persuasive speech techniques examples

“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” Winston Churchill

Public Speaking Voice

Try to vary the intonation and pitch of your voice. It keeps an audience on its toes, guessing what you’re about to say next.

Speaking very quietly can also be a powerful vocal technique, magnifying the importance of a topic.

At other times it’s important to project your voice to the back of the room.

Check out the video below…

Public Speaking Body Language

Though improving the oral delivery of your speeches takes time, improving your body language can lead to quick wins.

Research shows that changing your body language before an assessment can significantly affect performance.

By adopting a power pose before your speech, you can increase your testosterone levels (responsible for confidence) and decrease your cortisol levels (responsible for anxiety).

Standing with your hands on your hips ought to do the trick, although I like to use the gorilla pose.

Stand tall with your shoulders back to demonstrate confidence.

Make eye contact with the audience, and pick specific members out if you can. People will feel you’re speaking directly to them.

Use hand gestures to support the points you’re making. It’ll help make your speech visual and emphasise your message.

Final Thoughts

Improving your public speaking and becoming more persuasive is all about analysis and practice.

Luckily we live in an age where we don’t have to physically see great speakers in action to learn from them.

TED is a great resource. Listen to all the speakers you can and analyse their strengths and weaknesses.

These persuasive speech techniques will take you a long way, but put what you learn into practice.

You don’t even have to get up in front of an audience to do it. Record yourself on a camera to test your material and delivery.

The key is to create a tight feedback loop. Listen back to your efforts and course correct where necessary.

My final recommendation is to read this golden oldie by Dale Carnegie.

Good luck brave mind.

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6 Best Persuasion Techniques That You Can Use in Your Speeches

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6 Best Persuasion Techniques That You Can Use in Your Speeches

Should you learn verbal persuasion techniques that can make your speeches more effective?

Well, if you aim to inspire, convince, and transform perspectives about a specific topic, or perhaps to bargain more effectively, the answer is yes.

The power of persuasion can not only help you in your professional life but in your personal life too. These persuasion skills and influencing tactics can make you a more effective and competent speaker, irrespective of your topic or industry.

Is it Ethical to Use Persuasion Techniques as a Speaker?

When you can convince the world of your authenticity with your words alone, you are not just a better orator, but a better communicator, with the ability to play many roles. For instance, as a sales executive, you can use your persuasion skills to influence others, gain their trust, and ensure that they like you right away and are willing to listen to you. This is the key to selling .

As a speaker, persuading your audience helps them relate to you, so they understand and agree with your viewpoint.

Learning how to persuade, convince, or sell your innovative ideas to your audience while delivering a speech is an invaluable skill that helps you excel.

If a speaker is misleading their audience for their personal gain or promoting something unethical or unlawful, using persuasion techniques for these purposes is a bad idea.

Ethical persuasion techniques have some general characteristics that let you:

Explain your viewpoint

Explore and discuss the other person's viewpoint

Create resolutions

Notably, when a speaker adopts an ethical approach, they get input from their audience, and they offer an authentic, truthful explanation of their outlook.

As a speaker you must carefully consider your persuasion strategy and topic to ensure that you communicate a message that is ethical. To avoid coercing your audience, it is also imperative for you to use emotional and logical appeals responsibly.

Best 6 Persuasion Techniques You can Use in Your Speeches

Here are some expert-recommended ways you can command your audience's attention during a speech and convince them of your expertise.

Rhetorical Questions

Asking rhetorical questions is a great way to persuade your audience when delivering a speech. This adds a dramatic effect to your address; your audience knows you aren't expecting an answer, but it gets them thinking about the point you’re making.

So rhetorical questions and comments effectively engage your audience and keep them hooked to your speech. However, don't make the mistake of overusing rhetorical techniques because that can make you sound unsure, repetitive, and unprofessional.

Also, know that this persuasion technique forces your listeners to think. It asks open-ended questions to the audience without providing them with an answer. This encourages them to think about different solutions and explore unique and innovative ideas/possibilities that they might not have considered otherwise.

Rhetorical questions also evoke emotions and help you emphasize a point. They help you better convince listeners to consider what you're saying seriously.

Personal Anecdotes

Telling brief stories about your life experiences is an excellent persuasion approach to public speaking. As long as you can tell your story in an engaging, shocking, touching, proactive, or humorous way, rest assured that you've made an impact. Typically, these stories last no more than a few minutes, preferably much less, and give your audience a deeper understanding of what you're trying to tell them, while also entertaining them.

However, that doesn't mean that you should make your entire speech into a personal anecdote. Leverage this technique sparingly but practically.

Present a story by backing up your arguments with facts, hammer down your central idea, and highlight your takeaway to the audience. Also, it is imperative to position your anecdote in your speech tactically, as that is a big part of what will determine its purpose and effectiveness.

Used well, an anecdote can introduce an idea, make it relatable to your audience, reiterate the message, and ultimately ingrain your message/idea into the minds of your audience.

Be Descriptive And Authentic

It is vital to bring your story to life by describing it appropriately and authentically. When relating an anecdote, elaborate on what you heard, saw, and felt at that point in your time.

It is also important to ensure that you sound credible and genuine to the audience. Otherwise, you can't earn the trust and integrity needed to persuade listeners. Don't make anything up, because more often than not, audiences will quickly catch on to that and you will lose them.

For example, in this video, you can learn to structure and write a persuasive presentation or speech and include the problem, solution, and advantages in the same order.

Follow The "Rule Of Three" Or Tricolon

A Tricolon, also referred to as the "Rule of three," is another useful persuasion technique.

The human brain absorbs and retains information more efficiently when that information is packaged in threes. Consider three to be the magic number, and try using a set of three phrases, clauses, or words to get a point across. As long as you don’t overdo it, doing so makes what you say more memorable, interesting, and exciting. This rule works well in writing too.

