Week 3:
Speaking to Persuade
Persuasive Speech
Persuasion

The process of creating, reinforcing, or changing
people's beliefs or actions.

It involves directing, guiding, or appealing to the
thinking, logic or emotions of an individual or an
audience.

Persuasive speech in public speaking is the art of
using words to influence an audience.
The Goal is …


to get the audience to take action with regard to a
particular issue. That action may be as simple as
changing their way of thinking on a topic or as
complicated as following an action plan.
to help the listeners to accept the idea, attitude, or
action being presented by the speaker. It is
accomplished by the use of argumentation,
rationalization, symbolism, and presenting supportive
information.
Degrees of Persuasion
Strongly
Opposed
Moderately
Opposed
Slightly
Opposed
Neutral
Slightly
in Favor
Moderately
in Favor
Strongly
in Favor
Persuasion involves any movement by a listener from
left to right
Contrast between Informative & Persuasive
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Persuasive speaking urges us to choose from among options,
informative speaking reveals and clarifies options.
Persuasive speaking asks the audience for more
commitment than does informative speaking.
The ethical obligations for persuasive speakers are even
greater than for informative speakers.
The Persuasive speaker is a leader; the informative speaker
is a teacher.
Persuasive speaking more often involves emotional appeals
that are out of place in speeches to inform.
How to Choose Persuasive Topics
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2.
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7.
Pick something you feel strongly abt. Brainstorm. Music – why rap
music is not as violent as people may think.
Pick something controversial – for or against campus-wide smoking
ban.
Pick a current event. Read a newspaper. Social issue – abandoned
newborn babies.
Pick a campus or local issue – campus-wide ban on cars.
Pick an issue of interest to the audience – cell phones, music
downloads, facebook, tuition hikes
Avoid tired topics – why you should quit smoking, why you should
recycle, why you should donate blood
Be cautious with issues that some audience members might find
offensive – race issue
Persuasive Speech Topics
How to go from Informative Speech Topic to Persuasive
Speech Topic?
Broad: Social problem – Abandoned newborn babies
Informative: To inform my audience the reasons/causes for the increasing
rate
of newborn babies being abandoned.
CI: lack of parental guidance, lack of spiritual guidance and peer influence.
Persuasive: To persuade my audience that The Women, Family and
Community Development Ministry should set up baby hatches nationwide.
CI: baby hatches save lives, offer practical solution and offer timely
solution.
Inform
Persuasive Speech Topics
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Persuade
Entertain
Arranged marriage leads to a lasting relationship.
Are beauty contests harmful?
Sex education should/should not be introduced in schools.
Video games do/do not promote violence.
Exams give no real indication of ability.
Boarding school is/is not beneficial to children.
National service should/should not be made compulsory.
Gangsterism is greatly influenced by violence shown on television.
Genetically modified (GM) foods should /should not be introduced.
Should mothers stay home and raise children?
Is sports really good for us?
University students should be actively involved in charity/volunteer work.
Based on a broad topic below , come up with the
specific purpose and central idea for a persuasive
speech.
Education --- Crime ---- Music --- Technology ---Health ---- Sports --- Politics ---- Science --- Travel
Specific Purpose Statement
A single infinitive phrase that states precisely
what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her
speech.
Examples of SP statements
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
To convince my audience there should be tougher
enforcement laws to protect the victims of domestic abuse.
To convince my audience that drinking tea benefits our body.
To persuade my audience to register in a public speaking
course.
To persuade my audience that BK burgers contain less fat
than McD burgers.
To convince my audience that violence on television is a
major cause of violent behavior in society.
To persuade my audience that university students should be
actively involved in charity/volunteer work.
Central Idea/Thesis Statement
A one-sentence statement that sums up or
encapsulates the major ideas of a speech.
Usually found in the introduction of your
sentence.
