Your Persuasive Speech

Your Persuasive SpeechYou have to write one, so make it a good one.

Introductions and Conclusions

Purposes of Introductions

In the first 10% of your speech, you must:

Get the Audience’s Attention Introduce the Subject Give the Audience a Reason to Listen Establish Your Credibility Preview Your Main Points

Methods for Developing Introductions

1. Use Illustrations or Anecdotes2. Provide Startling Facts or Statistics 3. Use Quotations4. Use Humor5. Ask Questions6. Refer to Historical Events7. Use Personal References

Purposes of Conclusions

1. Summarize the Speech2. Reemphasize the Central Idea in a

Memorable Way3. Motivate the Audience to Respond

Persuasive: encourage audience to think a certain way or take action

4. Provide Closure

Methods for Developing Conclusions

Can use the same techniques used for the introduction (illustrations, quotations, etc.)

Very Important: Refer to the Introduction!

Issue an Inspirational Appeal or Challenge Appropriate for persuasive speeches

Developing Your Speech

Writing the Speech Select Organizational Pattern Select Main Points Subdivide Main Points into Subpoints

Developing Your Speech Topic Selection General Purpose: To Persuade Specific Purpose

Behavioral objective—the specific behavior you expect from your audience

i “At the end of my speech, the audience will be able

to…” Explain, list, describe, write (not understand, believe,

know, feel, etc.)

Central Idea (a.k.a. Thesis) One-sentence summary of speech

Focuses on the content of the speech Should communicate a single idea

Look for logical divisions (main points) Look for multiple reasons why central idea is true or

false Look for a series of steps that supports the central

idea (chronological progression)

ExampleTopic: Boycotting Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand

General Purpose: To persuade

Specific Purpose: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able to list the reasons why they should boycott Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand

Central Idea: Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand poses a hazard for the residents of Orange County and should be boycotted

Develop Signposts Transitions

Verbal—In addition to; Not only/as well; In other words; Therefore; In summary

Nonverbal—A change in facial expression, a pause, an altered vocal pitch or rate; can be used with or without a verbal transition

Signposts, cont. Previews

Initial Previews—Preview statements of what the main points will be

Internal Previews—These introduce and outline ideas or points that will be developed as the speech progresses Can be used as a transition

Signposts, cont Summaries

Final Summary—Serves as a transition between body and conclusion, and summarizes the main points of speech

Internal Summary—Occur within speech; can act as a transition. Are often used with internal previews.

Supporting Material Smoothly Incorporate Sources

State the point Cite the source Present the supporting material Explain how is substantiates the point

Organizational Patterns

Chronological Good for step-by-step process or

historical eventsBegin with a specific point in time,

move ahead or back from thereThe principle of recency—the event

discussed last is the one that the audience will remember best

SpatialOrganizes according to space or

physical relationship Arranges ideas according to their

location and direction Can progress up or down, east or west,

forward or backward Ideas must be developed in logical

order

Categorical Arrange by distinct topics Addresses

types forms qualities aspects

Can organize in a variety of ways Recency—highlights one point more than the others Primacy—puts the most important or convincing

point first Complexity—moves from simple to complex

Climactic Simple to difficult, least to most,

neutral to intenseEffective for gaining audience

agreement or actionCan also reverse the pattern, from

most to least

Cause & Effect Moves from cause to effect, or effect

to cause Good to explain how an event unfolded Chronology does not equal cause Guard against over-simplification Must be able to demonstrate that one

event actually caused something else to occur

Problem-Solution Typically used in persuasive speaking Speaker usually proposes a best solution

Reflective Thinking Sequence Causes & extent of problem? Effects of problem? Criteria by which solutions should be judged? Possible solutions (strengths & weaknesses) Best solution? Put into effect how? Definition & limits of problems

Motivated Sequence1. Attention—get listeners’ attention

2. Need—establish problem or issue and convince audience of the need for change; demonstrate that this need affects audience directly

3. Satisfaction—identify how your plan will satisfy the need and explain solution

4. Visualization—use positive visualization to explain how great life will be after your solution is implemented, or use negative visualization to show how terrible life will be if it is not

5. Action—tell audience the specific action(s) they must take to implement solution

Visual Aids

Visual Aid: PowerPoint Be careful when using sensitive images

(9/11, natural disasters, etc.) Do not use images that are too small or

distorted Be sure to label charts and graphs Only use relevant images and/or visual

representations of data Avoid the use of sound effects and

animations

TypefaceSerif = includes small flourishes

or strokes at the tops and bottoms of each letter.

Examples:

Times New Roman, Courier New, Garamond, Book Antiqua.

TypefaceSan Serif = more block like and

linear do not have the small flourishes or strokes.

Examples:

(Arial Narrow, Verdana, Century Gothic).

Font The size of the typeface.

12 pt.

24 pt

36 pt

48 pt For PowerPoint presentation you want to

use a font of 24 or larger.

8 x 8 Rule No more than eight words across.

No more than eight lines down.

Backgrounds Keep the background color

constant

If you use color, limit the number of colors you use to two or three (4 max)

Colors Bold/ bright colors emphasize

important points (yellow, red and orange)

Soft colors de-emphasize less important areas of the presentation (for example background colors)

It is easier to read dark colors on a light background