You can learn more about persuasive speaking basics here.

Decide on an Overarching Theme

Don't share too much information too quickly. You need to communicate your ideas in a way that provides value to your audience.

You should unify your address under a centralized and overarching theme to create simplicity and coherence in your presentation. Avoid disparate tidbits, unrelated rants, and long-winded tangents.

Doing this will make it more manageable for your listeners to follow along and understand the predominant theme of your presentation.

Convey Your Message Through Emotive Language

One of the most actionable persuasion techniques is to leverage emotive language in your speech. Choose phrases and words that appeal to your audience's emotions.

Emotional triggers can be experiences, events, or memories that spark an intense reaction emotionally. Using these also helps you connect with, engage, and hook your audience to your speech and the message you are trying to convey.

Therefore, building your speech's structure around emotion is a powerful way to convince your audience. However, it is important to ensure that you don't confuse an emotional appeal with manipulation.

Great Resources on Improving Persuasion Skills

Speaking persuasively is a talent that requires effort and consideration. However, the hard work will pay off spectacularly in the long run.

Here are some resources to help you learn and practice your persuasion skills:

Workshops And Courses

You can increase the quality of your interactive and engaging sessions with your audience by enrolling in a speaking course.

Training will provide practical, actionable, and valuable tips that you can implement in your speeches and everyday communication. Workshops, courses and online learning platforms are excellent places to start building and improving skills you can practice in real-life scenarios.

For example, Skills Converged offers various courses and training sessions to help you hone your persuasion skills.

Great Resources on Improving Persuasion Skills

Books are excellent fonts of information and knowledge. They seep things into your mind, trigger creativity, and transform perspectives. Books can provide excellent advice on presentation skills, public speaking, communication, etc.

While some books focus on inspiring your audience to help them build confidence and realize their self-worth, others offer practical insights on preparation, writing, and body language.

So whether you require material advice or motivational energy, books are a great way to achieve your goal.

For instance, an influential and informative book like " Win Your Case: How to Present, Persuade, and Prevail–Every Place, Every Time " by Gerry Spence is a great read that can help you improve your persuasion and presenting skills alike.

Another book I would recommend is " Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion " by Robert Cialdini. This is a classic book on persuasion that explains the psychology and reasoning behind people saying yes, and explains how to apply those understandings.

Videos are another valuable resource to help you hone and improve your persuasion skills. For many, the visual format is an easy form to absorb tips. You can follow motivational videos at your own pace, and learn new concepts that can help you convince your audience.

So if you want to invigorate your persuasive techniques through video, you have various platforms available to you. For instance, YouTube has a wide choice of videos addressing presentation skills. You can get transcripts of the YouTube videos quickly by using this transcription service without having to manually listen through it and type down each word.

For example, this video can help you with preparing and delivering an excellent persuasive speech. Also, you can find an expansive list of communication concepts with implementation strategies that you can leverage in your speeches.

There are many other videos on YouTube and other platforms that can help you work on your speaking and persuasion skills. You can find several expert communication coaches who offer comprehensive videos on the art of persuasion. Communication Coach Alex Lyon has a YouTube channel that provides online courses to help people with their persuasion skills.

Source : YouTube

Wrapping Up

Whether an influencer, leader, salesperson, or speaker, you can benefit greatly by enhancing your ability to persuade and convince your audience. This is the key to getting people to sit up and take notice of who you are. It gets them to buy into your products, ideas, services, or even social causes and fundraising.

Work on the persuasion techniques mentioned above to deliver a valuable speech, negotiate a sales deal, etc. These are tried and trusted techniques that will help you achieve your public speaking goals.

About the author:

Will Cannon is the founder of Signaturely . He is an experienced marketer with profound knowledge in lead generation, communication, email marketing, demand generation, and customer acquisition. He offers actionable techniques on improving customer experience and increasing business ROI.

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Persuasive Speaking

Persuasive speaking is the type of speaking that most people engage in the most. This type of speech can involve everything from arguing about politics to talking about what to eat for dinner. Persuasive speaking is very connected to the audience, as the speaker must, in a sense, meet the audience halfway. Persuasion, obviously, is not entirely controlled by the speaker--persuasion occurs when an audience assents to what a speaker says. Consequently, persuasive speaking requires extra attention to audience analysis.

Traditionally, persuasion involves ethos (credibility), logos (logic), and pathos (emotion). By performing these three elements competently, a speaker can enhance their persuasive power.

Tips for Persuasive Speaking

Recognize that the audience is constantly processing what the speaker is saying. Nonverbal reactions are common for an audience listening to a persuasive speech--a furrowed brow, nodding head, or rolling eyes can be signals from audience members that they either like or dislike what the speaker is saying. Acknowledging these nonverbal reactions can help a speaker explain more in detail certain points.

Identify the target audience . In almost any persuasive speaking situation, there will be a subset of the audience that agrees, that disagrees, and that are undecided about the topic. Preaching to the choir--speaking to persuade those that already believe the speaker--might consolidate the audiences' beliefs but has little benefit beyond that. Trying to persuade the segment of the audience that adamantly disagrees with the perspective voiced is generally unlikely (though not unheard of). Therefore, a speaker ought to focus on the part of the audience that is undecided on the issue. Speaking more directly to this group of undecideds allows a speaker to tailor their speech more towards their concerns.

Pre-empt common objections . Many audience members might be skeptical of the viewpoint advanced by a presenter. Consequently, an orator ought to acknowledge and respond to these objections within the speech. This approach might answer some of the questions that audience members might be asking of themselves.

Most persuasive speeches concern questions of fact, value, or policy. Issues of fact are similar to informative speeches in that they review findings. The difference is that persuasive speeches make judgments about which findings are accurate. Issues of value tackle the time-honored questions of what is good, right, or beautiful. Values can be either individually, communally, or nationally held, and are thus contentious and often clashing. Issues of policy concern what actions should be taken to resolve a particular problem. Policy questions posit a problem and a solution.

