how to start of a persuasive speech

How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech

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The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience to agree with an idea or opinion that you present. First, you'll need to choose a side on a controversial topic, then you will write a speech to explain your position, and convince the audience to agree with you.

You can produce an effective persuasive speech if you structure your argument as a solution to a problem. Your first job as a speaker is to convince your audience that a particular problem is important to them, and then you must convince them that you have the solution to make things better.

Note: You don't have to address a real problem. Any need can work as the problem. For example, you could consider the lack of a pet, the need to wash one's hands, or the need to pick a particular sport to play as the "problem."

As an example, let's imagine that you have chosen "Getting Up Early" as your persuasion topic. Your goal will be to persuade classmates to get themselves out of bed an hour earlier every morning. In this instance, the problem could be summed up as "morning chaos."

A standard speech format has an introduction with a great hook statement, three main points, and a summary. Your persuasive speech will be a tailored version of this format.

Before you write the text of your speech, you should sketch an outline that includes your hook statement and three main points.

Writing the Text

The introduction of your speech must be compelling because your audience will make up their minds within a few minutes whether or not they are interested in your topic.

Before you write the full body you should come up with a greeting. Your greeting can be as simple as "Good morning everyone. My name is Frank."

After your greeting, you will offer a hook to capture attention. A hook sentence for the "morning chaos" speech could be a question:

• How many times have you been late for school?
• Does your day begin with shouts and arguments?
• Have you ever missed the bus?

Or your hook could be a statistic or surprising statement:

• More than 50 percent of high school students skip breakfast because they just don't have time to eat.
• Tardy kids drop out of school more often than punctual kids.

Once you have the attention of your audience, follow through to define the topic/problem and introduce your solution. Here's an example of what you might have so far:

Good afternoon, class. Some of you know me, but some of you may not. My name is Frank Godfrey, and I have a question for you. Does your day begin with shouts and arguments? Do you go to school in a bad mood because you've been yelled at, or because you argued with your parent? The chaos you experience in the morning can bring you down and affect your performance at school.

Add the solution:

You can improve your mood and your school performance by adding more time to your morning schedule. You can accomplish this by setting your alarm clock to go off one hour earlier.

Your next task will be to write the body, which will contain the three main points you've come up with to argue your position. Each point will be followed by supporting evidence or anecdotes, and each body paragraph will need to end with a transition statement that leads to the next segment. Here is a sample of three main statements:

• Bad moods caused by morning chaos will affect your workday performance.
• If you skip breakfast to buy time, you're making a harmful health decision.
• (Ending on a cheerful note) You'll enjoy a boost to your self-esteem when you reduce the morning chaos.

After you write three body paragraphs with strong transition statements that make your speech flow, you are ready to work on your summary.

Your summary will re-emphasize your argument and restate your points in slightly different language. This can be a little tricky. You don't want to sound repetitive but will need to repeat what you have said. Find a way to reword the same main points.

Finally, you must make sure to write a clear final sentence or passage to keep yourself from stammering at the end or fading off in an awkward moment. A few examples of graceful exits:

• We all like to sleep. It's hard to get up some mornings, but rest assured that the reward is well worth the effort.
• If you follow these guidelines and make the effort to get up a little bit earlier every day, you'll reap rewards in your home life and on your report card.

Tips for Writing Your Speech

• Don't be confrontational in your argument. You don't need to put down the other side; just convince your audience that your position is correct by using positive assertions.
• Use simple statistics. Don't overwhelm your audience with confusing numbers.
• Don't complicate your speech by going outside the standard "three points" format. While it might seem simplistic, it is a tried and true method for presenting to an audience who is listening as opposed to reading.
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22 Ways On How To Start A Persuasive Speech

If you want to convince your audience to take action, you better know how to start a persuasive speech, or else you will loose right at the start. The first 10 to 20 seconds of your presentation is the time when you have the most attention. Use this time wisely with awesome presentation openers.

Time to Overthink your Presentation Openers

If you don’t capture your audience’s attention right away you’ve probably lost it forever. Chances are that after the first 60 seconds (at the latest) people’s thoughts will drift off to thoughts like: “What am I gonna have for lunch today?”, “Has my daughter done her homework?”, “Where did I put my phone?”

You get the point: you need to hook up your audience from the moment you enter the stage or stand up to give a short talk. Time to think about a presentation opener that will blow them away.

Start before you say the first word

Don’t think of your presentation opener only as the actual words you’re gonna say. Your opener starts before you even open your mouth: it’s the way you enter the stage, the way you smile at the audience, the way you’re dressed, your voice and body language. So prepare yourself, stand tall, smile, be enthusiastic!

Don’t start by introducing yourself

In case you’re asking yourself whether you should introduce yourself first: the answer is no . At least not in the traditional way. Chances are your audience already knows who you are; either they are working with you, they read your name on the speakers list or heard you being introduced by a moderator. Remember that your presentation should always be about the audience – not about you. Don’t waste the critical first seconds introducing yourself.

Hi, my name is Bob, I have 22 years working experience in the field of Presentation Coachings and am currently writing a book on Powerpoint and today I will talk about the history of stuttering. I have worked with many people in this field and I have learnt that (…) blablablabla

Wanna know a guaranteed way of boring your audience to death the moment you open your mouth? This is it. Have you ever heard Steve Jobs open his presentation with “Hi my name is Steve”? Chances are you haven’t. Not only because the world knew who he is anyways – also, because it’s just a bad opener. Why? People wanna know what’s in for them. They are far less interested in you as you might think.

You are not as interesting as you think

Your presentation should be about your audience and what they can take away from it. So if you have to introduce yourself: do it in the context of your presentation and do it only after you’ve hooked the audience up.

How to start a persuasive speech or presentation? Hook them up!

So coming to the point: You need to capture your audience’s attention right away. How can you do this? Here are our favorite tactics:

Surprise/ Shock: Shocking or surprising your audience with statistics or facts is a great way of getting their attention. As said before: give them the most interesting piece of information right away. You can still explain it later.

$3 Mio (Pause) This is the value of sales we have forgone last year ” is a much better opener than “Today we’re going to discuss last year’s sales figures”. “ The world’s richest 1 percent is now wealthier than the rest of humanity combined ” will shock people rather than “Today we’re gonna talk about income inequality.

Story: We all love stories and engaging people with a surprising or funny anecdote is one of the best ways to get your point across. Take Steve Job’s famous commencement speech at Stanford as an example:

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots. (…)

It’s surprising, confusing and it makes people curious. He’s taking his audience on a journey.

Humor: Make the audience laugh and they’ll love you. Humor is one of the best presentation openers ever (if used correctly). There are few things that make us connect to another person as easily as by laughing together. But be careful: make sure your joke fits the context.

Rhetorical Question

Engage your audience right away by asking them questions. Look at the first paragraph of   Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk :

How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions? For example: Why is Apple so innovative? Year after year, after year, they’re more innovative than all their competition. And yet, they’re just a computer company. They’re just like everyone else. They have the same access to the same talent,the same agencies, the same consultants, the same media . Then why is it that they seem to have something different? Why is it that Martin Luther King led the Civil Rights Movement? He wasn’t the only man who suffered in pre-civil rights America, and he certainly wasn’t the only great orator of the day. Why him?

It’s a 20 second introduction just consisting of questions and one of the presentation openers that grab your attention right away.

Video/ Graphics: If it’s a product presentation why don’t you simply show them the product? This is what they came for. Or show them a short video. This is a great way if you’re battling stage fright. It hooks up the audience for you while you get the chance to concentrate on your next steps.

There are countless ways of opening your presentation. Choose a presentation opener that makes sense for your topic and practice it a few times. Try it next time you’re addressing your audience and you’ll see the results.

Download a list of 22 ingenious presentation openers NOW

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How to Write a Persuasive Speech

Last Updated: December 10, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,529,280 times.

A persuasive speech is a speech intended to convince the audience to do something. Whether you want to get people to vote, stop littering, or change their minds about an important issue, persuasive speeches are an effective way to sway an audience. There are many elements that go into a successful persuasive speech. But, with some preparation and practice, you can deliver a powerful speech.

Preparing to Write

• Especially if your topic is a controversial one, it's a good idea to know the arguments on all sides of the issue. [1] X Research source Whatever argument you are making, you'll be more persuasive if you can address the views of the opposing side.
• Spend some time reading books or articles about your topic. You can go to the library and ask a librarian for help finding books, or just go online and find some articles. Make sure to use reliable sources, like major news organizations, or academic books or articles.
• Opinion-oriented sources, like editorials, talk radio, or partisan cable news, can be valuable for finding out what other people think about your topic. But, don't rely on them as your only source of information. They can be very biased. If you use them at all, make sure to read a variety of viewpoints on the matter, not just one side.

• For example, if your topic is recycling, it's important to know a lot about recycling. But, your speech will need to reflect exactly what you hope the audience will do. Are you trying to get people to vote in favor of a citywide recycling program? Or are you trying to convince them to sort out their glass and cans and put them in a separate bin? These will be different speeches, so having the goal spelled out early will help you craft your message.

• An audience that knows little about your topic will need more background information and simpler language. An audience made up of experts on the topic would likely find such a simple speech boring.
• Likewise, an audience that already supports your view on a topic will be easier to persuade to take some action. You won't need to convince them you are right, but only that they need to do something. By contrast, an audience that does not agree with you will need persuasion to even consider your point of view.
• For example, imagine you want to convince your audience to support a city-wide recycling program. If they already think recycling is important, you only need to convince them of the value of this specific program. But, if they don't care about recycling or oppose it, you will need to first convince them that recycling is worthwhile.

• Ethos. These are appeals to the audience's ethics or morals. For example: "Recycling is the right thing to do. Wasting our limited resources steals from future generations, which is immoral."
• Pathos. These are appeals to the audience's emotions. For example: "Think of the animals that lose their homes every day because of trees being chopped down. If we recycled more, we could save these beautiful forests."
• Logos. These are appeals to the audiences logic or intellect. For example: "We know that there is a limited supply of natural resources. We can make this supply last longer by recycling."
• You can rely on any one or some combination.

• The number of points you can make to support your position will be determined by how much time you have to speak.
• As a rule of thumb, three to four supporting points is usually a good number. [2] X Research source
• For example, in the speech about recycling, your three main points might be: 1. Recycling saves resources, 2. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage, and 3. Recycling is cost-effective.

Writing your Speech

• An attention grabber. This could be a statement (or sometimes a visual) that gets your audience's attention. It can be a good idea to be a little startling or dramatic at the opening of your speech. For example, you might start with information (or pictures) showing how a nearby landfill is nearly full to capacity.
• A link to the audience. This is a means of showing that you have something in common with the audience. Show that you have a similar background or share an emotional connection of some kind. This will really depend on knowing your audience. For example, if you are a parent, speaking to other parents, you might emphasize the concern for your own children's future. If you share a common interest or ideological position with your audience, you can emphasize that.
• Your credentials. This is a means of showing that you are knowledgeable or an authority on the topic of the speech. Highlight the research you've done on your topic. If you have any personal or professional experience with the topic, be sure to emphasize that, too. In the recycling example, you might say "I've invested many hours studying the recycling issue and the types of programs available in other cities."
• Your goal. Explain to the audience what you hope the speech will accomplish. For example: "I hope by the end of my talk that you will agree that we need a city wide recycling program."
• A road map. Finally, tell the audience what the main points of the speech will be. For example, "I believe we must start a recycling program for these three reasons...."

• Arrange these points logically. Don't jump from one point to the next, and then back again. Instead, complete an argument, then move on to another that flows logically from it. [4] X Research source
• Use credible sources from your research to back the points you are making. Even if your point is more emotional (pathos), introducing some factual information will make your argument stronger. For example "Each year, 40,000 acres of beautiful forests are destroyed to make paper, according to a study from the American Recycling Institute."
• Use real life examples that the audience can relate to. Even an argument based on facts and logic (logos) should relate to the audience's lives and interests. For example: "In these hard economic times, I know many of you are afraid that a recycling program will mean a costly increase in taxes. But, the city of Springfield started a program like this one three years ago. So far they've seen an increase in revenue as a result of the program. Many residents have seen a decrease in their taxes as a result."

• Make sure that you describe opposing views fairly and objectively. Consider whether someone who actually holds that view would approve of the way you are describing their position. If you aren't sure, find someone who thinks that way and ask!
• For example, you would not want to say: "opponents of recycling just don't care if we waste our precious resources, or our money." That's not a fair description of their opinion.
• Instead, you might say: "opponents of recycling are concerned that the cost might be much higher than just using new materials," and then go on to offer an argument about why recycling might be the more cost-effective option.

• Don't just restate, verbatim, what you've already said. Instead, use this as an opportunity to reinforce the way your main points support your call to action. For example: "To sum up, I've shown you (points a, b, and c). These three undeniable facts point to a city-wide recycling program as the most sensible and ethical step we can take in helping create a more sustainable future. Please, join me in voting 'yes' on this program in November."

Delivering your Speech

• Try practicing in front of a mirror, so that you can see how you are delivering the speech. This can help you notice your facial expressions and body language. These can help or hinder your ability to get your message across.
• For example, you might notice you are slouching, or that that you fidget with your collar. These actions suggest to an audience that you aren't confident.
• Better still, record yourself with a video camera and watch the tape afterwards. This can help you see (and hear) where your delivery needs improvement. [5] X Research source It has the benefit of providing audio, and also won't distract you as much as a mirror when you're speaking.
• Once you've practiced on your own a few times, try giving the speech to a small group of friends or family members. Ask for their feedback on your message and delivery.

• Generally speaking, this will mean dressing professionally. But, the degree of formality will vary. A speech to a film club to convince them to show your film won't require the same degree of formality as speaking to the executives of a movie distribution company. For the executives, you would want to wear a suit. For the film club, that might be overdoing it.

• Be friendly and make eye contact with the audience.
• Move around, where appropriate, but don't fidget or pick at your clothes or hair.
• Don't read the speech. It's okay to use a few notes to keep yourself on track, but your speech should be mostly memorized.
• Roll with the punches. If you make a mistake, don't let it derail your whole speech. This might be an opportunity to use a little humor. Then, move on.

• For example, if you want them to contact the mayor, demanding a recycling program, don't just ask them to do it. Give them stamped, addressed envelopes to send a letter, or cards with the mayor's phone number and email address. If you do this, many more people are likely to follow through.

Patrick Muñoz

Speak from your heart and connect with your audience. Look them in the eyes and really talk to them. Make sure you're comfortable delivering your speech and that you use a warm, confident tone.

Sample Template

Community Q&A

• Look around at the audience, making eye contact, especially during pauses in your speech. If you're feeling nervous about this, pick out a single person in the audience and pretend you are speaking only to them. After a little while, pick someone else, and repeat. [6] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Speak forward, projecting your voice toward the audience with confidence. Do not speak down toward the floor. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Try to cite sources for statistics and use credible, non-biased sources. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• If you have a nervous laugh, be careful to control it during your speech. Otherwise, your audience will likely think what you have to say isn't important.

• Avoid being confrontational, when possible. Don't be sarcastic or mocking when discussing viewpoints other than your own. This can be alienating to your audience, even those who may agree with you. Thanks Helpful 55 Not Helpful 17
• Don't be pompous or arrogant during your speech. Be humble, and be open to questions, suggestions, and feedback. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

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• ↑ http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/steps-for-writing-a-persuasive-speech.html
• ↑ http://www.best-speech-topics.com/writing-a-persuasive-speech.html
• ↑ https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Tips-for-Writing-a-Persuasive-Speech.pdf
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/structuring-speech
• ↑ https://www.leonardoenglish.com/blog/recording-yourself-in-english
• ↑ https://www.zenbusiness.com/blog/eyecontact/

About This Article

To write a persuasive speech, start with a strong opening that will make your reader want to pay attention, including an attention grabber, your credentials, the essay's goal, and a road map for the essay. Next, offer persuasive evidence or reasons why the reader should support your viewpoint. Arrange these points logically, use credible sources, and employ some real life examples. Additionally, address counter-arguments to show that you’re looking at the topic from all sides. Finally, conclude by clearly letting the audience know how to put your ideas into action. To learn how to involve your audience when you deliver your speech, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Writing a persuasive speech

By:  Susan Dugdale   | Last modified: 04-24-2023

Getting started with a 7 point action plan

To help you through the process of writing a persuasive speech from beginning to end, here's a 7 step checklist.

To get the most from it move through it sequentially - point by point.  You'll find links to topic suggestion pages, explanations about how to structure your speech and the importance of audience analysis with examples and more.

In my experience, a successful persuasive speech can't be flicked out in five minutes! There may be brilliantly competent speakers who can do it if they know their subject, and their audience inside out. However the rest of us, me included, have to put the time in to achieve what we want to. ☺

Quick links to get around this page easily

Checklist for writing a persuasive speech

1. Selecting a persuasive speech topic

If you've already got a speech topic move on to setting a goal . For those who don't, read on.

A major part of the challenge of writing a persuasive speech can be choosing what to speak about.

If you're preparing the speech as part of a class exercise or for a public speaking club like Toastmasters you have seemingly unlimited choice. And that can be bewildering! The possibilities are vast. How do you narrow them down?

The answer is to choose something that you genuinely care about, fits the occasion AND that you know your audience will be interested in.

Speech topic suggestions to explore

• 100  Persuasive speech ideas
• 50  Good persuasive speech topics
• 105  Fun persuasive speech topics
• 309  'Easy' persuasive speech topics
• 310 Persuasive speech topics for college
• 108 Feminist persuasive speech topics

Return to Top

2. Setting a goal

The goal of writing a persuasive speech is to change or move the audience toward accepting your position on the topic.  An essential part of that is knowing exactly what it is you want to achieve.

There are degrees of change. Do you want a little, or a lot?

Most wanted response or MWR

What you decide is called your  most wanted response  or MWR.

A realistic MWR is reached through analysis of your audience in relation to your topic.

Example: My topic is "obesity in children".

Audience - who are they.

I am speaking to mothers whose children all attend the same kindergarten.

The staff are concerned about the number of children who are over weight for their age.

The children mostly come from homes where both parents work.

Current food habits as reported by kindergarten staff

Food is bought already made up for a variety of reasons including time saving, convenience, and a lack of knowledge about how to prepare it any other way.

'Treat' food (sweets, cake etc.) is also used to pacify and/or to reinforce good behavior.

Fussy or picky eating is allowed principally because the effort and time required to change already established patterns is difficult to find.

The problem is compounded by lack of exercise.

Most Wanted Response (MWR) options

In setting the goal (MWR) for the speech I need to decide what approach will achieve the best results.

Do I want to influence the mothers to open their minds to the idea that allowing a child to establish habitual unhealthy eating patterns is detrimental to their children's growth and development?

Or do I want them to stop using treat and pre-prepared foods immediately and only offer home cooked healthy options instead?

The first approach is softly-softly. The second is direct or hard hitting.

3. Audience analysis

Who is your audience.

How you persuade, and your MWR (goal) is most effectively established when you understand who you are talking to.

In relation to the topic you're going to speak about are they:

• Hostile - actively don't want to hear what you have to say for many reasons which may include prejudice, fear, ignorance, inertia, cultural difference, differing values/beliefs ...
• Neutral - no decided opinion or beliefs and therefore no investment toward maintaining the current state or moving toward a new one. This is the middle ground.
• Motivated - actively seeking to change. These people are already aware of the 'problem' and are looking for solutions. They want to hear what you have to tell them and are likely to be ready to be convinced of the rightness of your solution.

What else do you need to know?

Aside from their anticipated baseline attitude, (hostile, neutral, motivated), toward your speech topic, what else would be useful to know about your audience?

Find out their:

• General Age
• Shared fears, concerns or problems
• Cultural background(s)
• Shared interests, beliefs, values, goals, hopes, desires
• What obstacles there are to adopting the change you desire

The more you can find out, the more you can tailor writing a persuasive speech (including tone and language choice), and your MWR to fit.

For instance, going back to the obesity in children example above, we could decide,  given what we've found out about the audience, the hard-hitting approach would generate too many obstacles to overcome.

Therefore we will be writing a persuasive speech with a non-threatening MWR that has mothers accepting a pamphlet on children's healthy snack choices to take home.

4. Keep it local

Where possible draw your examples from local material. The reason is we are more likely to care or respond when we actively know who or what is involved firsthand. We identify, and the more we identify, the more invested we are in finding a solution. The situation becomes real to us and we care.

5. Evidence and empathy

An essential part of putting together a good persuasive speech is finding credible evidence to support your argument.

Seek out reputable, reliable, quotable sources to back the points you make. Without them your speech will fail its purpose.

Persuasion is a synthesis of emotional as well as intellectual appeal.

Emotional content will be dismissed unless it is properly backed. Conversely purely intellectual content will be dismissed if it lacks empathy or feeling. You need both - in equal measure.

6. Balance and obstacles

Seek out and address the opposition's arguments, or obstacles in the path of adopting your course of action, fairly and respectfully. Find the elements you share. Openly acknowledge and be clear about them. This builds credibility and trust and as a result your points of departure are more likely to be listened to.

7. Choosing a structural pattern

Once you've decided your topic and its angle, done your audience analysis, fixed what you want to achieve (MWR), researched for evidence, and addressed the obstacles, you're finally ready to begin writing.

What pattern or model will you use?

There is more than one.

Have a look at each of the four below to see which best suits your topic, speech purpose and audience.

1) Monroe's Motivated Sequence

This is a tried and tested model developed in the 1930's by Allan H Monroe. Monroe's Motivated Sequence follows the normal mind-flow or thought sequence someone goes through when someone else is persuading them to do something.

It's a pattern used over and over again by the professional persuaders:  marketers, advertisers, politicians ...

Monroe's Motivated Sequence in action

You can find out more about the five steps involved in writing a persuasive speech using  Monroe's Motivated Sequence  here. There's an explanation with examples of each step, and a printable blank outline template to download.

There's also an  example persuasive speech  to read that uses the method.

2) Problem/Solution

This is a two step pattern. The first part outlines/explains the problem and the second provides the solution which includes meeting the obstacles and giving evidence.

3) Comparison

In this pattern the method is to compare an item/object/idea/action against another similar item/object/idea/action and establish why the item/object/idea/action you are supporting is superior.

Example: Why a SBI website is better than a Wordpress site if you want to build an online business

• Reason One Wordpress primarily is a blogging platform and blogging is not a business model
• Reason Two Wordpress does not supply fully integrated step-by-step instructions to build a sustainable e-business
• Reason Three Wordpress does not provide its users with constant and fully tested upgrades/updating

With each comparison point compelling, relevant evidence is provided and obstacles are met.

(If you're curious check out the SBI v Wordpress comparison. There are many more than three reasons why SBI is the preferred online business platform! Wordpress or SBI? And these days you can actually have both through SBI.)

4) Using the negative to persuade

In this model the reasons why you are against the opposition of your chosen topic are highlighted.

Example: The topic is Teenage Binge Drinking and the angle is to persuade parents to take more control

• Leads to anti-social behavior - for example, mindless vandalism, drunk-driving, and unprotected sex 
• Impacts on growing brains - an overview of current research
• Has implications for developing addictions - alcoholism, nicotine ...

Each negative reason is backed with evidence. One piles on top the other creating an urgency to solve the problem. Your positive solution coming at the end of the speech clinches the argument.

More speech resources

For more about the processes involved in writing a successful speech check these pages:

• Using storytelling effectively

For more about delivering your persuasive speech persuasively please don't overlook these pages. They are gold! Writing is a only part of the process. How you deliver completes it.

• How to rehearse
• Using vocal variety
• Return to the top of the page  

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How To Write A Persuasive Speech: 7 Steps

Table of contents

• 1 Guidance on Selecting an Effective and Relevant Topic
• 2 Strategies for Connecting With Different Types of Audiences
• 3 Developing Your Thesis Statement
• 4.1 Writing the Introduction
• 4.2 Body of Your Speech
• 4.3 Concluding Effectively
• 5 Techniques for Creating a Coherent Flow of Ideas
• 6 Importance of Transitions Between Points
• 7 Importance of Tone and Style Adjustments Based on the Audience
• 8 Prepare for Rebuttals
• 9 Use Simple Statistics
• 10 Practicing Your Speech
• 11 Additional Resources to Master Your Speech
• 12 Master the Art of Persuasion With PapersOwl

Are you about to perform a persuasive speech and have no idea how to do it? No need to worry; PapersOwl is here to guide you through this journey!

What is persuasive speaking? Persuasive speaking is a form of communication where the speaker aims to influence or convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or belief or take specific actions. The goal is to sway the listeners’ opinions, attitudes, or behaviors by presenting compelling arguments and supporting evidence while appealing to their emotions.

Today, we prepared a guide to help you write a persuasive speech and succeed in your performance, which will surprise your audience. We will:

• Understand how to connect with your audience.
• Give you persuasive speech tips.
• Provide you with the best structure for a persuasive speech outline.
• Prepare yourself for rebuttals!
• Talk about the importance of flow in your speech.
• Discover additional resources for continuous improvement.

Let’s begin this journey together!

Guidance on Selecting an Effective and Relevant Topic

The most important thing in convincing speeches is the topic. Indeed, you must understand the purpose of your speech to succeed. Before preparing for your performance, you should understand what you want to discuss! To do that, you can:

• Choose a compelling speech topic relevant to your audience’s interests and concerns.
• Find common interests or problems to form a genuine relationship.
• Remember that a persuasive speech format should be adapted to your audience’s needs and ideals. Make your content relevant and appealing.

And if you are struggling on this step, PapersOwl is already here to help you! Opt to choose persuasive speech topics and find the one that feels perfect for you.

Strategies for Connecting With Different Types of Audiences

A successful persuasive speech connects you with your audience. To do that, you should really know how to connect yourself to people.

Thus, the speaker connects with and persuades the audience by using emotions such as sympathy or fear. Therefore, you can successfully connect with different types of audiences through different emotions. You can do it by showing that you have something in common with the audience. For example, demonstrate that you have a comparable history or an emotional connection. Additionally, include personal stories or even make a part of a speech about yourself to allow your audience to relate to your story.

Developing Your Thesis Statement

When you give a persuasive speech, there should be a thesis statement demonstrating that your goal is to enlighten the audience rather than convince them.

A thesis statement in persuasive speaking serves as the central argument or main point, guiding the entire presentation. A successful thesis anchors your speech and briefly expresses your position on the subject, giving a road map for both you and your audience.

For instance, in pushing for renewable energy, a thesis may be: “Transitioning to renewable sources is imperative for a sustainable future, mitigating environmental impact and fostering energy independence.” This statement summarizes the argument and foreshadows the supporting points.

Overview of speech structure (introduction, body, conclusion)

The key elements of a persuasive speech are:

• introduction (hook, thesis, preview);
• body (main points with supporting details and transitions);
• conclusion (summary, restated thesis, closing statement).

Let’s look closer at how to structure them to write a good persuasive speech.

Writing the Introduction

The introduction to persuasive speech is crucial. The very beginning of your discourse determines your whole performance, drawing in your audience and creating a foundation for trust and engagement. Remember, it’s your opportunity to make a memorable first impression, ensuring your listeners are intrigued and receptive to your message.

Start off a persuasive speech with an enticing quotation, image, video, or engaging tale; it can entice people to listen. As we mentioned before, you may connect your speech to the audience and what they are interested in. Establish credibility by showcasing your expertise or connecting with shared values. Ultimately, ensure your thesis is clear and outline which specific purpose statement is most important in your persuasive speech.

Body of Your Speech

After choosing the topic and writing an intro, it’s time to concentrate on one of the most critical parts of a persuasive speech: the body.

The main body of your speech should provide the audience with several convincing reasons to support your viewpoint. In this part of your speech, create engaging primary points by offering strong supporting evidence — use statistics, illustrations, or expert quotations to strengthen each argument. Also, don’t forget to include storytelling for an emotional connection with your audience. If you follow this combination, it will for sure make a speech persuasive!

Concluding Effectively

After succeeding in writing the main points, it is time to end a persuasive speech! Indeed, a call to action in persuasive speech is vital, so we recommend you end your performance with it. After listening to your argument and proof, you want the audience to make a move. Restate your purpose statement, summarize the topic, and reinforce your points by restating the logical evidence you’ve provided.

Techniques for Creating a Coherent Flow of Ideas

Your ideas should flow smoothly and naturally connect to strengthen the persuasive speech structure . You can do this by employing transitional words and organizing your thoughts methodically, ensuring that each point flows effortlessly into the next.

Importance of Transitions Between Points

No one can underestimate the importance of transition. They are important persuasive speech elements. Thus, each idea must flow smoothly into the following one with linking phrases so your speech has a logical flow. Effective transitions signal shifts, aiding audience comprehension and improving the overall structure of the speech.

Importance of Tone and Style Adjustments Based on the Audience

To be persuasive in a speech, don’t forget to analyze your audience in advance, if possible. Customizing your approach to specific listeners encourages their engagement. A thorough awareness of your target audience’s tastes, expectations, and cultural subtleties ensures that your message connects, making it more approachable and appealing to the people you seek to reach.

Prepare for Rebuttals

Still, be aware that there may be different people in the audience. The main point of persuasive speaking is to convince people of your ideas. Be prepared for rebuttals and that they might attack you. Extensively research opposing points of view to prove yours. You may manage any objections with elegance by being prepared and polite, reaffirming the strength of your argument.

Use Simple Statistics

We’ve already discussed that different techniques may reach different audiences. You could also incorporate simple data to lend credibility to your persuasive talk. Balance emotional appeal with plain numerical statistics to create a captivating blend that will appeal to a wide audience.

Practicing Your Speech

We all have heard Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, “Practice makes perfect.” Even though he said it hundreds of years ago, it still works for everything, including persuasive public speaking! Consequently, you can improve your text with these pieces of advice:

• Go through and edit your persuasive speech sample.
• Practice your speech with body language and voice variation to find the perfect way to perform it.
• Reduce anxiety by practicing in front of a mirror or telling it to someone ready to provide you with valuable feedback.
• Embrace pauses for emphasis, and work on regulating your pace.

