landscape was clouded by ripped sleeping bags on street corners, and trash spread everywhere. We were downtown, and my wife and daughter wanted to do some shopping. My son and I found a comic book store across the street to browse in. As we came out, we almost bumped into a dirty man in torn close. He smiled at us, walked a few feet away from the door, and lit up a joint. He sat on the corner smoking it. As my son and I walked the 1/4 mile back to the store where we left my wife and daughter, we stepped over and walked around over a dozen homeless people camped out right in the middle of the town. This was not the Colorado that I remembered. From what I’ve heard, it has gotten even worse in the last year. So, if you don’t want to dramatically increase your homelessness population, don’t make marijuana legal in your state. DUI Instances and Traffic Accidents Have Increased in Marijuana States I was at the airport waiting for a flight last week, and the guy next to me offered me his newspaper. I haven’t read a newspaper in years, but he seemed so nice that I accepted. It was a copy of the USA Today, and it was open to an article about the rise in unintended consequences from legalizing marijuana. Safety officials and police in Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon, the first four state to legalize recreational marijuana, have reported a 6% increase in traffic accidents in the last few years. Although the increase (6%) doesn’t seem very dramatic, it was notable because the rate of accidents had been decreasing in each of the states for decades prior to the law change. Assuming that only one of the two parties involved in these new accidents was under the influence, that means that people who aren’t smoking marijuana are being negatively affected by the legalization. So, if you don’t want to increase your chances of being involved in a DUI incident, don’t legalize marijuana. (Notice how I just used an article as my evidence, but to make it more memorable, I told the story about how I came across the article. It is also easier to deliver this type of data because you are just relating what you remember about the data, not trying to be an expert on the data itself.) Marijuana is Still Largely Unregulated Just before my dad went into hospice care, he was in a lot of pain. He would take a prescription painkiller before bed to sleep. One night, my mom called frantically. Dad was in a catatonic state and wasn’t responsive. I rushed over. The hospital found that Dad had an unusually high amount of painkillers in his bloodstream. His regular doctor had been on vacation, and the fill-in doctor had prescribed a much higher dosage of the painkiller by accident. His original prescription was 2.5 mg, and the new prescription was 10 mg. Since dad was in a lot of pain most nights, he almost always took two tablets. He was also on dialysis, so his kidneys weren’t filtering out the excess narcotic each day. He had actually taken 20 MG (instead of 5 MG) on Friday night and another 20 mg on Saturday. Ordinarily, he would have had, at max, 15 mg of the narcotic in his system. Because of the mistake, though, he had 60 MGs. My point is that the narcotics that my dad was prescribed were highly regulated medicines under a doctor’s care, and a mistake was still made that almost killed him. With marijuana, there is really no way of knowing how much narcotic is in each dosage. So, mistakes like this are much more likely. So, in conclusion, legalizing marijuana can increase homelessness, increase the number of impaired drivers, and cause accidental overdoses.

If you use this breadcrumb approach, you are more likely to get at least some agreement. Even if the person disagrees with your conclusion, they are still likely to at least see your side. So, the person may say something like, I still disagree with you, but I totally see your point. That is still a step in the right direction.

For Real-World Practice in How to Design Persuasive Presentations Join Us for a Class

Our instructors are experts at helping presenters design persuasive speeches. We offer the Fearless Presentations ® classes in cities all over the world about every three to four months. In addition to helping you reduce nervousness, your instructor will also show you secrets to creating a great speech. For details about any of the classes, go to our Presentation Skills Class web page.

For additional details, see Persuasive Speech Outline Example .

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Intro and Conclusion

Learning objectives.

• Identify the objectives and components of a speech introduction.
• Identify the objectives and components of a speech conclusion.

Introduction

• A speaker should do the following in the introduction of a speech: get the audience’s attention, introduce the topic, establish credibility and relevance, and preview the main points.

» Watch this video at 1.25x playback speed: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/writing-speeches/writing-the-introduction?u=2212217

We all know that first impressions matter. First impressions are quickly formed, sometimes spontaneous, and involve little to no cognitive effort. Your introduction is only a fraction of your speech, but in that first minute or so, your audience decides whether or not they are interested in listening to the rest of the speech. There are four objectives that you should accomplish in your introduction. They include getting your audience’s attention, introducing your topic, establishing credibility and relevance, and previewing your main points.

Step 1 of Introduction: Getting Your Audience’s Attention

There are several strategies you can use to get your audience’s attention. Ensure your attention-getter is appropriate, meaning that it’s unusual enough to get people interested—but not over the top—and relevant to your speech topic. Here are some common ways to grab the audience’s attention in a persuasive speech.

Cite a Startling Fact or Statistic

As you research your topic, take note of any information that defies your expectations or surprises you. If you have a strong reaction to something you learn, your audience may, too. When using a startling fact or statistic as an attention getter, it’s important to get the most bang for your buck. You can do this by sharing more than one fact or statistic that builds up the audience’s interest. When using numbers, it’s also good to repeat and/or repackage the statistics so they stick in the audience’s mind, which you can see in the following example:

“In 1994, sixteen states reported that 15–19 percent of their population was considered obese. Every other state reported obesity rates less than that. In 2010, every single state had at least a 20 percent obesity rate. In just six years, we went from no states with an obesity rate higher than 19 percent, to fifty.”

Use a Quotation

Some quotations are attention getting and some are boring. Some quotations are relevant and moving and some are abstract and stale. If you choose to open your speech with a quotation, choose one that is attention getting, relevant, and moving. The following example illustrates some tips for using a quote to start a speech: “‘The most important question in the world is ‘Why is the child crying?’’ This quote from author Alice Walker is at the heart of my speech today. Too often, people see children suffering at the hands of bullies and do nothing about it until it’s too late. That’s why I believe that all public schools should adopt a zero-tolerance policy on bullying.”

Notice that the quote is delivered first in the speech, then the source of the quote is cited. Since the quote, like a starting fact or statistic just discussed, is the attention-getting part, it’s better to start with that than the citation. Next, the speaker explains why the quote is relevant to the speech. Just because a quote seems relevant to you doesn’t mean the audience will also pick up on that relevance.

Ask a Question

A rhetorical question is different from a direct question. When a speaker asks a direct question, they actually want a response from their audience. A rhetorical question is designed to elicit a mental response from the audience, not a verbal or nonverbal one. In short, a rhetorical question makes an audience think. Asking a direct question of your audience is warranted only if the speaker plans on doing something with the information they get from the audience. For example, you might ask “By a show of hands, how many people have taken public transportation in the past week?” The speaker will then incorporate the responses into the speech by pointing out that public transportation is important.

A safer bet is to ask a rhetorical question that elicits only a mental response. A good rhetorical question can get the audience primed to think about the content of the speech. The following is a series of rhetorical questions used in a speech against the testing of cosmetics on animals: “Was the toxicity of the shampoo you used this morning tested on the eyes of rabbits? Would you let someone put a cosmetic in your dog’s eye to test its toxicity level? Have you ever thought about how many products that you use every day are tested on animals?” Make sure you pause after your rhetorical question to give the audience time to think.

Tell a Story

When you tell a story, whether in the introduction to your speech or not, you should aim to paint word pictures in the minds of your audience members. You might tell a story from your own life or recount a story you found in your research. You may also use a hypothetical story, which has the advantage of allowing you to use your creativity and help place your audience in unusual situations that neither you nor they have actually experienced. When using a hypothetical story, you should let your audience know it’s not real, and you should present a story that the audience can relate to. Speakers often let the audience know a story is not real by starting with the word imagine . As I noted, a hypothetical example can allow you to speak beyond the experience of you and your audience members by having them imagine themselves in unusual circumstances. For example, “Think of someone you really care about. Visualize that person in your mind. Now, imagine that days and weeks go by and you haven’t heard from that person. Weeks turn into months and years, and you have no idea if they are alive or dead.” The speaker could go on to compare that scenario to the experiences of friends and family of prisoners of war. While we may not be able to imagine being held captive for years, we all know what it’s like to experience uncertainty regarding the safety of a loved one.

Step 2 of Introduction: Introducing the Topic

Introducing the topic  of your speech is the most obvious objective of an introduction, but speakers sometimes forget to do this or do not do it clearly. Sometimes a speech topic doesn’t become obvious until the middle of a speech. By that time, however, it’s easy to lose an audience that didn’t get clearly told the topic of the speech in the introduction.  The following example introduces an argument about childhood obesity: “Childhood obesity is a serious problem facing our country and today I’ll persuade you that childhood obesity is a problem that can no longer be ignored.”

Step 3 of Introduction: Establishing Credibility

The way you write and deliver your introduction makes an important first impression on your audience. But you can also take a moment in your introduction to explicitly set up your credibility in relation to your speech topic. If you have training, expertise, or credentials (e.g., a degree, certificate, etc.) relevant to your topic, you can share that with your audience. It may also be appropriate to mention firsthand experience, previous classes you have taken, or even a personal interest related to your topic.

Step 4 of Introduction: Thesis and Preview of Main Points

Begin by stating your thesis clearly and directly. The preview of main points is usually the last sentence of your introduction and serves as a map of what’s to come in the speech.  Your preview should be one sentence, should include wording that is parallel to the key wording of your main points in the body of your speech, and should preview your main points in the same order you discuss them in your speech. The following example previews the main points for a speech on childhood obesity: “Today I’ll convey the seriousness of the obesity epidemic among children by reviewing common health problems associated with the disease, pinpoint the key cause of obesity, and outline steps we can take to combat this issue.”

Conclusions

How you conclude a speech leaves an impression on your audience. There are three important objectives to accomplish in the conclusion of a persuasive speech. They include restating your thesis, a call-to-action, and closing with a “clincher.”

» Watch this video at 1.25x playback speed: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/writing-speeches/finishing-with-a-strong-ending?u=2212217

Restatement of the Thesis

Restating a thesis statement is the first step in a powerful conclusion. When we restate the thesis statement at the conclusion of our speech, we’re attempting to reemphasize what the overarching main idea of the speech has been. Suppose your thesis statement was, “Childhood obesity is a serious problem and we must regulate the fast food industry to protect our children.’” You could restate the thesis in this fashion at the conclusion of your speech: “In the past few minutes, I have shown that the fast food industry must be regulated in order to protect our children from rising obesity rates.”  Restating the thesis in your conclusion reminds the audience of the major purpose or goal of your speech, helping them remember it better.

Call-to-Action

Probably the most common persuasive concluding device is the appeal for action or the call-to-action. In essence, the appeal for action occurs when a speaker asks the audience to engage in a specific behavior. Whether the speaker appeals for people to eat more fruit, buy a car, vote for a candidate, oppose the death penalty, or sing more in the shower, the speaker is asking the audience to engage in action.

One specific type of appeal for action is the immediate call to action . Whereas some appeals ask for people to engage in behavior in the future, the immediate call to action asks people to engage in behavior right now. If a speaker wants to see a new traffic light placed at a dangerous intersection, he or she may conclude by asking all the audience members to sign a digital petition right then and there. Here are some more examples of immediate calls to action:

• In a speech on petitioning a lawmaker for a new law, provide audience members with a pre-written e-mail they can send to the lawmaker.
• In a speech asking for donations for a charity, send a box around the room asking for donations.

These immediate calls to action may not lead to long-term change, but they can be very effective at increasing the likelihood that an audience will change their behavior.

Closing Your Speech with a “Clincher”

Like the attention-getter, your closing statement is an opportunity for you to exercise your creativity as a speaker. Many students have difficulty wrapping up the speech with a sense of closure and completeness. In terms of closure, a well-written and well-delivered closing line signals to your audience that your speech is over, which cues their applause. The closing line should relate to the overall speech and should provide some “take-away” message that may leave an audience thinking or propel them to action. A sample closing line could be “For your health, for our children’s health, and for our country’s health, we must take steps to address childhood obesity today.” You can also bring your audience full-circle by referring back to the introduction in the closing of your speech. For example, you may finish an illustration or answer a rhetorical question you started in the introduction.

Key Takeaways

• A speaker should do the following in the conclusion of a persuasive speech: restate the thesis, add an urgent call-to-action, and provide closure.
• Draft the opening and closing lines of your speech. Remember to tap into your creativity to try to engage the audience. Is there any way you can tie the introduction and conclusion together to create a “ribbon and bow” for your speech?

Lass-Hennemann, J., Linn K. Kuehl, André Schulz, Melly S. Oitzl, and Hartmut Schachinger, “Stress Strengthens Memory of First Impressions of Others’ Positive Perosnality Traits,” PLoS ONE 6, no. 1 (2011): 1.

Laws, E. L., Jennifer M. Apperson, Stephanie Buchert, and Norman J. Bregman, “Student Evaluations of Instruction: When Are Enduring First Impressions Formed?” North American Journal of Psychology 12, no. 1 (2010): 81.

Monroe, A. H., and Douglas Ehninger, Principles of Speech , 5th brief ed. (Chicago, IL: Scott, Foresman, 1964).

Winans, J. A., Public Speaking (New York: Century, 1917), 411.

Rhetoric and Persuasion Copyright © by cwilliams1 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Writing a persuasive speech

By:  Susan Dugdale   | Last modified: 04-24-2023

Getting started with a 7 point action plan

To help you through the process of writing a persuasive speech from beginning to end, here's a 7 step checklist.

To get the most from it move through it sequentially - point by point.  You'll find links to topic suggestion pages, explanations about how to structure your speech and the importance of audience analysis with examples and more.

In my experience, a successful persuasive speech can't be flicked out in five minutes! There may be brilliantly competent speakers who can do it if they know their subject, and their audience inside out. However the rest of us, me included, have to put the time in to achieve what we want to. ☺

Quick links to get around this page easily

Checklist for writing a persuasive speech

1. Selecting a persuasive speech topic

If you've already got a speech topic move on to setting a goal . For those who don't, read on.

A major part of the challenge of writing a persuasive speech can be choosing what to speak about.

If you're preparing the speech as part of a class exercise or for a public speaking club like Toastmasters you have seemingly unlimited choice. And that can be bewildering! The possibilities are vast. How do you narrow them down?

The answer is to choose something that you genuinely care about, fits the occasion AND that you know your audience will be interested in.

Speech topic suggestions to explore

• 100  Persuasive speech ideas
• 50  Good persuasive speech topics
• 105  Fun persuasive speech topics
• 309  'Easy' persuasive speech topics
• 310 Persuasive speech topics for college
• 108 Feminist persuasive speech topics

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2. Setting a goal

The goal of writing a persuasive speech is to change or move the audience toward accepting your position on the topic.  An essential part of that is knowing exactly what it is you want to achieve.

There are degrees of change. Do you want a little, or a lot?

Most wanted response or MWR

What you decide is called your  most wanted response  or MWR.

A realistic MWR is reached through analysis of your audience in relation to your topic.

Example: My topic is "obesity in children".

Audience - who are they.

I am speaking to mothers whose children all attend the same kindergarten.

The staff are concerned about the number of children who are over weight for their age.

The children mostly come from homes where both parents work.

Current food habits as reported by kindergarten staff

Food is bought already made up for a variety of reasons including time saving, convenience, and a lack of knowledge about how to prepare it any other way.

'Treat' food (sweets, cake etc.) is also used to pacify and/or to reinforce good behavior.

Fussy or picky eating is allowed principally because the effort and time required to change already established patterns is difficult to find.

The problem is compounded by lack of exercise.

Most Wanted Response (MWR) options

In setting the goal (MWR) for the speech I need to decide what approach will achieve the best results.

Do I want to influence the mothers to open their minds to the idea that allowing a child to establish habitual unhealthy eating patterns is detrimental to their children's growth and development?

Or do I want them to stop using treat and pre-prepared foods immediately and only offer home cooked healthy options instead?

The first approach is softly-softly. The second is direct or hard hitting.

3. Audience analysis

Who is your audience.

How you persuade, and your MWR (goal) is most effectively established when you understand who you are talking to.

In relation to the topic you're going to speak about are they:

• Hostile - actively don't want to hear what you have to say for many reasons which may include prejudice, fear, ignorance, inertia, cultural difference, differing values/beliefs ...
• Neutral - no decided opinion or beliefs and therefore no investment toward maintaining the current state or moving toward a new one. This is the middle ground.
• Motivated - actively seeking to change. These people are already aware of the 'problem' and are looking for solutions. They want to hear what you have to tell them and are likely to be ready to be convinced of the rightness of your solution.

What else do you need to know?

Aside from their anticipated baseline attitude, (hostile, neutral, motivated), toward your speech topic, what else would be useful to know about your audience?

Find out their:

• General Age
• Shared fears, concerns or problems
• Cultural background(s)
• Shared interests, beliefs, values, goals, hopes, desires
• What obstacles there are to adopting the change you desire

The more you can find out, the more you can tailor writing a persuasive speech (including tone and language choice), and your MWR to fit.

For instance, going back to the obesity in children example above, we could decide,  given what we've found out about the audience, the hard-hitting approach would generate too many obstacles to overcome.

Therefore we will be writing a persuasive speech with a non-threatening MWR that has mothers accepting a pamphlet on children's healthy snack choices to take home.

4. Keep it local

Where possible draw your examples from local material. The reason is we are more likely to care or respond when we actively know who or what is involved firsthand. We identify, and the more we identify, the more invested we are in finding a solution. The situation becomes real to us and we care.

5. Evidence and empathy

An essential part of putting together a good persuasive speech is finding credible evidence to support your argument.

Seek out reputable, reliable, quotable sources to back the points you make. Without them your speech will fail its purpose.

