Persuasive Speeches
What is persuasion?
• To persuade is to:
• influence or change someone’s
opinion
• To prompt action
Where do you use persuasion?
• Parents
• Go on out with friends, buy something, less time on chores
• Siblings
• Do your chores, don’t tell mom, etc
• Teachers
• Can I turn it in late because…?
• Friends
• Lets do this… We should go here…
Where do you see persuasion?
• Media
• TV, Internet, Billboards, Magazines, Books,
• Advertisements,
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Buy this product and you’ll look thinner
Buy this product and you’ll look taller
Buy this product and everyone will love you
Buy this product to be a better version of you
Influencing Others
• 3 Tactics of persuasion
• Ethos, Logos, Pathos
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4tTugqBkJU&list=PLg0CrCGHE
qylIisu_VO9fD3ek9V2E9mWA&index=5
• Ethos= credibility
• Knowledgeable, fair, trustworthy, considerate
• Logos = Logic
• Reasonable, thoughtful
• Pathos= Passion/Emotions
• Positive feelings
3 Types of Persuasive Speeches
1.
Question of Fact
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2.
Makes a prediction, answer is not clear
Question of Value
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3.
“Call to Action”
Something should or should not be done
Question of Policy
•
Often is a question of fact or value, but goes one step further to say
what SHOULD be done
Science of Persuasion
• What are the 6 universal principles of persuasion?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFdCzN7RYbw&list=PLg0CrC
GHEqylIisu_VO9fD3ek9V2E9mWA&index=2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Reciprocity (owing someone else)
Scarcity (not having enough)
Authority ( credible experts)
Consistency (voluntary, public, active commitment)
Liking (similar, compliment, cooperative)
Consensus ( actions of others)
Examples of Persuasion Styles
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlQpt67L1es&index=4&li
st=PLg0CrCGHEqylIisu_VO9fD3ek9V2E9mWA
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Bandwagon- everyone else is doing it
Testimonial- celebrity endorsement
Everyday Folks
Emotional Appeal
Snob Appeal
What are the magic words?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfbH3rA7mw&list=PLg0CrCGHEqylIisu_VO9fD3ek9V2E9mWA&index=
1
Types of Persuasive
Speeches
1. Question of Fact
• Questions or statements that:
• involve a prediction
• the answers are not clear
• Examples:
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The Cardinals will win the super bowl this year
TV violence causes real world violence
Will ISIS try to act in the US?
Will the economy improve next year?
Is taking mega doses of vitamins beneficial?
2 . Question of Value
• argue that something should or should not be or some
action should or should not be taken
• Euthanasia, cloning, organic farming, gay marriage,
• To persuade my audience not to drive over the speed limit
• To persuade my audience that Pepsi is better than Coke.“
• "To persuade my audience that it is better to live together
before marriage."
3. Question of Policy
• Arguing what should be, specific actions
• Often involve questions of fact and value, but go beyond by
including the word SHOULD
• What measure should be taken to protect the US against ISIS?
• Should same-sex marriages be legalized?
• What should Arizona do to take care of its Veterans?
• The form is always:
• "To persuade my audience that ___________ should
_______________.
• "To persuade my audience that the U.S. military should lift its ban
on women in combat."
• "To persuade my audience that they should donate blood.“
• “To persuade AAEC that the dress code should allow sleeveless
shirts”
Fact, Value or Policy
• 1. To persuade my audience that the U.S. should adopt a
mandatory youth service program.
• Policy
• 2. To persuade my audience that volunteering will make them
feel better about themselves.
• Value
• 3. To persuade my audience they should become Peace Corps
volunteers.
• Policy
• 4. To persuade my audience that experience as volunteers will
help them on the job market.
• Fact
Policy Speeches
• The first aims for passive agreement.
• Just change your opinion
• The second aims for personal action.
• Call to actions
• Do something (donate, contact)
Organizing a
Persuasive Speech
• 1. Introduction
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Attention getter
Reason to listen/credibility statement
Position or Thesis Statement
Review of Points
• 2. Body of the Speech
• 1st main point
• 2nd main point
• 3rd main point
• 3. Conclusion
• Restate Position statement
• Summarize your main points
• What do you want your audience to do?