It will help you to know your content well, increase confidence, and promote a polished delivery, resulting in a dynamic and engaging speech to persuade your audience.

Additional Resources to Master Your Speech

PapersOwl wants you to ace your speech! We recommend using additional sources to help master your persuasive speech presentation!

• For inspiration, study any example of persuasive speech from a famous speaker, such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” or Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement address. Analyzing these speeches can provide valuable insights into effective communication techniques.
• Explore Coursera’s course “Speaking to Persuade: Motivating Audiences With Solid Arguments and Moving Language” by the University of Washington.
• Go through different persuasive speech examples for students around the internet, for instance, “Talk Like TED” by Carmine Gallo.

Make your persuasive speech successful by continuously learning and drawing inspiration from accomplished speakers!

Master the Art of Persuasion With PapersOwl

In conclusion, speaking to persuade is an art that helps convince with words . You can craft it by following our tips: include a well-structured persuasive speech introduction, a compelling body, and memorable conclusion. To ace your speech, practice it in advance, be ready for rebuttals, and confidently state your message. The secret lies in blending both for a nuanced and compelling communication style, ensuring your message resonates with diverse audiences in various contexts.

Nevertheless, writing a persuasive speech that can hold your audience’s attention might be difficult. You do not need to step on this path alone. You may quickly construct a persuasive speech that is both successful and well-organized by working with PapersOwl.com . We’ll be there for you every step, from developing a convincing argument to confidently giving the speech. Just send us a message, “ write a speech for me ,” and enjoy the results!

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Get Others to Take Action: Why and How to Write a Persuasive Speech

Has someone ever persuaded you to do something?

Maybe a commercial on TV convinced you that you had to have this certain type of shampoo. Perhaps a guidance counselor talked you into pursuing a certain degree path in college.

Or maybe you heard a speech that persuaded you to shift your viewpoint on an important subject.

We all have had moments where we’ve been persuaded to do something. But what would it look like if you flipped the script?

Imagine yourself in front of an audience. They’re hanging on your every word as you speak confidently and passionately about a key topic.

And by the time your speech is over, the majority of the audience has been persuaded to adopt your point of view.

Persuasive speaking is powerful. It gives you a way to achieve greater personal power and faster success — but only if you know how to do it correctly.

If you’ve ever wondered how to write persuasive speeches that will actually make people come over to your point of view, this blog post will walk you through the steps needed to create and deliver a powerful persuasive speech .

The Power of Persuasive Speaking

Persuasive speaking has a variety of applications. Persuasive speech is used in the workplace to help you accomplish a goal or prove your point.

It’s used in your personal life with family or your kids — you might make a persuasive speech before dinner if you’re trying to convince your partner to go to the restaurant you’re craving.

And it’s used in relationships to help you see eye-to-eye with another person.

Chances are, you’re probably already doing a lot of persuasive speaking in your everyday life, even if you don’t realize it. And honing your persuasive speaking skills can go a long way in helping you be successful. 

If you can persuade and influence people , you will be able to achieve greater personal power. You’ll become more successful, at a faster rate. And you will be an important person in your community.

How to Write A Persuasive Speech in Seven Steps

Sometimes, persuasive speaking is used in your everyday life and the natural interactions you have throughout the day.

Other times, you may need to give a more formal persuasive speech. In these cases, you might feel at a loss when it comes to how to write a persuasive speech.

As you begin working on your persuasive speech outline and the speech itself, think about what you want to persuade others to do and why you want them to do this. This is the best place to start. Don’t try to cram your “why” in later — your speech should naturally grow out of your end goal.

You can also work on your  presentation skills , helping you come across more confidently. Practice using visual aids to help get your message across.

Remember to speak slowly and to keep a glass of water nearby in case your throat dries up. You should also tailor your presentation to your target audience, being personable and relatable to keep them engaged.

Finally, using an outline as you craft your talk is a great way to stay organized. If you’re going to persuade someone to do something, you need to sound like you know what you’re talking about. Writing your speech based on an outline will help you follow a logical sequence of thoughts and arrive at an impactful conclusion. 

After you graft your persuasive speech outline, follow these other persuasive speech tips to start getting your audience to see your side!

#1. Identify the Motivation

The key to  becoming a master of persuasion ? Motivation. 

If you want to persuade someone to do something, or even to simply believe what you’re saying, you need to find out what would motivate them to take that action or adopt that belief. Every human action is motivated by something.

Your job is to find out what motivates other people and then to provide that motivation.

People have two major motivations: the desire for gain, and the fear of loss. The desire for gain motivates people to want more of the things they value in life.

They want more money, more success, more health, more influence, more respect, more love, and more happiness. The fear of loss is often even stronger than the desire for gain as people are afraid of change, risk, and uncertainty. 

You can take these underlying motivations and define them more specifically for your target audience. For example, maybe you’re trying to convince someone to sign up for your diet program.

To accomplish this goal, you need to think about their motivations. Why does your target audience want to go on a diet? Do they want to feel healthier, lose weight, or build muscle? 

If you’re speaking to an audience of moms, talk about how your diet would give them more energy to play with their active kids. For an audience of athletes, you might focus on the results they’ll see on the field or on the court by following your diet.

If your goal is to write a successful persuasive speech, make sure you know your target audience well enough to identify their motivations. Then use those motivations as much as possible in your speech, thinking about what your audience wants and telling them how you can help them get it.

#2. Establish Credibility

If you want to persuade somebody to do something, you need to convince them that you know what you’re talking about and that you won’t lead them astray.

Demonstrate to your audience that you have their best interests at heart — and show them your knowledge and evidence to prove your point.

One way to establish credibility is to explain your education, your experience, or anything else that proves why you’re qualified to hold your viewpoint. Talk about your personal experience or any relevant research you’ve done.

You should also work on establishing common ground with your audience. Show them that you can identify and relate with them. At the end of the day, you and your audience want the same thing.

Finally, speaking with confidence is another way to help you seem more authoritative. People will automatically perceive you as successful and knowledgeable if you speak about your topic with confidence. 

Sharing these things will help establish your authority. And that will help you persuade others to think or do what you want them to do.

#3. Explain Your Stance

Make your stance extremely clear from the beginning of your speech.

Whether you work it into your thesis statement or the opening paragraphs, when you’re trying to convince people to believe in what you believe, you need to be strong in your stance.

And this also means you need to believe in yourself first. 

If you’re struggling to feel self-confident, focus on changing your mindset.  Believing in yourself starts with thinking positively and vocalizing positive statements to yourself to build your self-esteem.

Each morning in the mirror, look at yourself and confidently say, “I believe in myself.” Over time, this will help you feel more and more confident in yourself and in the stance you’re going to present on stage.

People can sense when a speaker is being fake or doesn’t seem authentic. If you want your audience members to believe in you, let your genuine passion come through.

#4. Address Objections

One of the biggest things to know and prepare for when writing a persuasive speech is that there will always be objections or reasons why your audience members don’t believe you. If people are skeptical of what you’re trying to share, don’t dance around their potential questions your entire speech— the best approach is to go ahead and address these issues.

Get ahead of the game and preempt those objections by addressing them before they ever come up. Don’t give your audience a chance to start wondering.

State the most common objections you hear and address them head-on, explaining why they’re untrue or irrelevant. This frees up your audience to focus on the remainder of your speech.

#5. Understand the Other Side

When it comes to any persuasive conversation, there will always be more than one side to address. Don’t dismiss, ignore, or speak poorly of something that would be your counter-argument. Instead of being combative, embrace the opposition. This will ensure you don’t accidentally hurt your audience’s emotions, will make them feel heard, and will help them feel better about trusting and believing in you. Then craft creative points in your favor.

Begin by addressing any opposing viewpoints. Don’t bash the other side — be respectful, simply stating the facts of what others believe. Next, use words such as “although” or “however” to transition into your counterargument, showing listeners why your side is more correct. In practice, this might sound like:

“Many people think getting a master’s degree is essential to achieve success in this field. However, I have successfully scaled my business although I only have a bachelor’s degree.”

Being empathetic instead of combative will go a long way in winning your audience over to your side.

#6. Connect With the Audience

When you give a speech, it’s essential to get your audience’s attention from the get-go and connect with them however you can. A persuasive speech is no different. 

Use examples and stories your audience would understand. If you’re a manager speaking to an audience of other managers, share stories from the workplace that only a manager would truly “get.” 

Storytelling is a tried-and-true way to make sure people are listening. Using personal stories your audience can relate to will keep them more engaged. They’ll be able to see their own lives and stories in the points you’re trying to make.

Other ways to connect with your audience might include using visual aids; making a joke, if appropriate; or mentioning something about the setting around you.

#7. Speak With Confidence

If you’re new to public speaking, you may not feel as if you know how to speak with confidence. But believing in yourself and your points is absolutely essential to help you persuade your audience over the hump.

If you aren’t feeling very confident, it’s okay to fake it until you make it. Speak more confidently by visualizing your speech before getting in front of your audience. Walk through your speech in your head, and imagine your audience giving you a round of applause.

Some people aren’t sure where to look once they get on stage. For a larger crowd, look over the crowd’s eye line. If your audience is smaller, you can make direct eye contact with people. Use positive body language and dress appropriately to boost your confidence.

Finally, the best way to speak with confidence is to practice. Give your speech in the mirror, ask a friend to listen, or video yourself speaking so you can watch it back. Over time, you will become more confident and be better able to persuade an audience.

Write an Effective Persuasive Speech

The idea of getting up in front of an audience and winning them over to your point of view may seem stressful. But by following these seven steps, you’ll be able to write and deliver a speech that will successfully persuade your audience to do whatever you want them to do.

And after you’ve done it once, you’ll be able to create and give a strong persuasive speech again and again and again.

Looking for more ways to become a better public speaker? Use my list of 44 ways to improve your public speaking skills to help.

You’ll find nine techniques to help overcome your fear of public speaking; tips to create a speech that will captivate and inspire your audience; and information on how you can transform your public speaking into a profitable career.

Click here to download my Ultimate List of Public Speaking Tips and get started today!

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas Persuasive Speech: Actionable Writing Tips and Sample Topics

Persuasive Speech: Actionable Writing Tips and Sample Topics

What is Persuasive Speaking?

Factual persuasive speech, value persuasive speech, policy persuasive speech, how to start a persuasive speech: opening tips and examples.

• Social Proof
• Comparisons
• Agitate and Solve
• Storytelling

Bonus: Address Counter Arguments

How to close your persuasive speech: quick examples, easy persuasive speech topics, interesting persuasive speech topics, good persuasive speech topics on controversial issues, funny persuasive speech topics, designing persuasive visuals: slide elements for maximum impact, mastering delivery techniques: engaging body language and voice modulation, persuasive presentation structures: organizing your content for maximum influence, handling audience interaction: q&a sessions and audience engagement, persuasive call to action: inspiring and motivating your audience to act.

Business professionals, students, and others can all benefit from learning the principles of persuasive speech. After all, the art of persuasion can be applied to any area of life where getting people to agree with you is important. So without much further ado, let’s get into the basics of persuasive speaking, persuasive speech writing, and lastly persuasive speech topics!

A persuasive speech is a specific type of speech where the presenter attempts to convince the audience of their point of view. The ideal goal of a persuasive speech is to make the audience change their mind on the issue, or at least, become more accepting of their point of view.

You might give an informal persuasive speech when trying to convince your friends to agree to the movie you want to watch. If you are chosen to pitch a new product idea to stakeholders at work, you are essentially being asked to give a persuasive speech.

What are The 3 Types of Persuasive Speeches?

All the persuasive speech ideas can be organized into one of the next three categories:

When someone gives a factual persuasive speech, their goal is to convince the audience that something is true or false. In some cases that simply requires gathering evidence and presenting them in the form of arguments/counter-arguments. This approach works for all persuasive topics where true/false is a binary consideration.

You can also give a factual speech on a topic that isn’t as cut and dried. For example, you could make the argument that assimilation is the best way for cultures to mix even though there is no single piece of evidence proving that without a doubt.

In essence, you can select any topic and frame it into the factual persuasive speech as long as you have strong oratory and presentation skills .

In this case, you are trying to convince your audience that something is good or bad. You want your audience to understand your values on a topic, and then adopt those values as their own. For example, a speech written to convince people that it’s immoral to buy single-use plastics is a value persuasive speech.

In a policy persuasive speech, you describe a problem, then work to persuade the audience to agree with your proposed solutions. These speeches can be given to simply change the audiences perspective or convince them to take a specific action.

Policy persuasive speeches can be further spiced up with some nuggets of Nudge Theory to reinforce the idea you are trying to deliver.

How to Write a Persuasive Speech: The Essential Steps

Before we dive deep into the writing, let’s quickly recap the anatomy of a persuasive speech:

• Opening:  start strong to capture the audiences attention and explain your agenda.
• Key arguments:  present your key talking points and lay down the facts.
• Counterpoints:  address the common objections.
• Closure:  recap your key message once again and suggest further action.

Now, this isn’t a “set-in-stone” structure, but rather a base you can use when drafting your persuasive speech outline.

Below we are listing some extra tips for each section, along with persuasive speech examples.

Every good speech and presentation need a strong opening slide . After all, how can you persuade anyone if they do not feel compelled to listen to you in the first place? Right, you can’t and that’s exactly why you should spend quite a lot of time working and refining on your speech opening.

Here are some techniques you can try:

• Start with a curious personal story/anecdote
• Sharing a surprising statistic

Next, you must convince the audience that they should listen to you. You can do this by explaining what you have in common.

For example,  Everyone here is a concerned parent. I am also a mother of three who cares deeply about the lack of interest in STEM among girls.  This is also where you might share your credentials.  That’s why I’m here to speak to you as a professional with 30 years of experience as an educator.

Follow your intro statement with a quick explanation of your goal. Be direct here. In one or two sentences state your purpose, and what you want your audience to believe or do.

“I believe that women in STEM can close the looming tech skills gap and generate an extra $12 trillion in global GDP. That’s why I’m asking you to stop encouraging girls to learn dancing and encourage them to code instead.”

Finally, transition to the main part of your speech with a statement that lets the audience know what is coming. For example, Today, I am going to provide you with the evidence that some parental practices are alienating girls from STEM subjects.

Liked this primer? Great! Here are several more techniques you can use to frame your ideas for persuasive speeches.

What are The 5 Persuasive Techniques?

After the opening, it’s time to present your arguments and counter any arguments that could conflict with your point. The following five persuasive techniques tend to work like a charm for that purpose:

• Social proof
• Agitate and solve

More controversial persuasive speech topics, in particular, will require you to artfully work through various objections and mix different persuasion methods. Now let’s take a closer look at each one.

1. Repetition

There’s a reason that advertisements repeat the same thing over and over again. Research proves that people are more likely to believe something if they hear it multiple times. In addition to this, repetition simply helps people to remember key points that you want to stick with them.

When it comes to persuasive speeches, you should always repeat your most important points at the beginning and end of your speech.

Helpful template: 6 Steps Hexagonal Segmented Diagram

2. Social Proof

People are influenced by the actions and beliefs of others, whether they admit it or not. Use this during your speech. For example, you can share testimonials from people who agree with your POV or leverage the voice of customer data , expressing the same concerns as you do.

NB : When lining up social proof for your presentation, make sure that this data comes from a peer group that your audience relates to.

Helpful template: Voice of customer PowerPoint template

3. Comparisons

The point of using comparisons is to present a contrast of the idea/element that you support with the one that you do not. Then you’ll need to prove that yours is the best choice. For example, you might compare the features of two software applications to persuade that your team needs option A, not B.

Using comparisons also gives your speech more credibility since it appears that you are giving the opposing position a fair shake, even when you are only showcasing it to score points against it.

Helpful template: Two option comparison template

4. Agitate and Solve

When you take the “agitate and solve” approach, you first make your audience vary and somewhat dissatisfied with a certain issue (agitate). Next, you present your idea as a solution (solve). The idea is to hit a nerve and get the audience to relate. Then, when you present your solution, it’s that much more persuasive to them. It also makes the entire scenario more emotionally compelling to them.

Here’s an example of this approach in action:

Nearly every one of us has been ripped off by an unscrupulous mechanic. Nobody deserves to be taken advantage of. That’s why every person needs to vote in favor of this consumer protection ballot measure.

5. Storytelling

Many people opt to use a rhetorical triangle when building their persuasive argument s. These days storytelling may be more effective. Here’s why:

Stories create an emotional connection and relatability. Imagine listening to a speech where the speaker lists a variety of statistics about the harm that plastics cause to marine life. Now, imagine listening to the true story of a marine biologist who discovers a dolphin that has been badly injured by plastic trash it has encountered in its habitat.

Clearly, the second one, if told correctly, will cast a much deeper impact on the audience.

Helpful template: Storytelling theme template .

It’s up to you to decide if you want to address any counterpoints to your arguments, and where you will do that in your speech. Some speakers choose to include an obvious counter-argument in the introduction, so they can effectively dismiss it before they begin.

Others address these points when they are relevant to the current argument they are making. Finally, you can address a counterpoint in its paragraph just above your concluding paragraph.

Here are some actionable techniques for addressing counter-arguments:

• Provide a direct refutation of the point. Prove that it simply isn’t an issue.
• Concede that it’s an issue, but show that it isn’t significant enough to derail your overall argument.
• Acknowledge the plausibility of the counterpoint, but argue yours as the better option.

Recommended Reading:  Building a Persuasive Argument with the Rhetorical Triangle Concept

How you present your closing depends on your goal. If you want your audience to take a specific action, show them how to do it, and make it as easy as possible. Try this:

When you pay your trash bill next month, you’ll be asked if you want the city of Gravesdale to begin a recycling program. If you value water quality and marine life, please say yes.

If your goal is to simply influence a change in opinion, you might say: Both facts and experience prove that we can no longer afford to send plastics to the landfill. Please consider this the next time you go shopping.

Alright, now you may be wondering: what are the best persuasive speech topics? We’ve got you covered here too!

A List of Persuasive Speech Topics

Here is a list of persuasive speech topic examples, with writing tips .

The easiest topic to present on is the one that you are truly passionate and knowledgeable about. Also, easy persuasive speech topics usually don’t tackle any controversial issues with a lot of contrarian opinions, especially on complex matters regarding politics, religion, human rights, and so on. Instead, you choose an angle that may already resonate with a good fraction of your audience and require one or two good counterarguments, rather than using a host of persuasive techniques.

For example : Should all internships be paid?

Most people will instinctively say yes , especially if your audience consists of college graduates and former interns.

What makes an interesting speech? Topical ideas that get people engaged, agitated, and eager to follow your storyline.

In this case, you’d want to find a deeper subject that allows you to incorporate some storytelling elements and personal examples that would create some empathy with the audience and make them relate to your cause on a more personal level. As Lucinda Beaman, fact check editor at The Conversation said in her Ted talk :

“While you are listening to your opponent’s case, you are probably listening for an opportunity to refuse them”. 

A quality narrative can help you draw your opponent’s attention from their counterarguments and, instead, make them more sympathetic to your cause.

For example : Schools kill creativity. As a former drop-out, turned CEO of the Fortune 100 company, I can tell you why.

If you are ready to pick a bigger ‘fight’ with your audience, you may tackle a more complex and controversial issue that’s dividing the audience. In such cases, it’s best to rely on a mix of persuasive techniques:

• Start with a strong opening, drawing the line in the sand
• Line up social proof and data points to bake your key arguments
• Rally people to understand your point of view and why you feel the way you do
• Precisely address the common counterarguments on the matter.

For example : It’s time to realize that marijuana legalization is wrong.

Your opponents will argue that legalization reduces criminalization around the selling of marijuana, plus medical marijuana usage does help certain patient groups cope with their illness better. Acknowledge these ideas in your speech, but also provide extra facts that can speak to the opposite.

Did you know that humor itself is a powerful persuasive technique? That’s why it’s often used in advertising. Choosing a funny angle and topic for your persuasive speech is a sleek move if you know that you can really pull it off without offending anyone or downplaying the importance of the issue you are discussing.

For example: Millennials are definitely from outer space and our workplace isn’t ready for them.

You can start with a funny opening:

Millennials constantly chew on that weird greenish sandwich type of thing that they lovingly call the ‘avo toast’ and their fingers move inhumanly fast when they type things on their smartphones, amiright?

But that switch to a more serious accord:

But no matter how weird these Millennial folks may seem to us, boomers, they are a wonderful asset to every workplace. And we must make their point of few count, too!

• Crafting persuasive presentations goes beyond words alone. Designing persuasive visuals is a strategic approach to captivate your audience and enhance your message’s impact.
• Choosing Appropriate Visuals, Images, and Infographics: Select visuals that resonate with your message. High-quality images and relevant infographics can reinforce your points and aid audience comprehension.
• Using Color Psychology and Font Selection: Utilize colors that evoke desired emotions and align with your message’s tone. Choose fonts that are easily readable and complement your presentation’s aesthetics.
• Balancing Simplicity and Complexity: Strike a balance between simplicity and complexity in your slide content. Avoid overwhelming visuals while ensuring that complex concepts are presented clearly and succinctly.
• The art of persuasion extends beyond content to encompass delivery. Engaging body language and voice modulation play a pivotal role in conveying credibility and connecting with your audience.
• Significance of Body Language: Body language is a potent nonverbal tool. It influences the audience’s perception of your confidence, sincerity, and authority.
• Gestures, Eye Contact, and Posture: Employ purposeful gestures, maintain consistent eye contact, and exhibit a confident posture to establish rapport and engage the audience.
• Role of Vocal Variety, Tone, and Pacing: Utilize vocal variety to sustain audience interest. Vary your tone and pacing to emphasize key points, maintain engagement, and prevent monotony.
• Rehearsal Methods: Effective rehearsal hones your delivery skills. Practice your presentation multiple times to refine your speaking style, enhance clarity, and ensure a polished performance.
• Structuring your persuasive presentation optimally enhances its influence. Effective organization guides the audience’s understanding and reinforces your key arguments.
• Analyzing Different Presentation Structures: Choose a structure that aligns with your persuasive objectives. Sequential, problem-solution, comparative, or chronological structures can be tailored to your message.
• Crafting a Compelling Introduction: Your introduction should immediately grab attention. Use anecdotes, intriguing questions, statistics, or powerful quotes to pique interest and set the stage.
• Logical and Coherent Organization: Organize your arguments logically. Each argument should flow naturally into the next, creating a cohesive narrative reinforcing your persuasive case.
• Incorporating Emotional Appeals and Logical Reasoning: Blend emotional appeals with logical reasoning. Use relatable anecdotes, emotional stories, and compelling data to substantiate your points.
• Effective handling of audience interaction involves: Interacting with your audience during a persuasive presentation enhances engagement and reinforces your message.
• Preparing for Q&A Sessions: Anticipate potential questions and challenges. Prepare concise and confident responses to reinforce your message’s credibility.
• Techniques for Active Audience Engagement: Encourage audience participation through questions, discussions, and interactive activities. Engaged audiences are more likely to internalize your persuasive message.
• Using Audience Feedback and Questions: Leverage audience feedback and questions to enhance your presentation. Address concerns, clarify points, and demonstrate your expertise through thoughtful responses.
• Strategies for Adapting to Audience Reactions: Remain adaptable to audience reactions. Gauge their responses and adjust your delivery in real time to maintain engagement and address uncertainties.
• Concluding your persuasive presentation with a compelling call to action (CTA) is pivotal for motivating the desired response from your audience.
• Essential Elements of an Effective CTA: Craft a concise and impactful CTA that aligns with your presentation’s goals. Clearly communicate the desired action and its benefits to the audience.
• Crafting Persuasive and Actionable CTAs: Frame your CTA using persuasive language that resonates with your audience. Ensure the CTA’s feasibility and relevance to increase audience commitment.
• Techniques for Memorable and Compelling CTAs: Employ rhetoric, vivid imagery, and emotional appeal in your CTA. Make it memorable by creating a strong emotional connection that resonates with the audience.
• Measuring CTA Success and Tracking Audience Responses: Assess the effectiveness of your CTA through measurable outcomes. Monitor audience responses, track engagement, and gather feedback to evaluate success.

If you know how to give a convincing persuasive speech, you will be at a real advantage both in your personal life and at work! Commit the tips above to memory and start practicing on some of the good speech topics we’ve listed here to polish your tradecraft!

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Agitate and Solve, Convincing Speech, Funny Speech, Influence, Persuasive Speech, Public Speaking, Repetition, Social Proof, Storytelling Filed under Presentation Ideas

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Module 10: Persuasive Speaking

Structure of a persuasive speech, learning objectives.

Identify characteristic structures of a persuasive speech.

In many ways, a persuasive speech is structured like an informative speech. It has an introduction with an attention-getter and a clear thesis statement. It also has a body where the speaker presents their main points and it ends with a conclusion that sums up the main point of the speech.

The biggest difference is that the primary purpose of an informative speech is to explain whereas the primary purpose of a persuasive speech is to advocate the audience adopt a point of view or take a course of action. A persuasive speech, in other words, is an argument  supported by well-thought-out reasons and relevant, appropriate, and credible supporting evidence.

We can classify persuasive speeches into three broad categories:

• The widely used pesticide Atrazine is extremely harmful to amphibians.
• All house-cats should  be kept indoors to protect the songbird population.
• Offshore tax havens, while legal, are immoral and unpatriotic .

The organizational pattern we select and the type of supporting material we use should support the overall argument we are making.

The informative speech organizational patterns we covered earlier can work for a persuasive speech as well. In addition, the following organization patterns are especially suited to persuasive speeches (these are covered in more detail in Module 6: Organizing and Outlining Your Speech):

• Causal : Also known as cause-effect, the causal pattern describes some cause and then identifies what effects resulted from the cause. This can be a useful pattern to use when you are speaking about the positive or negative consequences of taking a particular action.
• Problem-solution : With this organizational pattern, you provide two main points. The first main point focuses on a problem that exists and the second details your proposed solution to the problem. This is an especially good organization pattern for speeches arguing for policy changes.
• Problem-cause-solution: This is a variation of the problem-solution organizational pattern. A three-step organizational pattern where the speaker starts by explaining the problem, then explains the causes of the problem, and lastly proposes a solution to the problem.
• Comparative advantage : A speaker compares two or more things or ideas and explains why one of the things or ideas has more advantages or is better than the other.
• Monroe’s motivated sequence : An organizational pattern that is a more elaborate variation of the problem-cause-solution pattern.  We’ll go into more depth on Monroe’s motivated sequence on the next page.
• Structure of a Persuasive Speech. Authored by : Mike Randolph with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

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Tips on How to Write a Persuasive Speech

Persuasive speeches have the power to not only make a powerful point but create moments in time that define eras. From Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech to King George VI’s radio speech, persuasive speeches have the ability to live and inspire indefinitely.

Politicians, in particular, rely on the power of persuasive speeches when campaigning and after being elected. There are professional speech writers that make a very lucrative living writing persuasive speeches for political and corporate leaders.

Persuasive speeches are not only for politicians and corporate leaders. Everyone is using or trying to use the art of persuasion each and every day as a call to action. You may find yourself needing to deliver a speech in a sales meeting to close a big client. You might find yourself in front of a local board in your community using the art of persuasion for a cause you strongly believe in. Whatever the situation, having an understanding of how to write a persuasive speech then deliver it is like having a superpower.

The great thing about learning how to write a persuasive speech is that anyone can do it. You don’t need to have any special talent for writing or speaking. There are creative elements, but those emerge as a result of mastering the fundamentals, which anyone can do.

In this article, you’re going to learn how to write a persuasive speech, so you can add that superpower to your talent stack and start getting more of what you want out of life. The most successful people in the business world and life, in general, all understand the power of persuasion to some degree, and now you can, too.

Define the Goal of Your Persuasive Speech

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Analyze Your Audience

Understanding who your audience is and what level of awareness they’re at is critical to a successful persuasive speech. For example, if you’re talking about an issue your audience knows very little about, you’ll need to spend some time educating them about the history and background. On the other hand, if your audience is coming with a high level of awareness, educating them on what they already know will weaken your speech, and your audience will quickly disengage, or worse, take a position against you before even hearing the heart of your argument.

Understanding the perspective of your audience is important any time you are writing a speech. This is especially true with a persuasive speech because not only are you seeking to get them to listen to you, but you’re also hoping they’ll take a particular action after listening to your presentation.

Things to Consider About Your Audience

Aristotle and Quintilian are the most famous ancient scholars to give public speaking definitive rules. Aristotle defined rhetoric as a means to persuade on any subject. Quintilian published a twelve-volume textbook on rhetoric, and many of his references are still used today by politicians.

Cicero is considered perhaps the most significant rhetorician that ever lived. He is famous in the field of public speaking for creating the five canons of rhetoric—a five-step process for developing a persuasive speech that is still used to this very day.

Who is in Your Audience?

To properly analyze your audience, you first must understand who they are. Depending on your topic, knowing about your audience member’s age, income, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, profession, political beliefs, membership, and hobbies can influence the way you frame your topic and overall approach.

Who are You to Your Audience?

Does your audience have a predetermined opinion about you, your organization, or your profession? If so, it’s important to call it out and recognize it. Your audience will view this as you seeing and understanding them, and a bridge of common ground will have been built from the outset.

What Does the Audience Value?

Having clarity on what matters most to your audience allows you to align your speech topic with their most deeply-held values. For example, if you’re speaking to a veterans group that values community service, you can place more emphasis on your organization’s local charitable endeavors.

How Relevant is Your Topic?

Is your audience already invested in your topic? If it is, then you don’t need to spend a lot of time explaining why they should care about it. On the other hand, if the audience has a low level of awareness, it’s important to draw a connection between your topic and their interests early on in the speech.

Put Emphasis on Your Audience

Your objective is not to merely get through your speech, you’re trying to persuade your audience to take action or think about a topic with a new perspective. You need to make your audience feel like you genuinely recognize and care about their opinions and beliefs. A persuasive speech is not about you, it’s about the people you’re trying to persuade. Talk to your audience, not at them. When writing a speech, you need to keep in mind these are words to be spoken, so reading aloud after you write and during the editing process can be extremely helpful.

How to tell your story so the audience feels it’s their story.

​​​​​​​Organize Your Points with a Strong Outline

Public speaking can be categorized into four main types: ceremonial, demonstrative, informative, and persuasive.

Open Strong

Most of us will give a ceremonial speech during our lifetime. These are the speeches that mark special occasions. We’ve seen them at weddings, graduations, birthdays, office parties, and funerals. Often a ceremonial speech involves a toast and is delivered with intimacy and an emotional connection to the audience.

Attention Grabber

This can be a statement or even a visual that gets your audience’s attention. Often coming out of the gates with some drama works. This can be the most important line of your entire speech. If the audience does not engage from the start, it can be very difficult to get them back. Often this line comes in the form of a question that forces the audience to actively engage or think. It could be a riddle or unique question. The point is you want to grab attention and then do your best to hold on to it.

Link to the Audience

Showing that you have something in common with the audience builds trust. If possible, show that you have a similar background or share an emotional connection. This relies on you knowing your audience. For example, if you’re a parent, you can emphasize the common concern for your child’s future. If you share an ideological position with your audience, you may emphasize that.

Demonstrate Your Authority

Demonstrate to your audience that you’re a reliable source. Highlight the research you’ve done on the topic. If you have personal or professional experience with the topic, make sure to share that. If you’re speaking about teen drug addiction, and one of your teens had an addiction problem, it would be important to mention that experience.

Tell Them Your Goal

Be transparent about what you hope to accomplish. The more honest and upfront you are, the more that builds trust. This part can tie into your thesis statement.

Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is where you tell your audience your position on the topic you’ll be discussing. Your goal is to have the audience agree with your thesis by the conclusion of your speech. The thesis statement should be short and clearly state your views.

After the introductory portion of the speech is over, the speaker starts presenting reasons to the audience. These reasons are various statements that provide support for the thesis statement. After each reason, the speaker lists examples as evidence to try and provide a factual argument to sway listeners’ opinions to agree with their own.

After you finish writing the speech introduction, you’ll start writing down the reasons you take the position you take. The reasons are a combination of statements that provide support for your thesis statement. After each reason, you want to persuade by giving examples that support your reasoning.

The same format can be followed throughout the speech.

Conclusion/Final Appeal

The conclusion is considered the most important part of a persuasive speech, besides the introduction and thesis statement. This is where you must sum up and tie in all of your arguments into one final powerful point. From a persuasion standpoint, it’s usually best to make it an appeal to emotion, supported by the appeals to logic you made throughout your speech.

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Use the Power of Storytelling

The Key Elements of Storytelling in Your Persuasive Speech

• The story should build trust with your audience
• Every story has a conflict, hero, and solution
• Effective stories are simple and easy to understand

How Stories Build Trust

Good stories find common ground between you and your audience. The story should include both yourself and your audience. But your audience is the most important character in your story. Knowing who your audience is will help you craft your story. What is their history? What obstacles do they face? What is their experience? When your audience sees themselves in your story, you’ve gone a long way to build an enormous amount of trust.

Basic Story Structure

Just like your persuasive speech must have structure, so will the story you tell within the speech. All good stories have a conflict or problem. They all have a hero – usually the person telling the story or, even better, the audience. The third element of a basic story is a villain or enemy. In the context of your persuasive speech, you’ll need to shape the story around the topic. The story brings the topic to life in a way the audience can visualize. Your story may be an anecdotal story, but even that needs to obey the rules of story structure in order to draw the audience in.

Keep the Story Simple

The story is just a small part of your speech. It needs to be economical, impactful, and easy to follow. When you’re writing your story, you need to keep the time it will take to tell the story in mind. Make the story as simple as possible without sacrificing the impact. Stand Up comedians are some of the best short storytellers you can study. Many of their jokes are, in fact, stories. And the best ones make you laugh and persuade you at the same time. If you can do that, you’ll be way ahead of the game.

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Persuasive Speech Writing FAQs

If you spend any time researching how to write a persuasive speech, you’ll quickly find that people have a lot of questions about the topic. We’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions and answered them here in one place.

What are the Top 5 Persuasive Techniques?

1. repetition.

Anyone who has studied psychology understands the power of repetition. Your audience will never agree with you if they don’t truly get what you’re saying. Good repetition involves making your point in several different ways. Make it directly, use examples, tell a story, use quotes, and revisit it in your summary.

2. Give Reasons Why

Never forget the power of the word because. Psychological studies show that people are much more likely to comply with a request no matter how absurd if you give them a reason why.

3. Be Consistent

Consistency in our thoughts and actions is a valued social trait. When we view someone as inconsistent, we lose trust. Use this in your writing by getting the audience to agree with something up front that most people would have a hard time disagreeing with. Then make your case with supporting evidence while relating your thesis back to the opening scenario your audience already accepted as true.

4. Social Proof

We’re always looking to others for implicit or explicit advice on what to accept. Social proof is so powerful it can determine whether we give help to a person in need. For a persuasive speech giving statistics that support your thesis can be a powerful way to use social proof.

5. Storytelling

Stories have the power to get people to persuade themselves. Storytelling lies at the heart of persuasion. Do everything you can to tell better stories, you’ll soon find yourself to be a powerfully persuasive person.

What is Persuasive Writing?

Persuasive writing is basically a written form of an oral debate. Persuasive Writing is used to convince or persuade a reader that the writer’s opinion of a topic or cause is correct. When writing persuasive speeches, you need to be well versed in word selection, framing logical arguments, and creating a strong, cohesive closing argument.

What are the Three Types of Persuasive Speeches?

There are three kinds of persuasive speeches most often used in the area of beliefs and attitudes. These are speeches of fact, value, and policy. You can argue about what is, what should be, or how it should be.

What is a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

The best topic for a persuasive speech is a topic you’re interested in. There are endless types of topics one can persuade on. It’s good to use a somewhat relevant and current topic so your audience will be familiar, but most important is your interest. If you’re not passionate about your position on a topic, your audience will notice quickly and lose interest.

What Persuasive Technique is the Most Effective?

If you can use storytelling to its maximum effect, you’ll be a powerful storyteller. The beauty of storytelling is putting the audience in a position where they persuade themselves to your position. They aren’t agreeing with you, they’re agreeing with themselves, and that element of autonomy has the biggest impact when it comes to persuasion.

Writing a Persuasive Speech Conclusion

Now you can see that persuasive speech writing is more skill than talent. These tips for writing hopefully have changed your point of view and given you the confidence you need to write a great persuasive speech.

Effective persuasion is about knowing the principles and using the right structure. Of course, when you deliver your speech, your body language and eye contact will influence the audience’s impression, but a properly written speech will give you the confidence you need for delivering a memorable, persuasive speech.

Suasive, Inc. is a Silicon Valley-based communication consulting company that offers tips on how to write a persuasive speech for organizations and individuals. To date, we’ve coached over 600 CEOs and helped individuals in some of the world’s largest companies including Netflix, eBay, Sonos, Lyft, and Freshworks.

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Here’s a dilemma: you work so hard on your persuasive essay, do in-depth research, develop strong arguments, but in the end, you get a low grade. And all this happens because your introduction isn’t convincing enough. As you can see, understanding how to start a persuasive essay in an effective manner is crucial. Fortunately, you are in the right place. Keep reading our guide to find useful tips on beginning a persuasive essay. From crafting an irresistible hook to formulating your main statement, you will find plenty of helpful suggestions. By the way, we’ve got some good examples to share. So let’s get started.  

Importance of Knowing How to Start a Persuasive Essay

Before discussing how to start off a persuasive essay, you should keep in mind that you must hook your audience from the very beginning. Your reader should understand what you are going to say and why it is important. Still, you shouldn’t lay all your cards on the table and reveal your arguments. Your main thesis statement should be presented after some context. An introduction is used to convince the reader not just of your opinion, but of the entire paper being worth reading. Therefore, one should take an especially reasonable approach. Further, we will share some helpful tips on drawing up a good introduction and give real examples.  But first, be sure to prepare a persuasive essay outline template .

How to Start a Good Persuasive Essay: Main Elements

Before starting a persuasive essay, you should think about its structure in detail. An introduction will be effective if you compile it based on our scheme. When drawing up an introductory part, you should include such elements:

• Background information (context)
• Main definitions (if there are any)
• Topic-related thesis.

This structure makes it possible to convey any idea in a concise way. Remember: An opening paragraph should be short while writing a persuasive essay . All you need is to present a clear idea which will potentially hook the reader. Giving some hint on the gist of writing will be enough.

Starting a Persuasive Essay with a Hook

One idea that always works is starting a persuasive essay with a hook. You should make it clear about your topic in advance. Thus, you will attract reader’s attention. You should choose a strong sentence that will hook your addressee and may give them a particular idea. You can start persuasive essays with any question related to your topic or with an interesting fact. Quite often students use statistical data or quotes of some experts in their field of knowledge. This is the first step towards persuasion. It demonstrates that the subsequent text won’t be inferior. But just having an effective hook won’t be sufficient, so you should gradually prepare your reader. And we will learn more about this in the next section. In the meantime, have you already considered hiring a persuasive essay writer ? Our writers are academic-savvy and can create a great persuasive essay quickly and efficiently. 

Background Information in Persuasive Essay

In an introductory paragraph of a persuasive essay after the hook, we recommend outlining some topic’s context. Focus reader’s attention on background information. Here’s what you can include to develop your topic further:

• Historical or geographical facts
• Key characteristics.

This section should not only familiarize your readers with some background facts that you have researched. You also should smoothly lead to a thesis statement.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay Thesis

Your writing should begin with a strong persuasive essay thesis statement. Your thesis should introduce the topic and offer your viewpoint on some matter. Besides, it should list several arguments you are going to discuss in the main body. This statement will complete an introduction. Then, you will proceed to presenting the gist of an essay. Keep in mind several things that make a persuasive essay thesis stronger. First of all, a claim that you make should be debatable. This means that other people may have an opposing viewpoint. Secondly, your thesis statement should have a reasonable scope. Don’t make it too narrow, and, yet, this statement should be focused. Now that you know what elements should be included in your persuasive essay introduction, let’s discuss some writing tips.  

How to Start a Strong Persuasive Essay: Main Tips

While working on your text, you will surely need tips on how to start a persuasive essay. By following our hacks, you will be able to convey important information to readers. Based on our experience in preparing academic texts, we have developed some recommendations. Our writing tips will make your persuasive essay introduction as informative and attractive as possible. Meanwhile, some of these suggestions may be applied to other types of academic writing.  

Tip 1: Brainstorm Your Topic Before Starting a Persuasive Essay

Don’t rush to start writing right away – you should think about some good persuasive essay topics to begin your essay. The most effective way is to work on any topic in line with the purpose that you have set for yourself. Focus on any subject that you are genuinely interested in and do preliminary research. Make sure you have enough supporting facts that prove your opinion. Follow these steps to make your persuasive essay topic irresistible:  

• Summarize well-known facts on your topic.
• Highlight controversial points.
• Prepare points for further argumentation.

This way, you will know whether you should conduct any additional research. Besides, you will know if there is enough information that can convince readers of your point of view.

Tip 2: Provide a Hook for Your Persuasive Essay Introduction

An introduction of persuasive essay won’t be complete without a hook. If you fail to include it, such paper will unlikely captivate reader’s attention. A catchy hook helps to break the ice between your writing and readers. In turn, an increased attention ensures that your audience understands your topic well. Here are several things you may include in your hook to make it more effective:  

• Quotes It’s a good idea if they relate to the topic and bring readers to the main subject.
• Joke It is a great opportunity to dilute this formal environment and create some positive vibe.
• Question It is good when it’s rhetorical and makes readers think. In fact, this will help you involve readers in an action or some kind of dialogue.
• Statistics It works, if numbers are related to your research. Choose the most relevant data.
• Counterargument Starting with an opposite opinion is a great way to refute this counterargument from the very beginning. This technique helps you intrigue readers at an early stage.

These recommendations may help you create a good hook that will attract readers, so use them wisely.

Tip 3: Create a Context for Your Persuasive Essay

When working on your persuasive essay introduction, be sure that you provide some background on the topic. Put readers in some context. You are more than welcome to use any statistical facts, numbers or in-depth definition. Historical or biographical details will work as well. Your task is to set an exact direction of thoughts. But don’t reveal any arguments and proofs in this section – you will do that later. Mention why this problem should be investigated, with more precise explanations being provided in body paragraphs. With the clear context, it will be much easier to perceive any idea. On top of that, given the proper background, there should be no doubts about your argument. Consider our best college essay writing services to speed the process up.

Tip 4: Write a Thesis Statement for Your Persuasive Essay Intro

How to start a persuasive essay thesis? It is easy: just write 1-2 sentences that clearly describe your main claim. Remember that your whole essay will be based on this statement. So, when crafting the thesis statement, make sure that you will be able to prove it. Make it sound logical – your statement shouldn’t be based on some blind guesses. Readers should understand your point and what they will find in the following paragraphs. Feel free to list your arguments, but don’t overdo it with extra details. Save more room for in-depth thoughts that will be covered in body paragraphs.  

Tip 5: Start Persuasive Essay Briefly

Start a persuasive essay with some brief information on what one will learn from the text. Choose the main theses, provide them in a concise way, so as not to overload the reader’s mind. Mention the importance of your topic – your reader should be convinced that this essay is worth reading. Although your opinion should be arguable, this doesn’t mean that you can write vague sentences. Refer to those facts that resonate with your central statement. Long story short, be concise and stay on point. Buy essay online  that may be of help to you if anything seems too vague right now.  

Tip 6: Be Convincing in Your Persuasive Essay Introduction

When you try to start a persuasive essay, chances are that you will come across advice to use credible references. While this is all good and well, we suggest focusing more on the convincing arguments – your personal opinion. Indicate that your paper has been written based on personal experience and resulted from your own research. With this approach, the fact that it includes your thoughts won’t surprise anyone. You shouldn’t write about the truths known to everyone interested in this topic. You should better provide your ideas on why your thesis is correct. Explain why you have decided on this position. This is a polemical style that will trigger a number of debates.  

Persuasive Essay Introduction Examples

If you don’t know how to start a persuasive essay, examples will surely be useful for you. After all, this is a good opportunity to get acquainted with successful patterns and include the best of them in your text. For instance, you can see ways of structuring arguments in an actual example and use it as the basis for your own essay. Still, you should choose your own arguments related to the topic. It all may sound complicated. For this reason, we will introduce an example of what a convincing introduction structure may be like.  

How to Start a Persuasive Essay About a Book: Example

Before finding out how to start a persuasive essay about a book, decide on the literature. However, regardless of any genre and author, your topic will be dedicated to providing your opinion. Focus on your position and provide 3 arguments that you will discuss further. Our example will help you make it clear.

Persuasive Essay Introduction on Gun Control: Example

Your opinion on such an important topic as gun control should sound convincing. Before deciding on how to start a persuasive essay on gun control, make readers believe you have chosen some weighty thesis to develop further. Let’s look at an example.  