Persuasion is a synthesis of emotional as well as intellectual appeal.

Emotional content will be dismissed unless it is properly backed. Conversely purely intellectual content will be dismissed if it lacks empathy or feeling. You need both - in equal measure.

6. Balance and obstacles

Seek out and address the opposition's arguments, or obstacles in the path of adopting your course of action, fairly and respectfully. Find the elements you share. Openly acknowledge and be clear about them. This builds credibility and trust and as a result your points of departure are more likely to be listened to.

7. Choosing a structural pattern

Once you've decided your topic and its angle, done your audience analysis, fixed what you want to achieve (MWR), researched for evidence, and addressed the obstacles, you're finally ready to begin writing.

What pattern or model will you use?

There is more than one.

Have a look at each of the four below to see which best suits your topic, speech purpose and audience.

1) Monroe's Motivated Sequence

This is a tried and tested model developed in the 1930's by Allan H Monroe. Monroe's Motivated Sequence follows the normal mind-flow or thought sequence someone goes through when someone else is persuading them to do something.

It's a pattern used over and over again by the professional persuaders:  marketers, advertisers, politicians ...

Monroe's Motivated Sequence in action

You can find out more about the five steps involved in writing a persuasive speech using  Monroe's Motivated Sequence  here. There's an explanation with examples of each step, and a printable blank outline template to download.

There's also an  example persuasive speech  to read that uses the method.

2) Problem/Solution

This is a two step pattern. The first part outlines/explains the problem and the second provides the solution which includes meeting the obstacles and giving evidence.

3) Comparison

In this pattern the method is to compare an item/object/idea/action against another similar item/object/idea/action and establish why the item/object/idea/action you are supporting is superior.

Example: Why a SBI website is better than a Wordpress site if you want to build an online business

• Reason One Wordpress primarily is a blogging platform and blogging is not a business model
• Reason Two Wordpress does not supply fully integrated step-by-step instructions to build a sustainable e-business
• Reason Three Wordpress does not provide its users with constant and fully tested upgrades/updating

With each comparison point compelling, relevant evidence is provided and obstacles are met.

(If you're curious check out the SBI v Wordpress comparison. There are many more than three reasons why SBI is the preferred online business platform! Wordpress or SBI? And these days you can actually have both through SBI.)

4) Using the negative to persuade

In this model the reasons why you are against the opposition of your chosen topic are highlighted.

Example: The topic is Teenage Binge Drinking and the angle is to persuade parents to take more control

• Leads to anti-social behavior - for example, mindless vandalism, drunk-driving, and unprotected sex 
• Impacts on growing brains - an overview of current research
• Has implications for developing addictions - alcoholism, nicotine ...

Each negative reason is backed with evidence. One piles on top the other creating an urgency to solve the problem. Your positive solution coming at the end of the speech clinches the argument.

More speech resources

For more about the processes involved in writing a successful speech check these pages:

• Using storytelling effectively

For more about delivering your persuasive speech persuasively please don't overlook these pages. They are gold! Writing is a only part of the process. How you deliver completes it.

• How to rehearse
• Using vocal variety
• Return to the top of the page  

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Module 10: Persuasive Speaking

Structure of a persuasive speech, learning objectives.

Identify characteristic structures of a persuasive speech.

In many ways, a persuasive speech is structured like an informative speech. It has an introduction with an attention-getter and a clear thesis statement. It also has a body where the speaker presents their main points and it ends with a conclusion that sums up the main point of the speech.

The biggest difference is that the primary purpose of an informative speech is to explain whereas the primary purpose of a persuasive speech is to advocate the audience adopt a point of view or take a course of action. A persuasive speech, in other words, is an argument  supported by well-thought-out reasons and relevant, appropriate, and credible supporting evidence.

We can classify persuasive speeches into three broad categories:

• The widely used pesticide Atrazine is extremely harmful to amphibians.
• All house-cats should  be kept indoors to protect the songbird population.
• Offshore tax havens, while legal, are immoral and unpatriotic .

The organizational pattern we select and the type of supporting material we use should support the overall argument we are making.

The informative speech organizational patterns we covered earlier can work for a persuasive speech as well. In addition, the following organization patterns are especially suited to persuasive speeches (these are covered in more detail in Module 6: Organizing and Outlining Your Speech):

• Causal : Also known as cause-effect, the causal pattern describes some cause and then identifies what effects resulted from the cause. This can be a useful pattern to use when you are speaking about the positive or negative consequences of taking a particular action.
• Problem-solution : With this organizational pattern, you provide two main points. The first main point focuses on a problem that exists and the second details your proposed solution to the problem. This is an especially good organization pattern for speeches arguing for policy changes.
• Problem-cause-solution: This is a variation of the problem-solution organizational pattern. A three-step organizational pattern where the speaker starts by explaining the problem, then explains the causes of the problem, and lastly proposes a solution to the problem.
• Comparative advantage : A speaker compares two or more things or ideas and explains why one of the things or ideas has more advantages or is better than the other.
• Monroe’s motivated sequence : An organizational pattern that is a more elaborate variation of the problem-cause-solution pattern.  We’ll go into more depth on Monroe’s motivated sequence on the next page.
• Structure of a Persuasive Speech. Authored by : Mike Randolph with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

Persuasive Speech

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Having trouble writing a persuasive speech? You're not alone. 

Many students and aspiring orators find themselves wrestling with the complexities of persuasive speech composition. 

But fear not! Our comprehensive guide is here to assist you at every step of the way. With practical steps, illustrative examples, and invaluable tips, we'll help you hone your persuasive speech writing skills. 

So, keep reading!

• 1. What is a Persuasive Speech
• 2. Parts of A Persuasive Speech
• 3. How to Write A Persuasive Speech
• 4. Persuasive Speech Examples
• 5. Persuasive Speech Topics
• 6. Tips For Writing A Good Persuasive Speech

What is a Persuasive Speech

A persuasive speech is a type of speech in which the speaker aims to influence the thoughts, opinions, or actions of the audience. 

It involves presenting a viewpoint on a specific topic and providing compelling arguments and evidence to convince the listeners. The speaker's objective is to bring about a change in the audience's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. 

The speaker uses a range of rhetorical techniques, including the persuasive appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos .

• Ethos pertains to the speaker's credibility and character. It involves establishing trust and authority, which makes the audience more receptive to the speaker's message.
• Pathos involves appealing to the emotions and feelings of the audience. It aims to create a strong emotional connection and empathy, making the audience more inclined to take action.
• Logos is about using logic and reason to construct a persuasive argument. It relies on evidence, facts, and clear reasoning to support the speaker's viewpoint.

Parts of A Persuasive Speech

In a persuasive speech, the core sections typically include:

Introduction

The introduction is your opportunity to capture your audience's attention. Start with an engaging hook or attention-grabber. 

Provide some background information on the topic to contextualize your argument. 

Main Points

Your speech should have two to four main points, each supporting your main argument. Each main point should be a distinct argument that reinforces your overall position. 

These arguments serve as the core structure of your speech and should be well-researched and logically presented. 

Supporting evidence, examples, or statistics should be included for each main point to bolster your argument and make it more persuasive.

Transitions

Smooth transitions are essential in maintaining the coherence and flow of your speech.

Transitions may be as simple as a sentence or phrase that connects one point to the next, ensuring your speech flows logically.

Counterarguments

Recognizing and addressing potential counterarguments or opposing viewpoints is a sign of a well-rounded and well-researched argument. Devote a section of your outline to these counter arguments, acknowledging them in a fair and unbiased manner. 

Then, provide a well-reasoned response to refute these opposing views, demonstrating the strength and credibility of your own position.

The conclusion is where you wrap up your speech by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis. 

This reinforces your central argument and leaves a lasting impression on your audience. A strong conclusion should provide a clear sense of closure, emphasizing the key takeaways from your speech.

Call to Action

Consider including a call to action in your conclusion to motivate your audience to take a specific step or support your cause. 

This step adds a practical and actionable element to your persuasive speech, encouraging your audience to apply what they've learned.

Closing Remarks

End your speech with a memorable statement that leaves a final impression. You can use a powerful quote, a thought-provoking statement, or a call for reflection. 

Additionally, thank your audience for their time and attention, fostering a sense of appreciation and respect for their presence.

An outlines guides you through the process of crafting a persuasive message and making a successful persuasive speech. Certain steps can vary according to whichever type of persuasive speech you’re working on.

How to Write A Persuasive Speech

Writing a persuasive speech is a structured process that makes your message compelling and effective in conveying ideas to the audience.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you craft a persuasive speech:

Step 1: Choose a Persuasive Topic

Selecting the right topic is the foundation of a persuasive speech. Look for subjects that you are passionate about and that resonate with your audience. Moreover, an effective persuasive topic is one that can be debated or has varying viewpoints.

Your chosen topic should be relevant to your audience's interests, beliefs, and concerns. For instance, if you're addressing university students, consider what issues are important to them.

Let's say you choose "The Importance of Mental Health Awareness on Campus" as your topic. This topic is relevant, given the high levels of stress and mental health challenges that college students often face.

Step 2: Research Your Topic

To create a compelling persuasive speech, thorough research is essential. 

Gather information, data, and evidence that support your arguments and help you establish credibility as a speaker. 

For the topic of mental health awareness, research may include finding statistics on mental health issues among college students. Look for academic studies that discuss the impact of mental health on academic performance.

Step 3: Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial. Consider their attitudes, beliefs, values, and concerns related to your chosen topic. 

For a college student audience, it's essential to comprehend their experiences and viewpoints on mental health. By acknowledging their existing knowledge and attitudes, you can tailor your speech to resonate more effectively with them.

Step 4: Organize Your Speech

Like any speech, persuasive speech should follow a logical structure. 

Start with a compelling opening, which may include a relevant story, a surprising fact, or a thought-provoking question. Clearly state your main argument here. In the case of mental health awareness, it could be something like, 

"Promoting mental health awareness on campus is essential for the well-being and success of college students." 

Create a speech outline, which could be structured around the problems, solutions, and a call to action regarding mental health on campus. A speech outline is a blueprint which helps in delivering your persuasive speech in a logically fluent way and convincing your audience. 

Here is a sample speech outline:

Step 5: Craft Persuasive Arguments

In the body of your speech, you'll present persuasive arguments to support your thesis. 

In the "Understanding the Problem" section, talk about rising student stress, mental health stigma, and their impact on academic performance. 

Use evidence and examples to back up each argument. Cite specific statistics or sharing stories of students who have faced these challenges.

Step 6: Use Rhetorical Devices

To make your persuasive speech more engaging and relatable to your audience, it's essential to employ rhetorical devices effectively. 

These devices add depth and emotional resonance to your message. Some key rhetorical devices to consider include metaphors, anecdotes, and emotional appeals. 

Personal stories or anecdotes about mental health issues can create a connection with your audience and evoke empathy.

Step 7: Address Counterarguments

It's important to acknowledge potential counterarguments in your speech. This shows that you've considered multiple perspectives. Acknowledging and refuting opposing views enhances the strength and credibility of your own point of view.

A potential argument could be that mental health awareness is too costly for universities. You can counter this by presenting cost-effective solutions that have been implemented successfully at other institutions.

Step 8: Call to Action

Conclude your speech with a compelling call to action. Encourage your audience to take specific steps to support your cause. 

For instance, you could encourage them to participate in mental health awareness campaigns on campus, or advocate for improved mental health services in the university community.

Step 9: Revise and Practice

After writing your speech, revise it for clarity, coherence, and impact. 

Practice your delivery multiple times to enhance your confidence and effectiveness as a speaker.

Persuasive Speech Examples

Here are some persuasive speech examples for helping you:

Persuasive Speech Examples For Students

Persuasive Speech Topics For College Students

Want to consult a few more examples? Check out these persuasive speech examples to help you get more ideas!

Persuasive Speech Topics

A good persuasive speech topic is one that grabs your audience's attention and stirs their thoughts. 

To choose the right topic, it should be something you truly care about and that's important to your audience members. It's also essential that there are different opinions on the topic because it creates room for a meaningful discussion.

Here are some persuasive speech ideas:

Funny Persuasive Speech Topics

• Why cats are secretly plotting to take over the world.
• The importance of having a designated pizza night every week.
• How to survive a zombie apocalypse with just your wits and a backpack of snacks.
• The merits of watching cute animal videos during work hours.
• Why we should replace final exams with rap battles.
• The best excuses for being late to class (that actually work).
• How to annoy your roommates without getting caught.
• The compelling case for declaring "National Pajama Day."
• The benefits of talking to your houseplants and why they're great listeners.
• Why coffee should be classified as a daily essential nutrient.

Unique Persuasive Speech Topics

• The impact of social media on our sense of self-worth and well-being.
• The need for implementing mindfulness and meditation in schools.
• The benefits of fostering a community garden in every neighborhood.
• Why we should prioritize space exploration and colonizing other planets.
• The importance of teaching coding and programming in elementary schools.
• The ethical implications of gene editing and designer babies.
• Promoting eco-friendly travel options and reducing the environmental impact of tourism.
• The benefits of a four-day workweek for improved productivity and work-life balance.
• The need for teaching financial literacy in high schools.
• The impact of virtual reality on therapy and mental health treatment.

Can’t pick a topic? View this extensive list of persuasive speech topics on different themes!

Tips For Writing A Good Persuasive Speech

Creating and giving a strong persuasive speech involves different steps. Here are some tips for both writing and delivering your speech effectively:

• Learn what your audience cares about and shape your message accordingly.
• Back your points with credible data, facts, expert views, or real-life stories.
• Utilize credibility, emotions, and logic in a way that appeals to the audience.
• Share relatable anecdotes to connect with your audience.
• Time your speech to fit the allotted duration for maximum impact.
• Make good eye contact to connect with your audience and display confidence.
• Maintain open and confident body language; avoid nervous habits.

To sum it up, you've learned the steps and important tips for making a strong persuasive speech. You have the tools to choose the right topic, use evidence effectively, and engage your audience. 

But if you ever need help or find it tough, remember you can hire our professional essay writing service . We're here to assist you in creating a persuasive speech that makes an impact.

Our experienced writers have a proven track record in creating impactful speeches. So, just buy speech and receive top quality results!

Cathy has been been working as an author on our platform for over five years now. She has a Masters degree in mass communication and is well-versed in the art of writing. Cathy is a professional who takes her work seriously and is widely appreciated by clients for her excellent writing skills.

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Persuasive Speeches — Types, Topics, and Examples

What is a persuasive speech?

In a persuasive speech, the speaker aims to convince the audience to accept a particular perspective on a person, place, object, idea, etc. The speaker strives to cause the audience to accept the point of view presented in the speech.

The success of a persuasive speech often relies on the speaker’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is the speaker’s credibility. Audiences are more likely to accept an argument if they find the speaker trustworthy. To establish credibility during a persuasive speech, speakers can do the following:

Use familiar language.

Select examples that connect to the specific audience.

Utilize credible and well-known sources.

Logically structure the speech in an audience-friendly way.

Use appropriate eye contact, volume, pacing, and inflection.

Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions. Speakers who create an emotional bond with their audience are typically more convincing. Tapping into the audience’s emotions can be accomplished through the following:

Select evidence that can elicit an emotional response.

Use emotionally-charged words. (The city has a problem … vs. The city has a disease …)

Incorporate analogies and metaphors that connect to a specific emotion to draw a parallel between the reference and topic.

Utilize vivid imagery and sensory words, allowing the audience to visualize the information.

Employ an appropriate tone, inflection, and pace to reflect the emotion.

Logos appeals to the audience’s logic by offering supporting evidence. Speakers can improve their logical appeal in the following ways:

Use comprehensive evidence the audience can understand.

Confirm the evidence logically supports the argument’s claims and stems from credible sources.

Ensure that evidence is specific and avoid any vague or questionable information.

Types of persuasive speeches

The three main types of persuasive speeches are factual, value, and policy.

A factual persuasive speech focuses solely on factual information to prove the existence or absence of something through substantial proof. This is the only type of persuasive speech that exclusively uses objective information rather than subjective. As such, the argument does not rely on the speaker’s interpretation of the information. Essentially, a factual persuasive speech includes historical controversy, a question of current existence, or a prediction:

Historical controversy concerns whether an event happened or whether an object actually existed.

Questions of current existence involve the knowledge that something is currently happening.

Predictions incorporate the analysis of patterns to convince the audience that an event will happen again.

A value persuasive speech concerns the morality of a certain topic. Speakers incorporate facts within these speeches; however, the speaker’s interpretation of those facts creates the argument. These speeches are highly subjective, so the argument cannot be proven to be absolutely true or false.

A policy persuasive speech centers around the speaker’s support or rejection of a public policy, rule, or law. Much like a value speech, speakers provide evidence supporting their viewpoint; however, they provide subjective conclusions based on the facts they provide.

How to write a persuasive speech

Incorporate the following steps when writing a persuasive speech:

Step 1 – Identify the type of persuasive speech (factual, value, or policy) that will help accomplish the goal of the presentation.

Step 2 – Select a good persuasive speech topic to accomplish the goal and choose a position .

Step 3 – Locate credible and reliable sources and identify evidence in support of the topic/position. Revisit Step 2 if there is a lack of relevant resources.

Step 4 – Identify the audience and understand their baseline attitude about the topic.

Step 5 – When constructing an introduction , keep the following questions in mind:

What’s the topic of the speech?

What’s the occasion?

Who’s the audience?

What’s the purpose of the speech?

Step 6 – Utilize the evidence within the previously identified sources to construct the body of the speech. Keeping the audience in mind, determine which pieces of evidence can best help develop the argument. Discuss each point in detail, allowing the audience to understand how the facts support the perspective.

