Persuasive Speech



The real secrets to being a more persuasive speaker

Every speech you do is a persuasive speech. Whatever the type of speaking you're doing, entertaining, informative, sales presentations, training lectures and workshops - your aim is normally to influence the audience in some way. No doubt you personally have some particluar types of talks in mind. Maybe they are ones that you have to give on a regular basis like addressing your staff, or doing sales presentations. Or maybe it's a one-off like a Best Man speech or a major pitch to a Venture Capitalist.

In my case for the past 10 years it's mainly been public sales seminars, training workshops and various educational, inspirational and motivational talks. The thing that sharpened the mind a fair bit was the fact that if I didn't persuade, I didn't eat! My income depended pretty much entirely on my ability to get my point across and get people to take some sort of action.

You'll be pleased to know I didn't starve.

This is undoubtedly one of the aspects of speaking that people fear the most. Will I be persuasive? What will they think of me if I come across too pushy? What if I lose the argument? What if I don't do a good enough job and we don't get the money/job/contract etc.

I've read a ton of books about sales and influence and I've had some pretty good training over the years as well, but I've never found anything better than the 2000 year old stuff. As a set of guiding principles and really practical techniques you simply can't go past the work done by Aristotle, Cicero, Quintillian and their a few others who defined Rhetoric - the art of speaking persuasively.

How To Give A Persuasive Speech

Here's a practical way to apply the ancient principles to the modern world of persuasive speech.

  1. First Think About The Environment.

    • Kairos - Take into account the time and place in which you are speaking. What opportunities and constraints do they create for being more persuasive? eg Hitler was persuasive because of the economic conditions in Germany at the time.

    • Audience - Understand them as well as you can. What do they value, believe, identify with?

    • Decorum - Make sure you use an appropriate style for your subject.

  2. Now Use Cicero's 5 Canons To Blow Them Away

    • INVENTION What will you say?

    • ARRANGEMENT Organise your speech. Use Ethos, Logos and Pathos in that order - they work best that way.

      • Introduction. Ethos. Get them to like you and make them identify with you.
      • Narration. Logos. State the facts. Tell the story vividly.
      • Division. Logos. Address both sides of the argument.
      • Proof. Logos. Argue your case. "We need to do this because of that".
      • Refutation. Logos. Overcome the opposing arguments.
      • Conclusion. Pathos. Go over your best points and stir the emotions. Paint a picture of life with and without your solution.

    • STYLE The artful expression of ideas. How will you say it?
      • Correct - use language that fits with the subject matter and the occasion
      • Clear - don't be ambiguous or obscure
      • Vivid - touch the emotions through vivid depictions
      • Proper - use words that help you fit in with the audience.
      • Ornate - delight with figures of speech.

    • MEMORY Decide how you will speak without notes. Tip: Use graphic images on Powerpoint slides as you write your speech to help you remember it, and then deliver your speech without the slides.

    • DELIVERY Act out your speech by using the right body language.

  3. Finally arrange for someone to introduce you properly.

  4. This is the best way to build up your Ethos (character) which Aristotle considered the most important way to be persuasive.

    Here's a good checklist of things to include in your introduction:

    • Have them endorse you.
    • Showcase your experience and your practical wisdom.
    • Emphasize that you have actually done what you wll be talking about
    • Describe your willingness to sacrifice your own interests for the greater good


Articles On Persuasive Speech

How To Master The Art Of Persuasive Speaking

Learn some of the worst mistakes people make when they try to be persuasive. You need to know what they are and how to avoid them.
https://www.no-fear-public-speaking.com/persuasivespeaking.html

Become A Motivational Speaker By Learning From 2 World Chanpions

If you're serious about persuasive speaking you can't really afford to miss these audios. Two former World Champions Of Public Speaking give you deep insights into writing and delivering winning speeches, using humor and getting paid to persuade.

Learn From These Persuasive Famous Speeches

Read extracts from two famous speeches. They are two of the best examples of a persuasive opening and closing.
https://www.no-fear-public-speaking.com/persuasivespeechsample.html

Here's A Free Example Of A Speech That Persuades

This is the text of an actual speech. According to the audience it was very persuasive. If you've had enough theory for now, check out this example of the real thing, and see what you can learn from it.
https://www.no-fear-public-speaking.com/freepersuasivespeech.html

How To Access Lots Of Free Persuasive Speeches

Learn some simple ways to find enough free persuasive speeches to keep you going for a lifetime. Includes an example of a recent famous political speech which really had its work cut out for it. You can be the judge of how well the speaker did!
https://www.no-fear-public-speaking.com/freepersuasivespeeches.html

How Business Executives Can Be More Persuasive When They Speak

An important article if you're a business executive. Find out how to be far more persuasive at work.
https://www.no-fear-public-speaking.com/executivepresentationskills.html

Learn How To Use The Most Powerful Persuasive Tool Of All

This article explains the most important thing you have going for you as a persuasive speaker. It also shows you how to use it.
https://www.no-fear-public-speaking.com/ethicsinpublicspeaking.html

Persuasive Speech Topic

This article shows you how to choose the right topics for you. If you use this simple method you'll be more persuasive than ever before.
https://www.no-fear-public-speaking.com/persuasivespeechtopic.html

Speeches That Persuade

This article takes the theory and shows you how to build your own persuasive speeches.
https://www.no-fear-public-speaking.com/persuasivespeeches.html




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