How to Start Off a Persuasive Essay About Debates: Example

It is not difficult to work out the topic of debates. But before you find out how to start off a persuasive essay about debates, highlight the thesis that you support. You should specify the purpose of an essay in an introduction and avoid unsupported value judgments.  

Starting a Persuasive Essay on Too Much Homework: Example

Before deciding on how to  write a persuasive essay  on too much homework, you should keep in mind that this topic is quite unusual. To define your position, you should prepare strong arguments; statistics will make an especially good hook.  

Writing a Persuasive Essay on Starting a Colony: Template

To write an introduction of a persuasive essay on starting a colony, you should take on a strong stance on this matter. Be clear and convey the need for this action. Give general arguments, referring to historical practice – this will convince an audience to accept your point.

Final Thoughts

An introduction of a persuasive essay should be effective. After all, it’s the first thing that the readers will see. So, to make a persuasive essay introduction informative and convincing, you should make arguments clear and prepare your arguments. Include such elements in your introduction:

• Hook to attract the readers’ attention
• Personal opinion and proprietary research
• Thesis statement.

By using the above-listed recommendations, you will create a really high-quality introduction for an essay, where you will specify your position and convince readers of the topic's importance. BTW, a free essay maker might help you generate a persuasive essay. Use it to simplify the process.

If you are struggling with your persuasive essay, entrust this task to our academic writers. Share your requirements and our experts will work miracles in a timely manner.

FAQ About Persuasive Essay Introductions

1. what comes first in a persuasive essay.

When writing a persuasive essay introduction, you should indicate the problem you are going to cover. Specify some types and characters that are important to readers. Don’t forget about presenting your personal achievements and opinions. But make sure that you don’t dilute your first paragraph. An introduction should be to the point, just like the rest of writing.

2. How to start a persuasive essay about littering?

Before deciding on how to start a persuasive essay about littering, you should  outline  the issue. In our case, this is litter that pollutes our planet, with its influence having already been proven by hundreds of studies. Highlight the fact that litter doesn’t only harm our planet in general, but also does affect us directly. Prove it by an argument that it accumulates in the environment. These can be the places we work, live and have fun in, which is harmful to our health.  

3. How can I create a hook for an essay about refugees?

Many people ask how to start a persuasive essay with a hook when it comes to writing a paper about refugees. We recommend describing some feelings and loneliness that this category of people experiences. Make an emotional hook to evoke the readers’ moral side. This will work, and you will get readers interested. After all, this is the most important aspect of any type of writing.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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Persuasive Speech

Persuasive Speech Examples

16 Best Persuasive Speech Examples for Students

People also read

Making Persuasive Speech Writing Easy: Steps and Tips

Good Persuasive Speech Topics & Ideas for Debaters

Top Motivational Speech Topics and Ideas

Persuasive Speech Outline - Samples, Format, and Writing Tips

3 Basic Types of Persuasive Speeches

Persuasive speech is a type of speech where the speaker tries to convince the audience of his point of view. 

For most people, writing and delivering a persuasive speech can seem difficult. However, with the help of examples and some good tips, you can write an effective speech. 

In this blog, you can find some amazing examples that you can use to follow and take inspiration. You can easily download and read these examples whenever you need help with writing your persuasive speech. 

So, let’s read on!

• 1. Good Persuasive Speech Examples
• 2. How to Start a Persuasive Speech Examples
• 3. How to Write a Persuasive Speech - Examples
• 4. Persuasive Speech Outline Examples
• 5. Persuasive Speech Examples for High School Students
• 6. Persuasive Speech Examples for College Students
• 7. Short Persuasive Speech Examples for Students
• 8. Funny Persuasive Speech Examples
• 9. Motivational Persuasive Speech Examples
• 10. Good Persuasive Speech Topics

Good Persuasive Speech Examples

Picking an interesting and engaging topic for your persuasive speech is crucial. With the help of some good persuasive speech examples, you can easily get through the persuasive speech writing process.

Here are some good persuasive speech examples that will help you get inspired. Get help from these examples and save yourself time.

Famous Persuasive Speech Examples

Policy Persuasive Speech Examples

How to Start a Persuasive Speech Examples

After hours of writing and practicing, here comes a time for delivering the speech. As soon as you start your speech, you notice that people are talking to each other, checking their phones, changing seats, and doing everything but paying attention to you.

Why is that?

That might be because of your boring and mundane start to the speech. The beginning of your speech decides how long the audience will tune into your speech. If you don’t get them interested in your speech right from the start, there are few chances that they will pay attention to your message.

Here is an example speech that demonstrates how to begin your speech effectively:

How to Start a Speech Example

Apart from the technique used in this example, here are five effective ways to kick-start your speech:

• Start With a Famous Quote

Opening with a famous and relevant quote helps you make a good impression on the audience’s mind. It helps you set the tone for the rest of your speech.

For example: “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” – Patrick Henry

• Ask a Rhetorical Question

Asking a rhetorical question at the beginning of your speech arouses the audience's curiosity. It is an effective way of engaging and understanding your audience.

For example: “Do you want to be a failure for the rest of your life?”

• Make a Shocking Statement

You can start with a shocking statement by keeping the audience guessing what you are about to say next. A shocking or interesting statement gets people immediately involved and listening to your every word.

For example: "Imagine a world where the air we breathe is more expensive than the food we eat."

• Create a ‘what If’ Scenario

Asking a ‘what if’ question makes the audience follow your thought process. They immediately start thinking about what could be the answer to your ‘what if’ scenario.

For example: “What if we don’t wake up tomorrow? How different are we today?”

• Use a Surprising Statistic

A surprising statistic that resonates with your audience helps you get your message across right away. Real, shocking statistics have the potential to trigger the audience’s emotional appeal.

For example: "Did you know that 7.5 million plastic bottles are discarded every hour in the United States?"

By following any of these tips, you can easily grab the audience’s attention every time.

How to Write a Persuasive Speech - Examples

Persuasive speech writing is an interesting task if you are familiar with the steps. This speech example demonstrates how to write a speech step by step. Use this example to write a successful persuasive speech that is both interesting and appealing to the audience.

How to Write a Persuasive Speech Example

Persuasive Speech Outline Examples

The standard  persuasive speech outline consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion. Making a well-structured outline for your speech is the best way to ensure success. 

Here is an outline example to help you structure your speech. 

Persuasive Speech Outline Template PDF

Persuasive Speech Examples for High School Students

Speech writing and speech competition are common activities in schools. It helps students learn and enhance their public speaking skills and critical thinking. 

Here are some persuasive speech examples for high school-level students.

Persuasive Speech Example for High School

Persuasive Speech Example for Highschool Students

Persuasive Speech Examples for College Students

If you are a college student looking for an example to help with your persuasive speech, look no further. Check out these examples below. 

Persuasive Speech Examples College

Persuasive Speech Examples About Social Media

Short Persuasive Speech Examples for Students

In most cases, the speaker has limited time to deliver their speech. The following short persuasive examples show speeches that are written with specific time limits in mind. These will help you understand how long your speech should be for an allotted time. 

3 Minute Persuasive Speech Example PDF

2 Minute Persuasive Speech Example

Short Persuasive Speech Examples About Life (PDF)

5 Minute Persuasive Speech Example

Funny Persuasive Speech Examples

Persuasive speeches often deal with serious topics. However, they can be for fun and entertainment as well! Here is an example of a funny, persuasive speech.

Funny Persuasive Speech Example

Motivational Persuasive Speech Examples

A motivational speech is a  type of persuasive speech  where the speaker intended to motivate the audience.

Below are some motivational persuasive speech examples. 

Motivational Speech Example

Call to Action Persuasive Speech

Finally, here’s a persuasive speech example from real life. You can watch this persuasive TED talk that aims to convince the audience to quit social media:

Good Persuasive Speech Topics

Now that you’ve checked out some examples, you are ready to start writing your own persuasive speech. But what should you write about? Here are some amazing persuasive speech ideas for you. 

• The shift to sustainable transportation is long overdue.
• Adopting a plant-based diet is the best way to ensure personal and environmental well-being.
• Promoting financial literacy education is the key to economic empowerment.
• Raising the minimum wage is a necessity for livable incomes.
• Opt-out organ donation can save more lives.
• Food deserts must be confronted to ensure equal access to healthy nutrition.
• Individual responsibility plays a crucial role in fighting climate change.
• Social media's negative impact on mental health is widespread.
• Stricter gun control measures are vital for balancing Second Amendment rights with public safety.
• Shifting to sustainable energy sources is an urgent matter.

Need more ideas? Check out 250+ persuasive speech topics to find the best topic for your speech.

To Conclude,

With the help of these examples, you can deliver a captivating address to persuade the audience listening to your speech. 

However, remember that only having a great topic and structured outline is not enough. You should establish an emotional connection, maintain proper body language, and support your arguments with facts to make a successful speech.

Moreover, if you need help from experts, we’ve got you covered. Our essay writing service is experienced in providing perfect speeches within your deadline.

Also, we craft unique essays for every ' write essay for me ' request you place with us.

So buy speech from professional writers today!

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Persuasive Speech Outline, with Examples

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:

• All school children should wear a uniform
• Facebook is making people more socially anxious
• It should be illegal to drive over the age of 80
• Lying isn’t always wrong
• The case for organ donation

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:

• Cultural or religious backgrounds
• Shared concerns, attitudes and problems
• Shared interests, beliefs and hopes
• Baseline attitude – are they hostile, neutral, or open to change?

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.

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.

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.

Practice answering AI questions on your speech and get  feedback on your performance .

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?

Continue reading

Example 2: Persuasive speech

Tips for delivering your persuasive speech

• Practice, practice, and practice some more . Record yourself speaking and listen for any nervous habits you have such as a nervous laugh, excessive use of filler words, or speaking too quickly.
• Show confident body language . Stand with your legs hip width apart with your shoulders centrally aligned. Ground your feet to the floor and place your hands beside your body so that hand gestures come freely. Your audience won’t be convinced about your argument if you don’t sound confident in it. Find out more about  confident body language here .
• Don’t memorise your speech word-for-word  or read off a script. If you memorise your persuasive speech, you’ll sound less authentic and panic if you lose your place. Similarly, if you read off a script you won’t sound genuine and you won’t be able to connect with the audience by  making eye contact . In turn, you’ll come across as less trustworthy and knowledgeable. You could simply remember your key points instead, or learn your opening and closing sentences.
• Remember to use facial expressions when storytelling  – they make you more relatable. By sharing a personal story you’ll more likely be speaking your truth which will help you build a connection with the audience too. Facial expressions help bring your story to life and transport the audience into your situation.
• Keep your speech as concise as possible . When practicing the delivery, see if you can edit it to have the same meaning but in a more succinct way. This will keep the audience engaged.

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.

Speech Starting Lines

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Speech starting lines are the initial sentences or opening statements in a speech. They serve to capture the audience’s attention, set the tone for the speech, and introduce the topic or purpose of the address. Effective speech starting lines are engaging, clear, and relevant to the audience, helping to establish a connection and interest right from the beginning.

What is Speech Starting Lines?

Speech starting lines are the initial phrases or sentences used to begin a speech. These opening remarks are crucial as they aim to grab the audience’s attention, introduce the subject matter, and set the stage for the rest of the presentation. Effective speech starting lines engage the audience, clearly present the topic, and establish the desired tone and context for the speech.

Speech Starting Lines Examples

Introduction and Greeting “Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for being here tonight.”   Acknowledgment “It’s an honor to stand before you on this special occasion.”   Introduction “For those who might not know me, I’m John Smith, a member of this wonderful community for the past 10 years.”   Hook “Let me start with a quick story. When I first joined this organization, I had no idea the profound impact it would have on my life.”   Preview “Tonight, I want to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned and the incredible experiences I’ve had along the way.”

30 Best Speech Starting Lines

• Opening with a Quote : “As Nelson Mandela once said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.'”
• Personal Anecdote : “When I first walked through the doors of this school, I never imagined how much I would learn and grow.”
• Asking a Question : “Have you ever wondered what it takes to achieve greatness?”
• Start with a Fact : “Did you know that every successful person started with a dream?”
• Engage with the Audience : “Raise your hand if you have ever faced a challenge that seemed impossible to overcome.”
• Imagine Scenario : “Imagine a world where every student feels empowered and motivated.”
• Highlight the Importance : “Education is not just about learning facts; it’s about gaining the skills to navigate life.”
• Personal Achievement : “One of my proudest moments as a student was when I…”
• Historical Reference : “In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., ‘The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.'”
• Start with a Challenge : “We all face difficulties and obstacles, but it’s how we respond that defines us.”
• Use a Statistic : “According to recent studies, students who set clear goals are 50% more likely to achieve success.”
• Quote from a Famous Person : “Albert Einstein once said, ‘The only source of knowledge is experience.'”
• A Surprising Fact : “Did you know that more than 60% of the world’s population is under the age of 25?”
• An Interesting Anecdote : “I once heard a story about a student who turned a small idea into a global movement.”
• Open with a Joke : “They say school is like a lollipop. It seems fun at first, but then it gets sticky and complicated.”
• A Thought-Provoking Statement : “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
• A Call to Action : “Today, I want to challenge you all to think bigger and dream bolder.”
• An Inspirational Quote : “Walt Disney once said, ‘All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.'”
• Start with a Mystery : “There’s something all great achievers have in common, and today, we’re going to discover what that is.”
• A Relatable Story : “We’ve all had those days when nothing seems to go right. But have you ever had one that turned into something amazing?”
• A Personal Experience : “When I first started this journey, I had no idea where it would lead me.”
• An Inspiring Statement : “Great things never come from comfort zones.”
• A Powerful Image : “Picture yourself standing at the top of a mountain, looking at the vast horizon ahead.”
• Use of Rhetorical Questions : “What if we could change the world? What if every small action we take makes a big difference?”
• A Touching Story : “I recently heard about a student who changed his community through a simple act of kindness.”
• A Surprising Statement : “You have the power to change the world, starting right here, right now.”
• A Provocative Question : “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”
• A Vision of the Future : “Imagine the impact we can make if we all work together towards a common goal.”
• An Emotional Hook : “There are moments in life that define who we are, and today, I want to talk about one such moment.”
• An Engaging Fact : “Studies show that students who are actively engaged in their learning are more likely to succeed.”

How to Write Speech Starting Lines

1. use a quote.

Begin with a relevant quote.

Example: “Maya Angelou once said, ‘People will never forget how you made them feel.’ Let’s discuss the importance of empathy.”

2. Tell a Story

Start with a brief personal anecdote.

Example: “At ten, I got lost in a city. A stranger helped me, teaching me the value of kindness.”

3. Ask a Question

Pose a thought-provoking question.

Example: “Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a difference? Let’s explore impactful community service.”

4. Start with a Fact or Statistic

Open with an interesting fact.

Example: “Did you know nearly 70% of employees feel disengaged at work? Let’s discuss creating fulfilling workplaces.”

5. Make a Bold Statement

Grab attention with a strong statement.

Example: “Change is inevitable, but growth is optional. Let’s talk about choosing growth.”

6. Use Humor

Lighten the mood with humor.

