Writing a Persuasive Speech
Most persuasive speeches are usually
written in the Munroe's Motivated Sequence:
A Little reminder about Munroe's Motivated
Sequence in persuasive argument... The basic outline is organized as follows:
The
persuasive speech sample is broken down into its outline sections to
give you a very clear picture of how to work this magic into your persuasive
speech, of course you need to remember that a dynamic charismatic presentation
also counts.
How to Write a Persuasive Speech
1. First, You need to find a good
persuasive speech topic - something that will captivate your
audience right from the start --
How to Find Good Persuasion Speech Topics
2. Next you need to do adequate
research to find appropriate material to put into your speech --
come up with interesting quotes, questions, stories, anecdotes,
facts and figures that your audience might be interested in -- You
need to be able to organize your speech into
-
an introduction - this is
your main attention getter -- how you start your speech can make
or break your speech -- this will grab your audience's attention
or interest and keep them glued to their seats. Because arguably,
a speech introduction is the most important element of the speech,
it has been discussed in great detail below.
-
a body -- this comprises the
elements of Need, Satisfaction (or showing the need being
fulfilled) and a visualization.
-
Need - Why do you think there
is a need for the topic you have selected - here you may use a
real life story - For instance why do you think 'laughter is the
best medicine'
-
Satisfaction - You need to
demonstrate how your selected topic is going to fill the need -
For instance here you could give the benefits and advantages of
Laughter, if laughter was indeed your selected topic.
-
Visualization - Here a lot of
the 'newer' public speakers often get confused. They mix up
visualization with visual aids. Though visual aids are very
important, and should be made a part of the persuasive speech if
possible, yet they do not completely fulfil the element of
'visualization'. Visualization means to make your audience
experience, or imagine and even feel the need being fulfilled --
they should be able to see it in their mind, and feel it in thier
hearts. The best way to accomplish this goal is to describe a real
life situation in great detail. You can see visualization in
action by viewing the
Persuasive speech
samples and examples
-
and a conclusion or call to
action -- What actions are you persuading your audience to
take.
As promised earlier, the persuasive
speech intro is discussed in detail below:
Beginning a Persuasive Speech -- How
to Start a Persuasive Speech -- Persuasive Speech Intro
In most conventional speeches, the
speech introduction or main attention getter is usually either a
story, a famous quote or a question that will grab your audience
interest -- But with the bombardment of the internet, the tv and
the media -- How to start your persuasive speech has become a real
challenge --
Regular , run-of-the-mill
attention getters are no longer very effective. You need to be
able to present your main attention getter in a way, that not only
grabs your audience's attention, but is also able to captivate
them and keep them glued to their seats. Here are a few examples
of powerfully hypnotic persuasive speech Intros:
Example 1 (The 'I don't want to
talk to you about' approach... of a speech introduction)
Good Morning!
My name is Shahnaz Rauf. I am here to talk to you about myself. While preparing my
speech about todays presentation I reviewed each area of my life, and
realized that each one could be a masterpiece of its own.
But I don’t
really want to talk to you about how I am a global person having lived
and worked in three different continents: Asia, West Africa and North
America.
Nor do I want to
talk to you about my travels all over the world.
Or tell you
about my feelings while standing inside the pyramids in Egypt and gazing
at the totally awesome treasures spread out before me.
Because I feel that a persons life is usually shaped by the people they
meet I am going to tell you about one such unusual encounter:
Example 2 (The 'Three true facts followed
by a question' about the audience - way of how to begin a persuasive
speech...)
Hello My Friend,
When you are not surfing the
internet, when you are not reading another article, when you are not
using another search engine...
What are you doing?
Example 3 (The 'I will tell you a
story, if you believe me...' approach of how to start a
persuasive speech...)
...Today I am going to tell you a
sacred story.
If you believe me, you will be well rewarded and will succeed in
ways impossible to understand.
If you fail to realize this truth, you will fail in more ways than
ever known to you...
Example 4 (Grab your audience with
a question/statement approach of starting a persuasive
speech and getting the audience actively involved... by asking for a
response...)
Hello My Friends!
If You Want to Save More Money... Please Raise Your Hands!...
Sample 5 (The 'presentation
of two opposing view points' approach... of a speech intro)
Good Morning!
If a Career defines a person, let
me introduce myself...
I am a copywriter, an electrical
engineer, an office administrator besides wearing a host of other
hats.
Recently I took a Public Speaking
Course and came through with 90% ...
However, I have also heard
that Franklin D. Roosevelt, who delivered outstanding persuasive
speeches in the United States, had only scored a C on his Public
Speaking Course.
This set me thinking... "Do
I have Potential or am I just another genius loser?".
That is what brought me to this Toast
Master's Forum today... to try and prove myself.
PS: More Speech Intros will be
posted here as they become available. So book mark this page.
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