The 10 Step to Writing a Persuasive Speech

• Speeches to Convince - You want your audience to agree with your way of thinking. You aren’t asking listeners to “do” anything. This approach is especially good when your listeners initially disagree with your position and you realize that moving them to action is unlikely.

• Speeches to Actuate - You want your audience to take action.

4. Topic you already know a lot about.

Step 2: Determine your Position Statement.

Your Position Statement is your thesis. It will take one of three forms:

• Statement of Value - “Something is or is not good.” This is personal opinion.

Example: “It is IMMORAL to use animals for medical research.”

• Statement of Fact - “Something is or is not true.” This is less personal opinion and can be backed up by credible research.

Example: “Nuclear power plants are a SAFE energy source.”

• Statement of Policy - “Something should or should not be done.”

Example: “Drugs should be legalized.”

Step 3: Analyze Audience Attitudes Using the Opinion Continuum.

Everybody falls into one of the seven categories of the Opinion Continuum when confronted with a controversial topic:

Hostile / Opposed / Mildly Opposed / No Opinion / Mildly in Favor / In Favor / Highly in Favor

If you project that most of your audience is in favor of your topic, than recommend a specific course of action. There is no need to spend valuable speech time to convince an audience of something they already believe.

There are three reasons an audience may have no opinion about a topic:

1. They are uninformed. (The speaker should inform them).

2. They are neutral. (The speaker should give good arguments and credible sources).

3. They are apathetic. (The speaker needs to motivate them).

If an audience is slightly opposed, then the speaker should approach them directly by presenting good reasons and evidence.

If an audience is hostile to the topic, then the speaker should seek a slight change in attitude, attempting to get them to understand the speaker’s point of view.

Step 4: Mindmap and Outline.

Where do you need sources?

Step 5: Research.

• Find evidence for both sides of the topic.

• Think about audience concerns and address them.

Step 6: Choose an Organizational Pattern.

Your book writes about several persuasive organizational patterns is Chapter 18, but I’m going to focus on the five that I find to be most effective: Problem-Solution, Direct Method, Comparative Advantage, Negative Method, and Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.

Problem-Solution

The Problem-Solution pattern is probably the most commonly used persuasive speech pattern. The first part of the speech is spent explaining the problem to the audience, while the second half is devoted to offering a solution.

Intro:

Position Statement: There are too many air disasters. (Position of Fact).

I. There are too many air disasters and near disasters around the globe.

A. The problem of near-misses and crashes is serious.

1. It is extensive (stats).

2. This has negative implications for travelers.

B. There are several causes of this problem.

1. There are communication problems between crews and air traffic controllers.

2. Weather is a consideration.

3. Mechanical and maintenance failures cause disasters.

II. The problem can be minimized.

A. Airplanes should be more carefully inspected and maintained.

B. Both crew members and air traffic controllers should continue to receive on-the-job training both in communication and in understanding the effects of weather.

C. Engineers and researchers should continue to develop state-of-the-art equipment to prevent some of these disasters.

Conclusion:

Direct Method

In the Direct Method, you make a claim then directly state your reasons to support it. Each point, thus, provides an additional rational to agree with your views. It is a good pattern to use when listeners are apathetic or neutral, mildly favoring, or mildly opposing the claim. Often it is used when the major persuasive purpose is to convince, though it can also be used to organize a speech to actuate. In the Direct Method, the speaker should begin with the least important reason and end with the most important.

Intro:

Position Statement: Everyone should drive 55 miles per hour. (Position of Policy)

I. It will save fuel.

II. It will save money.

III. It will save lives.

Conclusion:

Comparative Advantages Pattern

A Comparative Advantages pattern shows that one proposal is superior to competing proposals by comparing its advantages to those of the competition.

Intro:

Position Statement: Fords are better than any other vehicles. (Position of Value)

I. Ford has a better repair record than its competitors.

II. Ford has a higher resale value that its competitors.

III. Ford is more economical than its competitors.

Conclusion:

Negative Method Pattern

When you use the Negative Method, you concentrate on the shortcomings of every other proposal; then you show why your proposal is the one logical solution remaining. This is used with Positions of Policy.

Intro:

Position Statement: Drugs should be legalized. (Position of Policy)

I. More drug enforcement agencies are not the answer.

II. Better education is not the answer.

III. Incarceration is not the answer.

IV. Global legalization of drugs is the only way we will regulate supply and demand.

Conclusion:

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Alan Monroe, a professor at Purdue University for many years, developed and refined a pattern that is commonly used in persuasive speaking, especially in speeches with the purpose of actuating behavior. As you will see, it is a modified form of a problem-solution speech. In order to move people to act, it is necessary to motivate them to do what they know they should do. Because of this, it is important to provide emotional reasons as well as logical ones.

Attention Step. At the outset of the speech, as in any speech, you must gain the audience’s attention and draw it to the speech topic.

Need Step. This step is similar to the problem part of a problem-solution speech. Dr. Monroe suggests four elements in establishing the need:

1. Statement-Tell the nature of the problem.

2. Illustration-Give a relevant detailed example (or examples).

3. Ramifications-Provide additional support such as statistics or testimony that show the extent of the problem.

4. Pointing-Show the direct relationship between the audience and the problem. What are the personal implications for each listener?

Satisfaction Step. After you have demonstrated the problem, how extensive it is, and how it will affect the audience, propose a solution that will satisfy the need you have created. This step can have as many as five parts:

1. Statement-Briefly state the attitude, belief, or action you want the audience to adopt.

2. Explanation-Make your proposal understandable; visual aids may help at this point.

3. Theoretical demonstration-Show the logical connection between the need and your solution.

4. Practicality-Use facts, figures, and testimony to show that the proposal has worked effectively or that the belief has been proved correct.

5. Meeting Objections-Here you show that your proposal can overcome any potential objections that listeners might have.

Visualization Step. This step is unique from the patterns we have seen so far. In it, you ask the audience to imagine what will happen if they enact the proposal or if they fail to do so.

1. Positive-Describe future conditions when the plan is put into action. Put the audience into a realistic scenario, enjoying what your solution has provide. In this section, you commonly appeal to pathos (safety needs, pride, pleasure and other emotions).

2. Negative-Have the listeners imagine themselves in an unpleasant situation because they did not put the solution into effect.

3. Contrast-Compare the negative results of not enacting the plan with the positive results the plan will produce.

Action Step. In the final step, call for the listeners to act in a specific way.

1. Call for an overt action, attitude or belief.

2. State your personal intention to act.

3. End with impact.

Step 7: Come up with Introduction and Conclusion.

Introduction: You need to gain the attention of your audience within the critical first two minutes. Avoid opening any presentation with “Good morning or afternoon or evening” or a sentence such as “It’s a pleasure to be here.” Sometimes presenters begin with “Good morning” and then wait for the audience to answer back, but the response doesn’t come because the audience has heard the same thing from the three previous speakers. The usual greetings are so overdone that people literally tune them out. Instead, start out with the unexpected. Open your talk with an unusual or funny quotation, an amusing story, or a fascinating statistic.

Conclusion: Ties your introductory comments to your conclusion. Leave your audience with a closing thought that either calls them to action or inspires them to do something. Avoid closing with “Thank you” or “That’s all.”

Step 8: Build Credibility.

1. Tell the truth.

2. Keep information (especially stats) in perspective.

3. Resist personal attacks.

4. Give the correct source citations.

Step 9: Prepare Visual Aids & Speaking Notes.

Visual aids should enhance a speech, not distract from it. Please refer to your textbook (p. 356-363) to learn more about visual aids.

Your speaking notes should be a key word outline and not a script.

Step 10: Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse!