RUNNING HEAD: PERSUASIVE SPEECH STRATEGIES
The specific persuasive strategies employed in speech
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Speech effectiveness can be raised through adapting a speech to the audience. In guiding
the stylistic and content choices of speech, forming a speech for specific audience in the
preparation stages would be necessary. The audience need to be told things in a way that
resonates with them and not in a manner that they are told what they need to hear and this is
quite important aspect for a person to keep in mind when presenting, since there are a number of
aspects that when adapting to an audience that an individual need to put into consideration.
There is the kind of language that is required when addressing a certain group of individuals, for
instance giving a speech to the students is not similar to giving a speech to scientists. In speech
delivery there are different tone variations as well as stylistic devices that are supposed to be put
in place for the speech to have meaning (Smith &Michael, 156-179)
Introduction.
There is need for people to understand their lifestyle and the kind of substance they take
in since some of the substances are harmful to the body system. The amount of gas that is
transported by the blood is never enough in case the odorless, colorless lethal gas is present.
There is need to understand that blood circulation in the body is impaired if there is presence of
carbon monoxide in large quantities. Come to think of it individuals who smoke heavily contain
up to 15% of carbon monoxide instead of large quantities of oxygen. It becomes lethal when the
artery walls get destroyed and fat buildup is accelerated. Smoking is such a risky thing to human
bodies since cigarette contain tar in the composition, this is made up of several substances and
can be harmful to the human lungs (Schulze &Rainer, page 28). To understand how dangerous
the components are, thirty cancer irritants are present in tar. Tar in cigarette smoke has been
attributed to causing lung cancer. Tar is one among many components found in cigarette.
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Cigarette smoke contains another addictive drug known as nicotine. Just to mention a few,
today’s speech will look into details more about smoking. Beginning with the effects of smoking,
causes, and health risks among others with this it will become easier for everyone to know on
which side they are on (McCarron &Ray, page 27-109).
Audience expectations.
I am aware of the expectation of each and every one of you and therefore there is need
for everyone to make sure that they participate in this crucial and influential topic. But the main
question that each and every individual present today need to ask themselves is what they are
doing or intending to do to ensure that smoking levels go down in our society. One thing that is
clear is as a cigarette smoker one is faced by many dangers. Just to point on a few diseases that
might be as a result of smoking include; chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, and emphysema
(Verderber & Rudolph, page 230-342).
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Knowledge of the topic.
Paying more attention on the figures over 40,000 deaths are caused by smoking cigarette
and applying tobacco substances. If people did not smoke cigarette, most of these deaths could
have been prevented. What‘s more heartbreaking is that, large variety of people use cigarette and
other tobacco products yet they are not legal. Tobacco use remains the nation’s single most
preventable cause of death as revealed by the American Heart Association. With this devastating
data the least regulated consumer product in the United States remains to be tobacco. According
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to my thinking I think this should be a wakeup call for the government and the community at
large to play their part in condemning smoking.
Audience size.
It is evident that we all come from different backgrounds and family set-ups, people have
attitude variations, expectations and knowledge levels. It is not fair enough to place people’s
health at risk since the products are bringing in large amounts of income (taxes) to the
government as a result of the product being heavily taxed. Though not only the smoker’s
consumption is of benefit, the health cost for smokers is another way of government making
money.
The prevailing health cost figures are amusing since in a year there are seventy three
billion dollars collected. This is quite devastating and something needs to be done as soon as
possible. On the other hand we need not to blame other people concerning the smokers but
instead they are to blame. Every time they smoke a cigarette smokers are made aware of the
smoking dangers.
Smokers are warned by the manufacturers by having placed a warning label on every
pack. Topping it on the health problems that arise as a result of smoking are listed on the pack. I
would not say that lack of information is the leading cause of smoking habit to accelerate. The
information available is sufficient but what individuals keep on doing is turning on a blind eye.
People it is time we rise and shun this killer habit.
Demographics.
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This can be explained in terms of factors such as age, gender, religion, ethnic
background, class, sexual persuasion, occupation, education, and group membership. It is evident
that the issue at hand affects every individual since if a child grows up in a family where both
parents are smokers there is a high possibility that the child will become a smoker someday. This
is the place efficient parenthood comes in there is need as parents to understand that kids become
what they are taught and if you are a smoker it will not make them less human if they tried
smoking.
Much has been said and no need to add more since the major part the community needs
to play is by ensuring that no more deaths will occur as a result of smoking. The fact that the
audience makes a point of asking questions or making remarks is enough evidence that the
message has gotten into them. The audience agrees with the facts and the interests, since it is
easier to their tones and their mode of responding. The exigency presented in this case both the
speaker and the audience agrees more or less fully with the concepts. Looking at the facts no
individual in his right sense can fail to list all the lethal impacts of smoking and therefore it
makes sense for both the audience and the speaker conquering with the topic of discussion.
Motivating the audience mostly depends on the speaker and the key tools of motivation
that he applies during the speech delivery. There are various best ways of motivating the
audience during speech. Putting into considerations our topic is all about smoking, speaker
should change his/her voice pitch and speed in the communication. Use of gestures such as the
art of using hands in demonstrating various aspects of the persuasion for instance he/she can
demonstrate a person smoking. The speaker should also try telling jokes, but he/she needs to be
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careful to keep to them clean and mundane. This means that the jokes that the speaker should
make should not go beyond smoking or should have a relation with smoking.
The speaker should move away from the podium if possible and interact with the
audience by asking them questions. Ethical appeals that are based on the credibility, character
and reliability can also be employed to motivate the audience. It involves establishing a common
ground with the audience. In most cases, it can be done through acknowledging the values and
beliefs of the audience and shared them on both sides of the argument.
In case it is appropriate for the issues in persuasion, the speaker should disclose why he
or she is interested in the topic or what personal experiences he/she has had with the topic. This
is the main agenda for setting up the stage to deliver speech. In this case it should be because the
numbers of deaths caused by smoking are increasing and nobody is acting or seems to be
concerned. Simply the main reason for the speech is to bring more awareness regarding the risks
of smoking. Thanking the target audience even if there are no commitments made is another
persuasive method; thanking them for listening to you and for the consideration they have given
(Schulze &Rainer, page 79-123).
In this case there is need for the speaker to ask the audience immense question regarding
what he/she has talked about or in line with the topic of discussion (smoking). Asking questions
in one way or another is an efficient method of testing the audience level of attention and their
understanding as well. There are various persuasive tips that should be reviewed before giving
speech. It include determining the credibility of the speaker, predicting out to interact with
cognitive response from the audience and determining strategies to evokes the audience’s
concern. In speech delivery the audience plays a major role since they determine the kind of
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language the speaker will use. The best thing that any speaker could do is to comprehensively
understand the audience.
Work cited
McCarron, Ray E. Principles and Types of Public Speaking. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon,
2008.
Schulze, Rainer. Persuasive Strategies and Face-Work in Impromptu Speech. Duisburg:
Linguistic Agency, Univ. of Duisburg, 2007.
Smith, Michael R. Advanced Legal Writing: Theories and Strategies in Persuasive Writing.
Austin: Aspen Publishers, 2008.
Verderber, Rudolph F. Advanced Public Speaking: Persuasive Strategies. Mason, Ohio:
Thomson/Custom Pub, 2013.