Articulate the goals of the speech. Does the speaker want the audience to sign a petition, write their legislator, boycott a product, talk to their friends, buy a certain product, or take some other tangible action? Oftentimes, the conclusion enables a speaker to make a call to action that is the culmination of a persuasive speech.

8 Awesome Persuasive Speech Techniques & Topics

This is one of our posts on the types of speech series, should you be interested in learning about other types of speeches, go ahead and click below whichever you feel like reading more about – when you are done reading this article. Now, let’s go right into this topic.

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Part II . 9 Tips for Writing and Amazing Informative Speech and 120+ Topic Ideas

Part VI. 6 Key Tips for a Memorable Entertaining Speech + Topics and Ideas

Part X. Public Speaking Contests: 7 Ways to Nail at Forensic Speech Competitions

Part XIV. Eulogy Guide: How to Give a Heartfelt Funeral Speech (with 4 Eulogy examples)

The reason why people use persuasive speech is to inform, educate, and cajole or inspire an audience to engage or believe in a particular thing.

Before we delve into the Persuasive Speech Techniques…

PERSUASIVE SPEECH TECHNIQUES YOU SHOULD ADOPT

1. have your goal in mind:, 2. know your audience:, 3. place your emphasis on your audience:, 4. start building credibility right from your introduction:, 5. always use examples:, 6. new approaches:, 7. make your speech emotional:.

A leader who knows how to persuade his followers always ensures that he is never insensitive and cares about the feelings of his followers. Emotion is pivotal when it comes to convincing someone to believe you.

8. Practice, and keep practicing:

All the required and aforementioned techniques needed to deliver a great persuasive speech are developmental and can become obsolete and non-effective when you stop developing them.

HOW TO CHOOSE PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS

Persuasive speech topics, arts/culture, business/economy, health if(typeof ez_ad_units='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'acethepresentation_com-leader-2','ezslot_15',608,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-acethepresentation_com-leader-2-0');, law/politics, science/environment.

I am a firm believer that learning and mastering the use of persuasive speech and becoming an influencer who inspires others to rethink and perhaps change their preconceived ideas is a great investment of time.

https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/bid/173551/for-persuasive-speaking-use-these-four-powerful-techniques

11.4 Persuasive Strategies

Learning objectives.

Do you think you are easily persuaded? If you are like most people, you aren’t swayed easily to change your mind about something. Persuasion is difficult because changing views often makes people feel like they were either not informed or ill informed, which also means they have to admit they were wrong about something. We will learn about nine persuasive strategies that you can use to more effectively influence audience members’ beliefs, attitudes, and values. They are ethos, logos, pathos, positive motivation, negative motivation, cognitive dissonance, appeal to safety needs, appeal to social needs, and appeal to self-esteem needs.

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

Ethos, logos, and pathos were Aristotle’s three forms of rhetorical proof, meaning they were primary to his theories of persuasion. Ethos refers to the credibility of a speaker and includes three dimensions: competence, trustworthiness, and dynamism. The two most researched dimensions of credibility are competence and trustworthiness (Stiff & Mongeau, 2003).

Competence refers to the perception of a speaker’s expertise in relation to the topic being discussed. A speaker can enhance their perceived competence by presenting a speech based in solid research and that is well organized and practiced. Competent speakers must know the content of their speech and be able to effectively deliver that content. Trustworthiness refers to the degree that audience members perceive a speaker to be presenting accurate, credible information in a nonmanipulative way. Perceptions of trustworthiness come from the content of the speech and the personality of the speaker. In terms of content, trustworthy speakers consider the audience throughout the speech-making process, present information in a balanced way, do not coerce the audience, cite credible sources, and follow the general principles of communication ethics. In terms of personality, trustworthy speakers are also friendly and warm (Stiff & Mongeau, 2003).

Dynamism refers to the degree to which audience members perceive a speaker to be outgoing and animated (Stiff & Mongeau, 2003). Two components of dynamism are charisma and energy. Charisma refers to a mixture of abstract and concrete qualities that make a speaker attractive to an audience. Charismatic people usually know they are charismatic because they’ve been told that in their lives, and people have been attracted to them.

Dynamic speakers develop credibility through their delivery skills.

City Temple SDA Church, Dallas, Texas – Februrary 2, 2013, Oakwood University, Dynamic Priase – CC BY-SA 2.0.

Unfortunately, charisma is difficult to intentionally develop, and some people seem to have a naturally charismatic personality, while others do not. Even though everyone can’t embody the charismatic aspect of dynamism, the other component of dynamism, energy, is something that everyone can tap into. Communicating enthusiasm for your topic and audience by presenting relevant content and using engaging delivery strategies such as vocal variety and eye contact can increase your dynamism.

Logos refers to the reasoning or logic of an argument. The presence of fallacies would obviously undermine a speaker’s appeal to logos. Speakers employ logos by presenting credible information as supporting material and verbally citing their sources during their speech. Using the guidelines from our earlier discussion of reasoning will also help a speaker create a rational appeal. Research shows that messages are more persuasive when arguments and their warrants are made explicit (Stiff & Mongeau, 2003). Carefully choosing supporting material that is verifiable, specific, and unbiased can help a speaker appeal to logos. Speakers can also appeal to logos by citing personal experience and providing the credentials and/or qualifications of sources of information (Cooper & Nothstine, 1996). Presenting a rational and logical argument is important, but speakers can be more effective persuaders if they bring in and refute counterarguments. The most effective persuasive messages are those that present two sides of an argument and refute the opposing side, followed by single argument messages, followed by messages that present counterarguments but do not refute them (Stiff & Mongeau, 2003). In short, by clearly showing an audience why one position is superior to another, speakers do not leave an audience to fill in the blanks of an argument, which could diminish the persuasive opportunity.

