Persuasive Presentations: Individual or Team Chapter 13 Persuasive Presentations: Individual or Team Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Chapter 13 Objectives Explain the meaning of persuasion and the different types of persuasive presentations Describe each of the four factors/theories necessary to make your presentations persuasive List the steps for preparing a persuasive speech Identify three characteristics found in successful team presentations Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Persuasion Defined Persuasion is not simply offering information and letting audience make up their own minds Persuasion is arguing for a particular view Persuasion is not coercion Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Types of Persuasive Presentations Presentation to convince Seeks intellectual agreement from listeners Presentation to actuate Asks listeners for both intellectual agreement and action of some type Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Types of Persuasive Presentations Presentation to convince Want your audience to agree with your way of speaking You aren’t asking them to do anything Approach good when your audience initially disagrees with your position and you realize moving them to action unlikely Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Types of Persuasive Presentations Presentation to actuate You want your audience to go one step past agreement to take particular action Must convince them of merits of your ideas You want to actuate them Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Types of Persuasive Presentations Actuating includes the following: Persuade the audience to do something they haven’t been doing Urge audience to continue doing something Ask them to stop doing something Persuade them to never start doing something Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Persuasion in Business Includes both written and oral messages Most persuasive presentations are informal and given within organization by supervisors to employees or by employees to supervisors Other persuasive presentations given to an individual or group from outside organization More formal Many companies also give persuasive presentations to general public Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message Factual statements and opinions originating from another source Forms the basis for logical arguments Logic From Greek logos, or reason Of four factors leading to persuasion, evidence is most confusing Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Persuasive Presentations: Theory Four main factors: Aristotle’s means of persuasion Logos Evidence and logic of message Ethos Credibility of persuader Pathos Psychological needs of listeners Opinions Those held by key people in audience Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message Factors influencing effect of evidence in presentations: Listeners have difficulty identifying evidence and intellectual appeals, in distinguishing between logical and illogical messages, and between high-quality evidence and low-quality evidence In order for evidence to produce persuasion, listeners must be aware and accept evidence exists Low-ability listeners who are not personally involved with topic will tend to be persuaded when large amount of evidence is presented Logical-sounding phrases may cause listeners to judge presentation as more logical Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message Factors influencing effect of evidence in presentations: Evidence and arguments that are novel or new to an audience are more persuasive Use of evidence increases perceived credibility of low-credibility speaker There is a persuasive advantage for messages providing source citations When giving a source, it is more effective to cite source and his or her qualifications after the evidence is presented Self-reference speakers are rated higher in trustworthiness Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message Method 1 Assertion plus evidence plus source Method 2 Assertion plus evidence Method 3 Assertion plus evidence plus source plus qualifications of source Method 4 Assertion plus firsthand experience Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message For persuasive presentations outside the organization Best methods of using evidence are method 3 and method 4 Method 3 These listeners do not know you personally You enhance your credibility Documented evidence may counteract opposing arguments If already known as authority, method 4 can be effective Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message For persuasive presentations within the organization Method 1 and method 4 are good methods for presenting evidence Method 1 Time is precious to everyone Extensive documentation unnecessary Presenter is usually acquaintance of listener Method 4 Should be used only if you have firsthand experience and are an authority Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message Present only your side of argument when: Listeners already agree with your proposal and have well-developed belief system Listeners know nothing about your topic You want listeners to take immediate action There is little chance listeners will hear other side Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message Present both sides of argument when: Listeners are fairly knowledgeable on your topic Listeners already disagree with your proposal There is a good chance listeners will hear other side from another speaker or news media Listeners agree but are fairly new to opinion and have undeveloped belief systems Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message Inoculation theory Inoculating a listener against opposing ideas Can create immunity by motivating receivers to the vulnerability of their beliefs and presenting look at opposing arguments along with refutation Makes listeners more resistant to additional new arguments Gives listeners immunity needed to continue building own counterarguments Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Evidence and Logic of the Message Key is to show any disadvantage to your plan or position is minor Do so without fallacious reasoning Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Second factor of persuasion is ethos/credibility Credible person is someone others view as believable The greater your credibility, the more persuasive you are Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Note the following research findings: Listeners who have very low involvement with topic tend to be more persuaded by expertise of speaker than by quality of arguments or evidence Listeners who are very involved with topic are more persuaded by quality arguments than credibility of speaker When persuasive message uses audio or video mode, level of listener persuasion is likely to be determined by credibility of speaker Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Note the following research findings: When message is print mode, level of listener persuasion is more likely to be determined by data and quality of evidence When persuasive message is sent by e-mail or Internet, receivers are more persuaded by perceived credibility of sender than presence of any evidence Perceived similarity between audience members and speaker may enhance persuasion Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Trustworthiness When speakers appear untrustworthy, credibility is questioned regardless of other qualities Several factors affect whether listeners perceive speakers as untrustworthy Speakers can improve perceived trustworthiness by presenting both sides of an argument and by appearing friendly and likeable Using active instead of passive sentence structure