Based on the topics below, come up with
the SP and CI statements.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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11.
12.
Benefits of learning another language.
Junk food – Killing ourselves with kindness.
Arranged marriage leads to a lasting relationship.
Sex education should/should not be allowed in schools.
Video games do/do not promote violence.
Exams give no real indication of ability.
Boarding school is/is not beneficial to children.
Why we should recycle.
Why we should donate blood.
National service should/should not be made compulsory.
Gangsterism is greatly influenced by violence shown on television.
Genetically modified (GM) foods should /should not be introduced.
Types of Persuasive Speeches
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2.
3.
Questions of fact
Questions of value
Questions of policy
Questions of Fact
This refers to something that we can know to be either true or
false, but right now we can argue about it. Includes historical
controversy, predictions, or questions of existence.
Examples:
To persuade my audience that…
1.
this company has a glass ceiling for women. (eg: This company
discriminates against women.)
2.
poaching of wild animals is a serious international problem. (eg: Poaching
is threatening the survival of animal species throughout
the African, Asian and American continents.)
3.
the death was a case of physician-assisted suicide.
Question of Fact
General Purpose
: To persuade
Specific Purpose
: To persuade my listeners that this
company discriminates against women.
Central Idea : This company discriminates against women.
(How can we tell that this company discriminate against
women?)
Main Points:
I.
Women earn less than men
II.
Women are hired less often than men
III.
Women occupy fewer managerial positions than men
Question of Fact
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that poaching of wild animals is a
serious
international problem.
Central Idea
: Poaching is threatening the survival of animal species
throughout
the African, Asian and American continents.
Main Points
:
I.
In Africa, poaching has claimed thousands of leopards, cheetahs,
rhinoceroses, and elephants.
II.
In Asia, poaching has all but eliminated the Bengal tigers, snow leopards and
musk deer.
III.
In the American continents, poaching has driven jaguars , bald eagles, grizzly
bears and timber wolves to the brink of extinction.
Questions of Value
A question about the worth, rightness, morality of an idea or
action.
Examples:
To persuade my audience that…
1.
capital punishment is legally and morally wrong. (eg: Capital punishment
violates both the Bible and the U.S. Constitution.)
2.
the death penalty is unjustifiable. (eg: The death penalty is unjustifiableWhy is the death penalty unjustifiable?)
3.
arranged marriage leads to a lasting relationship.
Question of Value
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that capital
punishment is morally and legally wrong.
Central Idea : Capital punishment violates both the Bible and
the U.S. Constitution.
Main Points :
Capital punishment violates the biblical commandment “Thou
shalt not kill.”
I.
Capital punishment violates the constitutional ban on “ cruel
and unusual punishment.”
II.
Question of Value
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the death
penalty is unjustifiable
Central Idea : The death penalty is unjustifiable (Why is the
death penalty unjustifiable?)
Main Points :
I.
The criminal justice system can make mistakes.
II.
The death penalty constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
III.
No one has the moral right to take another‟s life.
Questions of Policy
A question about whether a specific course of action should or
should not be taken.
Examples:
To persuade my audience that…
1.
radio stations should play 30% of its music content local music.
2.
action should be taken now to solve the nation‟s shortage of nurses.
3.
tougher enforcement laws should be enforced on child abusers.
Question of Policy
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that action should
be taken now to solve the nation‟s shortage of nurses.
Main Points :
I.
The shortage of nurses has become a serious national
problem.
II.
The problem can be solved by offering nurses better salaries
and better working conditions.
Organizing Your Main Points - Policy
Problem (No Solution) Pattern
Arrangement that focuses on the depth and breadth of a problem in order to convince listeners it is
a serious problem. Useful for claims of fact focused on the present or future. Good choice when
your target audience is uncertain or opposed to your position.