Pathos refers to emotional appeals. Aristotle was suspicious of too much emotional appeal, yet this appears to have become more acceptable in public speaking. Stirring emotions in an audience is a way to get them involved in the speech, and involvement can create more opportunities for persuasion and action. Reading in the paper that a house was burglarized may get your attention, but think about how different your reaction would be if you found out it was your own home. Intentionally stirring someone’s emotions to get them involved in a message that has little substance would be unethical. Yet such spellbinding speakers have taken advantage of people’s emotions to get them to support causes, buy products, or engage in behaviors that they might not otherwise, if given the chance to see the faulty logic of a message.

Effective speakers should use emotional appeals that are also logically convincing, since audiences may be suspicious of a speech that is solely based on emotion. Emotional appeals are effective when you are trying to influence a behavior or you want your audience to take immediate action (Stiff & Mongeau, 2003). Emotions lose their persuasive effect more quickly than other types of persuasive appeals. Since emotions are often reactionary, they fade relatively quickly when a person is removed from the provoking situation (Fletcher, 2001).

Emotional appeals are also difficult for some because they require honed delivery skills and the ability to use words powerfully and dramatically. The ability to use vocal variety, cadence, and repetition to rouse an audience’s emotion is not easily attained. Think of how stirring Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was due to his ability to evoke the emotions of the audience. Dr. King used powerful and creative language in conjunction with his vocalics to deliver one of the most famous speeches in our history. Using concrete and descriptive examples can paint a picture in your audience member’s minds. Speakers can also use literal images, displayed using visual aids, to appeal to pathos.

Speakers should strive to appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos within a speech. A speech built primarily on ethos might lead an audience to think that a speaker is full of himself or herself. A speech full of facts and statistics appealing to logos would result in information overload. Speakers who rely primarily on appeals to pathos may be seen as overly passionate, biased, or unable to see other viewpoints.

Review of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

Dissonance, Motivation, and Needs

Aristotle’s three rhetorical proofs—ethos, logos, and pathos—have been employed as persuasive strategies for thousands of years. More recently, persuasive strategies have been identified based on theories and evidence related to human psychology. Although based in psychology, such persuasive strategies are regularly employed and researched in communication due to their role in advertising, marketing, politics, and interpersonal relationships. The psychologically based persuasive appeals we will discuss are cognitive dissonance, positive and negative motivation, and appeals to needs.

Cognitive Dissonance

If you’ve studied music, you probably know what dissonance is. Some notes, when played together on a piano, produce a sound that’s pleasing to our ears. When dissonant combinations of notes are played, we react by wincing or cringing because the sound is unpleasant to our ears. So dissonance is that unpleasant feeling we get when two sounds clash. The same principle applies to cognitive dissonance , which refers to the mental discomfort that results when new information clashes with or contradicts currently held beliefs, attitudes, or values. Using cognitive dissonance as a persuasive strategy relies on three assumptions: (1) people have a need for consistency in their thinking; (2) when inconsistency exists, people experience psychological discomfort; and (3) this discomfort motivates people to address the inconsistency to restore balance (Stiff & Mongeau, 2003). In short, when new information clashes with previously held information, there is an unpleasantness that results, as we have to try to reconcile the difference.

Cognitive dissonance isn’t a single-shot persuasive strategy. As we have learned, people are resistant to change and not easy to persuade. While we might think that exposure to conflicting information would lead a rational person to change his or her mind, humans aren’t as rational as we think.

New, larger, and more graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging are meant to induce cognitive dissonance.

Mettamatt – Smoking ad campaign – CC BY-SA 2.0.

There are many different mental and logical acrobatics that people do to get themselves out of dissonance. Some frequently used strategies to resolve cognitive dissonance include discrediting the speaker or source of information, viewing yourself as an exception, seeking selective information that supports your originally held belief, or intentionally avoiding or ignoring sources of cognitive dissonance (Cooper & Nothstine, 1996). As you can see, none of those actually results in a person modifying their thinking, which means persuasive speech goals are not met. Of course, people can’t avoid dissonant information forever, so multiple attempts at creating cognitive dissonance can actually result in thought or behavior modification.

Positive and Negative Motivation

Positive and negative motivation are common persuasive strategies used by teachers, parents, and public speakers. Rewards can be used for positive motivation, and the threat of punishment or negative consequences can be used for negative motivation. We’ve already learned the importance of motivating an audience to listen to your message by making your content relevant and showing how it relates to their lives. We also learned an organizational pattern based on theories of motivation: Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. When using positive motivation , speakers implicitly or explicitly convey to the audience that listening to their message or following their advice will lead to positive results. Conversely, negative motivation implies or states that failure to follow a speaker’s advice will result in negative consequences. Positive and negative motivation as persuasive strategies match well with appeals to needs and will be discussed more next.

Appeals to Needs

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states that there are several layers of needs that human beings pursue. They include physiological, safety, social, self-esteem, and self-actualization needs (Maslow, 1943). Since these needs are fundamental to human survival and happiness, tapping into needs is a common persuasive strategy. Appeals to needs are often paired with positive or negative motivation, which can increase the persuasiveness of the message.

Figure 11.3 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological needs form the base of the hierarchy of needs. The closer the needs are to the base, the more important they are for human survival. Speakers do not appeal to physiological needs. After all, a person who doesn’t have food, air, or water isn’t very likely to want to engage in persuasion, and it wouldn’t be ethical to deny or promise these things to someone for persuasive gain. Some speakers attempt to appeal to self-actualization needs, but I argue that this is difficult to do ethically. Self-actualization refers to our need to achieve our highest potential, and these needs are much more intrapersonal than the others. We achieve our highest potential through things that are individual to us, and these are often things that we protect from outsiders. Some examples include pursuing higher education and intellectual fulfillment, pursuing art or music, or pursuing religious or spiritual fulfillment. These are often things we do by ourselves and for ourselves, so I like to think of this as sacred ground that should be left alone. Speakers are more likely to be successful at focusing on safety, social, and self-esteem needs.