Choosing a Topic
• Pick something that you feel strongly about
• Should be a topic that has some debate or controversy
associated with it
• Smoking, Legalizing Marijuana, Abortion, Lower the drinking age
• Immigration policy in the US
OR
• A topic that can be argued with evidence
• Monster is the best energy drink ever!
• AAEC SM is the best school in the district
Position or Thesis Statement
• What point do you want to get across to your audience?
• What is the main idea of your speech?
• Statement that identifies the issue and your position on it.
• Smoking has been proven to be just as dangerous to human
health as illegal drugs and, therefore, should be classified as an
illegal drug.
• Murder is illegal under the constitution of the US, yet women are
allowed to kill their unborn children everyday through abortion.
This unethical act should be illegal because it is murder.
• Based on sales of soft drinks around the world, Coca-Cola is the
best soft drink.
Create Support For Your
Position/Thesis
• Now that you have your topic you need to determine the
approach you will use to persuade your audience that
you are right!
• HOW WILL YOU ORGAINIZE YOUR SPEECH?
• Problem-Solution Style
1.
2.
Show that there is a problem (why is it harmful, dangerous,
etc)
Present a solution to the problem and Explain why your
solution would be effective
• Example:
•
You may chose to smoke and must live with the possibility of cancer of the tongue,
lips, mouth, and lungs, emphysema, and dental problems. However, the people
who are around you when you smoke don’t have the same choice. They are
subject to the same negative health affects as the smoker, yet have no choice.
Smoking cigarettes should be banned in all public areas and in homes that have
minor children.
Create Support For Your
Position/Thesis
• HOW WILL YOU ORGANIZE YOUR SPEECH?
• Demonstration that something is right/wrong
• 1. Show how it is right or wrong
• Anything that kills is wrong
• Anything that intrudes on our civil liberties is wrong
• Kindness is always the best answer
• 2. Show that your topic violates what is right based on your standard
from the first point
• Example: Humans come into existence when a male sperm and a
female egg unite to form a zygote. This is the beginning of a new
human being. According to the US Constitution murder is defined as
the premeditated design to effect the death of a human being. If we
accept this definition of murder than you must also accept that
abortion is murder. Abortion is the premeditated design to effect the
death of a human being growing in the womb of a female.
EVIDENCE
• Now that you have your topic, you need to prove it!
• Come up with EVIDENCE to support your point!
• Should be valid, truthful
• Statistics
• Quotes from experts in the field
• Examples
Evidence should be cited in your speech!
• “According to the Center for Disease Control there were 644
confirmed cases of measles in 27 states in 2015.”
• John Mitchel, the head of the legal department for the University of
Arizona, stated that there has been a significant decrease in the
number of rapes in the last 3 years since the implementation of
Safety phones on campus.
Connecting with Your Audience
• Remember that Persuasive speeches rely on you making a
personal connection with your audience
• Emotional Appeal
• Make them feel for your cause
• Stories, examples, hypothetical
• Appeal to Reason
• Use facts, statistics, and numbers to appeal to their need for
information
What does the other side have
to say?
• When presenting a topic on a controversial issue it is wise to
address what the other side of the argument has to say.
• When you disprove the oppositions claims, or provide
evidence as to why they are wrong this is called REFUTING the
argument
• If you include it in your speech, never be insulting , be
straightforward about the issues and why they are wrong
• If you don’t include it in your speech, be prepared to answer
questions on it
How to Organize ? of Fact
• Topically
• Present compelling information to the audience and ask them
to use reasoning to draw a conclusion (in speakers favor)
• Be careful not to provide evidence with BIAS (in favor of one
party)
Organizing Example
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that life existed
on Mars 3 billion years ago.
Central Idea: Scientific analysis of a Martian meteorite
found in Antarctica indicates that life existed on Mars 3
billion years ago.
Main Points:
I. The meteorite contains a type of molecule that can result
from the decomposition of living organisms.
II. Crystals in the meteorite have the same shape as
crystals formed by bacteria on Earth.
III. Crystals in the meteorite also contain other key
similarities to crystals found in 3-billion-year-old
fossils from Earth.
Example:
• 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:
• I. Capital punishment violates the biblical commandment “Thou shalt
not kill.”
• II. Capital punishment violates the constitutional
Organizing a Question of Policy
• Organize topically
• You must justify your claim
• Back it up with factual information/data/statistics
• Show the audience that your claim is right for them