Step 7 – Addressing counterarguments can help speakers build their credibility, as it highlights their breadth of knowledge.

Step 8 – Conclude the speech with an overview of the central purpose and how the main ideas identified in the body support the overall argument.

Persuasive speech outline

One of the best ways to prepare a great persuasive speech is by using an outline. When structuring an outline, include an introduction, body, and conclusion:

Introduction

Attention Grabbers

Ask a question that allows the audience to respond in a non-verbal way; ask a rhetorical question that makes the audience think of the topic without requiring a response.

Incorporate a well-known quote that introduces the topic. Using the words of a celebrated individual gives credibility and authority to the information in the speech.

Offer a startling statement or information about the topic, typically done using data or statistics.

Provide a brief anecdote or story that relates to the topic.

Starting a speech with a humorous statement often makes the audience more comfortable with the speaker.

Provide information on how the selected topic may impact the audience .

Include any background information pertinent to the topic that the audience needs to know to understand the speech in its entirety.

Give the thesis statement in connection to the main topic and identify the main ideas that will help accomplish the central purpose.

Identify evidence

Summarize its meaning

Explain how it helps prove the support/main claim

Evidence 3 (Continue as needed)

Support 3 (Continue as needed)

Restate thesis

Review main supports

Concluding statement

Give the audience a call to action to do something specific.

Identify the overall importan ce of the topic and position.

Persuasive speech topics

The following table identifies some common or interesting persuasive speech topics for high school and college students:

Persuasive speech examples

The following list identifies some of history’s most famous persuasive speeches:

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You”

Lyndon B. Johnson: “We Shall Overcome”

Marc Antony: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen…” in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down this Wall”

Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

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Persuasive Speech Outline, with Examples

March 17, 2021 - Gini Beqiri

A persuasive speech is a speech that is given with the intention of convincing the audience to believe or do something. This could be virtually anything – voting, organ donation, recycling, and so on.

A successful persuasive speech effectively convinces the audience to your point of view, providing you come across as trustworthy and knowledgeable about the topic you’re discussing.

So, how do you start convincing a group of strangers to share your opinion? And how do you connect with them enough to earn their trust?

Topics for your persuasive speech

We’ve made a list of persuasive speech topics you could use next time you’re asked to give one. The topics are thought-provoking and things which many people have an opinion on.

When using any of our persuasive speech ideas, make sure you have a solid knowledge about the topic you’re speaking about – and make sure you discuss counter arguments too.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• All school children should wear a uniform
• Facebook is making people more socially anxious
• It should be illegal to drive over the age of 80
• Lying isn’t always wrong
• The case for organ donation

Read our full list of  75 persuasive speech topics and ideas .

Preparation: Consider your audience

As with any speech, preparation is crucial. Before you put pen to paper, think about what you want to achieve with your speech. This will help organise your thoughts as you realistically can only cover 2-4 main points before your  audience get bored .

It’s also useful to think about who your audience are at this point. If they are unlikely to know much about your topic then you’ll need to factor in context of your topic when planning the structure and length of your speech. You should also consider their:

• Cultural or religious backgrounds
• Shared concerns, attitudes and problems
• Shared interests, beliefs and hopes
• Baseline attitude – are they hostile, neutral, or open to change?

The factors above will all determine the approach you take to writing your speech. For example, if your topic is about childhood obesity, you could begin with a story about your own children or a shared concern every parent has. This would suit an audience who are more likely to be parents than young professionals who have only just left college.

Remember the 3 main approaches to persuade others

There are three main approaches used to persuade others:

The ethos approach appeals to the audience’s ethics and morals, such as what is the ‘right thing’ to do for humanity, saving the environment, etc.

Pathos persuasion is when you appeal to the audience’s emotions, such as when you  tell a story  that makes them the main character in a difficult situation.

The logos approach to giving a persuasive speech is when you appeal to the audience’s logic – ie. your speech is essentially more driven by facts and logic. The benefit of this technique is that your point of view becomes virtually indisputable because you make the audience feel that only your view is the logical one.

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking and Persuasion

Ideas for your persuasive speech outline

1. structure of your persuasive speech.

The opening and closing of speech are the most important. Consider these carefully when thinking about your persuasive speech outline. A  strong opening  ensures you have the audience’s attention from the start and gives them a positive first impression of you.

You’ll want to  start with a strong opening  such as an attention grabbing statement, statistic of fact. These are usually dramatic or shocking, such as:

Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat – Jamie Oliver

Another good way of starting a persuasive speech is to include your audience in the picture you’re trying to paint. By making them part of the story, you’re embedding an emotional connection between them and your speech.

You could do this in a more toned-down way by talking about something you know that your audience has in common with you. It’s also helpful at this point to include your credentials in a persuasive speech to gain your audience’s trust.

Obama would spend hours with his team working on the opening and closing statements of his speech.

2. Stating your argument

You should  pick between 2 and 4 themes  to discuss during your speech so that you have enough time to explain your viewpoint and convince your audience to the same way of thinking.

It’s important that each of your points transitions seamlessly into the next one so that your speech has a logical flow. Work on your  connecting sentences  between each of your themes so that your speech is easy to listen to.

Your argument should be backed up by objective research and not purely your subjective opinion. Use examples, analogies, and stories so that the audience can relate more easily to your topic, and therefore are more likely to be persuaded to your point of view.

3. Addressing counter-arguments

Any balanced theory or thought  addresses and disputes counter-arguments  made against it. By addressing these, you’ll strengthen your persuasive speech by refuting your audience’s objections and you’ll show that you are knowledgeable to other thoughts on the topic.

When describing an opposing point of view, don’t explain it in a bias way – explain it in the same way someone who holds that view would describe it. That way, you won’t irritate members of your audience who disagree with you and you’ll show that you’ve reached your point of view through reasoned judgement. Simply identify any counter-argument and pose explanations against them.

• Complete Guide to Debating

4. Closing your speech

Your closing line of your speech is your last chance to convince your audience about what you’re saying. It’s also most likely to be the sentence they remember most about your entire speech so make sure it’s a good one!

The most effective persuasive speeches end  with a  call to action . For example, if you’ve been speaking about organ donation, your call to action might be asking the audience to register as donors.

Practice answering AI questions on your speech and get  feedback on your performance .

If audience members ask you questions, make sure you listen carefully and respectfully to the full question. Don’t interject in the middle of a question or become defensive.

You should show that you have carefully considered their viewpoint and refute it in an objective way (if you have opposing opinions). Ensure you remain patient, friendly and polite at all times.

Example 1: Persuasive speech outline

This example is from the Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Specific purpose

To persuade my audience to start walking in order to improve their health.

Central idea

Regular walking can improve both your mental and physical health.

Introduction

Let’s be honest, we lead an easy life: automatic dishwashers, riding lawnmowers, T.V. remote controls, automatic garage door openers, power screwdrivers, bread machines, electric pencil sharpeners, etc., etc. etc. We live in a time-saving, energy-saving, convenient society. It’s a wonderful life. Or is it?

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Example 2: Persuasive speech

Tips for delivering your persuasive speech

• Practice, practice, and practice some more . Record yourself speaking and listen for any nervous habits you have such as a nervous laugh, excessive use of filler words, or speaking too quickly.
• Show confident body language . Stand with your legs hip width apart with your shoulders centrally aligned. Ground your feet to the floor and place your hands beside your body so that hand gestures come freely. Your audience won’t be convinced about your argument if you don’t sound confident in it. Find out more about  confident body language here .
• Don’t memorise your speech word-for-word  or read off a script. If you memorise your persuasive speech, you’ll sound less authentic and panic if you lose your place. Similarly, if you read off a script you won’t sound genuine and you won’t be able to connect with the audience by  making eye contact . In turn, you’ll come across as less trustworthy and knowledgeable. You could simply remember your key points instead, or learn your opening and closing sentences.
• Remember to use facial expressions when storytelling  – they make you more relatable. By sharing a personal story you’ll more likely be speaking your truth which will help you build a connection with the audience too. Facial expressions help bring your story to life and transport the audience into your situation.
• Keep your speech as concise as possible . When practicing the delivery, see if you can edit it to have the same meaning but in a more succinct way. This will keep the audience engaged.

The best persuasive speech ideas are those that spark a level of controversy. However, a public speech is not the time to express an opinion that is considered outside the norm. If in doubt, play it safe and stick to topics that divide opinions about 50-50.

Bear in mind who your audience are and plan your persuasive speech outline accordingly, with researched evidence to support your argument. It’s important to consider counter-arguments to show that you are knowledgeable about the topic as a whole and not bias towards your own line of thought.

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How to Write an Outline for a Persuasive Speech, with Examples

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Persuasive speeches are one of the three most used speeches in our daily lives. Persuasive speech is used when presenters decide to convince their presentation or ideas to their listeners. A compelling speech aims to persuade the listener to believe in a particular point of view. One of the most iconic examples is Martin Luther King’s ‘I had a dream’ speech on the 28th of August 1963.

In this article:

What is Persuasive Speech?

Here are some steps to follow:, persuasive speech outline, final thoughts.

Persuasive speech is a written and delivered essay to convince people of the speaker’s viewpoint or ideas. Persuasive speaking is the type of speaking people engage in the most. This type of speech has a broad spectrum, from arguing about politics to talking about what to have for dinner. Persuasive speaking is highly connected to the audience, as in a sense, the speaker has to meet the audience halfway.

Persuasive Speech Preparation

Persuasive speech preparation doesn’t have to be difficult, as long as you select your topic wisely and prepare thoroughly.

1. Select a Topic and Angle

Come up with a controversial topic that will spark a heated debate, regardless of your position. This could be about anything. Choose a topic that you are passionate about. Select a particular angle to focus on to ensure that your topic isn’t too broad. Research the topic thoroughly, focussing on key facts, arguments for and against your angle, and background.

2. Define Your Persuasive Goal

Once you have chosen your topic, it’s time to decide what your goal is to persuade the audience. Are you trying to persuade them in favor of a certain position or issue? Are you hoping that they change their behavior or an opinion due to your speech? Do you want them to decide to purchase something or donate money to a cause? Knowing your goal will help you make wise decisions about approaching writing and presenting your speech.

3. Analyze the Audience

Understanding your audience’s perspective is critical anytime that you are writing a speech. This is even more important when it comes to a persuasive speech because not only are you wanting to get the audience to listen to you, but you are also hoping for them to take a particular action in response to your speech. First, consider who is in the audience. Consider how the audience members are likely to perceive the topic you are speaking on to better relate to them on the subject. Grasp the obstacles audience members face or have regarding the topic so you can build appropriate persuasive arguments to overcome these obstacles.

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4. Build an Effective Persuasive Argument

Once you have a clear goal, you are knowledgeable about the topic and, have insights regarding your audience, you will be ready to build an effective persuasive argument to deliver in the form of a persuasive speech. 

Start by deciding what persuasive techniques are likely to help you persuade your audience. Would an emotional and psychological appeal to your audience help persuade them? Is there a good way to sway the audience with logic and reason? Is it possible that a bandwagon appeal might be effective?

5. Outline Your Speech

Once you know which persuasive strategies are most likely to be effective, your next step is to create a keyword outline to organize your main points and structure your persuasive speech for maximum impact on the audience.

Start strong, letting your audience know what your topic is, why it matters and, what you hope to achieve at the end of your speech. List your main points, thoroughly covering each point, being sure to build the argument for your position and overcome opposing perspectives. Conclude your speech by appealing to your audience to act in a way that will prove that you persuaded them successfully. Motivation is a big part of persuasion.

6. Deliver a Winning Speech

Select appropriate visual aids to share with your audiences, such as graphs, photos, or illustrations. Practice until you can deliver your speech confidently. Maintain eye contact, project your voice and, avoid using filler words or any form of vocal interference. Let your passion for the subject shine through. Your enthusiasm may be what sways the audience. 

Topic: What topic are you trying to persuade your audience on?

Specific Purpose:  

Central idea:

• Attention grabber – This is potentially the most crucial line. If the audience doesn’t like the opening line, they might be less inclined to listen to the rest of your speech.
• Thesis – This statement is used to inform the audience of the speaker’s mindset and try to get the audience to see the issue their way.
• Qualifications – Tell the audience why you are qualified to speak about the topic to persuade them.

After the introductory portion of the speech is over, the speaker starts presenting reasons to the audience to provide support for the statement. After each reason, the speaker will list examples to provide a factual argument to sway listeners’ opinions.

• Example 1 – Support for the reason given above.
• Example 2 – Support for the reason given above.

The most important part of a persuasive speech is the conclusion, second to the introduction and thesis statement. This is where the speaker must sum up and tie all of their arguments into an organized and solid point.

• Summary: Briefly remind the listeners why they should agree with your position.
• Memorable ending/ Audience challenge: End your speech with a powerful closing thought or recommend a course of action.
• Thank the audience for listening.

Persuasive Speech Outline Examples

Topic: Walking frequently can improve both your mental and physical health.

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to start walking to improve their health.

Central idea: Regular walking can improve your mental and physical health.

Life has become all about convenience and ease lately. We have dishwashers, so we don’t have to wash dishes by hand with electric scooters, so we don’t have to paddle while riding. I mean, isn’t it ridiculous?

Today’s luxuries have been welcomed by the masses. They have also been accused of turning us into passive, lethargic sloths. As a reformed sloth, I know how easy it can be to slip into the convenience of things and not want to move off the couch. I want to persuade you to start walking.

Americans lead a passive lifestyle at the expense of their own health.

• This means that we spend approximately 40% of our leisure time in front of the TV.
• Ironically, it is also reported that Americans don’t like many of the shows that they watch.
• Today’s studies indicate that people were experiencing higher bouts of depression than in the 18th and 19th centuries, when work and life were considered problematic.
• The article reports that 12.6% of Americans suffer from anxiety, and 9.5% suffer from severe depression.
• Present the opposition’s claim and refute an argument.
• Nutritionist Phyllis Hall stated that we tend to eat foods high in fat, which produces high levels of cholesterol in our blood, which leads to plaque build-up in our arteries.
• While modifying our diet can help us decrease our risk for heart disease, studies have indicated that people who don’t exercise are at an even greater risk.

In closing, I urge you to start walking more. Walking is a simple, easy activity. Park further away from stores and walk. Walk instead of driving to your nearest convenience store. Take 20 minutes and enjoy a walk around your neighborhood. Hide the TV remote, move off the couch and, walk. Do it for your heart.

Thank you for listening!

Topic: Less screen time can improve your sleep.

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to stop using their screens two hours before bed.

Central idea: Ceasing electronics before bed will help you achieve better sleep.

Who doesn’t love to sleep? I don’t think I have ever met anyone who doesn’t like getting a good night’s sleep. Sleep is essential for our bodies to rest and repair themselves.

I love sleeping and, there is no way that I would be able to miss out on a good night’s sleep.

As someone who has had trouble sleeping due to taking my phone into bed with me and laying in bed while entertaining myself on my phone till I fall asleep, I can say that it’s not the healthiest habit, and we should do whatever we can to change it.

• Our natural blue light source is the sun.
• Bluelight is designed to keep us awake.
• Bluelight makes our brain waves more active.
• We find it harder to sleep when our brain waves are more active.
• Having a good night’s rest will improve your mood.
• Being fully rested will increase your productivity.

Using electronics before bed will stimulate your brainwaves and make it more difficult for you to sleep. Bluelight tricks our brains into a false sense of daytime and, in turn, makes it more difficult for us to sleep. So, put down those screens if you love your sleep!

Thank the audience for listening

A persuasive speech is used to convince the audience of the speaker standing on a certain subject. To have a successful persuasive speech, doing the proper planning and executing your speech with confidence will help persuade the audience of your standing on the topic you chose. Persuasive speeches are used every day in the world around us, from planning what’s for dinner to arguing about politics. It is one of the most widely used forms of speech and, with proper planning and execution, you can sway any audience.

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The Art of Persuasion: Writing a Compelling Speech

Discover the art of persuasion and learn how to write a compelling speech that captivates your audience. This blog post provides expert insights and practical tips for crafting an impactful persuasive speech.

Understanding the Power of Persuasion

Understanding the power of persuasion is crucial when it comes to writing a persuasive speech. Persuasion is the art of influencing and convincing others to adopt your point of view or take a specific action. By understanding the principles behind persuasion, you can effectively communicate your ideas and sway your audience.

One key aspect of persuasion is understanding the psychological factors that influence decision-making. People are often motivated by emotions, personal beliefs, and social influences. By tapping into these factors, you can tailor your speech to resonate with your audience and increase the likelihood of them being persuaded by your arguments.

Additionally, understanding the power dynamics at play can also enhance your persuasive abilities. Recognizing the authority or expertise you possess on the topic can lend credibility to your arguments, while acknowledging and addressing counterarguments can help you anticipate and overcome potential objections.

In summary, understanding the power of persuasion involves recognizing the psychological factors and power dynamics that influence decision-making. By leveraging these insights, you can effectively craft a persuasive speech that resonates with your audience and achieves your intended goals.

Analyzing Your Audience

Analyzing your audience is a crucial step in writing a persuasive speech. By understanding who your audience is, their beliefs, values, and attitudes, you can tailor your arguments to appeal to their specific needs and interests.

Start by conducting research or surveys to gather information about your audience. Consider their demographics, such as age, gender, education, and socioeconomic background. This information can provide valuable insights into their preferences and perspectives.

