Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
 The Monroe’s Motivated Sequences is a 5 step pattern
to write persuasive speeches.
 This method of arranging material forms the basis for
many of the successful political, public awareness or
advertising campaigns you see and hear around you on
a daily basis. Why? Because it follows the psychology
of persuasion.
Step Overview
In developing your persuasive speech outline you will follow
the following 5 steps:
 Attention
Grab the audience's attention
 Need
Establish there is a problem (need) demanding their attention
 Satisfaction
Outline a solution to the problem
 Visualization
Show the audience how they will benefit from your solution
 Action
Provide the force to make something happen and how to go
about doing it
Step 1: Attention
 This step is your 'listen up' call. To make it effective it needs to
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grab the audience. It could be any of the following:
a startling statement
a rhetorical question
a quotation
a funny story
a dramatic story
a photograph or other visual aid
Consider 'What's in it for me?' while deciding on your attention
getter.
Why should your audience listen? Is it relevant to them? How?
Why should they believe what you say? Have you established
your credibility?
Step 2: Establish the Need
This step develops the need for change. Now that you have your
audience's attention you will clearly show them what the problem is and \
the extent of it.
To be effective use:
 examples to illustrate how it impacts on them - their happiness,future,
health, family, neighborhood...
 statistics - facts, figures, graphs, diagrams...
Remember to cite your sources and remember too that some are more
credible than others. You need recognized sources to give your speech
the credibility you want.
 expert witness testimony - the more authoritative, the better
 Your goal at the conclusion of this step is to have your audience eager to
hear your solution. They agree with you that there is a problem and
want the answer.
Step 3: Satisfy the Need
Now you outline your answer or solution and show the audience how it
will work.
To do this well:
 outline your solution briefly
 demonstrate how it meets the problem
 use examples to show how effective it is
 support with facts, figures, graphs, diagrams, statistics, testimony...
 if there is known opposition to your solution, acknowledge and
counteract showing how your plan overturns it
 The ideal outcome of this step is the audience saying to themselves:
'Yes. This is possible, practical and sensible.'
Your answer should give them 'satisfaction'.
Step 4:
Visualization (See the Future)
In this step the audience 'experiences' the solution. They
see (feel, hear, taste...) what will happen if they do as you
are suggesting contrasted against what will happen if
they don't do as you are suggesting.
 This step relies on your use of vivid imagery to portray the
outcome of their action or inaction. They see and feel the
pleasure or pain in their imagination. To bring it home to your
audience the pictures you provide, the stories you tell, need to be
relevant and believable.
 What you want folk thinking as you conclude this step is: 'I can
see that this would be good for me.'
Step 5: Take Action
In this last step you present your call to action.
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The call to action can be embedded in any combination of the following:
a summary
a quotation
a challenge or appeal
an example
a personal statement of intent
To be effective the action step must be readily doable and executed as soon as
possible. Make it as easy as you can for your audience. If you want them to sign
up for something, have the forms available. If you wish them to lodge a
personal protest in writing to your local government have stock letters and
envelopes ready. In other words do the leg work for them!
 Action steps that are delayed even for 48 hours are less likely to be acted on.
We're human - life goes on. Other things intervene and the initial urgency is
lost.
Fitting the Standard Speech Format
If you are wondering how these 5 steps of Monroe's
Motivated Sequence fit into the standard 3 part speech
format, they go like this:
 Steps 1 and 2 (Attention and Need) form the
Introduction
 Steps 3 and 4 (Satisfaction and Visualization) form the
Body
 Step 5 (Action) is the Conclusion
How to Come Up With Ideas
When you are trying to come up with a topic to discuss consider the
Following:
 your audience (their interests, values, hopes)
 your interest in the topic
In order to persuade convincingly and confidently you need to genuinely
believe your persuasive speech idea is good.
 the time you have to research it thoroughly
 your desired outcome
(What do you want your audience to do as a result of hearing you speak?)
 your credibility
How qualified are you to speak on the topic you've chosen?
Do you have personal experience on your side?
How long have you been interested in it?
Have you done your research? Found reliable resources?