Business Presentations
Persuasive Presentation
Choose a subject upon which you can do considerable research and use evidence to
support. Of course, you will gather your information using a Google document shared
with the teacher and will create a presentation in something other than PowerPoint or
Google Slideshow. Your purpose is to create a change in belief or behavior of
your audience.
Items to consider:
 Goal is to persuade the audience to do something or change belief
 It must be something that is do-able for this audience
 Provide audience with everything they need to know in order to accomplish what
you have asked
 Demonstrate and explain why they need to do it
 Stress the advantages of what will happen if they change attitude or belief.
Parts of the Presentation – this is review for us!
Introduction – Tell them what you are going to teach them
1. Attention-getter - something that really gets our attention. Example - lighting up a
cigarette for an anti-smoking speech, a shocking statistic, a dramatic story.
2. Thematic Statement - A statement of your topic and your specific stand on the topic,
Example - My speech today is on the death penalty and I am very much against it.
3. Audience Link: Identify a personal connection in the audiences' life. Why should they
listen to you and do what you are proposing?
4. Establish credibility; demonstrate how you are an 'expert', through your own experience
or research.
5. Preview Statement - State your main points.
Make sure to include the use of transition statements. A transition is how you move from one section
or point to the next. It is a linking idea. You could say ..."Let's begin by ...", "Let's start with ..." or
“Let's consider ..."
Body – Teach them
1. Information - a simple explanation of your topic in case there are people who do not know
about it. Simply give a definition of your topic so everyone knows exactly what you are
talking about.
2. Carrot-Stick - this approach gives both sides of the issue and shows that one side (the
side that you believe) clearly outweighs the other.
3. Detailed Supporting Information – support ideas with details and examples.
4. Statistics required - you must include some kind of statistics to back up your stand.
Conclusion – Tell them what you have taught them
1. Summarize - Restate main points.
2. Have Call-to-Action: "I encourage you to ...", "Let's all contribute ..." , "make a decision
now to be involved ..."
3. Concluding Remarks - make sure the audience knows the speech is over. Thank them
for their time and consideration.