Furthermore, analyze your audience's psychographics, which include their interests, values, and motivations. What are their concerns and aspirations? What do they care about? By understanding their psychographics, you can identify common ground and frame your arguments in a way that resonates with their values.

Remember, effective persuasion requires connecting with your audience on an emotional level. By tailoring your speech to address their specific concerns and interests, you can create a compelling case that is more likely to persuade them.

In conclusion, analyzing your audience is essential for writing a persuasive speech. By understanding their demographics and psychographics, you can tailor your arguments to resonate with their needs and interests, increasing the chances of persuading them.

Selecting a Relevant and Timely Topic

Selecting a relevant and timely topic is crucial for capturing your audience's attention and maintaining their interest throughout your persuasive speech.

Firstly, consider the current issues and trends that are relevant to your audience. What are the pressing concerns or debates in their lives? By choosing a topic that is timely, you can tap into their existing interests and create a sense of urgency.

Additionally, selecting a topic that is relevant to your audience's lives or experiences can make your speech more relatable and engaging. Consider their needs, challenges, and aspirations. How can your speech address these aspects and provide valuable insights or solutions?

Furthermore, it is important to choose a topic that aligns with your own expertise and interests. By selecting a topic that you are passionate about and knowledgeable in, you can deliver a more authentic and compelling speech.

In summary, selecting a relevant and timely topic involves considering the current issues and trends that are relevant to your audience, as well as their needs and interests. By choosing a topic that aligns with your expertise and resonates with your audience, you can create a persuasive speech that captures their attention and maintains their interest.

Crafting a Strong Thesis Statement

Crafting a strong thesis statement is essential for creating a persuasive speech that effectively communicates your main argument or point of view.

A thesis statement serves as the foundation of your speech, providing a clear and concise statement of your main idea. It should be specific, debatable, and focused on the main argument you want to make.

To craft a strong thesis statement, start by clearly stating your position on the topic. Avoid vague or general statements and strive for clarity and precision. Additionally, ensure that your thesis statement is debatable, meaning that there are valid arguments on both sides of the issue.

Furthermore, consider the structure of your thesis statement. It should be concise and to the point, capturing the essence of your argument in a single sentence or two.

In conclusion, crafting a strong thesis statement involves clearly stating your position on the topic, ensuring that it is debatable, and structuring it in a concise and focused manner. A strong thesis statement sets the tone for your persuasive speech and guides your audience in understanding your main argument.

Using Emotional Appeals

Using emotional appeals is a powerful technique for persuading your audience and eliciting a strong response to your persuasive speech.

Emotions play a significant role in decision-making, and by tapping into your audience's emotions, you can create a deeper connection and increase the likelihood of them being persuaded.

To effectively use emotional appeals, start by identifying the emotions that are relevant to your topic and your audience. Consider the desired emotional response you want to evoke, whether it's empathy, excitement, fear, or hope. By understanding your audience's emotional triggers, you can tailor your speech to generate the desired emotional response.

Additionally, use storytelling and personal anecdotes to make your speech more relatable and emotionally engaging. Humanizing your arguments and connecting them to real-life experiences can create a powerful emotional impact.

However, it is important to use emotional appeals ethically and responsibly. Avoid manipulating or exploiting your audience's emotions, and ensure that your emotional appeals are supported by logical arguments and evidence.

In summary, using emotional appeals involves identifying the relevant emotions for your topic and audience, using storytelling and personal anecdotes to make your speech more relatable, and maintaining ethical standards in your use of emotional appeals. By effectively using emotional appeals, you can create a persuasive speech that resonates with your audience on an emotional level.

Supporting Your Arguments with Evidence

Supporting your arguments with evidence is essential for building credibility and persuasiveness in your speech.

Evidence can take various forms, including statistics, research findings, expert opinions, and real-life examples. By incorporating relevant and reliable evidence, you can strengthen your arguments and make them more convincing.

When selecting evidence, ensure that it is up-to-date, accurate, and relevant to your topic. Use credible sources and cite them appropriately to maintain credibility.

Additionally, consider the counterarguments and potential objections that your audience may have. Anticipate these objections and address them with counter-evidence or logical reasoning. By acknowledging and refuting opposing viewpoints, you can strengthen your overall argument.

Furthermore, use clear and concise language when presenting your evidence. Avoid jargon or complex terminology that may confuse or alienate your audience. Present the evidence in a logical and organized manner, making it easy for your audience to follow and understand.

In conclusion, supporting your arguments with evidence involves incorporating relevant, reliable, and up-to-date evidence to strengthen your persuasive speech. By addressing potential objections and presenting the evidence in a clear and organized manner, you can build credibility and persuade your audience effectively.

Structuring an Engaging Speech

Structuring your speech in an engaging manner is crucial for capturing and maintaining your audience's attention throughout your persuasive speech.

Start by organizing your speech into a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should grab your audience's attention, provide a brief overview of your topic, and present your thesis statement. The body should be structured logically, with each main point supported by evidence and examples. The conclusion should summarize your main arguments and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Additionally, consider incorporating storytelling, anecdotes, or rhetorical questions to make your speech more engaging and interactive. These techniques can help create a connection with your audience and enhance their overall experience.

Furthermore, use transitions and signposts to guide your audience through your speech. Clear and concise transitions help your audience follow your thoughts and maintain a sense of flow.

Lastly, consider the use of visual aids, such as slides or props, to enhance your speech and make it more visually appealing. Visual aids can help illustrate your points and make complex ideas more accessible to your audience.

In summary, structuring an engaging speech involves organizing it into a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, incorporating storytelling and rhetorical techniques, using transitions to guide your audience, and considering the use of visual aids. By structuring your speech effectively, you can capture and maintain your audience's attention throughout your persuasive speech.

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How to write a persuasive speech

By BBC Maestro Writing Lifestyle Business Last updated: 13 October 2023

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Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream”. William Churchill’s “We will fight on the beaches”. Malala Yousafzai's "I am here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice". These are three of the most famous speeches ever – and their long-lasting impact is down to how persuasive they are.

If you want to follow in their footsteps, here’s everything you need to know about how to write a persuasive speech.

What makes a persuasive speech?

The very notion of public speaking is enough to strike fear into the heart of most people. But it doesn’t need to be scary – and dispelling that thought is the first step to writing a persuasive speech. After all, no one was ever convinced by someone who wasn’t confident about their subject.

Don’t believe it? Take it from Richard Greene, who’s dedicated his career to helping people overcome their fear of public speaking. It’s easier to deliver a speech, he says, if you remember that it’s not about you. 

As he explains in his BBC Maestro course, Public Speaking and Communication, “the real reason for public speaking is to provide value to the people standing or sitting in front of you.”

Once you remember that, it’s easier to deliver a speech that’s less nerve-wracking and more impactful.

But what exactly, makes someone a persuasive speaker? Think again about those famous speeches from Martin Luther King Jr, William Churchill and Malala Yousafzai. What makes them so persuasive?

Some of the common threads that run through each of them include:

• Personalisation: each speaker made the audience feel like they were talking directly to them
• Use of strong imagery and visual language
• Use of commanding yet simple-to-understand language
• Authenticity: none of these speakers were putting on an act, and it went a long way to making their speeches more powerful

Let’s take a look at these in a little more detail, to help you write a speech that’s powerful, passionate and persuasive.

Know your topic   

It might sound obvious – after all, why would you try to deliver a speech on something you don’t know much about? But it happens more often than you might think. 

But if you don’t know your subject well, you’re more likely to be nervous about fluffing it. And if your audience knows that you’re nervous – and they will – then it’s unlikely to be a persuasive speech.

As Richard Greene says, one of the keys to a successful speech is that “you believe that there is value in the information that you are sharing.”

So, first things first – make sure that your knowledge of a topic is top-notch before even attempting to write your speech. It’ll go a long way to making it more effective and persuasive.

Speak directly to the audience   

One of the things that all the famous orators we mentioned earlier did so well was speaking directly to their audience. When writing a persuasive speech, you want to make it seem like you’re speaking directly to each and every audience member. 

As Richard Greene explains, “I want to get every single person to feel that they’re having a direct connection and direct communication with me.”

Asking questions is a great way to get your audience engaged – another great tip from Richard Greene. He suggests that you “turn the tables and ask them questions [because] questions engage the audience, questions take the pressure off the speaker.”

You could also help the audience connect to you by telling them a personal story, relating an anecdote, or simply spelling out what you’re going to tell them – and why it’s important to them. 

However you do it, connecting with your audience is key. It is, as Richard puts it, “where the transfer of energy, the transfer of enthusiasm, the transfer of information happens.”

Communicate clearly 

One big mistake that many people make when writing speeches is to make them overly verbose, or to fill them with jargon.    But if an audience doesn’t understand what you’re saying, they’ll immediately switch off – meaning that you’ll never persuade them.     One good rule of thumb is to write like you talk – and then to practice reading your speech out loud. You’ll soon spot anything that sounds odd, out of place, or difficult to understand. 

Tell a story 

Stories are powerful, and they’re a fantastic technique to use within speeches to get your point across.    Richard Greene is a big fan of stories, saying that:     “The six most powerful words a speaker can ever say to an audience is let…me…tell…you…a…story.”    He goes on to explain that “stories reach into our primal self as human beings, stories have been the primary form of communication amongst human beings for all time.”    A story is made even better when they’re filled with imagery that the audience can use to help them understand it. Think back to Martin Luther King Jr, Churchill and Malala Yousafzai – they all use powerful, visual language to tell their story and leave a lasting impression.  

Use your body as well as your words   

Body language is useful in helping you to tell your story. Whether it’s through hand gestures, eye contact, or simply the way you hold yourself, your body is an effective tool for reinforcing your message and sincerity.    But remember that your body language should make your message clearer – not more complicated. If your body language is at odds with the words you’re speaking, your audience is going to leave feeling less persuaded and more confused.    So, avoid crossing your arms or slouching which could give off the impression that you’re bored or uninterested in the subject, and instead practice standing tall and proud, and using open gestures to reiterate your points. 

Be yourself

Audiences are smart, and they’re unlikely to be fooled by someone selling trying to sell them a false narrative, or an inauthentic version of themselves.     Being yourself is one of the best shots you have at creating a real rapport with your audience. As Richard Green says, “your authenticity in the moment is what will drive your connection to the audience.”    So, once you’ve learned your subject, written your speech, and practiced it – tear it up, take a deep breath, and go out on stage as your authentic self.       These tips will help you to write a persuasive speech – but there’s lots more to learn about the art of public speaking and getting your point across, as you’ll learn in Richard Greene’s BBC Maestro course, Public Speaking and Communication . You’ll learn everything about conquering your fear of public speaking and connecting with your audience.   

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57 Constructing a Persuasive Speech

In a sense, constructing your persuasive speech is the culmination of the skills you have learned already. In another sense, you are challenged to think somewhat differently. While the steps of analyzing your audience, formulating your purpose and central idea, applying evidence, considering ethics, framing the ideas in appropriate language, and then practicing delivery will of course apply, you will need to consider some expanded options about each of these steps.

Formulating a Proposition

As mentioned before, when thinking about a central idea statement in a persuasive speech, we use the terms “proposition” or claim. Persuasive speeches have one of four types of propositions or claims, which deter- mine your overall approach. Before you move on, you need to determine what type of proposition you should have (based on the audience, context, issues involved in the topic, and assignment for the class).

Proposition of Fact

Speeches with this type of proposition attempt to establish the truth of a statement. The core of the proposition (or claim) is not whether something is morally right and wrong or what should be done about the topic, only that a statement is supported by evidence or not. These propositions are not facts such as “the chemical symbol for water is H20” or “Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008 with 53% of the vote.” Propositions or claims of fact are statements over which persons disagree and there is evidence on both sides, although probably more on one than the other. Some examples of propositions of fact are:

Converting to solar energy can save homeowners money.

John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald working alone.

Experiments using animals are essential to the development of many life-saving medical procedures.

Climate change has been caused by human activity.

Granting tuition tax credits to the parents of children who attend private schools will perpetuate educational inequality.

Watching violence on television causes violent behavior in children.

William Shakespeare did not write most of the plays attributed to him.

John Doe committed the crime of which he is accused.

Notice that in none of these are any values—good or bad—mentioned. Perpetuating segregation is not portrayed as good or bad, only as an effect of a policy. Of course, most people view educational inequality negatively, just as they view life-saving medical procedures positively. But the point of these propositions is to prove with evidence the truth of a statement, not its inherent value or what the audience should do about it. In fact, in some propositions of fact no action response would even be possible, such as the proposition listed above that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of President Kennedy.

Proposition of Definition

This is probably not one that you will use in your class, but it bears mentioning here because it is used in legal and scholarly arguments. Propositions of definitions argue that a word, phrase, or concept has a particular meaning. Remembering back to Chapter 7 on supporting materials, we saw that there are various ways to define words, such as by negation, operationalizing, and classification and division. It may be important for you to define your terms, especially if you have a value proposition. Lawyers, legislators, and scholars often write briefs, present speeches, or compose articles to define terms that are vital to defendants, citizens, or disciplines. We saw a proposition of definition defended in the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision to redefine marriage laws as applying to same-sex couples, based on arguments presented in court. Other examples might be:

The Second Amendment to the Constitution does not include possession of automatic weapons for private use.

Alcoholism should be considered a disease because…

The action committed by Mary Smith did not meet the standard for first-degree murder.

Thomas Jefferson’s definition of inalienable rights did not include a right to privacy.

In each of these examples, the proposition is that the definition of these things (the Second Amendment, alcoholism, crime, and inalienable rights) needs to be changed or viewed differently, but the audience is not asked to change an attitude or action.

Propositions of Value

It is likely that you or some of your classmates will give speeches with propositions of value. When the proposition has a word such as “good,” “bad,” “best,” “worst,” “just,” “unjust,” “ethical,” “unethical,” “moral,” “immoral,” “beneficial,” “harmful,” “advantageous,” or “disadvantageous,” it is a proposition of value. Some examples include:

Hybrid cars are the best form of automobile transportation available today.

Homeschooling is more beneficial for children than traditional schooling.

The War in Iraq was not justified. Capital punishment is morally wrong.  

Mascots that involve Native American names, characters, and symbols are demeaning.

A vegan diet is the healthiest one for adults.

Propositions of value require a first step: defining the “value” word. If a war is unjustified, what makes a war “just” or “justified” in the first place? That is a fairly philosophical question. What makes a form of transportation “best” or “better” than another? Isn’t that a matter of personal approach? For different people, “best” might mean “safest,” “least expensive,” “most environmentally responsible,” “stylish,” “powerful,” or “prestigious.” Obviously, in the case of the first proposition above, it means “environmentally responsible.” It would be the first job of the speaker, after introducing the speech and stating the proposition, to explain what “best form of automobile transportation” means. Then the proposition would be defended with separate arguments.

Propositions of Policy

These propositions are easy to identify because they almost always have the word “should” in them. These propositions call for a change in policy or practice (including those in a government, community, or school), or they can call for the audience to adopt a certain behavior. Speeches with propositions of policy can be those that call for passive acceptance and agreement from the audience and those that try to instigate the audience to action, to actually do something immediately or in the long-term.

Our state should require mandatory recertification of lawyers every ten years.

The federal government should act to ensure clean water standards for all citizens.

The federal government should not allow the use of technology to choose the sex of an unborn child.

The state of Georgia should require drivers over the age of 75 to take a vision test and present a certificate of good health from a doctor before renewing their licenses.

Wyeth Daniels should be the next governor of the state.

Young people should monitor their blood pressure regularly to avoid health problems later in life.

As mentioned before, the proposition determines the approach to the speech, especially the organization. Also as mentioned earlier in this chapter, the exact phrasing of the proposition should be carefully done to be reasonable, positive, and appropriate for the context and audience. In the next section we will examine organizational factors for speeches with propositions of fact, value, and policy.

Organization Based on Type of Proposition

Organization for a proposition of fact.

If your proposition is one of fact, you will do best to use a topical organization. Essentially that means that you will have two to four discrete, separate arguments in support of the proposition. For example:

Proposition: Converting to solar energy can save homeowners money.

I.         Solar energy can be economical to install.

A.       The government awards grants. B.       The government gives tax credits.

II.      Solar energy reduces power bills.

III.    Solar energy requires less money for maintenance.

IV.    Solar energy works when the power grid goes down.

Here is a first draft of another outline for a proposition of fact:

Proposition: Experiments using animals are essential to the development of many life-saving medical procedures.

I.        Research of the past shows many successes from animal experimentation.

II.      Research on humans is limited for ethical and legal reasons.

III.   Computer models for research have limitations.

However, these outlines are just preliminary drafts because preparing a speech of fact requires a great deal of research and understanding of the issues. A speech with a proposition of fact will almost always need an argument or section related to the “reservations,” refuting the arguments that the audience may be preparing in their minds, their mental dialogue. So the second example needs revision, such as:

I.        The first argument in favor of animal experimentation is the record of successful discoveries from animal research.

II.      A second reason to support animal experimentation is that re- search on humans is limited for ethical and legal reasons.

III.   Animal experimentation is needed because computer models for research have limitations.

IV.    Many people today have concerns about animal experimentation.

A.       Some believe that all experimentation is equal.

1.        There is experimentation for legitimate medical research. 2.       There is experimentation for cosmetics or shampoos.

B. Others argue that the animals are mistreated.

• There are protocols for the treatment of animals in experimentation.
• Legitimate medical experimentation follows the protocols.
• Many of the groups that protest animal experimentation have extreme views.
• Some give untrue representations.