We satisfy our safety needs when we work to preserve our safety and the safety of our loved ones. Speakers can combine appeals to safety with positive motivation by presenting information that will result in increased safety and security. Combining safety needs and negative motivation, a speaker may convey that audience members’ safety and security will be put at risk if the speaker’s message isn’t followed. Combining negative motivation and safety needs depends on using some degree of fear as a motivator. Think of how the insurance industry relies on appeals to safety needs for their business. While this is not necessarily a bad strategy, it can be done more or less ethically.

Ethics of Using Fear Appeals

I saw a perfect example of a persuasive appeal to safety while waiting at the shop for my car to be fixed. A pamphlet cover with a yellow and black message reading, “Warning,” and a stark black and white picture of a little boy picking up a ball with the back fender of a car a few feet from his head beckoned to me from across the room. The brochure was produced by an organization called Kids and Cars, whose tagline is “Love them, protect them.” While the cover of the brochure was designed to provoke the receiver and compel them to open the brochure, the information inside met the ethical guidelines for using fear appeals. The first statistic noted that at least two children a week are killed when they are backed over in a driveway or parking lot. The statistic is followed by safety tips to empower the audience to address the threat. You can see a video example of how this organization effectively uses fear appeals in Video 11.1.

Video Clip 11.1

Kids and Cars: Bye-Bye Syndrome

(click to see video)

This video illustrates how a fear appeal aimed at safety needs can be persuasive. The goal is to get the attention of audience members and compel them to check out the information the organization provides. Since the information provided by the organization supports the credibility of the threat, empowers the audience to address the threat, and is free, this is an example of an ethical fear appeal.

Our social needs relate to our desire to belong to supportive and caring groups. We meet social needs through interpersonal relationships ranging from acquaintances to intimate partnerships. We also become part of interest groups or social or political groups that help create our sense of identity. The existence and power of peer pressure is a testament to the motivating power of social needs. People go to great lengths and sometimes make poor decisions they later regret to be a part of the “in-group.” Advertisers often rely on creating a sense of exclusivity to appeal to people’s social needs. Positive and negative motivation can be combined with social appeals. Positive motivation is present in messages that promise the receiver “in-group” status or belonging, and negative motivation can be seen in messages that persuade by saying, “Don’t be left out.” Although these arguments may rely on the bandwagon fallacy to varying degrees, they draw out insecurities people have about being in the “out-group.”

We all have a need to think well of ourselves and have others think well of us, which ties to our self-esteem needs . Messages that combine appeals to self-esteem needs and positive motivation often promise increases in respect and status. A financial planner may persuade by inviting a receiver to imagine prosperity that will result from accepting his or her message. A publicly supported radio station may persuade listeners to donate money to the station by highlighting a potential contribution to society. The health and beauty industries may persuade consumers to buy their products by promising increased attractiveness. While it may seem shallow to entertain such ego needs, they are an important part of our psychological makeup. Unfortunately, some sources of persuasive messages are more concerned with their own gain than the well-being of others and may take advantage of people’s insecurities in order to advance their persuasive message. Instead, ethical speakers should use appeals to self-esteem that focus on prosperity, contribution, and attractiveness in ways that empower listeners.

Review of Persuasive Strategies

“Getting Competent”

Identifying Persuasive Strategies in Mary Fisher’s “Whisper of AIDS” Speech

Mary Fisher’s speech at the 1992 Republican National Convention, “A Whisper of AIDS,” is one of the most moving and powerful speeches of the past few decades. She uses, more than once, all the persuasive strategies discussed in this chapter. The video and transcript of her speech can be found at the following link: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/maryfisher1992rnc.html . As you watch the speech, answer the following questions:

Sample Persuasive Speech

Title: Education behind Bars Is the Key to Rehabilitation

General purpose: To persuade

Specific purpose : By the end of my speech, my audience will believe that prisoners should have the right to an education.

Thesis statement: There should be education in all prisons, because denying prisoners an education has negative consequences for the prisoner and society, while providing them with an education provides benefits for the prisoner and society.

Introduction

Attention getter: “We must accept the reality that to confine offenders behind walls without trying to change them is an expensive folly with short-term benefits—winning battles while losing the war.” These words were spoken more than thirty years ago by Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger, and they support my argument today that prisoners should have access to education.

Introduction of topic: While we value education as an important part of our society, we do not value it equally for all. Many people don’t believe that prisoners should have access to an education, but I believe they do.

Credibility and relevance: While researching this topic, my eyes were opened up to how much an education can truly affect a prisoner, and given my desire to be a teacher, I am invested in preserving the right to learn for everyone, even if they are behind bars. While I know from our audience analysis activity that some of you do not agree with me, you never know when this issue may hit close to home. Someday, someone you love might make a mistake in their life and end up in prison, and while they are there I know you all would want them to receive an education so that when they get out, they will be better prepared to make a contribution to society.

Preview: Today, I invite you listen with an open mind as I discuss the need for prisoner education, a curriculum that will satisfy that need, and some benefits of prisoner education.

Transition: First I’ll explain why prisoners need access to education.

Transition: Now that I’ve established the need for prisoner education, let’s examine how we can meet that need.

Transition: The model for prisoner education that I have just outlined will have many benefits.

Transition to conclusion and summary of importance: In closing, it’s easy to see how beneficial a good education can be to a prisoner. Education may be something the average teenager or adult takes for granted, but for a prisoner it could be the start of a new life.

