Public Speaking
Chapter 13: Persuasive Speaking
Persuasion is the art of gaining favorable consideration for
our points of view
Osborn/Osborn, 2003
Objectives
z Upon
completing this session, you will
be able to:
z
z
z
z
Identify the major persuasive functions
Remember the process of persuasion
Recall the challenges of persuasion
Recognize the three main designs adopted for
persuasive speaking
1
Persuasion
z Essential
z
to society
The right to persuade and be persuaded is
the bedrock of American political system
Guaranteed by First Amendment to the
Constitution
z … to make men (and women) free to develop
their faculties; and in its government the
deliberative forces should prevail over the
arbitrary. Louis D. Brandeis, Late Supreme Court Justice
z And … the alternative to persuasion?
z
Persuasion is society’s alternative to violence.
Rep. Richard Gephardt
Persuasion
z Reason
and Deliberation
Deliberation involves the consideration of all
sides of an issue before making a decision
z The freedom to voice unpopular opinions is
essential to liberty.
z
z
Where would we be today if….?
Exposure to different perspectives can
produce better decisions
z Deliberation and diversity avoids Group
Think. (Bay of Pigs example)
z
2
Persuasion
z
Seven Persuasive Speaking Characteristics:
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z
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Urges a choice from among options
Advocates something
Obtains and presents evidence to justify advice
Asks for audience commitment
Requires speaker’s leadership stature
Appeals to feelings
Requires a higher ethical obligation
Major Persuasive Functions
z Adjusting
z
attitudes, beliefs, and values
Values + Beliefs=Attitudes (P.O.V.)
z Urging
Action
z Answering Opposing Views
3
The Process of Persuasion
z Awareness
z Understanding
z Agreement
z Enactment
z Integration
The Process of Persuasion
z Awareness
Know there’s a problem,
z Pay attention to it
z Know how it affects our lives
z
4
The Process of Persuasion
z Awareness
z Understanding
z
Make sure listeners grasp what you are
telling them
The Process of Persuasion
z Awareness
z Understanding
z Agreement
z
Listeners both accept and understand
reasons for accepting speaker
recommendations
5
The Process of Persuasion
z Awareness
z Understanding
z Agreement
z Enactment
z
Get the listeners to act on recommendations
Bring petitions/forms
z Bring and distribute contacts
z Provide clear action steps
z
The Process of Persuasion
z
z
z
z
z
Awareness
Understanding
Agreement
Enactment
Integration
z
z
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Enable listeners to integrate new beliefs/actions
into their value system
Tie all back to agreed on and common universal
values, such as fairness, safety and security,
human rights, etc.
Provide consistency between new values and their
behaviors (cognitive dissonance killer)
6
The Challenges of Persuasion
z
Enticing Reluctant Listeners
z
Co-active approach
z
Establish empathy and goodwill early
z
Start with areas of agreement then to areas of disagreement
Emphasize explanation over argument
Cite authorities that the audience will respect and accept
Set modest goals for change
z
z
z
z
z
z
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“We all respect human lives. We all believe in fairness. Right?”
Too much push produces boomerang effect
Take it a step at a time. Don’t have “great expectations”
Present all sides
z
z
Inoculation effect (give arguments and facts listeners can use in the
future when they encounter counterattacks
The sleeper effect (Time to reflect = adoption)
The Challenges of Persuasion
z
Enticing Reluctant Listeners
z
Co-active approach
z
Establish empathy and goodwill early
z
Start with areas of agreement then to areas of disagreement
Emphasize explanation over argument
Cite authorities that the audience will respect and accept
Set modest goals for change
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
“We all respect human lives. We all believe in fairness. Right?”
Too much push produces boomerang effect
Take it a step at a time. Don’t have “great expectations”
Present all sides
z
z
Inoculation effect (give arguments and facts listeners can use in the
future when they encounter counterattacks
The sleeper effect (Time to reflect = adoption)
7
The Challenges of Persuasion
z
Enticing Reluctant Listeners
z
Co-active approach
z
Establish empathy and goodwill early
z
Start with areas of agreement then to areas of disagreement
Emphasize explanation over argument
Cite authorities that the audience will respect and accept
Set modest goals for change
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
“We all respect human lives. We all believe in fairness. Right?”