To complete this outline, along with introduction and conclusion, there would need to be quotations, statistics, and facts with sources provided to support both the pro-arguments in Main Points I-III and the refutation to the misconceptions about animal experimentation in Subpoints A-C under Point IV.

Organization for proposition of value

A persuasive speech that incorporates a proposition of value will have a slightly different structure. As mentioned earlier, a proposition of value must first define the “value” word for clarity and provide a basis for the other arguments of the speech. The second or middle section would present the defense or “pro” arguments for the proposition based on the definition. The third section would include refutation of the counter arguments or “reservations.” The following outline draft shows a student trying to structure a speech with a value proposition. Keep in mind it is abbreviated for illustrative purposes, and thus incomplete as an example of what you would submit to your instructor, who will expect more detailed outlines for your speeches.

Proposition: Hybrid cars are the best form of automotive transportation available today.

I.        Automotive transportation that is best meets three standards. (Definition)

A.       It is reliable and durable. B.       It is fuel efficient and thus cost efficient. C.      It is therefore environmentally responsible.

II.     Studies show that hybrid cars are durable and reliable. (Pro-Ar- gument 1)

A.       Hybrid cars have 99 problems per 100 cars versus 133 problem per 100 conventional cars, according to TrueDelta, a car analysis website much like Consumer Reports. B.       J.D. Powers reports hybrids also experience 11 fewer engine and transmission issues than gas-powered vehicles, per 100 vehicles.

III.    Hybrid cars are fuel-efficient. (Pro-Argument 2)

A. The Toyota Prius gets 48 mpg on the highway and 51 mpg in the city. B. The Ford Fusion hybrid gets 47 mpg in the city and in the country.

IV.    Hybrid cars are environmentally responsible. (Pro-Argument 3)

A.  They only emit 51.6 gallons of carbon dioxide every 100 miles. B.  Conventional cars emit 74.9 gallons of carbon dioxide every 100 miles. C.  The hybrid produces 69% of the harmful gas exhaust that a conventional car does.

V.    Of course, hybrid cars are relatively new to the market and some have questions about them. (Reservations)

A. Don’t the batteries wear out and aren’t they expensive to replace?

Evidence to address this misconception.

Organization for a propositions of policy

The most common type of outline organizations for speeches with propositions of policy is problem-solution or problem-cause-solution. Typically we do not feel any motivation to change unless we are convinced that some harm, problem, need, or deficiency exists, and even more, that it affects us personally. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”As mentioned before, some policy speeches look for passive agreement or acceptance of the proposition. Some instructors call this type of policy speech a “think” speech since the persuasion is just about changing the way your audience thinks about a policy.

On the other hand, other policy speeches seek to move the audience to do something to change a situation or to get involved in a cause, and these are sometimes called a “do” speech since the audience is asked to do something. This second type of policy speech (the “do” speech) is sometimes called a “speech to actuate.” Although a simple problem-solution organization with only two main points is permissible for a speech of actuation, you will probably do well to utilize the more detailed format called Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.

This format, designed by Alan Monroe (1951), who wrote a popular speaking textbook for many years, is based on John Dewey’s reflective thinking process. It seeks to go in-depth with the many questions an audience would have in the process of listening to a persuasive speech. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence involves five steps, which should not be confused with the main points of the outline. Some steps in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence may take two points.

• Attention. This is the introduction, where the speaker brings attention to the importance of the topic as well as his or her own credibility and connection to the topic. This step will include the thesis and preview.
• Need. Here the problem is defined and defended. This step may be divided into two main points, such as the problem and the causes of it, since logically a solution should address the underlying causes as well as the external effects of a problem. It is important to make
• Satisfaction. A need calls for satisfaction in the same way a problem requires a solution. This step could also, in some cases, take up two main points. Not only does the speaker present the solution and describe it, but they must also defend that it works and will address the causes of the problem as well as the symptoms.
• Visualization. This step looks to the future either positively or negatively. If positive, the benefits from enacting or choosing the solution are shown. If negative, the disadvantages of not doing anything to solve the problem are shown. There may be times when it is acceptable to skip this step, especially if time is limited. The purpose of visualization is to motivate the audience by revealing future benefits or through fear appeals by showing future harms.
• Action. This can be the conclusion, although if the speaker really wants to spend time on moving the audience to action, the action step should be a full main point and the conclusion saved for summary and a dramatic ending. In the action step, the goal is to give specific steps for the audience to take as soon as possible to move toward solving the problem. Whereas the satisfaction step explains the solution overall, the action step gives concrete ways to begin making the solution happen.

The more concrete you can make the action step, the better. Research shows that people are more likely to act if they know how accessible the action can be. For example, if you want students to be vaccinated against the chicken pox virus (which can cause a serious disease called shingles in adults), you can give them directions to and hours for a clinic or health center where vaccinations at a free or discounted price can be obtained.

In some cases for speeches of policy, no huge problem needs solving. Or, there is a problem, but the audience already knows about it and is convinced that the problem exists and is important. In those cases, a format called “comparative advantages” is used, which focuses on how one possible solution is better than other possible ones. The organizational pattern for this kind of proposition might be topical:

I. This policy is better because… II. This policy is better because… III. This policy is better because…

If this sounds a little like a commercial that is because advertisements often use comparative advantages to show that one product is better than another. Here is an example:

Proposition: Owning the Barnes and Noble Nook is more advantageous than owning the Amazon Kindle.

I. The Nook allows owners to trade and loan books to other owners or people who have downloaded the Nook software, while the Kindle does not. II. The Nook has a color-touch screen, while the Kindle’s screen is black and grey and non-interactive. III. The Nook’s memory can be expanded through microSD, while the Kindle’s memory cannot be upgraded.

Building Upon Your Persuasive Speech Arguments

Once you have constructed the key arguments and order of points (remembering that if you use topical order, to put your strongest or most persuasive point last), it is time to be sure your points are well supported. In a persuasive speech, there are some things to consider about evidence.

First, your evidence should be from sources that the audience will find credible. If you can find the same essential information from two sources but know that the audience will find the information more credible from one source than another, use and cite the information from the more credible one. For example, if you find the same statistical data on Wikipedia and the U.S. Department of Labor’s website, cite the U.S. Department of Labor (your instructor will probably not accept the Wikipedia site anyway). Audiences also accept information from sources they consider unbiased or indifferent. Gallup polls, for example, have been considered reliable sources of survey data because unlike some organizations, Gallup does not have a cause (political or otherwise) it is supporting.

Secondly, your evidence should be new to the audience. In other words, the best evidence is that which is from credible sources and the audience has not heard before (Reinard, 1988; McCroskey, 1969). If they have heard it before and discounted it, they will not consider your argument well sup- ported. An example is telling people who smoke that smoking will cause lung cancer. Everyone in the U.S. has heard that thousands of times, but 14% of the population still smokes, which is about one in seven (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)). Many of those who smoke have not heard the information that really motivates them to quit yet, and of course quitting is very difficult. Additionally, new evidence is more attention-getting, and you will appear more credible if you tell the audience something new (as long as you cite it well) than if you use the “same old, same old” evidence they have heard before.

Third, in order to be effective and ethical, your supporting evidence should be relevant and not used out of context, and fourth, it should be timely and not out of date.

After choosing the evidence and apportioning it to the correct parts of the speech, you will want to consider use of metaphors, quotations, rhetorical devices, and narratives that will enhance the language and “listenability” of your speech. Narratives are especially good for introduction and conclusions, to get attention and to leave the audience with something dramatic. You might refer to the narrative in the introduction again in the conclusion to give the speech a sense of finality.

Next you will want to decide if you should use any type of presentation aid for the speech. The decision to use visuals such as PowerPoint slides or a video clip in a persuasive speech should take into consideration the effect of the visuals on the audience and the time allotted for the speech (as well as your instructor’s specifications). The charts, graphs, or photographs you use should be focused and credibly done.

One of your authors remembers a speech by a student about using seat belts (which is, by the way, an overdone topic). What made the speech effective in this case were photographs of two totaled cars, both of which the student had been driving when they crashed. The devastation of the wrecks and his ability to stand before us and give the speech because he had worn his seat belt was effective (although it didn’t say much for his driving ability). If you wanted an audience to donate to disaster relief after an earthquake in a foreign country, a few photographs of the destruction would be effective, and perhaps a map of the area would be helpful. But in this case, less is more. Too many visual aids will likely distract from your overall speech claim.

Finally, since you’ve already had experience in class giving at least one major speech prior to this one, your delivery for the persuasive speech should be especially strong. Since delivery does affect credibility (Burgoon, Birk, & Pfau, 1990), you want to be able to connect visually as you make your appeals. You want to be physically involved and have vocal variety when you tell dramatic narratives that emphasize the human angle on your topic. If you do use presentation slides, you want them to work in seamlessly, using black screens when the visuals are not necessary.

Your persuasive speech in class, as well as in real life, is an opportunity to share a passion or cause that you believe will matter to society and help the audience live a better life. Even if you are initially uncomfortable with the idea of persuasion, we use it all the time in different ways. Choose your topic based on your own commitment and experience, look for quality evidence, craft your proposition so that it will be clear and audience appropriate, and put the finishing touches on it with an eye toward enhancing your logos, ethos, and pathos.

Something to Think About

Go to YouTube and look for “Persuasive Speeches by College Students.” There are quite a few. Here’s one example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNr7Fx-SM1Y.

Do you find this speech persuasive? Why or why not? Based on the content of this chapter, what did the speaker do correctly or perhaps not so correctly that affected his or her persuasiveness?

Sample Outline: Persuasive Speech Using Topical Pattern

By janet aguilar.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classmates to eliminate their Facebook use.

Introduction: There she was late into the night still wide awake starring at her phone’s screen. In fact, she had to be at work early in the morning, but scrolling through her Facebook account kept her awake. That girl was me before I deactivated my Facebook account. I honestly could not tell you how many hours I spent on Facebook. In the survey that I presented to you all, one person admitted to spending “too much” time on Facebook. That was me in the past, I spent too much time on Facebook. Time is precious and once it is gone it does not return. So why do you spend precious time on Facebook? Time that could be spent with family, resting, or just being more productive.

Thesis/Preview: Facebook users should eliminate their usage because Facebook can negatively affect their relationships with others, their sleep- ing patterns and health, and their ability to focus on school work.

• Found myself ignoring my children while they spoke.
• Noticed other people doing the same thing especially in parks and restaurants.
• According to Lynn Postell-Zimmerman on hg.org, Facebook has become a leading cause for divorce.
• In the United States, 1 in 5 couples mentioned Facebook as a reason for divorce in 2009.

Transition: We have discussed how Facebook usage can lead to poor relationships with people, next we will discuss how Facebook can affect your sleep patterns and health.

• In my survey 11 students said they checked their Facebook account before bed.
• Staying on Facebook for long hours before bed.
• According to researchers Steels, Wickham and Acitelli in an article in the Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology titled “Seeing everyone else’s highlight reels: How Facebook usage is linked to depressive symptoms,” because Facebook users only view the positive of their friend’s life they become unhappy with their life and it can lead to becoming depressed and unhappy.
• Marissa Maldonado on psychcentral.com, concluded from recent studies that, “Facebook increases people’s anxiety levels by making them feel inadequate and generating excess worry and stress.”
• Checking Facebook everywhere we go is a sign of addiction
• Not being able to deactivate your Facebook account.

Transitions: Many of you have probably never though as Facebook as a threat to your health, but we will now review how it can affect you as a college student.

• I often found myself on Facebook instead of doing school- work.
• I was constantly checking Facebook which takes away from study time.
• I also found myself checking Facebook while in class, which can lead to poor grades and getting in trouble with the professor.
• A study of over 1,800 college students showed a negative relationship between amount of Facebook time and GPA, as reported by Junco in a 2012 article titled, “Too much face and not enough books” from the journal Computers and Human Behavior.

Conclusion: In conclusion, next time you log on to Facebook try deactivating your account for a few day and see the difference. You will soon see how it can bring positive changes in your family relationships, will avoid future health problems, will help you sleep better, and will improve your school performance. Instead of communicating through Facebook try visiting or calling your close friends. Deactivating my account truly helped me, and I can assure you we all can survive without Facebook.

Junco, R. (2012). Too much face and not enough books: The relationship between multiple indices of Facebook use and academic performance.

Computers in Human Behavior, 28(1), 187-198.

Maldonado, M. (2014). The anxiety of Facebook. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-anxiety-of-facebook/

Postell-Zimmerman, L. (1995-2015). Facebook has become a leading cause in divorce cases. HG.org. Retrieved from http://www.hg.org/article.as- p?id=27803

Reedy, C. (2015, March 2). Too much Facebook leads to envy and depression. CNNMoney. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/02/ technology/facebook-envy/

Steers, M. L. N., Wickham, R. E., & Acitelli, L. K. (2014). Seeing everyone else’s highlight reels: How Facebook usage is linked to depressive symp toms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 33(8), 701-731. DOI: 10.1521/jscp.2014.33.8.701

Sample Outline: Persuasive Speech Using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Pattern

Speech to Actuate: Sponsoring a Child in Poverty

Specific Purpose: to actuate my audience to sponsor a child through an agency such as Compassion International.

Introduction (Attention Step)

• How much is $38? That answer depends on what you make, what you are spending it for, and what you get back for it. (Grabber)
• $38 per month breaks down to a little more than $1.25 per day, which is probably what you spend on a snack or soda in the break room. For us, it’s not very much. (Rapport)
• I found out that I can provide better health care, nutrition, and even education for a child in Africa, South America, or Asia for the $38 per month by sponsoring a child through Compassion International. (Credibility)
• If I can do it, maybe you can too: (Bridge)

Thesis: Through a minimal donation each month, you can make the life of a child in the developing world much better.

Preview: In the next few minutes I would like to discuss the problem, the work of organizations that offer child sponsorships, how research shows they really do alleviate poverty, and what you can do to change the life of a child

I.        The problem is the continued existence and effects of poverty. (Need Step)

A.       Poverty is real and rampant in much of the world.

1.        According to a 2018 report of the Secretary General of the United Nations, 9.2% of the world lives on less than $1.90 per day.

a.       That is 600 million people on the planet.

2.       This number is supported by the World Poverty clock of the World Data Lab, which states that 8% of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty.

a.       The good news is that this number is one third of what it was in 1990, mostly due to the rising middle class in Asia. b.       The bad news is that 70% of the poor will live in Africa, with Nigeria labeled the “Poverty Capital of the World,” according to the Brookings Institute.

B.       Poverty means children do not get adequate health care.

1.        One prevalent but avoidable disease is malaria, which takes the lives of 3000 children every day, according to UNICEF. 2.       According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal diseases claimed 2.46 million lives in 2012 and is the second leading cause of death of children under 5.

C.      Poverty means children do not get adequate nutrition, as stated in a report from UNICEF.

1.        Inadequate nutrition leads to stunted growth. 2.       Undernutrition contributes to more than one third of all deaths in children under the age of five.

D.      Poverty means children are unlikely to reach adult age, according to the CIA World Fact Book quoted on the Infoplease website.

1.        Child mortality rate in Africa is 8.04% (percentage dying before age 5), while in North American is .64% 2.       Life expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa is almost 30 years less than in the U.S.

E.       Poverty also means children are unlikely to receive education and be trained for profitable work.

1.        Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names, states the Global Issues website on Poverty Facts. 2.       UNESCO, a part of the United Nations, reports that less than a third of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa have completed primary education.

Transition: Although in all respects poverty is better in 2019 than it has been in the past, poverty is still pervasive and needs to be addressed.

Fortunately, some great organizations have been addressing this for many years.

II.             Some humanitarian organizations address poverty directly through child sponsorships. (Satisfaction Step)

A.       These organizations vary in background but not in purpose. The following information is gleaned from each organization’s websites.

1.        Compassion International is faith-based, evangelical.

a.       Around since early 1950s, started in Korea. b.       Budget of $887 Million. c.       Serves 1.92 million babies, children, and young adults. d.      Works through local community centers and established churches.

2.       World Vision is faith-based, evangelical.

a.       Around since the 1950s. b.       Budget of far over $1 Billion. c.        60% goes to local community programs but more goes to global networks, so that 86% goes to services. d.      World Vision has more extensive services than child sponsorship, such as water purification and disaster relief. e.        Sponsors three million children across six continents

3.        Children International is secular.

a.       Around since 1936. b.       Budget of $125 Million. c.        88% of income goes directly to programs and children. d.       Sponsors children in ten countries on four continents e.        Sponsors X across X continents

4.        Save the Children is secular, through…

a.       One hundred years of history, began in post WWI Europe. b.       Budget of $880 Million. c.        87% goes to services. d.       Sponsors 134 million children in 120 countries, including 450,000 in U.S.

5.       There are other similar organizations, such as Child- Fund and PlanUSA.

B.       These organizations work directly with local community, on-site organizations.

1.        The children are involved in a program, such as after school. 2.       The children live with their parents and siblings. 3.       The sponsor’s donation goes for medicine, extra healthy, nutritious food, shoes for school, and other items. 4.        Sponsors can also help donate for birthdays and holidays to the whole family to buy food or farm animals.

Transition: Of course, any time we are donating money to an organization, we want to be sure our money is being effectively and ethnically used.

III.          This concern should be addressed in two ways: Is the money really helping, and are the organizations honest? (Continuation of Satisfaction Step)

A.       The organizations’ honesty can be investigated.

1.        You can check through Charity Navigator. 2.       You can check through the Better Business Bureau-Charity. 3.       You can check through Charity Watch. 4.       You can check through the organizations’ websites.