Review of main points: There is a clear need for prisoner education that can be met with a sound curriculum that will benefit prisoners, those who work in prisons, and society at large.

Closing statement: While education in prisons is still a controversial topic, I hope you all agree with me and Supreme Court Justice Burger, whose words opened this speech, when we say that locking a criminal away may offer a short-term solution in that it gets the criminal out of regular society, but it doesn’t better the prisoner and it doesn’t better us in the long run as a society.

Bayliss, P. (2003). Learning behind bars: Time to liberate prison education. Studies in the Education of Adults, 35 (2), 157–172.

Behan, C. (2007). Context, creativity and critical reflection: Education in correctional institutions. Journal of Correctional Education, 58 (2), 157–169.

Foley, R. (2004). Correctional education: Characteristics of academic programs serving incarcerated adults. Journal of Correctional Education, 55 (1), 6–21.

Kinney, A. (2011). What are the benefits of inmates getting GEDs? Ehow.com . Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6018033_benefits-inmates-getting-geds_.html

Steurer, S. J., Linton, J., Nally, J., & Lockwood, S. (2010). The top-nine reasons to increase correctional education programs. Corrections Today, 72 (4), 40–43.

Key Takeaways

Cooper, M. D., and William L. Nothstine, Power Persuasion: Moving an Ancient Art into the Media Age (Greenwood, IN: Educational Video Group, 1996), 48.

Fletcher, L., How to Design and Deliver Speeches , 7th ed. (New York: Longman, 2001), 342.

Maslow, A. H., “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Psychological Review 50 (1943): 370–96.

Stiff, J. B., and Paul A. Mongeau, Persuasive Communication , 2nd ed. (New York: Guilford Press, 2003), 105.

Communication in the Real World by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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15 Oral Persuasion Techniques

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Persuasive Speech Outline, Ideas and Tips for Delivery

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Persuasive Speech Outline, with Examples

Updated march 17, 2021 - gini beqiri.

A persuasive speech is a speech that is given with the intention of convincing the audience to believe or do something. This could be virtually anything - voting, organ donation, recycling, and so on.

A successful persuasive speech effectively convinces the audience to your point of view, providing you come across as trustworthy and knowledgeable about the topic you’re discussing.

So, how do you start convincing a group of strangers to share your opinion? And how do you connect with them enough to earn their trust?

Topics for your persuasive speech

We've made a list of persuasive speech topics you could use next time you’re asked to give one. The topics are thought-provoking and things which many people have an opinion on.

When using any of our persuasive speech ideas, make sure you have a solid knowledge about the topic you're speaking about - and make sure you discuss counter arguments too.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Read our full list of 75 persuasive speech topics and ideas .

Preparation: Consider your audience

As with any speech, preparation is crucial. Before you put pen to paper, think about what you want to achieve with your speech. This will help organise your thoughts as you realistically can only cover 2-4 main points before your audience get bored .

It’s also useful to think about who your audience are at this point. If they are unlikely to know much about your topic then you’ll need to factor in context of your topic when planning the structure and length of your speech. You should also consider their:

The factors above will all determine the approach you take to writing your speech. For example, if your topic is about childhood obesity, you could begin with a story about your own children or a shared concern every parent has. This would suit an audience who are more likely to be parents than young professionals who have only just left college.

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Remember the 3 main approaches to persuade others

There are three main approaches used to persuade others:

The ethos approach appeals to the audience’s ethics and morals, such as what is the ‘right thing’ to do for humanity, saving the environment, etc.

Pathos persuasion is when you appeal to the audience’s emotions, such as when you tell a story that makes them the main character in a difficult situation.

The logos approach to giving a persuasive speech is when you appeal to the audience’s logic - ie. your speech is essentially more driven by facts and logic. The benefit of this technique is that your point of view becomes virtually indisputable because you make the audience feel that only your view is the logical one.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking and Persuasion

Ideas for your persuasive speech outline

1. structure of your persuasive speech.

The opening and closing of speech are the most important. Consider these carefully when thinking about your persuasive speech outline. A strong opening ensures you have the audience’s attention from the start and gives them a positive first impression of you.

You’ll want to start with a strong opening such as an attention grabbing statement, statistic of fact. These are usually dramatic or shocking, such as:

Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat - Jamie Oliver

Another good way of starting a persuasive speech is to include your audience in the picture you’re trying to paint. By making them part of the story, you’re embedding an emotional connection between them and your speech.

You could do this in a more toned-down way by talking about something you know that your audience has in common with you. It’s also helpful at this point to include your credentials in a persuasive speech to gain your audience’s trust.

Speech structure and speech argument for a persuasive speech outline.

Obama would spend hours with his team working on the opening and closing statements of his speech.

2. Stating your argument

You should pick between 2 and 4 themes to discuss during your speech so that you have enough time to explain your viewpoint and convince your audience to the same way of thinking.

It’s important that each of your points transitions seamlessly into the next one so that your speech has a logical flow. Work on your connecting sentences between each of your themes so that your speech is easy to listen to.

Your argument should be backed up by objective research and not purely your subjective opinion. Use examples, analogies, and stories so that the audience can relate more easily to your topic, and therefore are more likely to be persuaded to your point of view.

3. Addressing counter-arguments

Any balanced theory or thought addresses and disputes counter-arguments made against it. By addressing these, you’ll strengthen your persuasive speech by refuting your audience’s objections and you’ll show that you are knowledgeable to other thoughts on the topic.

When describing an opposing point of view, don’t explain it in a bias way - explain it in the same way someone who holds that view would describe it. That way, you won’t irritate members of your audience who disagree with you and you’ll show that you’ve reached your point of view through reasoned judgement. Simply identify any counter-argument and pose explanations against them.

