CFL Research Project 2012
The process of creating, reinforcing, or
changing people's beliefs or actions.
Strongly
Opposed
Moderately
Opposed
Slightly
Opposed
Neutral
Slightly
in Favor
Moderately
in Favor
Strongly
in Favor
Persuasion involves any movement by a
listener from left to right
The portion of the whole audience that the
speaker most wants to persuade.

Speeches on questions of fact - a question
that cannot be answered absolutely

Speeches on questions of value – judgments
based on a person’s beliefs about what is right
or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair

Speeches on questions of policy – a question
about whether a specific course of action
should or should not be taken



To persuade your audience that the plays
attributed to William Shakespeare were not
actually written by him.
To persuade your audience that poaching of
wild animals is a serious international
problem.
To persuade your audience that California will
suffer an earthquake of 9.0 or greater in the
next 10 years.



To persuade your audience that cloning is
morally wrong (or morally right).
To persuade your audience that bicycling is
the ideal form of land transportation.
To persuade your audience that journalists
should practice ethical responsibilities.


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To persuade your audience that security
measures should be increased/decreased at
airports.
To persuade your audience that the
government should (or should not) provide all
Americans adequate health care.
To persuade your audience that there should
be stricter safety standards on amusement
park rides.
The speaker’s goal is to convince the
audience that a given policy is desirable
without encouraging the audience to
take action in support of the policy.
BUT WE WANT MORE THAN PASSIVE
AGREEMENT!!
The speaker’s goal is to convince the
audience to take action in support of a
given policy.
THIS IS WHAT WE WANT!

Speeches to gain passive agreement
◦ To persuade your audience that the age for full
driving privileges should be raised to 18.
◦ To persuade your audience that school districts
should/should not allow soft drink companies to
stock their products in school vending machines.

Speeches to gain immediate action
◦ To persuade your audience to give blood through
the Red Cross.
◦ To persuade your audience to vote in the next
Presidential election.
◦ To persuade your audience to donate time to
become literacy tutors.
A five-step sequence designed especially for
organizing persuasive speeches that seek
immediate action.
Attention:
Gain the attention of the
audience
Need:
Show the need for change
Satisfaction:
Provide a solution to the need
Visualization:
Action:
Intensify desire for the solution
by visualizing its benefits – Also
include a visualization of what
the situation would be like if the
action is not taken. Think of this
like a pros and cons discussion.
Urge the audience to take
action in support of the
solution– Don’t forget that this
comes in the conclusion.

The Satisfaction Step – Two parts:
◦ Addressing the reservations of the audience
◦ Showing the audience that their reservations can be
overcome (or satisfied) by following a simple plan

Part 1: Addressing the audience’s reservations
◦ Brainstorm on your own and determine what would
prevent your audience members from accepting your
call to action.
◦ Example:
 If your specific purpose statement is to persuade
your audience to drink Coca Cola products instead
of Pepsi products, your audience might say …
 “Well, I would do that, but . . . . Coca Cola products
are usually more expensive.”

Part 2: Providing a satisfaction of the audience’s
reservations
◦ Brainstorm on your own and research supporting
evidence to combat the reservations
◦ Example:
◦ Do a survey of local stores and present a chart on which you give the
prices of the Coca Cola and Pepsi products. IF the cost of Coca Cola
products is less than or comparable to the cost of Pepsi products, you
can show this to your audience.
◦ You could interview local store managers and get information on the
number of times Coca Cola products go on sale versus the number of
times Pepsi products go on sale.
◦ Interview people who say that, regardless of the price, they still prefer
the taste of Coca Cola products to the taste of Pepsi products.

Address Reservation #1.
◦ Follow-up with the satisfaction of that reservation.

Address Reservation #2.
◦ Follow up with the satisfaction of that reservation.

Address Reservation #3.
◦ Follow up with the satisfaction of that reservation.


Don’t forget that this comes in the conclusion.
Don’t forget that part of the “call to action” is
the inclusion of your personal commitment.
◦ You must make a verbal personal commitment to
accept your own call to action. If you can’t stand in
front of your audience and do this, then you need to
change your topic!
◦ Example: If your specific purpose statement is to
persuade your audience to eat ten candy bars each
day, you must be able to stand in front of your
audience and “testify” that you either already to this
OR you plan to do this.

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Take roll each day.
Create ground rules of acceptable behavior of
the team and turn in after signing.
Reach a consensus on what value or policy
your team wants to explore – Turn in a 1st,
2nd, and 3rd choice
Begin brainstorming what you want your
specific purpose to be
Determine how you will conduct research

Research your subject online, keeping records of
all sites explored (bookmark, type links into a
Word document)

Create an outline and speech from your research

Create a PPT presentation of your research

Present your speech and PSA to the class and
possibly a larger audience (TBD)
©2007 Stephen W. Lucas. All rights reserved.