Persuasion
Goal of Influencing Others
Two Goals:
 Influence your audience to:
 Change their attitude,
 Change their belief OR
 Change their behavior pattern.
Understand your Audience
 Supportive- Easy, already in agreement
 Uncommitted – Neutral
 Indifferent – Doesn’t care
 Opposed – Hardest, holds opposite
belief
Types of Appeals
 Logical Appeal- Rely on Facts
 Emotional Appeal- Rely on Feelings
 Personal Appeal – Rely on Credibility
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
A Pattern of Persuasion
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I. Attention Step
II. Need Step
III. Satisfaction/Solution Step
IV. Visualization Step
V. Action Step
 I. Attention Step:
 Why should they listen to you?
 Begin with a story or startling statement
 Use emotional appeal and visuals
 II. Need Step:
 State what is wrong (real and widespread)
that you want to change.
 Prove it’s a problem and relate it to your
audience.
 Give facts and examples (use logic).
 Build your case like a lawyer – look at it from
different angles.
 III. Satisfaction/Solution Step:
 State what you want to do and provide facts
about how it would fix the problem.
 Have a plan of action to solve it.
 Tell how your solution is the best way to fix the
problem.
 What are all the ways this problem can be
solved? Think outside the box. Think of
solutions beyond the obvious.
 Anticipate audience objections and build that
into your solution so you are seen to have
considered all possible sides.
 IV. Visualization Step:
 Paint a verbal picture of how good the world
could look if your plan is put into action.
 Example: “Imagine…” – “Paint a picture
 Now tell the audience how bad the world
will look if your plan is not put into action.
 This step appeals to audience emotions and
desires.
 V. Action Step:
 Challenge the audience to do something to
fix the problem
 Give an expert’s opinion on how to fix the
problem
 Use personal appeal and emotional appeal
Drunk Driving Victim
Jacqueline Saburido
Jacqui and her Dad
The car driven by
Reggie Stephey, 18 years old.
Reggie got 7 years in jail.
Problem
 According to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, In 2004, 1,642 people
died in drunk-driving accidents.
 Each one of those 1,642 people had family
and friends that they left behind.
 Took the lives of 303 young people between
the ages of 15 and 24 years old
Solution
 Don’t Drink and Drive!
 Don’t get in a car with someone who is
drinking.
 Make a plan with your friends.
 Make a plan with your family.
Visualize the Future
Future’s so bright
Missing a Friend
Take Action Now!
 Designate a driver.
 Call a cab.
 Think before you drink.
 Take care of each other.
 Make a pledge
Poster to help awareness
Possible Topics:
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Think of something that you all believe in strongly. Think of something you
would like to change. In a persuasive speech the speaker must identify the
problem and advocate a solution to the problem…
Political Issues: taxes, lawsuits, affirmative action, handgun control, capital
punishment, ban cell phones in cars, education reform, texting, voting age,
war, seat belt laws, helmet laws, lottery or gambling, euthanasia, illegal
immigration, racial profiling, space program, child soldiers, TSA…
Environmental Issues: animal rights in medical research, endangered
species, alternative energy, public transportation, recycling, and hybrid cars…
School Related Issues: dress code, safety, homework, courses offered,
grades, cheating in school, and seatbelts on school busses, bullying, and
cyber-bullying, educational testing, corporal punishment at school…
Health: food, eating healthy, exercise, medicine, health care, vegetarianism,
DWI, drug abuse, body piercing, tattoos, cloning, stem cell research, blood
donation, hand washing, smoking/smoking ban, steroid use, eating disorders,
drink water, stop TV, corporal punishment in schools (spanking), organ
donation, stop domestic violence, stop child abuse…
Driver Ed: Driving age, teen driving laws…
Media: violence in media, rating system for movies and music
Terrorism: How does the US control it? Pirates…
Sports: Emphasis on sports in school, women’s VS. men’s sports, adult
misbehavior in kid’s sports, pros paid too much…
Your Speech
 Minimum of 3 sources, NOT including
Wikipedia or Yahoo Answers.
 Primary Source: Interview, Survey…
 Other Sources: Internet, magazines…
 Follow all 5 guidelines of Monroe’s
Motivated Sequence.
 Length: 2-minute minimum per person.
Monroe’s Motivated
Sequence Example
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=k0ED3PckYaM