improves speaker’s believability Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Competency Knowledgeable, experienced, expert Speakers who use nonfluencies often judged as low on competence You can appear confident by citing personal experiences that relate to topic, by citing sources listeners feel are prestigious, by speaking confidently, by using high-quality visual aids, and by wearing higher status clothing Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Dynamism Dynamic speaker is forceful, enthusiastic, and uses good vocal variety Dynamic speakers must remain conversational Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Objectivity Speakers usually seem objective when they discuss all viewpoints of proposal Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Credibility, fraud, and the Internet Instant ethos causes us to trust the message even when the author is unknown Victims of fraud give little attention to substance of message once they perceive sender to be honest Criminals use same credibility-based techniques in Internet scams as they do in telephone and door-to-door scams Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Credibility of the Speaker Persuasive techniques that produce responses in most of us: Reciprocation Commitment and consistency Social proof Likeability Authority Scarcity Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Psychological Needs of the Listeners You must adapt your arguments to pathos/psychological needs of listeners If you can get audience to relate personally to your evidence, they are more likely to consider your evidence persuasive Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Psychological Needs of the Listeners Hierarchy of needs Abraham Maslow Although people may be motivated by several levels at a time, generally a lower rung must be satisfied before next rung becomes important As each goal fulfilled, replaced with another Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Psychological Needs of the Listeners Hierarchy of needs Physiological needs Safety needs Social needs Esteem needs Self-actualization needs Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Psychological Needs of the Listeners Audience involvement One of the best and most persuasive ways to relate to audience needs is by getting audience involved Several successful ways to encourage audience involvement: Relevancy Fun and activities Commonality and emotion Graphics and charts Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Opinions of Key Listeners To persuade group, you must first persuade key people Opinion leaders: Tend to have slightly more formal education and higher social status Usually more knowledgeable than others More likely to converse with others Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Step 1: Analyze Your Expected Listeners and Their Needs You should obtain the same information about your listeners as you would when preparing an informative presentation You need to identify the opinion leaders You must show your proposal will help fulfill one or more of your listeners’ needs Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Step 2: Write Your Exact Purpose as a Position Statement Begin by determining exactly what reaction you hope to elicit from your listeners Write your exact purpose in the form of a position statement Persuasive position statements are different from informative purpose statements Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Step 3: Determine Initial Credibility and Plan to Increase It If Necessary If initial credibility is positive, it will add to your persuasiveness If it is negative, you will need to supplement your initial credibility Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Step 4: Research Topic and Choose Best Method for Presenting Evidence Review methods for presenting evidence Don’t forget to use a variety of supporting materials Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Step 5: Decide How to Organize Your Presentation for Best Effect Claim or reasons pattern Inductive reasoning Deductive reasoning Causal pattern Problem-solution pattern Comparative advantages pattern Criteria satisfaction pattern Motivated sequence Attention step Need step Satisfaction step Visualization step Action step Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Step 6: Prepare an Outline, Polish Verbal and Visual Supports Use a variety of supports to clarify and keep audience interest Persuasive conclusions must use persuasive language Persuasive speeches must have a visualization step In addition, you should issue a challenge or appeal for action Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Step 7: Review Your Presentation to Ensure It Is Ethical Ethical problems more likely to occur in persuasive speeches Speakers may be led into unethical behavior when deciding which emotional and logical appeals to use and how to establish speaker credibility Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Step 8: Practice Your Presentation to Gain Confidence Work for dynamic, yet conversational delivery While you practice, videotape your presentation Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Team presentations have advantage of shared responsibility, more expertise, and impressive appearance Are difficult to coordinate, time consuming, and expensive Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Successful team presentations have three characteristics: Well-organized, well-supported, smooth-flowing content Creative, professional, and well-used visual aids Smooth, polished, and dynamic team performance Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Types of team presentations: Panel Problem-solving panel Symposium Problem-solving symposium-panel Forum Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Content Can be either informative or persuasive Each presenter can prepare storyboards of their part of presentation Finding and correcting problems early in planning process important Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Visual aids Should be consistent in appearance throughout presentation Suggest all final visuals be prepared by one group member or graphic arts department Team members should practice using their visual aids in front of another team member You can estimate length of presentation by number of visuals you plan to use Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Performance Each member should practice alone or with partner, then team should have one or more dry runs Videotape practice sessions One team member needs to be coordinator/leader Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Q&A and open discussions Plan ahead how you will handle it Anticipate possible questions and determine who has most expertise to answer specific topic areas Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Leader should: Mention in introduction there will be question-and-answer period Rephrase confusing or negative questions If question appears irrelevant or will take too long to answer, thank audience member and offer to speak with him or her after session Before directing question to group member, repeat question If you plan to follow general group discussion, make sure you have microphones available in audience End session on time with final summary and memorable closure Communicating for Results, 10th edition

Communicating for Results, 10th edition Team Presentations Buzz groups Chairperson will announce topic at beginning of program Basic process: Small groups are formed Each group selects recorder Give groups 5-10 minutes to brainstorm When time is up, thank audience and ask them to bring flip chart to front of room Communicating for Results, 10th edition