Complete Guide to Debating

4. Closing your speech

Your closing line of your speech is your last chance to convince your audience about what you’re saying. It’s also most likely to be the sentence they remember most about your entire speech so make sure it’s a good one!

The most effective persuasive speeches end with a call to action . For example, if you’ve been speaking about organ donation, your call to action might be asking the audience to register as donors.

End your persuasive speech with a call to action.

The most effective persuasive speeches end with a call to action.

If audience members ask you questions, make sure you listen carefully and respectfully to the full question. Don’t interject in the middle of a question or become defensive.

You should show that you have carefully considered their viewpoint and refute it in an objective way (if you have opposing opinions). Ensure you remain patient, friendly and polite at all times.

Example 1: Persuasive speech outline

This example is from the Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Specific purpose

To persuade my audience to start walking in order to improve their health.

Central idea

Regular walking can improve both your mental and physical health.

Introduction

Let's be honest, we lead an easy life: automatic dishwashers, riding lawnmowers, T.V. remote controls, automatic garage door openers, power screwdrivers, bread machines, electric pencil sharpeners, etc., etc. etc. We live in a time-saving, energy-saving, convenient society. It's a wonderful life. Or is it?

Example 2: Persuasive speech

Tips for delivering your persuasive speech

The best persuasive speech ideas are those that spark a level of controversy. However, a public speech is not the time to express an opinion that is considered outside the norm. If in doubt, play it safe and stick to topics that divide opinions about 50-50.

Bear in mind who your audience are and plan your persuasive speech outline accordingly, with researched evidence to support your argument. It’s important to consider counter-arguments to show that you are knowledgeable about the topic as a whole and not bias towards your own line of thought.

Persuasive Speaking: How To Use Techniques & Topics To Convince Your Audience To Take Action

Do you understand the power of persuasion?

Having the ability to influence a group of people to perform the action that you desire is one of life’s most valuable skills.

Learning and implementing the strategies of persuasive speech is a game-changer. Whether you are a student or an entrepreneur these techniques will put you on a fast track to success.

You can level up your communication skills by learning what persuasive speaking is, the best topics for persuasive speeches, and even learning persuasive speaking techniques. Does this sound interesting to you?

Well – Big Impact University can help you master the art of giving persuasive speeches to ensure that you get the outcome you want for your audience.

What Is Persuasive Speaking?

Persuasive speaking is the art of inspiring other people to take a particular action. Whether that’s purchasing a service, joining a cause, or changing someone’s opinion. Getting someone to buy or “buy in” is the exact same persuasive process.

How To Choose A Persuasive Speech Topic For Your Talk

Choose a topic that you’re passionate about.

Choosing a topic that you are passionate about makes everything easier.

In fact, choose a topic in which you have a high level of expertise. Experts understand the value of positioning their authority and your audience is seeking to find an expert that provides real solutions.

Not to mention, speaking about topics that truly resonate with you will unlock your natural enthusiasm and you will deliver a presentation so good that it will motivate your audience to take action.

Choose A Goal And Tailor Your Speech To Achieve That Goal

Understanding what your goals are will help you modify your speech and make use of the best persuasive speech strategies to turn your goals into a reality.

Sales – If your goal is to sell a product (or service), tailor your speech by emphasizing the problems your product solves and how much better your audience’s lives will be after they’ve made the purchase.

Recruitment – If your goal is to be hired, you are essentially selling yourself. Adjust your speech to emphasize your achievements and qualifications while focusing on crises that you have successfully handled.

5 Powerful Persuasive Speaking Techniques To Incorporate Into Your Speeches

Use storytelling to resonate with your audience.

Nobody wants their audience to be bored during their talk and an easy way to overcome this is by packaging your presentation as a story.

Not only do stories keep audiences engaged but they also make key pieces of information easier to understand and remember.

An easy way to tell a story is by drawing directly from your own experiences.

Sharing your own experiences helps build credibility in the eyes of your audience as it feels natural and it allows people to connect with you on a personal level.

If you’re a professional selling a service, it’s a good idea to tell the story of a problem you faced, one that relates to the audience, and how you found a solution to that problem.

The solution, of course, is your services.

Then stress how you can’t wait to solve the same problem for your audience.

Presenting your services in this way feels organic and less like a sales pitch – your building relations here not hard selling a product. The difference this will make to your conversions is staggering.

Keep Your Talk Focused By Following The Rule of Three

A key rule is to stick to the main points, do not overload your audience with information about your product or service.

If you list every single benefit of your product or service to the audience they’ll suffer information overload and forget 90% of what you’ve just said.

To avoid this, only focus on your product/service’s top 3 most unique benefits.

Information presented in thirds is easily digestible and will be easier to retain for your audience.

Use Emotive And Inclusive Language To Build A Siege Mentality

Keep this in mind, ‘people don’t remember what you say, they remember how you make them feel.’

You want your audience to leave your persuasive speech feeling inspired, motivated, and ready to take action.

One of the ways that you can do this is by using emotionally charged words that will make people feel part of something bigger – part of a community.

Using words like “us and them” in your argument will evoke emotion in your audience, especially if you’re uniting to defeat a common foe.

A foe can be something tangible such as a huge competitor in your industry, who’s squeezing profits from smaller stores. Or it can be a concept, such as climate change.

Make sure that you select the right words in your persuasive speech to evoke the correct emotions that you would like your audience to have.

Emotional appeals inspire action.

Leverage Rhetorical Questions

When used correctly, rhetorical questions create suspense. When you pause from it forces the audience to ponder your question.

It’s a method of audience engagement that highlights a specific point the speaker would like to make, whilst also feeling personal as if you’re speaking to the audience individually.

Some examples might be… “And with fewer plastic bottles, wouldn’t the ocean be a lot happier?” or “And who can’t use more money?”

Consider adding more rhetorical questions into your speech if it currently lacks audience participation or runs too fast.