B.       Secondly, is sponsoring a child effective? Yes.

1.        According to Bruce Wydick, Professor of Economics at the University of San Francisco, child sponsorship is the fourth most effective strategy for addressing poverty, behind water purification, mosquito nets, and deworming treatments. 2.       Dr. Wydick and colleagues’ work has been published in the prestigious Journal of Political Economy from the University of Chicago. 3.       He states, “Two researchers and I recently carried out a study (sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development) on the long-term impacts of Compassion International’s child sponsorship program. The study, gathering data from over 10,000 individuals in six countries, found substantial impact on adult life outcomes for children who were sponsored through Compassion’s program during the 1980s and ’90s…In adulthood, formerly sponsored children were far more likely to complete secondary school and had a much higher chance of having a white-collar job. They married and had children later in life, were more likely to be church and community leaders, were less likely to live in a home with a dirt floor and more likely to live in a home with electricity.”

Transition: To this point I have spoke of global problems and big solutions. Now I want to bring it down to real life with one example.

IV.           I’d like to use my sponsored child, Ukwishaka in Rwanda, as an example of how you can. (Visualization Step)

A.       I have sponsored her for five years. B.       She is now ten years old. C.       She lives with two siblings and both parents. D.      She writes me, I write her back, and we share photos at least every two months. E.       The organization gives me reports on her project. F.       I hope one day to go visit her. G. I believe Ukwishaka now knows her life can be more, can be successful.

Transition: We have looked at the problem of childhood poverty and how reliable, stable nongovernmental organizations are addressing it through child sponsorships. Where does that leave you?

• Although I sponsor her through Compassion International, there are other organizations.
• First, do research.
• You don’t want to start and have to stop.
• Look for places you “waste” money during the month and could use it this way.
• Fewer snacks from the break room, fewer movies at the Cineplex, brown bag instead of eating out.
• Talk to a representative at the organization you like.
• Discuss it with your family.
• Write your child regularly.

Consider helping the family, or getting friends to help with extra gifts.

I.        In this speech, we have taken a look at the state of poverty for children on this planet, at organizations that are addressing it through child sponsorships, at the effectiveness of these programs, and what you can do.

II.      My goal today was not to get an emotional response, but a realistically compassionate one.

III.   You have probably heard this story before but it bears repeating. A little girl was walking with her mother on the beach, and the sand was covered with starfish. The little girl wanted to rescue them and send them back to the ocean and kept throwing them in. “It won’t matter, Honey,” said her mother. “You can’t get all of them back in the ocean.” “But it will matter to the ones that I do throw back,” the little girl answered.

IV.    We can’t sponsor every child, but we can one, maybe even two. As Forest Witcraft said, “What will matter in 100 years is that I made a difference in the life of a child.” Will you make a difference?

AGScientific. (2019). Top ten deadly diseases in the world. Retrieved from http://agscientific.com/blog/2016/04/top-10-deadly-diseases/

Compassion International. (2019). Financial integrity: The impact of our compassion. Retrieved from https://www.compassion.com/about/finan – cial.htm

Children’s International. (2019). Accountability. Retrieved from https:// www.children.org/learn-more/accountability

Global Issues. (2013, January 7 ). Poverty facts and stats. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

Infoplease. (2019). What life expectancy really means. Retrieved form https://www.infoplease.com/world/health-and-social-statistics/life-ex pectancy-countries-0

Kharas, H., Hamel, K., & Hofer, M. (2018, Dec. 13). Rethinking global poverty reduction in 2019. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/ blog/future-development/2018/12/13/rethinking-global-poverty-reduction-in-2019/

Roser, M. (2019). Child and infant mortality rates. Retrieved from https:// ourworldindata.org/child-mortality

Save the Children. (2019). Financial information. Retrieved from https:// www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/financial-information

UNICEF. (2008). Tracking progress on child and maternal nutrition: A survival and development priority . Retrieved from https://www.unicef. org/publications/files/Tracking_Progress_on_Child_and_Maternal_Nutrition_EN_110309.pdf

UNICEF 2019. The reality of Malaria. Retrieved from https://www.unicef. org/health/files/health_africamalaria.pdf

United Nations. (2019). Poverty eradication. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/povertyeradication

World Vision. (2019). Financial accountability. Retrieved from https:// www.worldvision.org/about-us/financial-accountability-2

Wydick, B., Glewwe, P., & Rutledge, L. (2013). Does international child sponsorship work? A six-country study of impacts on adult life out- comes. Journal of Political Economy, 121 (2), 393–436. https://doi. org/10.1086/670138

Wydick, B. (2012, Feb.). Cost-effective compassion. Christianity Today, 56 (2), 24-29.

Wydick, B. (2013). Want to change the world? Sponsor a child. Christianity Today, 57 (5), 20–27.

Exploring Public Speaking Copyright © by Edited by Nicolet College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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10 Tips: How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech That Will Captivate Your Audience

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to give a speech? Whether you’re a seasoned public speaker or a novice, speaking in front of an audience can be a daunting task. It’s not easy to capture the attention of your listeners and persuade them to take action. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we will provide you with 10 tips on how to write and structure a persuasive speech that will captivate your audience.

The first tip is to clearly define your topic. Make sure you have a well-defined and specific topic that you will be speaking about. This will help you stay focused and ensure that your speech is clear and concise. It’s also important to choose a topic that you are passionate about and that you have a good understanding of. When you are enthusiastic about your topic, it will be easier to persuade your audience to share your point of view.

Next, it’s important to do your research. Make sure you gather all the necessary information and facts to support your argument. This will add credibility to your speech and make your audience more likely to be persuaded. Use examples, statistics, and expert opinions to back up your statements.

It’s also important to address any possible objections or obstacles that your audience may have. Show them that you understand their concerns and provide solutions to their problems. This will make your speech more convincing and show that you have thought through all the possible scenarios. It’s important to be empathetic and understanding when presenting your argument.

By following these 10 tips, you will become a persuasive speaker who can captivate any audience. Remember to choose a clear and specific topic, do your research, use clear and concise statements, provide evidence and examples, address possible objections, and end with a strong call to action. Keep practicing and refining your speechs, and you will become an expert in no time!

Tips for Writing and Structuring a Persuasive Speech That Captivates Your Audience

1. Use thorough analysis: Before you start writing your speech, take the time to thoroughly analyze your topic. Understand the problem, cause, and potential solutions, and gather relevant evidence and references.

2. Clearly state your thesis: Your thesis statement should clearly communicate the main point or argument of your speech. Make sure it is concise and impactful, serving as a guiding theme throughout your speech.

3. Provide examples and evidence: To support your arguments, use specific examples and evidence that are relevant and relatable to your audience. This will help them understand your point of view and increase the persuasiveness of your speech.

4. Incorporate sound and conversational language: Use language that is easy to understand and flows naturally. A conversational tone will make your speech more relatable and engaging for your audience.

5. Set the mood: Consider the mood you want to create for your speech. Is it serious or lighthearted? Depending on the occasion and topic, choose the appropriate tone and language to create the desired atmosphere.

7. Keep your audience actively engaged: Throughout your speech, actively engage your audience by asking rhetorical questions , inviting them to think, or using other interactive techniques. This will help maintain their interest and participation.

8. Balance emotion and logic: Persuasive speeches often rely on both emotional and logical appeals. Find the right balance between appealing to your audience’s emotions and presenting strong logical arguments.

9. Use storytelling to make your points: Telling stories can be a powerful way to make your points more relatable and memorable. Use anecdotes or real-life examples to illustrate your arguments and connect with your audience on a personal level.

10. Utilize additional resources: Consider incorporating additional resources such as visuals, props, or audio clips to enhance your speech. These can add depth and variety to your presentation and help keep your audience engaged.

By following these tips, you can write and structure a persuasive speech that captivates your audience and effectively delivers your message. Remember to keep practicing and refining your skills to become an even more persuasive and impactful speaker.

Define Your Goal

For example, if your goal is to persuade your audience to support a new policy aimed at helping children in need, your speech should clearly present the advantages of the proposed policy and how it can solve the problems they are facing. You might want to give concrete examples of how the policy has positively affected other children in similar situations.

Once you have defined your goal and identified your target audience, you can start structuring your speech accordingly. The body of your speech should be well-organized and logically structured to persuade your audience. One effective approach is the problem-solution structure, where you first present the problem and its impact, and then offer a solution or a series of solutions.

Furthermore, it is important to back up your persuasive points with concrete evidence. This can be done by providing statistics, studies, expert opinions, or personal stories that support your arguments. Visualizations such as graphs or charts can also help emphasize your main points and make them more memorable.

Establish Your Purpose

There are three main purposes for a persuasive speech:

1. Informative: You might want to inform your audience about a particular topic or issue. In this case, your goal is to provide them with new information and help them understand the topic better.

2. Persuasive: The most common purpose for a persuasive speech is to persuade your audience to take a specific action or adopt a certain viewpoint. You want to convince them that your idea or argument is the right one.

3. Entertaining: Sometimes, the purpose of a persuasive speech is simply to entertain and engage the audience. This is often the case for speeches given at events or conferences.

When writing your speech, keep in mind the governing principle of persuasive speaking: “Show, don’t tell.” Instead of simply telling your audience what you want them to believe or do, provide them with examples, facts, and evidence that support your argument. Use storytelling and vivid examples to create a picture in their minds and help them see things from your perspective.

To persuade your audience, it’s also important to consider their attitudes and beliefs. Think about what obstacles or objections they might have and how you can address them. Anticipate their questions and concerns, and be prepared to solve them persuasively.

Finally, don’t forget to consider the time and place where you’ll be delivering your speech. Adjust your content and tone accordingly. For example, if you’re giving a speech to children, you’ll need to use simpler language and examples that are relevant to their lives. On the other hand, if you’re speaking to a more mature audience, you can use more complex language and references.

By following these tips and considering your audience, purpose, and structure, you can create a persuasive speech that will captivate your audience and leave a lasting impact.

Additional Resources:

– Persuasive Patterns Used in Speech Writing

– Examples of Persuasive Speeches

Know Your Audience

1. gather information.

Before you start writing your speech, take the time to gather as much information as possible about your audience. This includes not only demographic information like age, gender, and education level, but also their beliefs, values, and interests. The more you know about your audience, the better you can tailor your message to their specific needs and desires.

2. Use Concrete Examples

One key to persuading your audience is to use concrete examples that they can relate to. Instead of making vague statements, provide specific examples that demonstrate the impact of your argument. This helps your audience visualize your point and makes it more likely that they will be persuaded to take action.

3. Balance Persuasive and Informative Elements

A persuasive speech should strike a balance between providing information and making a strong argument. While you want to provide your audience with the necessary facts and evidence to support your claims, it’s important to also use persuasive techniques to motivate them to take action. Make sure that your speech includes both informative and persuasive elements to effectively convince your audience.

4. Consider the Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

When structuring your persuasive speech, you can use the Monroe’s Motivated Sequence as a model. This sequence includes five steps: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. By following this structure, you can effectively move your audience from being unaware or uninterested to actively motivated to take action.

5. Provide References and Resources

To make your argument more persuasive, provide references and resources to back up your claims. This could include citing studies, quoting experts, or referencing reliable sources. By providing supporting evidence, you can increase your credibility and make your argument more convincing.

6. Understand Cultural and Contextual Differences

Keep in mind that different audiences may have different cultural and contextual backgrounds. It’s important to consider these differences when crafting your speech. Be aware of any potential cultural sensitivities and strive to be inclusive in your language and examples.

7. Appeal to Emotions

While it’s important to appeal to your audience’s logic with facts and evidence, don’t underestimate the power of emotions. Emotions can play a powerful role in persuading your audience. Use storytelling and emotional language to connect with your listeners on a deeper level and make your message more impactful.

8. Know the Purpose of Your Speech

Before you start writing, clearly define the purpose of your persuasive speech. Are you trying to inspire action, change attitudes, or inform your audience? Understanding your purpose will help you create a clear and focused message that aligns with your goals.

9. Keep Your Message Clear and Concise

In a persuasive speech, it’s important to keep your message clear, concise, and to the point. Avoid rambling or going off on tangents. Stick to your main points and avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information. Remember, brevity is key to capturing your audience’s attention and keeping them engaged.

10. Consider the Structural Balance

When organizing your speech, strive for a structural balance. This means presenting both sides of the argument but ultimately focusing on your own position. By acknowledging opposing viewpoints and addressing counterarguments, you can strengthen your own argument and make it more persuasive.

By knowing your audience and effectively tailoring your speech to their needs and interests, you can create a persuasive speech that captures their attention and motivates them to take action.

Develop a Strong Opening

• Start with an attention-grabbing question or statement: Begin your speech with a thought-provoking question or a surprising statement that relates to your topic. This will immediately engage your audience and make them curious to know more.
• Use storytelling or an anecdote: Storytelling is a powerful tool that can help you connect with your audience on a personal level. Start your speech with a short story or anecdote that illustrates the importance of your topic and its impact on people’s lives.
• Include relevant data or statistics: Numbers and statistics can be persuasive and compelling. Incorporate relevant data or statistics that support your main points and make them more convincing.
• Use a quote or a famous saying: Quotes from respected individuals or famous sayings can add credibility and authority to your speech. Choose a quote that relates to your topic and supports your main argument.
• Create a sense of urgency: Highlight the importance of your topic and emphasize the need for immediate action. Make your audience understand that the issue you are addressing requires their attention and action.

Remember, your goal is to captivate your audience from the very beginning and persuade them to listen to your message. By utilizing these strategies, you can create a strong opening that will leave a lasting impression and set the stage for a persuasive speech.

Create a Logical Structure

There are several different ways to structure a persuasive speech. One common approach is to use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, which includes five steps: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. This pattern allows you to gradually build up your argument, present evidence, and create a clear call to action.

Another approach is to organize your speech around a series of main points or arguments. This can be done in a sequential manner, where each point builds upon the previous one, or in a comparative manner, where you compare and contrast different perspectives or solutions. Whichever approach you choose, make sure to clearly outline your main points and use supporting evidence to strengthen your arguments.

In addition to these structural models, you can also draw inspiration from academic research on persuasive speaking and rhetorical analysis. For example, you can analyze the structural patterns used by renowned speakers and use them as a model for your own speech. You can also use rhetorical devices such as repetition, questions, and storytelling to make your speech more engaging and memorable.

When creating the structure of your speech, it’s essential to consider your audience’s knowledge and interests. Tailor your arguments and examples to fit their understanding level, and use language that they can easily comprehend. By doing so, you will increase their empathy and engagement with your message.

One technique that can help you create a logical structure is to break your speech into smaller sections or subsections. This allows you to address different aspects of your topic in a clear and organized manner. For example, if you were giving a speech about obesity, you could have sections on the causes of obesity, the health risks associated with it, and the potential solutions.

It’s also important to balance the amount of information you provide in your speech. While you want to provide enough evidence and examples to support your arguments, overwhelming your audience with too much information can be counterproductive. Make sure to only include the most relevant and compelling points.

Key takeaways:

• Create a logical structure that guides your audience through your arguments.
• Consider using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence or organizing your speech around main points.
• Use rhetorical devices and storytelling to make your speech more engaging.
• Tailor your arguments and language to fit your audience’s knowledge and interests.
• Break your speech into smaller sections to address different aspects of your topic.
• Balance the amount of information you provide to avoid overwhelming your audience.

What is the importance of using the negative to persuade in a speech?

Using the negative to persuade in a speech is important because it allows the speaker to highlight potential problems or negative consequences associated with not taking action or not supporting their point of view. This can create a sense of urgency and motivate the audience to consider the speaker’s argument more seriously.

How can using the negative in a persuasive speech help to captivate the audience?

Using the negative in a persuasive speech can captivate the audience by appealing to their emotions and fears. By highlighting the potential negative outcomes or consequences of not following the speaker’s advice or point of view, the audience becomes more emotionally engaged and invested in the speaker’s message.

Can you give me an example of using the negative in a persuasive speech?

Sure! For example, if the speaker is advocating for stricter gun control laws, they could use the negative by discussing the potential negative consequences of not having stricter regulations, such as increased gun violence or more mass shootings. By highlighting these negative outcomes, the speaker can persuade the audience to support their proposed changes.

Are there any potential drawbacks or risks to using the negative to persuade in a speech?

Yes, there are potential drawbacks to using the negative in a persuasive speech. It is important for the speaker to strike a balance between emphasizing the negative consequences and providing a positive and actionable solution or alternative. If the speaker focuses too much on the negative, it can demotivate the audience or make them feel overwhelmed, leading them to reject the speaker’s message.

What are some techniques or strategies for effectively using the negative to persuade in a speech?

There are a few techniques that can help effectively use the negative to persuade in a speech. First, it’s important to clearly and concisely explain the negative consequences or problems associated with not following the speaker’s point of view. Second, providing examples or real-life stories that illustrate these negative outcomes can make the message more relatable and impactful. Finally, offering a solution or alternative that addresses and mitigates these negative consequences can empower the audience and make them more receptive to the speaker’s persuasive efforts.

How can I make my speech more persuasive?

There are several ways to make your speech more persuasive. Firstly, you need to clearly state your argument and provide evidence to support it. Secondly, use emotional appeals to connect with your audience and make them care about your topic. Thirdly, anticipate and address counterarguments to strengthen your position. Lastly, use strong and confident language to convey your message.

What strategies can I use to persuade my audience using negative tactics?

When using negative tactics to persuade your audience, it is important to be cautious and use them sparingly. One strategy is to highlight the potential negative consequences of not taking action on your topic. This can create a sense of urgency and motivate your audience to support your argument. Another strategy is to use contrast, by presenting the negative aspects of the current situation and then offering a positive alternative or solution.