Example: “Oscar Wilde said, ‘I have nothing to declare except my genius.’ Now, let’s discuss effective communication.”

7. Create a Vivid Image

Paint a picture with words.

Example: “Imagine standing on a cliff, the ocean before you. This leap of faith is what we’ll discuss today.”

Tips to Deliver Speech Starting Lines

1. Be Confident : Project confidence with your voice and body language.

2. Use Pauses : Pause after your opening line to let it sink in.

3. Engage the Audience : Interact with your audience through questions or direct eye contact.

4. Show Enthusiasm : Express genuine enthusiasm about your topic.

5. Be Natural : Speak in a conversational tone as if talking to a friend.

6. Practice : Rehearse your opening lines multiple times.

7. Breathe : Take a deep breath before you start to calm your nerves.

What is a good way to start a speech?

Start with a powerful quote, a surprising fact, or a personal anecdote to grab the audience’s attention and set the tone.

Why is the opening line of a speech important?

The opening line sets the tone, engages the audience, and establishes your credibility, making it crucial for a successful speech.

How can humor be used in a speech opening?

Use a relevant joke or a light-hearted comment to break the ice and create a relaxed atmosphere.

What role does a question play in starting a speech?

Starting with a question engages the audience and encourages them to think, making them more receptive to your message.

How does a personal story enhance a speech’s opening?

A personal story makes your speech relatable, builds a connection with the audience, and captures their interest.

Can starting with a quote be effective?

Yes, a well-chosen quote can provide insight, provoke thought, and set the stage for your topic.

How do you start a speech with a fact or statistic?

Present a surprising or relevant fact or statistic to grab attention and highlight the importance of your topic.

What is an engaging way to start a persuasive speech?

Start with a compelling fact, a provocative question, or a powerful statement to immediately engage and persuade your audience.

How can you use suspense in your speech opening?

Create suspense by hinting at a story or fact that you’ll reveal later, keeping the audience intrigued and attentive.

What is a strong way to start a motivational speech?

Begin with a personal success story or an inspiring quote to energize and motivate your audience.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting

How to Create a Powerful Call to Action in Your Speech

• The Speaker Lab
• May 29, 2024

Table of Contents

When giving a speech, it’s common to have an intended goal in mind. For instance, you may be informing your audience about a topic, entertaining them, or persuading them to see an issue from your point of view. At times, speakers give a speech with the intent to call their audience to action. A well-crafted call to action turns passive listeners into passionate doers. But how exactly do you galvanize your audience? In other words, how do you craft an effective call to action in your speech?

The key is to make it clear, specific, and emotionally compelling. You need to tap into what your audience cares about and show them how taking action will benefit them. It’s not about what you want—it’s about what they need. In this post, we’ll explore the art and science behind creating a CTA that resonates, motivates, and inspires. So buckle up, because we’re about to take your speaking game to new heights!

What is a Call to Action in a Speech?

If you’ve ever found yourself fired up after listening to a powerful speech , ready to take on the world, you’ve likely experienced the impact of a well-crafted call to action. A call to action (CTA) is an explicit appeal to your audience to take a specific action following your speech. It’s that critical moment when you convert listeners to doers, bridging the gap between inspiration and action.

Types of Calls to Action in Speeches

Calls to action vary depending on your speech’s purpose and who you’re talking to. For instance, you might ask your audience to sign up for a newsletter, donate to a cause, or spread the word about an upcoming event.

• Signing a petition
• Volunteering time to an organization
• Contacting elected representatives about an issue
• Registering to vote
• Changing a specific behavior

The key is to choose an action that is both relevant to your message and realistic for your audience to accomplish.

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Benefits of Using a Call to Action in Your Speech

So now you understand what a call to action is, but why use one in your speech? The truth is, a well-crafted CTA can make the difference between a speech that falls flat and one that inspires real change. That makes it a crucial element in your speech, especially if you’re giving a persuasive speech . Not only does a call to action highlight your main message, but it also provides a tangible way for your audience to demonstrate that they agree with what you’ve said. Let’s take a look at some additional benefits of a call to action.

Motivating the Audience to Take Action

The most obvious benefit of a call to action is that it motivates your audience to get involved. By giving them specific, concrete steps to take, you capitalize on the energy and emotion generated by your speech and channel it into something tangible. If you have been persuasive and your audience is emotionally invested, the best time for action is now.

Creating a Lasting Impact

A speech with a strong call to action can have an impact that lasts long after the applause dies down. By turning passive listeners into active participants, you ensure that your message endures and leads to real change.

Achieving the Desired Outcome

At the end of the day, your speech’s impact boils down to one thing: does it inspire action? A powerful, persuasive call to action is what gets people to change their minds, donate resources, or rally behind your cause.

Key Elements of an Effective Call to Action

Crafting an effective call to action is both an art and a science. While there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, there are certain key elements that can help ensure your CTA hits the mark.

Clarity and Specificity

Firstly, your call to action should be crystal clear and specific. Use concrete action words and provide step-by-step instructions for your listeners. After all, the more detailed your CTA, the more likely your audience is to follow through.

Urgency and Immediacy

Secondly, create a sense of urgency with your call to action to prompt the audience to act right away. Capitalize on the momentum generated by your speech and strike while the iron is hot.

Emotional Appeal

Finally, your call to action should tap into your audience’s emotions and personal motivations. Connect the action steps to things they care about, and highlight how taking action will benefit them and the causes they believe in. When your message is relevant to your audience, they are much more likely to take action.

How to Create a Compelling Call to Action for Your Speech

Now that we know the key ingredients of an effective call to action, let’s explore some practical tips for creating your own compelling CTA.

Identifying the Desired Action

Start by clearly stating the action you want your audience to take. What is the one most important thing they can do to further your cause? In addition, make sure your CTA is specific, measurable, and realistic . For instance, if you want your audience to donate money, name a certain amount you’re hoping to raise.

Choosing the Right Words

Use clear, compelling action phrases when delivering your call to action. Start with a strong command verb and highlight the benefits of taking action. Keep it concise while creating a sense of urgency.

Delivering the Call to Action with Conviction

How you deliver your call to action is just as important as the words you choose. Convey confidence and conviction when asking your audience to take action. Use nonverbal cues like strong eye contact and a confident tone in order to drive your message home.

Measuring the Success of Your Call to Action

To really nail your speech, come up with a way to gauge the impact of your call to action. That way, if it’s not as effective as you hoped, you can make changes to future talks and achieve better outcomes.

Tracking Audience Response

To truly gauge the impact of your call to action, monitor how your audience reacts. Are they signing up, donating, or taking other measurable steps? These tangible actions are the best indicators of whether your CTA hit the mark and resonated with your target audience.

Evaluating the Impact of Your Call to Action

Go beyond the raw numbers and consider the broader impact of your call to action. How did the actions taken by your audience members advance your cause? What changed as a result of your speech?

Adjusting Your Approach for Future Speeches

To make your future speeches even more impactful, use the data you’ve gathered from tracking and evaluating your call to action. Analyze what aspects of your CTA worked well and pinpoint elements that could be tweaked. Ask yourself: Was my call to action specific enough? Did I effectively appeal to the right emotions and motivations to inspire my audience?

By continually honing your call-to-action skills, you’ll become an increasingly effective and persuasive speaker, able to inspire real change in your audience and the world. So don’t underestimate the power of a well-crafted CTA, because it just might be the most important part of your speech.

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FAQs on Calls to Action in Speeches

What is an example of call to action in a speech.

“Let’s stand together and fight for change now” pushes listeners towards immediate collective action, aiming to inspire unity and determination.

What is a call to action example?

In marketing, “Click here to learn more about our eco-friendly products” guides customers directly towards engaging with sustainable choices.

What is the speaker’s call to action?

The speaker urges the audience towards specific behavior or thinking shift, like “Vote for cleaner parks in our community.”

How do I call an audience to action?

To motivate your audience, clearly state what you want them to do next. Use powerful words that evoke emotion and urgency.

A powerful call to action is the key to turning your speech into real-world impact. By making it clear, urgent, and emotionally resonant, you can inspire your audience to take that crucial next step.

Remember, it’s not about you—it’s about them. Connect your call to action to their needs, hopes, and desires. Paint a vivid picture of the change they can create by taking action.

Developing a strong call to action requires practice, but it’s a talent that will serve you well in every speech you give. As you keep polishing your method, you’ll notice your words starting to make a difference in people’s lives and the world around them. That’s the genuine power of a well-executed call to action.

• Last Updated: May 24, 2024

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Persuasive Speech: How to Write an Effective Persuasive Speech

Most often, it actually causes the other person to want to play “Devil’s advocate” and argue with you. In this article, we are going to show you a simple way to win people to your way of thinking without raising resentment. If you use this technique, your audience will actually WANT to agree with you! The process starts with putting yourself in the shoes of your listener and looking at things from their point of view.

Background About How to Write a Persuasive Speech. Facts Aren’t Very Persuasive.

Most people think that a single fact is good, additional facts are better, and too many facts are just right. So, the more facts you can use to prove your point, the better chance you have of convincing the other person that you are right. The HUGE error in this logic, though, is that if you prove that you are right, you are also proving that the other person is wrong. People don’t like it when someone proves that they are wrong. So, we prove our point, the other person is likely to feel resentment. When resentment builds, it leads to anger. Once anger enters the equation, logic goes right out the window.

In addition, when people use a “fact” or “Statistic” to prove a point, the audience has a natural reaction to take a contrary side of the argument. For instance, if I started a statement with, “I can prove to you beyond a doubt that…” before I even finish the statement, there is a good chance that you are already trying to think of a single instance where the statement is NOT true. This is a natural response. As a result, the thing that we need to realize about being persuasive is that the best way to persuade another person is to make the person want to agree with us. We do this by showing the audience how they can get what they want if they do what we want.

You may also like How to Design and Deliver a Memorable Speech .

A Simple 3-Step Process to Create a Persuasive Presentation

The process below is a good way to do both.

Step One: Start Your Persuasive Speech with an Example or Story

When you write an effective persuasive speech, stories are vital. Stories and examples have a powerful way to capture an audience’s attention and set them at ease. They get the audience interested in the presentation. Stories also help your audience see the concepts you are trying to explain in a visual way and make an emotional connection. The more details that you put into your story, the more vivid the images being created in the minds of your audience members.

This concept isn’t mystical or anything. It is science. When we communicate effectively with another person, the purpose is to help the listener picture a concept in his/her mind that is similar to the concept in the speaker’s mind. The old adage is that a “picture is worth 1000 words.” Well, an example or a story is a series of moving pictures. So, a well-told story is worth thousands of words (facts).

By the way, there are a few additional benefits of telling a story. Stories help you reduce nervousness, make better eye contact, and make for a strong opening. For additional details, see Storytelling in Speeches .

I’ll give you an example.

Factual Argument: Seatbelts Save Lives

• 53% of all motor vehicle fatalities from last years were people who weren’t wearing seatbelts.
• People not wearing seatbelts are 30 times more likely to be ejected from the vehicle.
• In a single year, crash deaths and injuries cost us over $70 billion dollars.

These are actual statistics. However, when you read each bullet point, you are likely to be a little skeptical. For instance, when you see the 53% statistic, you might have had the same reaction that I did. You might be thinking something like, “Isn’t that right at half? Doesn’t that mean that the other half WERE wearing seatbelts?” When you see the “30 times more likely” statistic, you might be thinking, “That sounds a little exaggerated. What are the actual numbers?” Looking at the last statistic, we’d likely want to know exactly how the reporter came to that conclusion.

As you can see, if you are a believer that seatbelts save lives, you will likely take the numbers at face value. If you don’t like seatbelts, you will likely nitpick the finer points of each statistic. The facts will not likely persuade you.

Example Argument: Seatbelts Save Lives

When I came to, I tried to open my door. The accident sealed it shut. The windshield was gone. So I took my seatbelt off and scrambled out the hole. The driver of the truck was a bloody mess. His leg was pinned under the steering wheel.

The firefighters came a few minutes later, and it took them over 30 minutes to cut the metal from around his body to free him.

A Sheriff’s Deputy saw a cut on my face and asked if I had been in the accident. I pointed to my truck. His eyes became like saucers. “You were in that vehicle?”

I nodded. He rushed me to an ambulance. I had actually ruptured my colon, and I had to have surgery. I was down for a month or so, but I survived. In fact, I survived with very few long-term challenges from the accident.

The guy who hit me wasn’t so lucky. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. The initial impact of the accident was his head on the steering wheel and then the windshield. He had to have a number of facial surgeries. The only reason he remained in the truck was his pinned leg. For me, the accident was a temporary trauma. For him, it was a life-long tragedy.

The Emotional Difference is the Key

As you can see, there are major differences between the two techniques. The story gives lots of memorable details along with an emotion that captures the audience. If you read both examples, let me ask you a couple of questions. Without looking back up higher on the page, how long did it take the firefighters to cut the other driver from the car? How many CDs did I have? There is a good chance that these two pieces of data came to you really quickly. You likely remembered this data, even though, the data wasn’t exactly important to the story.

However, if I asked you how much money was lost last year as a result of traffic accidents, you might struggle to remember that statistic. The CDs and the firefighters were a part of a compelling story that made you pay attention. The money lost to accidents was just a statistic thrown at you to try to prove that a point was true.

The main benefit of using a story, though, is that when we give statistics (without a story to back them up,) the audience becomes argumentative. However, when we tell a story, the audience can’t argue with us. The audience can’t come to me after I told that story and say, “It didn’t take 30 minutes to cut the guy out of the car. He didn’t have to have a bunch of reconstructive surgeries. The Deputy didn’t say those things to you! The audience can’t argue with the details of the story, because they weren’t there.

Step 2: After the Story, Now, Give Your Advice

When most people write a persuasive presentation, they start with their opinion. Again, this makes the listener want to play Devil’s advocate. By starting with the example, we give the listener a simple way to agree with us. They can agree that the story that we told was true. So, now, finish the story with your point or your opinion. “So, in my opinion, if you wear a seatbelt, you’re more likely to avoid serious injury in a severe crash.”

By the way, this technique is not new. It has been around for thousands of years. Aesop was a Greek slave over 500 years before Christ. His stories were passed down verbally for hundreds of years before anyone ever wrote them down in a collection. Today, when you read an Aesop fable, you will get 30 seconds to two minutes of the story first. Then, at the conclusion, almost as a post-script, you will get the advice. Most often, this advice comes in the form of, “The moral of the story is…” You want to do the same in your persuasive presentations. Spend most of the time on the details of the story. Then, spend just a few seconds in the end with your morale.

Step 3: End with the Benefit to the Audience

So, the moral of the story is to wear your seatbelt. If you do that, you will avoid being cut out of your car and endless reconstructive surgeries .

Now, instead of leaving your audience wanting to argue with you, they are more likely to be thinking, “Man, I don’t want to be cut out of my car or have a bunch of facial surgeries.”

The process is very simple. However, it is also very powerful.

How to Write a Successful Persuasive Speech Using the “Breadcrumb” Approach

Once you understand the concept above, you can create very powerful persuasive speeches by linking a series of these persuasive stories together. I call this the breadcrumb strategy. Basically, you use each story as a way to move the audience closer to the ultimate conclusion that you want them to draw. Each story gains a little more agreement.

