Speaking to Persuade

What is Persuasion? Persuasion: The act of creating, reinforcing, or altering people’s beliefs or actions A persuasive speaker’s goal is to get listeners to agree with them. Your goal may be to defend an idea, to disprove an opposing opinion, to sell something, or to inspire people to action. In order to be successful, you will need to learn how to affect your listener’s attitudes, beliefs, or actions.

The Challenge of Persuasive Speaking Some persuasive speeches will deal with controversial topics that go against on your listeners’ attitudes, values, and/or beliefs. This may increase their resistance to agreeing with your point of view. This doesn’t mean it is impossible to persuade those listeners, but you should have a realistic expectation for the speech.

The Challenge of Persuasive Speaking Some listeners will be strongly for your position, some will be neutral, and some will be against it. You should try and convince those who are neutral to agree with you. You can consider your speech a success if it causes some listeners to reconsider their views.

How Listeners Process Persuasive Speeches Listeners do not just sit and soak in everything the speaker has to say, they go back and forth between agreeing and disagreeing with points the speaker makes. While they listen, they evaluate the speaker’s credibility, delivery, supporting materials, language, reasoning, and emotional appeals. Listeners may argue inside their own heads with the speaker.

Mental Dialogue With the Audience Mental Dialogue with the Audience: the mental give-and-take between the speaker and listener during a persuasive speech. Speakers have to anticipate possible objections the audience will have to their point of view and answer them in their speech. Speakers can’t change the minds of skeptical listeners unless you deal directly with the reasons for their skepticism.

Target Audience Target Audience: the section of the whole audience that the speaker most wants to persuade.

Credibility Credibility: The audience’s perception of whether a speaker is qualified to speak on a given topic. You should demonstrate your credibility in the introduction.

Credibility Example #1 “I started competitive swimming when I was in elementary school, and I have continued at it for the past seven years. I have also taught swimming classes at the YMCA, and I am a certified lifeguard through the American Red Cross.”

Credibility Example #2 “The information I am going to share with you today comes mostly from my English class and an interview with James Hare of the local Literary Society.”

Credibility Credibility is affected most by two factors: Competence: How an audience regards a speaker’s intelligence, expertise, and knowledge of the subject. Character: How an audience regards a speaker’s sincerity, trustworthiness, and concern for the well-being of the audience. The more favorably listeners view a speaker’s competence and character, the more likely they are to accept what the speaker says.

Types of Credibility Your credibility can change during the course of your speech. Initial Credibility: Credibility of a speaker before they start to speak. Derived Credibility: The credibility of a speaker produced by everything they say or do during the speech. Terminal Credibility: The credibility of a speaker at the end of a speech.

Enhancing Your Credibility Explain your competence: If you have special knowledge or insight about your topic, let your audience know that.

Common Ground Establish Common Ground: Make your speech more appealing by identifying your ideas with those of your audience. Example: On the issue of gun violence, some people would like to create stricter gun laws, others would like to leave them as they are. While both sides are opposed to one another, they can find common ground and agree that both of them like to keep guns out of the hands of children.

Common Ground Creating Common Ground: A technique in which a speaker connects himself or herself with the values, attitudes, or experiences of the audience.

Have Conviction A speaker’s credibility is affected by his or her delivery. Deliver your speech with genuine conviction. Conviction: A firm belief If you wish to convince others, you must first convince yourself.

Have Conviction If you want others to believe and care about your ideas, you must believe and care about them yourself. Your spirit, enthusiasm, and conviction will carry over to your listeners.

Use Evidence Evidence: supporting materials used to prove or disprove something Examples Statistics Testimony

Tips for Using Evidence Use specific evidence: Instead of saying “lots” use a specific number like “37 billion Americans…” Use new evidence: Use statistics that will be new to the audience, which will get them to say, “Hmm…I didn’t know that. Maybe I should rethink the issue.” Use evidence from credible sources: Listeners will be suspicious if your evidence comes from sources than appear biased Make clear the point of the evidence: Be sure that listeners understand the point you are trying to make with the evidence

Reasoning Reasoning: The process of drawing a conclusion on the basis of evidence. Make sure your reasoning makes sense. Try and get your listeners to agree to your reasoning.

Appealing to Emotions Effective persuasion often requires emotional appeal. Emotional appeals are intended to make listeners feel sad, angry, guilty, afraid, happy, proud, sympathetic, etc.

Examples of Emotional Appeals Fear - of serious illness, natural disasters, personal rejection Compassion - for the physically disabled, neglected animals, starving children Pride - in one’s country, one’s family, one’s school, one’s personal accomplishments Anger - at terrorists, vandals, thieves Guilt - about not helping the less fortunate, about not doing one’s best Reverence - for an admired person, for traditions and institutions

How to Make an Emotional Appeal Use emotional language Develop vivid examples Speak with sincerity and conviction

Emotional Language Example The promise of America sparkles in the eyes of every child. Their dreams are the glittering dreams of America. When those dreams are dashed, when innocent hopes are betrayed, so are the dreams and hopes of the entire nation.

Bad Vivid Example #1 Malaria is one of the biggest problems facing Africa. Many die from it every day. If the rest of the world doesn’t help, the malaria epidemic will only get worse.

Good Vivid Example #2 Nathan was only five years old when the fever struck him. At first, no one knew what was wrong. No one knew that parasites inside his body had infected his red blood cells. No one knew those cells were clumping together, choking the flow of blood through his body and damaging his vital organs. No one knew his kidneys would soon fail and seizures would begin. No one knew he would wind up in a coma. The parasites in Nathan’s body came from a mosquito bite, a bite that gave him malaria. And Nathan is not alone. The World Health Organization tells us the horrible truth: In Africa, a child dies from malaria every 30 seconds.