How to Write a Persuasive Speech
A. INTRODUCTION
Tells your audience what you are going to tell them and establishes the foundation for your speech. A
good Introduction 'draws the map' for the journey. For a Persuasive Speech, an Introduction
consists of ...
1. Attention-Getter:
A statement, visual or sound (or combination) that startles, gains attention and makes your
audience sit up.
2. Bond : Link-to Audience:
Identify a personal connection in the audiences’ life, their use of the ‘device’ or system, or
there emotional experience (grief and sorrow, happiness).
3. "Credentials" of Speaker (Credibility):
Demonstrate how you are an ‘expert’ through your own use, experience or study.
4. Destination / Objective Sentence:
State clearly why you are speaking at this moment. State your Goal, Thesis or what you expect as
an Outcome.
5. State your Destination:
An example may be .. “This evening/today I am here to convince you that .... is the most effective
way to do business today"
5. Explain your Map to your Destination : Speech Preview:
Briefly outline what you will cover in your persuasive speech.
"This is where you will ... "
“Tell what you are going to tell them”
Transition: 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 I prefer “Let’s consider …”
B. BODY of your Speech
The Body of your speech is where the detail is found and is best contained in THREE points (you can
have more, but don't confuse your audience). For a Persuasive Speech, this is where you will ...
“Tell them”
1. Main Point #1
 State Point 1
 State a Reason
 Give an Example
 Restate the Point
 Transition: Create a linking statement to Point 2
2. Main Point #2
 State Point 2
 State a Reason
 Give an Example
 Restate the Point
 Transition: Create a linking statement to Point 3
3. Main Point #3
 State Point 3
 State a Reason
 Give an Example
 Restate the Point
 Transition: Create a linking statement to the Conclusion, “Let’s summarize ..." or “Can we
consider these main points ..."
C. CONCLUSION
“Tell them what you have told them”
1. Restate thesis:
2. Restate main points:
3. Call-to-Action: “I encourage you to …”, “Let’s all contribute …” , “… sign now …”, “make a
decision now to be involved …”
4. Decision-Maker (optional):
“Coming around is the petition …”
“Being passed from the rear is a bag for your contribution to this noble cause, dig deep …”
This Persuasive Speech Outline is exceptionally powerful. Use it to write YOUR speech.
Where does Humor fit?
 Don’t forget the place of relevant and sensitive humor in your speech.
 Humor relaxes the audience, cuts through resistance, and paves the way to a receptive audience.
 Humor is a significant tool to effectively persuade your audience.
 Humor can be added to any part of your speech.
(Note that for the audience to know there will be a little humor, that its use in the Introduction
will let your audience know the 'tone' of your speech.)
Don’t leave it out – it could be the critical factor that enables the audience to consider and accept your
thesis.
How to Write a Persuasive Speech- Part 2
Writing a persuasive speech can be one of the most difficult tasks in your public speaking class. For a
persuasive speech to be effective, you have to accomplish a difficult task: persuasion! It's much easier to
write an informative speech or ceremonial speech than it is to write and deliver an effective persuasive
speech that changes someone's mind or behavior.
1. Find an appropriate and interesting persuasive speech topic. For many students, this is
one of the most difficult parts of writing a persuasive speech. Here are some tips on how
to choose a persuasive speaking topics. If you need more specific suggestions, here are
some example persuasive speech topics, some fun persuasive speech topics about popular
culture and sports, and some tired persuasive speaking topics to avoid.
2. Set realistic goals. Your speech is, what, eight minutes long? You're not going to change
someone's mind about a major issue in eight minutes. You might change their mind about
a smaller part of that issue. For example, you're not going to be change someone's mind
about gun control, but you might change their mind about the need to restrict the use of a
specific weapon. Here are some examples of how to take a "big" persuasive topic and
make it more effective by discussing a smaller part of that topic.
3. Know your audience well. To be persuasive, you absolutely must identify with your
audience and make your audience identify with you. This is so important, and yet many
speakers don't try. Who are the members of your audience? What is important to them?
Are they conservative? Liberal? Religious? Serious? Young? In order to write and deliver
a speech that effectively persuades an audience, you need to understand who the audience
is and what kinds of appeals might persuade them.
4.
Use "local" examples. To help identify with the audience, use local examples that they
can relate to. For example, if you're giving a speech about how big chain coffee shops
cause small ones to go out of business, mention a popular coffee shop near campus that
went out of business because they couldn't compete with the chains.
5. Use excellent evidence. Do your research, and pack your speech with lots of statistics,
facts, quotes from credible people, and emotional examples. Remember, don't rely too
strongly on examples as evidence. You can find an isolated example of just about
anything.
6. Represent the other side accurately. When discussing the other side's point of view,
make sure you are accurate. You need to accurately represent their motives and their point
of view. If you are giving a pro-choice speech, do not imply that pro-life audience
members do not care about the well-being of teen mothers. If you are giving a pro-life
speech, do not imply that pro-choice audience members do not like children. People who
disagree with you will feel alienated and stop listening.
7. Represent the other side sympathetically. This can be difficult to do, but it's so
important! State clearly that although you disagree with the other side, you understand that
people who disagree with you have good reasons for doing so. Never say or imply that
people who disagree with you are immoral or unkind. If you insult someone, they
certainly will not be persuaded.
8. Find common ground with the other side. The audience will identify with you if they
understand that although you have different opinions, you have similar goals and values.
They also might agree with you if you persuade them your point of view does not conflict
with their values. For example, if you are giving a speech in favor of school dress codes,
tell the audience that you share their concern about students and personal freedom. Then
explain to them why you feel dress codes will actually increase student freedoms.
9. Use good disclaimers. "Disclaimers" are statements that present an argument against your
position and explain why this argument is not correct. A good disclaimer goes like this: "I
understand that many people support embryonic stem cell research because it can lead to
medical breakthroughs. While this is true, let me explain to you how adult stem cells are
also very promising." Remember, represent opposing views with accuracy and respect.
10.
Ask the audience to take action-- and make it easy for them to do so. Hand out a
petition for students to sign, or a self-addressed stamped envelopes to mail to someone.
Make your action step as easy as possible, because most people are very busy and/or very
lazy. If you ask them to do something like "call your Congressman," they won't.
11.
Show the audience that you care very much about this topic. If the audience doesn't
believe that you care, why should they?
adapted from http://www.suite101.com/content/persuasive-speech-tips-and-topics-a12720 and
http://www.persuasive-speechesnow.com/