Problem/Solution Pattern
An arrangement pattern organized around two points – problem and solution. The problem
illustrates what you believe is wrong with the present conditions and why. The solution should be
multifaceted – what listeners should do personally as well as what should be done on a larger
scale.

Problem/Cause/Solution
A main point arrangement based on three points – problem, cause, and solution.
The problem (first point) and solution (third point) points are the same as in the Problem/Solution
pattern. The cause (second) point analyzes underling reasons for why the problem exists.

Problem-Solution Organization
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose : To persuade my audience that they should
sign universal organ donor cards.
Central Idea
: We can take a step toward solving the serious
shortage of organ donors in the United States by signing
universal organ donor cards.
Main Points
:
I.
There is a serious shortage of healthy organs available for transplant.
II.
By signing a universal organ donor card you can help solve this problem.
Problem-Solution Organization
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose : To persuade my audience that although light pollution is a
problem that affects us increasingly every day, we can implement simple
solutions to reduce the effects of this pollution.
Central idea
:Light pollution disrupts ground-based astronomy, is a costly
energy waste, and affects our health and safety, but there are simple
solutions to the problem of light pollution.
Main Points
:
I.
Light pollution represents an extreme waste of energy, and that waste is
costly to all of us.
II.
Light pollution can be reduced through personal actions, such as using
less unnecessary light and purchasing equipment that reduces light
directed toward to sky.
Problem-Cause-Solution
Organization
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose : To persuade my audience that the government must
increase its efforts to counter-act global warming.
Central Idea
: The effects of global warming are catastrophic, but by
understanding what is causing this condition, the government can create
policies that can reverse these effects.
Main Points
:
I.
Scientists agree that a general warming of the earth's atmosphere would
lead to devastating effects on the environment.
II.
There are several factors responsible for global warming.
III.
Government policies directed at industry and individuals can mitigate the
effects of global warming.
Problem-Cause-Solution
Organization
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to manage their privacy settings on their
social networking sites in order to ensure fairer treatment in the hiring process.
Central Idea
: Managing privacy settings on social networking sites can reduce
the likelihood that employers will unfairly base hiring decisions on applicants‟
personal and private information online.
Main Points
:
I.
Many employers unfairly use personal and private information obtained on social
networking sites to make hiring decisions.
II.
Teenagers and young adults often do not set privacy restrictions on their social
networking sites, making themselves vulnerable to repercussions in the hiring
process.
III.
Setting privacy controls on social networking sites will prohibit employers from
accessing personal and private information about employees and ensuring fairer
and more equitable treatment in the hiring process.
Causal Organization
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose : To persuade my audience that texting while driving can
lead to fatal accidents.
Central idea
: When drivers text while driving, they are putting their
lives, and their passengers‟ lives, in danger.
Main points
:
I.
In 2007, five high school graduates from Rochester, New York, died
when their vehicle swerved into oncoming traffic and hit a tractor trailer.
II.
Authorities believe the driver became distracted while she was sending
text messages, which caused the head-on collision.
Narrative Organization
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose : To convince my audience that the Special Statutory
Program is much needed program to improve the lives of people with diabetes.
Central idea
: Type I diabetes is a serious issue that is often
misunderstood by the public, but three personal narratives about family
members living with type I diabetes illustrate how the disease affects those
who have it and that the Special Statutory Program is helping to battle,
prevent, and eventually cure type I diabetes.
Main points
:
I.
My dad was diagnosed with type I diabetes when he was seventeen years
old.
II.
On a family vacation to Florida, my sister, Jamie , was hospitalized and
diagnosed with type I diabetes.
III.
I began watching my younger brother inject insulin into his body three
times every day while still trying to be a “typical” kid.
Comparative-Advantages Organization
General Purpose:To persuade
Specific Purpose: To persuade my coworkers that my new training program
will increase our sales and enhance our public profile.
Central Idea
: My proposed training program – which includes a longer
initial training period, a more detailed assessment and understanding of the
strengths of our products, and a stronger mentoring component than our
current program – will turn our sales around.
Main Points
:
I.
A longer initial training program will give our staff more time than our
current program allows to develop a working knowledge and appreciation
of the company and its mission.
II.
A more detailed knowledge of our products and their value will enable
our staff to work with our clientele more expertly than our current
training allows.
Monroe‟s motivated sequence

A step-by-step process used to persuade audiences
by gaining attention, demonstrating a need,
satisfying that need, visualizing beneficial results,
and calling for action.
1)
Attention : catch the audience‟ interest so they take notice of
an issue
eg: “I was only ten years old when I found my mother sitting on
her bed crying. Not knowing how to react, I sat down beside her
and grabbed her hand. When I asked her what was wrong, she
replied, „I am sick and hope that I can hold your hand for many,
many years.‟ I soon learned my mother had breast cancer and that
she would not be able to hold my hand much longer.”
Need
: identify the need for a change, meaning a problem that can be
solved.
: to encourage the audience to become invested in the problem,
feel affected by it, and want to find a solution.
: by proving the severity of the problem.
eg: “ The latest study on breast cancer indicates that one in eight
women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime! That
means two of you in this room will be directly affected, and
almost everyone else will likely know someone affected by breast
cancer”.
2.
Satisfaction
: define what specific solution is and why it solves the problem.
: show the audience how their “need” is “satisfied”
3.
eg: The speaker argued in her speech that the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation was making important strides in
finding a cure for breast cancer and needed more national, state,
and local funding to support their research efforts.
Visualization
: describe the benefits that will result from the audience‟s need being
satisfied.
: what life will be like once the solution is in place/remind the audience
what it would be like if the solution was not implemented
eg: The speaker achieved the visualization step by asking her audience
to imagine life without the fear of breast cancer. She described,
“Imagine one day you‟re standing in your bedroom and your daughter
walks in and takes your hand. Now imagine being able to tell her that
you want to be able to hold her hand for many years in the future, and
this time, you can. Reducing the rates of breast cancer will ensure
longer, healthier lives for women.
4)
Action
: outline exactly what the audience should do.
eg: The speaker asked her class to join her for a breast cancer
walk being held in their community. She concluded, “This
Saturday at 9A.M., a walk to raise money for breast cancer
research will take place right here on campus. I ask that you join
me in this fight and join me on the walk.”
5)
Assessment 4 – Persuasive (30%)
Week 9-10
1.
2.
Speech Outline (10%)
Presentation (20%)