Persuasive Speech

Objectives Recognize specific features of a persuasive speech Analyze your audience before speaking Adapt your speech to match your audience Understand and implement logical, emotional, and personal appeals in your speech

Do you want to convince your parents that: you should have a later curfew? you should be able to borrow the car they should lend you money If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you better know how to speak persuasively.

Persuasive speaking demands two things: You must effectively induce your audience to believe as you do You must influence your audience in order to cause some sort of directed action to take place

Consider this: You want to convince your parents to let you go to a local concert. You want to convince your teacher to extend the deadline of a major paper. You want to show your friends that drinking and driving is not an intelligent way to have a good time.

You have to: Propose a good idea Show that you have a well thought out plan Prove that your plan is realistic and the right thing to do People act and react based on what they WANT, how they THINK, and how they FEEL.

First, Analyze your Audience Age Economic status Gender Political views Religious views How many in attendance? In favor or against your position?

The mood or temperament of your parents when asking if you can go to a local concert would be much different from… the mood or temperament of your neighbors if proposing an extensive local clean-up campaign

The Supportive Audience Easiest to address Ready to support & promote your ideas You reinforce & strengthen your ties w/ them Political candidate after a big win A school team asking for support at a pep-rally

The Uncommitted Audience Neutral, not for or against you Needs information to make up their minds “Ok, let’s hear what you have to say. Convince me.” Employers conducting job interviews Juries in courts of law

The Indifferent Audience Difficult to reach them They don’t believe what you are saying is relevant to them Apathetic, not opposed to you Show them how your message is applicable to & how it can have a direct impact on their lives. Apathetic students > the importance of school > big house & fancy car

The Opposed Audience Hostile to you &/or your proposal Your objective: get a fair hearing Show them you see merit in their arguments Don’t consider yourself the expert Success if: You know how they feel & their position has worth Avoid confrontation No winners & losers

Give your own examples of: Supportive Audience Uncommitted audience Indifferent audience Opposed audience How would your style & tone change in a speech to a supportive audience vs. an opposed audience?

Appeals An “Appeal” is: An urgent request What is attractive or interesting about someone or something Persuasive speakers must have appeal!

Aristotle Greek scientist & philosopher Persuasive speakers must use 3 appeals: Logical Appeal: reasoning Emotional Appeal: stirs emotions Personal Appeal: the speaker’s character

LOGICAL APPEAL LOGOS Appeals to the intellect of your audience Solid reasoning Valid evidence Organization: thesis & 3 reasons Give proof & offer the truth Facts

EMOTIONAL APPEAL PATHOS Let your feelings show Aim for the heart Aim at people’s emotions: love, anger, disgust, fear, compassion, patriotism, laughter, sympathy, outrage, remorse, optimism, hopes, dreams… Show the audience the emotion you wish them to feel by feeling it yourself

PERSONAL APPEAL ETHOS Be honest & sincere “Practice what you preach” Be competent & show expertise Show composure “Never let ‘em see you sweat!

Avoid Fallacy Flawed arguments Errors in reasoning Mistaken beliefs Weakens your credibility

anticipate your opponent’s response. Fallacy EXAMPLE: Hasty Generalization: faulty argument because your research is too small; conclusions are flawed. Aliens land in Antarctica…therefore Earth is… Explore all angles & anticipate your opponent’s response.

Questions to Discuss After picking a topic, word your thesis in the form of a question. Consider: Fact Value Policy

Questions of Fact Does a situation exist? How is it defined? Is the United States’ use of nuclear power on the decline? Does drinking milk really sooth the burn after eating hot peppers?

Questions of Value Examines the worth of the object, person, or situation Is this good/bad; desirable/undesirable; promising/hopeless Is ethanol production a good use of our corn resources? Is the two-party system the best political system for the United States?

Questions of Policy Requires physical or mental action What should or should not be done? Often includes the word “should” Should restaurants be forced to remove menu items that contain trans-fats? Should Congress end the practice of deficit spending?