Persuasive Speaking
(notes from a lecture by Dr. Amy R. Slagell (Iowa State) edited by Maribeth Brown, M.A.
Persuasive Research and Organizing your Persuasive Speech
Once you have chosen a topic, your next task is to analyze it and prepare for
your research. We will use the traditional concepts that speakers have used
for centuries to argue for change in the status quo.(the current situation)
Ask there three questions to help you get started.
1. What is the problem with the status quo?
2. What do you intend to change about your audience?
3. Will that change improve the status quo?
Patterns of Organization for Persuasive Speeches:
o Problem Solution
o Problem-Cause-Solution
o Monroe’s Motivated Sequence & Stock Issues Format
o Key Reasons
Problem - Solution
State the current problem then your solution. (1. what is wrong with
the current belief, value, behavior and 2.the reasons your proposed
fact, value, action is true or better.)
Sample Speech: “The Problem With Pennies”
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that pennies should be
eliminated from the United States money supply.
Central Idea: Because Pennies cause problems for individuals,
businesses, and the economy as a whole, they should be eliminated
from the U.S. money system.
I. Introduction
II.Body
A. (Problem Issue) Pennies cause serious problems for individuals,
businesses and the national economy.
1.Pennies are a nuisance for individuals. [class survey, U.S.
Mint Survey, example of Noel Gunther from the L.A. Times]
2. Pennies are a nuisance for businesses too. [Fortune magazine,
National Association of Convenience Stores]
3. Pennies are a nuisance for the nation. [stats and testimony from
the Treasury Dept., from the U.S. Mint, from U.S. News and
World Report]
(Transition/Signpost)
B. (Plan Issue(a) & Practicality Issue(b)) The federal government
should eliminate pennies from the money supply.
1a. First step is for the federal government to legalize and
standardize rounding off purchases to the nearest nickel.
1b. Rounding off purchases: would not cause increased cost to
consumers.
2a. The next step is to round the sales tax off to the nearest
nickel.
2b. Rounding off sales tax: again, no increased cost; it is like
rounding off to the nearest dollar on your income tax return.
3a. The third step is for the Mint to stop making pennies.
3b. Stop minting: this will save $80 million a year
4a. The fourth step is for people to cash in their pennies
removing them from the money supply.
4b. Such a plan has worked in the U.S. before; in 1857 we
eliminated the half-penny. We already practice this plan
through the "Leave a Penny, Take a Penny" dishes at
check-out counters.
III. Conclusion
Problem-Cause-Solution
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the government
must increase its efforts to counter-act global warming.
Central Idea: The effects of global warming are catastrophic, but by
understanding what is causing this condition, the government can
create policies that can reverse these effects.
I. Introduction
II.Body
A. (Problem) Scientists agree that a general warming of the
earth's atmosphere would lead to devastating effects on
the environment.
B. (Cause) There are several factors responsible for global
warming.
C. (Solution) Government policies directed at industry and
individuals can mitigate the effects of global warming.
III. Conclusion
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence & Stock Issues Format
Best pattern to use for a personal action appeal.
Five Parts of Monroe's Motivated Sequence:
ATTENTION
NEED:
SATISFACTION:
VISUALIZATION:
ACTION:
A Great and Clear way to utilize Monroe's Motivated sequence in a
persuasive Speech/Outline: Stock Issues Format
I. Introduction
A. (Attention getter) This is a creative way to grab attention or
get your audience to pay attention. It can be a shocking
statistic; a story of one person affected (factual
illustration),strong rhetorical question, etc.
B. (Thesis statement) This is one sentence that summarizes
your entire speech. It should be one sentence or two on
what you will argue in the speech.
C. (Reason to listen) It is how you validate your topic to the
audience and shows it is important to THIS audience. Do
not use broad and vague sentences here such as “it will
make you a better person” or “You will be more
knowledgeable.” APPLY it to the audience and tell us how
important it is to YOUR CLASSMATES’ lives.
D. (Speaker credibility) This can be your experience, research,
etc. with this topic.
E. (Preview of main points) First you will tell us why this (your
topic) is a problem and how it applies to us. Second, you
will discuss why this problem (your topic) has not yet
been solved. Third, you will tell us how you plan to solve
this problem (your topic).
II. Body
A. (Significance/harms) Here you want to introduce the problem
and demonstrate how the topic can affect/harm the
audience members and society.
1. Define the issue you are discussing – how widespread
the problem is and its importance to society (Need)
2. Tell us about 3-5 HARMS here that are a result of the
problem. In order to be a bad problem, it must be
causing some harms. Harms are dangers that
happen because of the problem and that will last
unless the problem is corrected. Statistics fit real
well here to show magnitude of problem, but other
evidence can be used as well.
(Transition/Signpost)
B. (Inherency) (use correct sub points!) This is where you want
to address the barriers that have prevented the problem
from being solved. Why does this problem still exist?
What are the reasons it has not been fixed or addressed?
Obstacles such as this are two types: structural (in the
system/laws) or attitudinal (people’s beliefs, ignorance’s,
beliefs that keep the problem from being solved).
Testimonies work well here, but so does other evidence
as well.
(Transition/Signpost)
C. (Solvency) (use correct sub points!) This section describes
the clear and specific steps to solving the problem. This
section is the most important in a persuasive speech and
MUST be detailed and precise. It must be a reasonable
plan of action that your class can ACTUALLY do. *** It
also needs to address ALL the barriers you mentioned in
section B. A good solvency section includes how the
audience can carry out the plan and also evidence that
the plan can work (perhaps it has worked somewhere
else?) Expert testimonies, analogies or specific instances
work well here. (satisfaction & action)
III. Conclusion
A. (Review of main points) Restate the problems; Restate the
barriers to that problem; Restate the solution you propose
to the problem.
B. (Final Plea) This is your last chance to persuade the
audience to follow your solution. This is a good place to
use some strong emotional pleas and make the problem
and solution important to your audience. Make this an
argument we simply cannot refuse!!
C. (Visualization) Here you want to FIRST give the audience a
projection of the positive outcomes that your solution will
make. Paint a picture here so your audience can see how
their help and your solution can actually work (positive
outcome). SECOND, give the audience a picture or
example of what would happen if your solution was NOT
used or that the audience NOT do anything to help the
problem (a negative outcome).
D. (Tie back to attention getter) Refer to the issues you brought
up in your attention getter.
Key Reasons
Not an official organizational pattern but still an effective means of
persuasion. Setting up the key reasons your audience needs to adopt
the proposed change. You must have very concrete arguments,
supported by research to support these key reasons.
Main points would each be a different reason with supporting
arguments/research for each.