Too much push produces boomerang effect
Take it a step at a time. Don’t have “great expectations”
Present all sides
z
z
Inoculation effect (give arguments and facts listeners can use in the
future when they encounter counterattacks
The sleeper effect (Time to reflect = adoption)
The Challenges of Persuasion
z
Enticing Reluctant Listeners
z
Co-active approach
z
Establish empathy and goodwill early
z
Start with areas of agreement then to areas of disagreement
Emphasize explanation over argument
Cite authorities that the audience will respect and accept
Set modest goals for change
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
“We all respect human lives. We all believe in fairness. Right?”
Too much push produces boomerang effect
Take it a step at a time. Don’t have “great expectations”
Present all sides
z
z
Inoculation effect (give arguments and facts listeners can use in the
future when they encounter counterattacks
The sleeper effect (Time to reflect = adoption)
8
The Challenges of Persuasion
z
Enticing Reluctant Listeners
z
Co-active approach
z
Establish empathy and goodwill early
z
Start with areas of agreement then to areas of disagreement
Emphasize explanation over argument
Cite authorities that the audience will respect and accept
Set modest goals for change
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
“We all respect human lives. We all believe in fairness. Right?”
Too much push produces boomerang effect
Take it a step at a time. Don’t have “great expectations”
Present all sides
z
z
Inoculation effect (give arguments and facts listeners can use in the
future when they encounter counterattacks
The sleeper effect (Time to reflect = adoption)
The Challenges of Persuasion
z
Enticing Reluctant Listeners
z
Co-active approach
z
Establish empathy and goodwill early
z
Start with areas of agreement then to areas of disagreement
Emphasize explanation over argument
Cite authorities that the audience will respect and accept
Set modest goals for change
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
“We all respect human lives. We all believe in fairness. Right?”
Too much push produces boomerang effect
Take it a step at a time. Don’t have “great expectations”
Present all sides
z
z
Inoculation effect (give arguments and facts listeners can use in the
future when they encounter counterattacks
The sleeper effect (Time to reflect = adoption)
9
The Challenges of Persuasion
z
Removing Barriers to Commitment
z
z
Provide needed information
Affirm and Apply Values
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Show how your proposals can fit in with their beliefs and
values
Strengthen your credibility
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Borrow ethos by citing expert testimony
Provide supporting material and/or evidence each step of
the way
Don’t overstate your case.
Let people come to their own conclusions themselves
The Challenges of Persuasion
z Moving
z
Revitalize shared beliefs
z
z
Creates a renewed sense of commitment
Demonstrate the need for involvement
z
z
from Attitude to Action
How do their lives depend on them doing
something
Present a a clear action plan
z
Also give them tools/means
Provide clear instructions (Next steps, etc.)
z Make it easy for them to comply
z
10
The Ethics Persuasion
z Ask
yourself the following:
What is my responsibility to the audience?
z Can I publicly defend the ethics of my
message?
z What does this message say about my
character?
z
Three Persuasion Speech Designs
z Problem
Solution Design
First show there is a problem
z Discuss Impact of problem
z Discuss solution(s)
z
z Motivated
Sequence Design
z Refutative Design
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Three Persuasion Speech Designs
z Problem
Solution Design
z Motivated Sequence Design
Arouse attention
z Demonstrate a need
z Satisfy the need
z Visualize results
z Call for action
z
z Refutative
Design
Three Persuasion Speech Designs
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z
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Problem Solution Design
Motivated Sequence Design
Refutative Design
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Points out illogical reasoning, inconsistencies, weaknesses
Five steps are:
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State point you will refute
Tell how you will refute this point
Present your case
Spell out conclusion
Explain the significance of your conclusion
Follow up by proving a similar point of view to your own.
z
E.G. No increase in sexual activity followed by proof that
decreases teen pregnancy.
12
Summary
z Having
completed this session, you are
be able to:
z
z
z
z
Identify the major persuasive functions
Remember the process of persuasion
Recall the challenges of persuasion
Recognize the three main designs adopted for
persuasive speaking
13