By Alex Koliada, PhD

Alex Koliada, PhD, is a well-known doctor. He is famous for studying aging, genetics, and other medical conditions. He works at the Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics. His scientific research has been published in the most reputable international magazines. Alex holds a BA in English and Comparative Literature from the University of Southern California , and a TEFL certification from The Boston Language Institute.

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• How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

• Catch your reader’s attention.
• Give background on your topic.
• Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Table of contents

Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

• Braille was an extremely important invention.
• The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly  why the topic is important.

• The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
• The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

• Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

• Historical, geographical, or social context
• An outline of the debate you’re addressing
• A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
• Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A  good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

• Argumentative
• Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

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How to Become More Persuasive at Work

If you’re a leader, you need to know how to influence people.

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If you’re a leader, you need to know how to influence people. Maybe you’re trying to get clients to buy into your idea, trust your expertise, or sign on with your company. Or perhaps you want to convince colleagues to start a new initiative or kill one you think is doomed to fail.

In this episode, Vanessa Bohns , a professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, and Raven Hoffman , who works in a construction role that involves recruiting new clients to her firm, break down how to build influence at work.

They discuss which persuasion tactics are most effective and how to tell if someone is being swayed by your reasoning. And if you’ve failed to persuade someone but still believe in the cause, they offer smart tactics for trying again.

Key episode topics include: leadership, persuasion, power and influence, business communication, industrial sector, construction and engineering, education institutions.

HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.

• Listen to the original Women at Work episode: The Essentials: Persuading People (2022)
• Find more episodes of Women at Work .
• Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org .

HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR On Leadership , case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you. We all need to be persuasive. Maybe you’re trying to get clients to buy into your idea, trust your expertise, or sign on with your company. Or perhaps you want to convince colleagues to start a new initiative, or kill one you think is doomed to fail.  Today we bring you a conversation about how to build influence at work – with the help of Vanessa Bohns, a professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University and the author of the book You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters,  and Raven Hoffman, who works in a construction role that involves recruiting new clients to her firm. In this episode, you’ll learn which persuasion tactics are the most effective and how to tell if someone is being swayed by your reasoning. And if you’ve failed to persuade someone but still believe in the cause, you’ll learn some smart tactics for trying again. This episode originally aired on Women at Work in April 2022, as part of a special series called “The Essentials.” Here it is.

AMY GALLO: You’re listening to Women at Work from Harvard Business Review. I’m Amy Gallo. Raven Hoffman, like a lot of us, is trying to figure out how to better persuade others. She works in the construction industry as a senior estimator at a tile and stone contractor.

RAVEN HOFFMAN: I spend my entire day looking at blueprints pricing things out, convincing guys I know what I’m talking about, telling the guys what to do so that they do it right when they get to the job. Not much time at my desk, I get up and I’m out in the warehouse looking for stuff, I’m on the phone calling people. Most of my day is putting out fires.

AMY GALLO: Construction is one of the most male-dominated industries in the world. Raven has been in it for twenty years thriving and with no plans to leave. Lately, though, she’s been struggling with a new important part of her job, selling people she hasn’t met before on doing business with her and her company. Conversations and meetings she’s initiated haven’t consistently forged the sorts of trusting relationships that lead to contracts. xBut Raven’s determined to become more persuasive with prospective and existing clients, as well as with long time colleagues. So, she was excited, as was I, to talk to and learn from a woman who studied and mastered this skill. Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist. She teaches at Cornell and is the author of the book, You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion and Why it Matters , and she’s here with advice for pitching ideas, preempting people from doubting your expertise and getting coworkers to start or stop doing something. Raven, Vanessa, thank you so much for joining us on the show today.

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Thank you for the invitation.

VANESSA BOHNS: Yeah. Thanks so much for having me.

AMY GALLO: So, Raven, I want to start with you and understand a little bit more about your work and where exactly you feel like you have influence and where you think you currently lack influence.

RAVEN HOFFMAN: So, I am fortunate. The company I work for, the current ownership came on when their grandmother was running the company; they believe in hiring strong women. They believe in letting us do what we do best. So, I feel they listen within the company. So often externally, my knowledge seems to be under question.

AMY GALLO: Is that with customers, with subcontractors?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Customers. So often I will call with an issue on a project to say, “I foresee this as an upcoming problem,” and the response I will get is, “Hey, is your boss there? Can I talk to him about it?” Usually I transfer them over to him and he laughs at them and says, “You need to talk to Raven. She knows what’s going on more than I do,” and sends them back. But I think they’ve already disengaged from me as an authority who knows what she’s talking about.

AMY GALLO: Okay. So, Vanessa, in your research, you explore people’s perception of their influence and how that compares with reality. Your book is called You Have More Influence Than You Think. What did you hear in Raven’s answer there that speaks to the common perceptions or misperceptions that women tend to have about their power to be persuasive?

VANESSA BOHNS: So, I definitely hear some elements of the difference between the way we use stereotypes to understand people we don’t know well. If I go into an interaction with someone and I don’t know how to behave with this person, I don’t know what I think of this person, stereotypes guide us in a sort of way of thinking about this person and how this interaction is going to go, and unfortunately, still in many places in the world, seeing a woman brings to mind the stereotype that they don’t have as much expertise as me, particularly if it’s in a field that it tends to be a male dominated field. On the other hand, describing these people who really do know you, who know that you have this expertise or you have these established relationships, now they don’t need to rely on a stereotype, right? They actually know you they’ve gotten to know you. So, this is very sort of classic way of coding people that we don’t know. One of the things that women tend to get sort of dinged on, in terms of the stereotypes, is this idea that we aren’t authorities on something. Again, particularly if it’s in a sort of male dominated field.

AMY GALLO: Like construction, right?

VANESSA BOHNS: Exactly. Right. So, one thing that we know from the influence literature is that we listen to people who we think are authorities. If someone we think knows what they’re talking about, tells us that we should do something, not surprisingly, we assume that we should do it more so than if we think, oh, this person doesn’t know what they’re talking about. But women often face this sort of double whammy. So, there’s this coding of like, Okay, this person is not as much of an authority as maybe their male counterpart. But women also often struggle to profess their own authority. I was part of something called the op-ed project, where we learn how to write op-eds to get more female and underrepresented minorities into public discourse, and one of the activities they had us do was to establish our authority. Why am I the one to write this op-ed? So, we would go around the room and we would say, “Here’s who I am. I went to this school, I have this background…” and women with these extraordinary backgrounds would play them down. Women who had done amazing things were like, “yeah, I know how to do this little thing,” when in fact they had studied it for, like, ten years and were masters at it. So, one thing women can struggle to do at times is to make up for that authority gap that we’re missing by actually professing our authority by saying, “Hi, I’m so and so. Here’s my long list of expertise and this is why I’m talking to you.” Right? To say, “Okay, you may have had a stereotype about me. We’re going to get rid of that right here and now, and I’m going to tell you exactly why I have the authority to be talking to you.” At the same time, women tend to hesitate to do that. So, in this case, the fact that they’re just saying, “you should talk to Raven,” without giving you that buildup… I think it’s kind of putting you at a disadvantage.

AMY GALLO: Raven, how do you introduce yourself when you’re working with new clients? Have you tried what Vanessa’s describing?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: I have not, and I’m really intrigued about what that would end up looking like in a conversation – to not come across as arrogant and, “Hey, I know you’re new. So let me pile on you how many years I’ve been doing this and how much I know,” and then try to build the relationship, is how I perceive something like that. So, I’m wondering how you would work that into the conversation and have that dialogue without coming across as arrogant.

VANESSA BOHNS: That’s exactly why the women in my group hesitated to talk about all their accolades was because they were worried they were going to come across as bragging and arrogant. Really what people often talk about when we’re judged by other people, we’re judged on two main things: warmth and competence, and women tend to be judged even more on warmth. So, if we overplay our competence, people think we’re cold and that’s where we come across as arrogant, et cetera. So, the best way, unfortunately, to sort of counteract that is to couple your expressions of competence with something warm. So, it could be something like, “I am so excited to work with you because I have worked with so many other clients, I have worked with these big clients,” or whatever it is that sounds really good. “I have been working in this field for fifteen years or twenty years because I just love it, and so I can’t wait to work with you.” So, something that says, “look at all this experience I have,” but in this warm, friendly, cooperative sort of way.

AMY GALLO: How does that land with you, Raven?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: I like that. I can do that.

AMY GALLO: Yeah. I mean, I can even imagine something simple – and Vanessa, tell me if this would work – but even saying, “I’ve been assigned to this project because I’ve done 4,000 just like it. I’m really excited to collaborate with you to get your project done on time and under budget,” or whatever metrics matter to your clients. What do you think of that?

VANESSA BOHNS: Yeah, I think that would be great. As you said, you want to know the metrics that matter to them – like what would establish to them that you’re an expert and you put that out there and you just add something that says, “and I’m telling you this so that we can have a great relationship, and so I can be helpful,” and I think that gets that across for sure.

AMY GALLO: Raven, I can imagine that you do a lot of influencing already. Can you tell me about a time where you needed to persuade people at work to either do something or to stop doing something and it was successful?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Most recently there was a product line that I wanted to bring back on that we had carried for a while and did not. I went in, presented the facts of what products they had that were good that filled gaps. I stuck to the facts. I knew what I needed to present, and we brought the line back on. It has worked very well for us.

AMY GALLO: And can you give us an example of a time where it didn’t go so well?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Yes – with my coworkers and emails and “do not reply all.” I have requested quite a few times that we don’t all need to be on these back and forth conversations between two people. If you’re having this conversation… I get a hundred plus emails a day easily. Nno one listens, and unfortunately, I’ve had a few meltdowns over it, which I’m sure did not help the persuasion. I was hoping that it was just going to be one of those things where, Raven’s had a meltdown. We don’t want another one. Let’s quit doing this. That didn’t work either work.

AMY GALLO: So, what do you hear in those two examples, Vanessa, about what worked and why, and what didn’t work and why?

VANESSA BOHNS: Yeah. It’s interesting because they are pretty different influence topics, right? One is about facts, and I imagine you sort of outlined, “here’s this thing I think we should do” to a group of people who probably were pretty expert in what you were talking about. Right? They probably knew quite a bit about it already. There’s work on the difference between when we try to influence someone on something that they know really well and care about quite a bit, and when you’re trying to do that, you really want to stick to the facts like you said, and come up with arguments because they’re going to get it. They know the counterarguments, they know their facts, they know how to interpret the facts you’re giving them and they care enough. Then there are other kinds of things we try to influence people about where they’re less expert or less invested is a big part. Right? They just don’t care that much, and so often in those cases, the facts are not going to get them to go along with you. It’s all these other sort of peripheral aspects. It’s just, are other people going along with what you said? I’m not going to pay that much attention to all your arguments for why I should do this. But as long as I know that, like, Bob is doing it, I’ll do it.

AMY GALLO: Well what about the reply all situation? Why do you think Raven was less successful there?

VANESSA BOHNS: That one I actually fascinated by because that just sparks my curiosity. Why don’t they stop doing it? Is it because they actually aren’t persuaded that they should? Is this a question of persuasion or is it something else? Is it a question of motivation or just the ease? Are they forgetting? Do you have any insight into why they haven’t stopped doing it?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: It’s easier to just hit reply all than to reply just to one person.

VANESSA BOHNS: Interesting,

AMY GALLO: In that case, what would be persuasive? And it’s funny. I know this example is, I think some might say silly, but I actually think this is something people deal with all the time. As someone who talks about conflict and difficult coworkers, I hear about the reply all messages all the time. So, I do think this is quite relevant. So, what would be persuasive?

VANESSA BOHNS: As I said, it sparks my curiosity because I can’t imagine that the reason is that they feel strongly about being able to reply all. It must be sort of an automatic behavior that they’re not even thinking about it in the moment, and so those are the kinds of things where you want to be able to change either just the default response, the norm of everybody, so that when you’re about to hit that, you’re like, “oh wait, I don’t want to be that person who hits reply all because there’s this norm that’s not a good thing to do.” Or, it could just be one of these things where it really is, they need a reminder, they forget, right? So, putting something in a signature line or putting something on people’s computers like a sticky note, something that just… It sounds like it could just be a habit that they don’t care enough to break. So, I think the ways to break habits are either to make them more automatic, right? The opposite habit, more automatic. So, you kind of get rid of just that default click, or you make it so counter normative to do that thing, that people actually do care enough to stop before they hit that button. Right? I know that enough people make fun of you here if you hit reply all, that no one wants to do that, and so many times I have actually triple-checked to make sure I didn’t accidentally hit reply all, but that’s because of a norm that’s been set. So, you could do something where you start teasing people who don’t know how to not hit reply at all, or just get some people to stop doing it, and then eventually other people stop doing it.

AMY GALLO: Yeah. Vanessa, can you tell us about an experience you’ve had recently where you’ve had to persuade someone or a group and how you used your own research to be effective at it?

VANESSA BOHNS: I was thinking actually about this person I used to work with when I first came to the job I have now, who is an incredible persuader. He just could get any group to sort of see his version, and when I first came to the job I have now, we would get together as a group and decide on a candidate to hire – that was a common thing, or a graduate student to admit… those kinds of decisions. My expectation was, we’re all going to go into this meeting and we’re all going to lay out our ideas and who we think should be the candidate, and then we’re going to make a decision right then. But I quickly learned that so much of what happened in that meeting was predetermined by all the leg work that person would do before the meeting, and it really made me realize that so much of influence is these informal conversations that you have to get people on your side, this coalition-building and setting the stage for arguments that are going to be made, and less about that sort of formal presentation. I had in my head that, like, almost movie version of someone stands up in the front of the room, gives this big presentation, and everybody’s like, “That’s the one,” and clapping. It’s this kind of formal persuasive attempt, but so much was about garnering support before you went in so that once you got into that meeting, you knew who was on your side already and you could kind of point to them. So, you could say like, “So-and-so, and I really think this person’s the best.” Right? Now, all of a sudden you’ve got a little team that’s started the momentum in that meeting. You also have done your reconnaissance so you know what people’s objections are going to be. So, you know that so-and-so cares about this and they’re probably going to say that, and so-and-so cares about this and they’re probably going to say that. So, you kind of are already lined up to be able to have a counter argument. Then you also know who’s not going to care. As long as the rest of the group is going in this direction, this person’s just going to go in that direction as well. So, now I realize that almost all of, say maybe 90%, of the attempt to persuade in a meeting happens before that meeting.

AMY GALLO: Raven, is that a tactic you’ve used? Sort of, the meetings before the meeting.

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Absolutely. Generally, if I know I’m going to be meeting with a group of people, especially if there’s somebody new in there, I kind of get a feel for who they are from people that know them. So, I know what to talk to and how to present. Some people are going to want more facts, more detail, some are going to want it as short as possible so they can get on with the rest of their day, and some are going to be entirely focused on building a relationship and not care about any of the facts. So, it’s really determining what your audience needs before you get into that meeting.

VANESSA BOHNS: So, this is kind of how I think about it, and I’m curious if this works with customers as well: pre-selling before you get into that meeting. I feel like in many cases, people feel cornered if you just give them all the information. They didn’t have anything before and you expect them to kind of make a decision there, and that’s really hard to get people to actually commit in that moment. But if you kind of pre-sell it and you’re like, “this is what I’m going to present to you,” and they’ve kind of got their mind halfway made up already. It’s so much easier in that moment to sort of close and get them the rest of the way. Would you agree with that too? Or…

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Absolutely, and I usually don’t anticipate leaving a meeting with an answer. I anticipate leaving the information with the clients and probably getting another week’s worth of questions after it.

AMY GALLO: Raven, other than the reply all situation, are there other things that you’d like your team or company to start doing or stop doing that you haven’t yet pushed for?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: I have been saying for years that we need to be more proactive about getting in with the trade schools and the high school trade programs to recruit staff, and for a lot of times I’ve just been shut down on it. It’s kind of a perception of not being quality people in those programs. Having come from an alternative school background, I highly disagree.

AMY GALLO: Yeah. Where do most employees come from now, Raven, if they’re not from these trade schools or high schools?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: At the moment, nowhere. We’re not getting applications, we’re not having any luck. We’re trying all sorts of things we have not in the past. It used to be entirely word of mouth and reference.

AMY GALLO: Right. Vanessa, any advice for Raven on how she might push this issue?

VANESSA BOHNS: Sure, and first I’ll say that it’s great that she wants to keep pushing it. Because I do think that a lot of people here know or don’t get an enthusiastic enough sort of response and assume that no is forever or there’s no way they’re going to change this person’s mind, when that’s really rarely the case. So, I think it’s great that you do want to keep pushing forward once you do have the time. I think one piece of advice that we give in negotiations a lot, if you’re kind of at a stalemate, is to ask the other party for advice – something that Zoe Chance calls “the magic question,” which is basically saying to someone, “What would it take for you to actually consider people from trade schools? What would it take for you to agree with this thing that I’m coming to you with?” What that does is that brings the other party to your side, right? So, now it’s not like a confrontation. I’m trying to convince, you’re pushing back. Right? Now, we’re both going to look at this problem from the same side and you might get some insight into the hesitations and they might even be more willing to reflect on their hesitations than you would otherwise get. Right? When you’re playing a guessing game of, I say this, and then I see if that resonates with you or not. Right? It may be that they come them back and say, “Well, if I saw this kind of data, maybe I would consider it. If I saw competitors using people from trade schools, maybe I would consider it. If you could get so-and-so on board, maybe I would consider it,” and maybe you wouldn’t have thought of one of those things. It also kind of gets them thinking a little further down. Right? So, there is a way I might consider it and it sets up an expectation. If they say, “If you could show me this, I would consider it.” Okay. Find that, and now they’ve already kind of pre-committed. So, now you have, sort of, already gotten them a little closer towards your position.