Build Your Attractive Character From The Stage

An effective persuasive speaker will make their audience feel like they already know you and can easily have a conversation with you.

Important characteristics that all effective persuasive speakers should have include:

Displaying these characteristics will make it easier for your audience to invest in you.

Examples of Persuasive Speeches

Hillary Clinton’s speech at the United Nations in 1995

In 1995, Hillary Clinton spoke at the United Nations Fourth Women’s Conference in Beijing. Her speech, referred to as, “Women’s Rights are Human’s Rights” had an undeniable influence on the progress of women’s rights.

During a time when the ideas of feminism were not so widely embraced, how did Hillary Clinton manage to influence her audience to make a change and stand up for women’s rights?

Well, not only was she aware of her audience but it was clear that women’s rights were a topic that she was very passionate and informed about.

The reason this speech has been listed as one of the most memorable speeches is due to its content and delivery.

Hilary made use of persuasive speaking techniques such as appealing to the audience’s emotions. Specifically, she addressed the injustices that women face in society as well as referring to the audience’s own family members.

The speech was informative and it educated the audience on the injustices that women face. The speech had a direct call to action, Hillary stating that the audience needed to “act on behalf of women”. Looking at how the former first lady presented herself on stage, she was confident and she articulated herself well.

By utilizing persuasive public speaking techniques not only did Hilary Clinton convince her audience to believe and share her point of view. She was also able to influence people around the world to take a stand for feminism.

Greta Thunberg delivered a TED Talk called “The Disarming case to act right now on climate change” in 2018.

The environmental activist was just 16-years-old at the time and she was able to deliver a passionate and moving speech on the climate crisis.

Greta narrated what the environment would look like for her, her child and how it will be too late by then to do anything about the climate crisis. This was supported by factual information.

What makes this speech so impactful is Greta’s use of persuasive speaking techniques used throughout this article:

All of these points combined are what builds Greta’s attractive character and helps her to deliver a talk which impacted people around the globe to change their lifestyle to help the planet.

Tip: If you need inspiration for persuasive speech topics, watch these speeches.

By becoming a master of persuasive speech you will be able to achieve the outcome that you want for your audience. From understanding the techniques and strategies you will be able to influence and persuade your audience through the strategic use of words.

Big Impact University’s “Speak Your Path To Cash” membership course and mentoring program will teach all that you will need to know to effectively master public speaking .

Once you have completed the Speak Your Path To Cash online course you will be able to turn 10 minutes of stage time into $10,000 plus and convert a higher percentage of your audience on stage and online.

You will learn how to create your online stage presence, develop a market research system, and undergo profitability training and virtual speaking training equipping you to be an effective persuasive speaker.

You will also have the opportunity to work directly with the co-founders of the Big ImpactHQ Mark and Shannon as well as join a community of other well-established “big impact” speakers.

Start mastering the art of persuasive speaking today by signing up for Big Impact University’s Speak Your Path To Cash course .

Book Mark & Shannon to Speak at your Event Today!

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Persuasive Techniques
Room 1's Homework Spot: Persuasive Techniques
FREE Persuasive Speech Examples in PDF
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How to choose the best persuasive speech topic
🎉 Three persuasive techniques. 6 Most Effective Types of Persuasive Techniques. 2019-02-27

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COMMENTS

What Are Examples of Persuasive Speeches?
Churchill spoke before the House of Commons after a massive evacuation of French troops in late May 1940 at the beginning of World War II. Demosthenes grew tired of Philip the II of Macedon’s frequent incursions into Greece.
Why Is Speech Important?
Speech is necessary for learning, interacting with others and for people to develop. Speech begins at an early age and it develops as a person ages. There are different elements that play a role in speech.
What Are the Four Types of Speeches?
Four types of speeches are demonstrative, informative, persuasive and entertaining speeches. The category of informative speeches can be divided into speeches about objects, processes, events and concepts.
5 Tips for Giving a Persuasive Presentation
5 Tips for Giving a Persuasive Presentation · Ethos. Start your talk by establishing your credibility and character. · Logos. Use data, evidence
The Top 5 Persuasive Techniques for Speeches
5 persuasive techniques for speeches: Rhetorical questions; Personal anecdotes; Tricolon; Inclusive language; Emotive language. 1. Rhetorical questions. A
10 Persuasive Speech Techniques to Improve Your Public Speaking
“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall
6 Best Persuasion Techniques That You Can Use in Your Speeches
Best 6 Persuasion Techniques You can Use in Your Speeches · Rhetorical Questions · Personal Anecdotes · Be Descriptive And Authentic · Follow The "
Persuasive Speaking
Tips for Persuasive Speaking · Identify the target audience. · Pre-empt common objections. · Most persuasive speeches concern questions of fact, value, or policy.
8 Awesome Persuasive Speech Techniques & Topics
PERSUASIVE SPEECH TECHNIQUES YOU SHOULD ADOPT · 1. Have your goal in mind: · 2. Know your audience: · 3. Place your emphasis on your audience: · 4.
11.4 Persuasive Strategies
We will learn about nine persuasive strategies that you can use to more effectively influence audience members' beliefs, attitudes, and values. They are ethos
15 Oral Persuasion Techniques
15 Oral Persuasion Techniques · 1. Oral Persuasion Technique #1 Bandwagon · 2. Bandwagon No one likes to be left out or left behind. · 3. Oral
Persuasive Techniques
Appeals: One persuasive technique is appealing to the audience,s:.
Persuasive Speech Outline, with Examples
A persuasive speech is a speech that is given with the intention of convincing the audience to believe or do something. This could be virtually
Persuasive Speaking: How To Convince Your aAudience To Take
5 Powerful Persuasive Speaking Techniques To Incorporate Into Your Speeches · Use Storytelling To Resonate With Your Audience · Keep Your Talk