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Awesome. I can definitely do that. Vanessa, I have a question for you. I’m largely an introvert and I’m not good with soft skills. So, I’m not always good at picking up on the nonverbal cues. So, anything that can help me know what I need to be looking for other than the really blatantly obvious arms crossed, leaned away, fidgeting – what are some smaller cues out there that might indicate that I’m not being as persuasive as I would like to be?

VANESSA BOHNS: Ultimately, it’s actually really hard for people to say no, and to kind of come out and tell you, “I don’t like what you’re selling me. I don’t agree with the things that you’re saying.” Often people will sort of hem and haw instead of actually coming out and saying, “forget about it,” because people are polite at the end of the day. People want to be agreeable. They don’t want to be disagreeable. So, I do think you kind of have to look in many cases for these non-verbals – these kind of hesitations and try to lock in some enthusiasm for something. Get them talking about some real problem that they have or something they really don’t about their current situation. Something that gets them out of this sort of defensive, “I don’t want to say no, but I also don’t want to say yes,” kind of thing, and gets them opening up a little bit and maybe sharing a little bit of the problems they have, and the ways in which you could then jump in and talk about your solutions.

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Yeah.

AMY GALLO: Are there questions that people who don’t feel confident reading non-verbal cues – are there questions that you can ask to take temperature along the way to see how is this going? Again, if you’re not confident reading someone’s body language, can you be a little more explicit?

VANESSA BOHNS: I think you can be explicit, and there’s research showing actually that we hesitate to ask people questions because we think they’re going to be hesitant to answer them. But in fact, the best way to get insight into how someone’s feeling is to ask them. There’s other research showing that if you tell people, try to figure out what’s going on in this person’s mind. We think that we know what’s going on. We think we can read body language, but we’re actually pretty bad at it, and our guesses are often wrong. But if you just tell people, “ask this person what they think, ask what’s on this person’s mind,” of course, all of a sudden they’re so much more accurate because the person is quite willing to open up and say “Well, actually I wasn’t so sure about this thing that you were saying,” or, “Here’s my hesitations,” or, “Here’s the person I would have to convince.” Right? Now you kind of know what you’re dealing with. So, I definitely would say, if you can ask an open-ended question that’s like, “how do you see this potentially applying to your situation? Are you hearing things that you like in this or things that you’re not so sure about,” is a great way to take their temperature.

AMY GALLO: If this is something you’re working on and you want to be more persuasive at work, you’re going to be looking for opportunities to do this and it can feel like you’re pushing, pushing, pushing. Can you talk about, Vanessa, how pulling back on an effort or even letting an issue go all together is actually part of the skill or part of the tactic that can be effective.

VANESSA BOHNS: Yeah, it’s funny. We really have this sort of need for closure and to feel effective when we’re trying to persuade someone., and so we kind of want to know right away that we’ve made some progress at least, or that we’ve gotten somewhere and often people aren’t ready to show that, and we have to give them space to digest. But we also want to keep what we’re trying to persuade them of top-of-mind. So, gentle check-ins can be helpful. This is another sort of skill that comes from Zoe Chance – saying, “Can I follow up with you in a few days?” Or, “Can I follow up with you next week?” That says, I’m going to give you space and time to think about this, to digest what I’ve said. You’ve given me permission to follow up so I’m not just annoying you by following up. Then you can keep it top-of-mind and give them a little space. The research shows that if we’re given the chance to try to persuade someone who is completely against what we want to persuade them to believe, or someone who’s actually kind of close to what we want to persuade them to, we want to persuade the person who’s totally on the opposite side. We want to feel that satisfaction of like, I flipped that person, right? We just want that satisfaction. But in fact, it’s so much easier to persuade the person who’s closer and you’re more likely to be successful, but we tend to not derive the same kind of satisfaction. I think it’s a similar thing. It’s like, I want that “yes” right now. Right? But sometimes we just need to relax and take the small wins and take the tiny steps that are getting someone a little bit closer to where you want to close them, and be okay with patience and space.

AMY GALLO: One of the pieces of advice I’ve heard given often in sort of negotiation context, that is if you want to persuade someone, you need to demonstrate that you yourself are persuadable. Is that advice that you agree with Vanessa? And if so, how do you show that you’re willing to change your mind?

VANESSA BOHNS: Yeah, I do think that’s a really helpful sort of tactic, because one of the fundamental aspects of human behavior is reciprocity. So, I give a little, you give a little. Right? Once I give, you feel this kind of urge or this need to give a little back. No one wants to be the jerk who like… you just made this major concession and now I’m just going to stand my ground. Right? It also, I think, makes the other person feel listened to, right? If you can give something, it shows that, actually, you’re not just in it for yourself. That makes it a more cooperative integrative kind of discussion, which I think we tend to forget when we’re trying to persuade someone. We think we’re on two sides, and I’m just trying to push and you’re pulling or whatever. But when you give a little, it says, “I see your side, I am willing to consider this integratively. I’m willing to give up a little bit myself. Now, what are you willing to do?” It becomes more of a cooperative discussion.

RAVEN HOFFMAN: One of our company owners says that quite often with customers, I go from their salesperson Raven, to, by the end of the project, I’m their friend Raven. Well, if I’m their friend, they’re going to be more likely to refer me. So, it is getting to that point where they realize I do actually care. You cannot fake wanting someone to have a successful project, and they feel that.

VANESSA BOHNS: Yeah.

AMY GALLO: Yeah.

VANESSA BOHNS: So many people are uncomfortable with things like negotiation. So many people are uncomfortable with sales, and I think part of it is that discomfort makes us think of one-shot interactions. I’m just going to get in there. I’m going to do it. I’m going to make the sale. I’m going to convince someone. I’m going to get it done. When in fact, the best kinds of sales and negotiations are long term relationships, right? They’re not one-shot interactions, and as soon as you start thinking of it like that – the next time I have to sell to this person, the next time we negotiate – it changes the way you approach the one that you’re in right now, I think, for the better.

AMY GALLO: Vanessa, let’s say you have tried to persuade your boss or your team to do something and it hasn’t gone well. You’ve failed. Maybe we even talk about the reply all situation here… but you still believe it’s a cause worth pursuing or pushing. What should you do before you try again before you sort of get back in there? What do you do in your mind, or in terms of preparing yourself, to be more effective the next time around?

VANESSA BOHNS: I definitely think that this is a case where I would try to generate as much curiosity as possible because especially if I think it’s an important enough issue that I’m willing to go back and push for it, but other people don’t seem to see my side, I’d be really curious. What’s happening? What’s keeping people from doing this. How are they seeing things so differently for me? I would definitely get into question-asking mode. I would probably take a step out of my initial, I’m going to change things, I’m going to persuade kind of mode and get into, okay, I’m going to understand, I’m going to ask questions. I’m going to go and say, “I’m curious, why do you hit reply all? What is it that happens in that moment?” I think that’s where you really learn what it is that are the actual barriers to getting them to see your side, and you might actually learn that there is an advantage. They’re getting something out of doing this their way that I didn’t see, and I didn’t understand, maybe, and I find a way for them to still get that thing and still get what I need, as well. So, I think a lot of what you do next is dependent on the answers you get from those follow-up interviews after you’ve failed to persuade.

AMY GALLO: Before we wrap up, Raven, what are you taking away from this conversation? What do you feel like you might do differently?

RAVEN HOFFMAN: I’m definitely going to work on building allies when I’m going into conversations and meetings with new people. I’m going to keep in the front of my mind becoming that authority, and ways to do it gently as opposed to with a sledgehammer so that I can build those relationships because everything in life is about those continued relationships. So, if I do something incorrectly in the beginning, it can cause damage moving forward, and I want to use the correct persuasion tactics, and I’ve gotten a lot of wonderful tools to be able to do that. Thank you.

AMY GALLO: That’s great. Well, Raven, Vanessa, thank you both so much. This has been a really useful conversation for me. I’ve learned a lot, and Raven, I appreciate you sharing your experience around all-things persuasion.

RAVEN HOFFMAN: Yes. Thank you for having me, and thank you, Vanessa, for your insights. They’ve been valuable.

VANESSA BOHNS: Thank you. It’s been really, really, really interesting listening to you. Thank you, as well. Thanks for sharing.

HANNAH BATES: That was Cornell professor Vanessa Bohns and Raven Hoffman, a senior estimator for a tile and stone contractor – in conversation with Amy Gallo on Women at Work . We’ll be back next Wednesday with another hand-picked conversation about leadership from the Harvard Business Review. If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues, and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to leave us a review. We’re a production of the Harvard Business Review. If you want more podcasts, articles, case studies, books, and videos like this, find it all at HBR dot org. This episode was produced by Amanda Kersey, Anne Saini, and me, Hannah Bates. Ian Fox is our editor. Music by Coma Media. Special thanks to Rob Eckhardt, Tina Tobey Mack, Erica Truxler, Maureen Hoch, Adi Ignatius, Karen Player, Ramsey Khabbaz, Nicole Smith, Anne Bartholomew, and you – our listener. See you next week.

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Persuasive Rhetoric in “Ebonics, King, and Oakland"

• 2023 Writing Prizes

by Amatullah Hakim

Nominated by Mariya Zilberman for English 125: Writing and Academic Inquiry

Instructor Introduction

Our second project of the semester asks students to deconstruct and analyze the linguistic choices of an academic text; it asks them to comment on not only what they notice, but why what they notice matters. In Amatullah's lucid, nuanced writing, we can see the value of such close attention. Amatullah's essay begins with context, placing "Ebonics, King , and Oakland" by scholar and author Geneva Smitherman into a broader conversation about racism and linguistic discrimination. Then, by carefully revealing the architecture of Smitherman's writing, Amatullah argues that Smitherman's choices–her subtle infusion of feelings, her concessions and counters—guide even a potentially resistant reader to see Ebonics as "a deep-rooted, rich language that was born out of struggle." Amatullah's close reading serves to remind us that academic writing can be both passionate and rational; that the arguments we make are as powerful as how we make them.

— Mariya Zilberman

Persuasive Rhetoric in “Ebonics, King, and Oakland”

In modern American society, Black Americans and other marginalized communities frequently face dismissive attitudes when they attempt to address forms of racism they encounter, being characterized as overly sensitive or emotional. People with power employ this tactic in order to maintain their high status. In a roundabout way, this often causes people who have been historically oppressed to be cautious with their words, as there is a pressing need for dispassionate speech to deter dismissive reactions. As a reader interpreting “Ebonics, King, and Oakland,” by Geneva Smitherman, it seems as though she has taken proactive steps in her academic writing to avoid these false claims and contribute to the rationality of her argument. Writers often utilize specific linguistic features to “shape their texts to the expectations of their audience,” a method that Smitherman adeptly embraces in an effort to explain the use of Ebonics by Black Americans and its intersection with civil rights and social justice (Hyland 174). Through the use of conceding and countering and the aid of attitude markers, she presents a rational position to her audience while simultaneously inputting personal opinions, guiding her audience to a more comprehensive understanding of the issue.

Primarily, Geneva Smitherman aims to educate her audience by presenting her argument with an appeal to reason. Through conceding and countering, she is able to lead her audience to a fair conclusion while respectfully dismissing opposing viewpoints. Conceding and countering “supports the habit of writing with civility . . . it balances space for others’ ideas and space for one’s own ideas” (Aull 2). Conceding involves recognizing the worth or validity of an opposing viewpoint, thus allowing room for others' ideas. On the other hand, countering involves presenting the writer's distinct and differing ideas (Aull 2). Smitherman brings in several outside sources to contribute to her argument, and conceding and countering allows her to acknowledge those points while swiftly articulating her opposition to them. This phenomenon appears when she introduces the work of nineteenth-century writer, James A. Harrison. Smitherman first tells her audience that Harrison correctly defined Ebonics as being African derived, but goes on to oppose his point, saying, “. . . as far as Harrison was concerned, the African-ness in the language was pathological” (Smitherman 102). Harrison argued that Ebonics lacked proper linguistic resources, which Smitherman counters by immediately bringing up the research done by another academic, Dr. Lorenzo Dow Turner. Turner’s work draws parallels between the so-called “deficiencies” of Ebonics and popular languages in West Africa, therefore validating those differences (Smitherman 102). The discourse surrounding language origin that Smitherman addresses is very easy for her audience to navigate due to the structure of conceding and countering that she follows. Before expressing her disagreement, she makes sure to respectfully address the opposing viewpoint, which makes her appear more rational and encourages the audience to agree with her stance. In portraying herself as an educated and composed advocate, she is able to enhance her argument. Shortly after, Smitherman is discussing the shift in Ebonics research, first being carried out by a Black woman and later by European and American male scholars. The latter often portrayed Ebonics as being sexist and “associated with ‘thug-life’” (Smitherman 102). Smitherman wants to oppose this point but begins by conceding, “This should not be construed as arguing that hard-core language is not a part of Ebonics . . .” (Smitherman 103). She acknowledges and even begins to agree with the work of the European male scholars, before continuing with, “but such language is only a small part of the whole” (Smitherman 103). By beginning with a concession to the contrasting viewpoint, she reduces the chance that her audience will view her as irrational or overly upset. Conceding and countering allows her to lead her audience to a more comprehensive understanding of Ebonics that has more valid evidence and argument in its favor.

By maintaining this stance of rationality, Smitherman can subtly infuse her own opinions into her discourse through the strategic use of attitude markers, further leading her audience to agree with her viewpoint. These markers “indicate the writer's . . . attitude to propositions, conveying surprise, agreement, importance, frustration, and so on . . .” (Hyland 180). They are pivotal in helping readers navigate the unfamiliar topic of Ebonics, which may be a foreign concept even to an informed audience. When first introducing the social context of Ebonics in contemporary society, Smitherman writes that there is a “ serious lack of knowledge about the scientific approach to language as well as galling ignorance about what Ebonics is and . . . an appalling rejection of the language of everyday Black people” (Smitherman 99). The audience can clearly tell how Smitherman feels about the reception of Ebonics in the larger American society, frustrated with the arbitrary lines that white people have drawn to marginalize Black people based on their language. These carefully placed attitude markers work in tandem with the previously mentioned conceding/countering to construct an argument that balances reason and personal conviction based on her lived experience. By inserting these words, Smitherman allows the reader to understand the significance of Ebonics in Black culture the way that she does. In the example mentioned earlier regarding the study of Ebonics by white, male linguists, Smitherman writes that they, “ unfortunately , presented only the sensational, street-culture aspects of the language” (Smitherman 103). The use of the word “unfortunately” immediately alters the audience's perception of the point that is being introduced and encourages the audience to pay more attention to the work of Black Americans when discussing Ebonics, as opposed to those of European descent. Smitherman adeptly guides her readers toward the stance she advocates for by incorporating subtle expressions of her opinions. Later in her essay, Smitherman addresses the controversy of Ebonics within communities of Black Americans and how some older, assimilated, middle-class Black people would publicly reject the language. Smitherman criticizes this group, calling them “know-nothings,” and claiming they should have “read up on the subject before speaking out publicly with such ignorance” (Smitherman 102). It is important to note that this is one of the only times in the essay where Smitherman employs harsh language towards a group of people, the group being those of her own race. Smitherman meticulously chooses where and to what extent she inputs her personal emotions. She refrains from using such offensive language when speaking about white individuals, which may have been an intentional choice in order to maintain a broader audience. Throughout the piece, the attitude markers serve as precise markers that steer the opinions of the audience, and the measured severity of her attitude contributes to the rationality of her argument.

In her essay “Ebonics, King, and Oakland,” Geneva Smitherman employs attitude markers and conceding/countering to skillfully guide the perceptions of her audience. Smitherman strives to present her argument in a rational and civil manner, allowing it to have a more profound impact on her readers, who are thereby encouraged to follow the logical framework she lays out. Furthermore, the use of conceding/countering contributes to the discussion of Ebonics as a deep-rooted, rich language that was born out of struggle. By consistently bringing up ideas and then opposing them, Smitherman displays the nuance of the language and encourages the audience to consider all sides of an argument before developing an opinion, perhaps even leading them to reconsider their own biases. The attitude markers also helpfully guide the reader through a text that may be discussing a new or unfamiliar topic. They provide personal context and lead the reader to developing a stronger understanding of Ebonics on a broad scale. These features, in conjunction with several others present in this text, serve to make the writing more persuasive and easy to navigate. Smitherman’s paper not only encourages readers to consider their experience and response to Ebonics but also raises the question of other groups that are discriminated against due to differences in language. Her demonstration of policy change and action taken towards a more inclusive environment for Ebonics-speakers offers a glimmer of hope for other communities who may be experiencing similar marginalization. Smitherman’s audience is prompted to reflect on the broader implications of language-based discrimination, challenging us to consider the transformative power of inclusivity in the ever-evolving narrative of social change.

Works Cited

Aull, Laura. "Conceding and Countering." 2020. University of Michigan. Accessed 25 Oct. 2023.

Hyland, Ken. "Stance and engagement: a model of interaction in academic discourse." Discourse Studies, vol. 7, no. 2, 2005, pp. 173-192.

Smitherman, Geneva. "Ebonics, King, and Oakland." Journal of English Linguistics, vol. 26, no.2, 1998, pp. 97-107.

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