So, first, just give a simple story about an easy to agree with concept. You will gain agreement fairly easily and begin to also create an emotional appeal. Next, use an additional story to gain additional agreement. If you use this process three to five times, you are more likely to get the audience to agree with your final conclusion. If this is a formal presentation, just make your main points into the persuasive statements and use stories to reinforce the points.

Here are a few persuasive speech examples using this approach.

An Example of a Persuasive Public Speaking Using Breadcrumbs

Marijuana Legalization is Causing Huge Problems in Our Biggest Cities Homelessness is Out of Control in First States to Legalize Marijuana Last year, my family and I took a mini-vacation to Colorado Springs. I had spent a summer in Colorado when I was in college, so I wanted my family to experience the great time that I had had there as a youth. We were only there for four days, but we noticed something dramatic had happened. There were homeless people everywhere. Keep in mind, this wasn’t Denver, this was Colorado City. The picturesque landscape was clouded by ripped sleeping bags on street corners, and trash spread everywhere. We were downtown, and my wife and daughter wanted to do some shopping. My son and I found a comic book store across the street to browse in. As we came out, we almost bumped into a dirty man in torn close. He smiled at us, walked a few feet away from the door, and lit up a joint. He sat on the corner smoking it. As my son and I walked the 1/4 mile back to the store where we left my wife and daughter, we stepped over and walked around over a dozen homeless people camped out right in the middle of the town. This was not the Colorado that I remembered. From what I’ve heard, it has gotten even worse in the last year. So, if you don’t want to dramatically increase your homelessness population, don’t make marijuana legal in your state. DUI Instances and Traffic Accidents Have Increased in Marijuana States I was at the airport waiting for a flight last week, and the guy next to me offered me his newspaper. I haven’t read a newspaper in years, but he seemed so nice that I accepted. It was a copy of the USA Today, and it was open to an article about the rise in unintended consequences from legalizing marijuana. Safety officials and police in Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon, the first four state to legalize recreational marijuana, have reported a 6% increase in traffic accidents in the last few years. Although the increase (6%) doesn’t seem very dramatic, it was notable because the rate of accidents had been decreasing in each of the states for decades prior to the law change. Assuming that only one of the two parties involved in these new accidents was under the influence, that means that people who aren’t smoking marijuana are being negatively affected by the legalization. So, if you don’t want to increase your chances of being involved in a DUI incident, don’t legalize marijuana. (Notice how I just used an article as my evidence, but to make it more memorable, I told the story about how I came across the article. It is also easier to deliver this type of data because you are just relating what you remember about the data, not trying to be an expert on the data itself.) Marijuana is Still Largely Unregulated Just before my dad went into hospice care, he was in a lot of pain. He would take a prescription painkiller before bed to sleep. One night, my mom called frantically. Dad was in a catatonic state and wasn’t responsive. I rushed over. The hospital found that Dad had an unusually high amount of painkillers in his bloodstream. His regular doctor had been on vacation, and the fill-in doctor had prescribed a much higher dosage of the painkiller by accident. His original prescription was 2.5 mg, and the new prescription was 10 mg. Since dad was in a lot of pain most nights, he almost always took two tablets. He was also on dialysis, so his kidneys weren’t filtering out the excess narcotic each day. He had actually taken 20 MG (instead of 5 MG) on Friday night and another 20 mg on Saturday. Ordinarily, he would have had, at max, 15 mg of the narcotic in his system. Because of the mistake, though, he had 60 MGs. My point is that the narcotics that my dad was prescribed were highly regulated medicines under a doctor’s care, and a mistake was still made that almost killed him. With marijuana, there is really no way of knowing how much narcotic is in each dosage. So, mistakes like this are much more likely. So, in conclusion, legalizing marijuana can increase homelessness, increase the number of impaired drivers, and cause accidental overdoses.

If you use this breadcrumb approach, you are more likely to get at least some agreement. Even if the person disagrees with your conclusion, they are still likely to at least see your side. So, the person may say something like, I still disagree with you, but I totally see your point. That is still a step in the right direction.

For Real-World Practice in How to Design Persuasive Presentations Join Us for a Class

Our instructors are experts at helping presenters design persuasive speeches. We offer the Fearless Presentations ® classes in cities all over the world about every three to four months. In addition to helping you reduce nervousness, your instructor will also show you secrets to creating a great speech. For details about any of the classes, go to our Presentation Skills Class web page.

For additional details, see Persuasive Speech Outline Example .

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How to Write an Outline for a Persuasive Speech, with Examples

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Persuasive speeches are one of the three most used speeches in our daily lives. Persuasive speech is used when presenters decide to convince their presentation or ideas to their listeners. A compelling speech aims to persuade the listener to believe in a particular point of view. One of the most iconic examples is Martin Luther King’s ‘I had a dream’ speech on the 28th of August 1963.

In this article:

What is Persuasive Speech?

Here are some steps to follow:, persuasive speech outline, final thoughts.

Persuasive speech is a written and delivered essay to convince people of the speaker’s viewpoint or ideas. Persuasive speaking is the type of speaking people engage in the most. This type of speech has a broad spectrum, from arguing about politics to talking about what to have for dinner. Persuasive speaking is highly connected to the audience, as in a sense, the speaker has to meet the audience halfway.

Persuasive Speech Preparation

Persuasive speech preparation doesn’t have to be difficult, as long as you select your topic wisely and prepare thoroughly.

1. Select a Topic and Angle

Come up with a controversial topic that will spark a heated debate, regardless of your position. This could be about anything. Choose a topic that you are passionate about. Select a particular angle to focus on to ensure that your topic isn’t too broad. Research the topic thoroughly, focussing on key facts, arguments for and against your angle, and background.

2. Define Your Persuasive Goal

Once you have chosen your topic, it’s time to decide what your goal is to persuade the audience. Are you trying to persuade them in favor of a certain position or issue? Are you hoping that they change their behavior or an opinion due to your speech? Do you want them to decide to purchase something or donate money to a cause? Knowing your goal will help you make wise decisions about approaching writing and presenting your speech.

3. Analyze the Audience

Understanding your audience’s perspective is critical anytime that you are writing a speech. This is even more important when it comes to a persuasive speech because not only are you wanting to get the audience to listen to you, but you are also hoping for them to take a particular action in response to your speech. First, consider who is in the audience. Consider how the audience members are likely to perceive the topic you are speaking on to better relate to them on the subject. Grasp the obstacles audience members face or have regarding the topic so you can build appropriate persuasive arguments to overcome these obstacles.

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4. Build an Effective Persuasive Argument

Once you have a clear goal, you are knowledgeable about the topic and, have insights regarding your audience, you will be ready to build an effective persuasive argument to deliver in the form of a persuasive speech. 

Start by deciding what persuasive techniques are likely to help you persuade your audience. Would an emotional and psychological appeal to your audience help persuade them? Is there a good way to sway the audience with logic and reason? Is it possible that a bandwagon appeal might be effective?

5. Outline Your Speech

Once you know which persuasive strategies are most likely to be effective, your next step is to create a keyword outline to organize your main points and structure your persuasive speech for maximum impact on the audience.

Start strong, letting your audience know what your topic is, why it matters and, what you hope to achieve at the end of your speech. List your main points, thoroughly covering each point, being sure to build the argument for your position and overcome opposing perspectives. Conclude your speech by appealing to your audience to act in a way that will prove that you persuaded them successfully. Motivation is a big part of persuasion.

6. Deliver a Winning Speech

Select appropriate visual aids to share with your audiences, such as graphs, photos, or illustrations. Practice until you can deliver your speech confidently. Maintain eye contact, project your voice and, avoid using filler words or any form of vocal interference. Let your passion for the subject shine through. Your enthusiasm may be what sways the audience. 

Topic: What topic are you trying to persuade your audience on?

Specific Purpose:  

Central idea:

• Attention grabber – This is potentially the most crucial line. If the audience doesn’t like the opening line, they might be less inclined to listen to the rest of your speech.
• Thesis – This statement is used to inform the audience of the speaker’s mindset and try to get the audience to see the issue their way.
• Qualifications – Tell the audience why you are qualified to speak about the topic to persuade them.

After the introductory portion of the speech is over, the speaker starts presenting reasons to the audience to provide support for the statement. After each reason, the speaker will list examples to provide a factual argument to sway listeners’ opinions.

• Example 1 – Support for the reason given above.
• Example 2 – Support for the reason given above.

The most important part of a persuasive speech is the conclusion, second to the introduction and thesis statement. This is where the speaker must sum up and tie all of their arguments into an organized and solid point.

• Summary: Briefly remind the listeners why they should agree with your position.
• Memorable ending/ Audience challenge: End your speech with a powerful closing thought or recommend a course of action.
• Thank the audience for listening.

Persuasive Speech Outline Examples

Topic: Walking frequently can improve both your mental and physical health.

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to start walking to improve their health.

Central idea: Regular walking can improve your mental and physical health.

Life has become all about convenience and ease lately. We have dishwashers, so we don’t have to wash dishes by hand with electric scooters, so we don’t have to paddle while riding. I mean, isn’t it ridiculous?

Today’s luxuries have been welcomed by the masses. They have also been accused of turning us into passive, lethargic sloths. As a reformed sloth, I know how easy it can be to slip into the convenience of things and not want to move off the couch. I want to persuade you to start walking.

Americans lead a passive lifestyle at the expense of their own health.

• This means that we spend approximately 40% of our leisure time in front of the TV.
• Ironically, it is also reported that Americans don’t like many of the shows that they watch.
• Today’s studies indicate that people were experiencing higher bouts of depression than in the 18th and 19th centuries, when work and life were considered problematic.
• The article reports that 12.6% of Americans suffer from anxiety, and 9.5% suffer from severe depression.
• Present the opposition’s claim and refute an argument.
• Nutritionist Phyllis Hall stated that we tend to eat foods high in fat, which produces high levels of cholesterol in our blood, which leads to plaque build-up in our arteries.
• While modifying our diet can help us decrease our risk for heart disease, studies have indicated that people who don’t exercise are at an even greater risk.

In closing, I urge you to start walking more. Walking is a simple, easy activity. Park further away from stores and walk. Walk instead of driving to your nearest convenience store. Take 20 minutes and enjoy a walk around your neighborhood. Hide the TV remote, move off the couch and, walk. Do it for your heart.

Thank you for listening!

Topic: Less screen time can improve your sleep.

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to stop using their screens two hours before bed.

Central idea: Ceasing electronics before bed will help you achieve better sleep.

Who doesn’t love to sleep? I don’t think I have ever met anyone who doesn’t like getting a good night’s sleep. Sleep is essential for our bodies to rest and repair themselves.

I love sleeping and, there is no way that I would be able to miss out on a good night’s sleep.

As someone who has had trouble sleeping due to taking my phone into bed with me and laying in bed while entertaining myself on my phone till I fall asleep, I can say that it’s not the healthiest habit, and we should do whatever we can to change it.

• Our natural blue light source is the sun.
• Bluelight is designed to keep us awake.
• Bluelight makes our brain waves more active.
• We find it harder to sleep when our brain waves are more active.
• Having a good night’s rest will improve your mood.
• Being fully rested will increase your productivity.

Using electronics before bed will stimulate your brainwaves and make it more difficult for you to sleep. Bluelight tricks our brains into a false sense of daytime and, in turn, makes it more difficult for us to sleep. So, put down those screens if you love your sleep!

Thank the audience for listening

A persuasive speech is used to convince the audience of the speaker standing on a certain subject. To have a successful persuasive speech, doing the proper planning and executing your speech with confidence will help persuade the audience of your standing on the topic you chose. Persuasive speeches are used every day in the world around us, from planning what’s for dinner to arguing about politics. It is one of the most widely used forms of speech and, with proper planning and execution, you can sway any audience.

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Hunter Biden’s Defense Is Off to a Way Better Start Than Trump’s

Following the news of Hunter Biden’s trial this week after covering Donald Trump’s hush money trial for the past six, one thing is clear to me: Hunter Biden’s defense strategy is much more typical than Trump’s, and thus much likelier to produce an acquittal. The differences in defense tactics are representative of the differences in temperaments between the two men, but they could also be critical to the outcomes for both.

Hunter Biden, the son of current President Joe Biden, faces criminal charges related to lying about drug addiction on a federal form when he purchased a gun in October 2018. The first major difference comes down to how Hunter Biden and Trump presented themselves to jurors. Throughout his trial, Trump closed his eyes and appeared unresponsive during almost all the critical moments of testimony and argument. Jurors responded similarly coldly to the former president, all of them declining to look at Trump every day as they walked right past him at the defendant’s table. Hunter Biden, by contrast, is reportedly deeply engaged, even waving at one prosecution witness, a former girlfriend, when she took the stand.

Defense attorneys have attempted to portray Hunter Biden sympathetically, as a deeply flawed addict who has made some mistakes but is looking to get his life back in order. A jury that reportedly includes jurors who have had family members who have experienced addiction already seem responsive to these efforts—as CNN reported on Monday: “One juror appeared to become emotional during defense attorney Abbe Lowell’s opening statements. The juror reached for tissues in her bag and dabbed her eyes and her nose several times. It’s unclear what prompted the reaction.” Essentially, Hunter Biden has already been humanized for the jury. Trump’s defense attorneys, by contrast, tried to portray him as a very important former president who was above having to face the same criminal justice system the rest of us do. Trump’s demeanor came across this way as well. This did not work.

The second difference is in the support systems that showed up for each defendant in court every day. Trump usually had a parade of sycophantic political and media cronies around him, seemingly looking to leech off of the power of the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

In terms of family representation, Trump’s son Eric showed up many days, and his son Donald Jr. showed up a few, and daughter Tiffany showed up one, but most notable were the absences. Trump’s daughter Ivanka never showed up, nor did his wife Melania. Contrast this with Hunter Biden, who has been there every day with his sister, Ashley; the woman who raised him, first lady Jill Biden; and his wife, who has reportedly helped him get sober. (Jill even showed up on her 73 rd birthday.) President Joe Biden has not attended, but that is likely to avoid injecting politics into the case, which is the opposite of what Trump attempted to do.

Third, there is already a deep contrast in the approach that Trump’s attorneys took with adverse witnesses, compared with how Lowell, Hunter Biden’s defense attorney, is responding to prosecution witnesses in his case. During Trump’s trial, defense attorneys outright abused witnesses in a way that made them more sympathetic to jurors. This was most blatant with the woman who alleged the affair that resulted in the illegal hush money scheme, Stormy Daniels, with Trump attorney Susan Necheles using every disreputable trope in the “he-said, she-said” book to try to shame and tarnish Daniels. Again, it did not work .

Conversely, Lowell has been very tame with the women who have walked through stories of Hunter Biden’s drug addiction, only questioning them briefly and never attacking them. This was true of Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, who shared heartbreaking stories of her former husband’s addiction. But it was also true of Hunter Biden’s adult dancer ex-girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, who testified for prosecutors about his struggles with addiction during the period in question. One need not imagine how a Trump defense team would treat Kestan, given how they abused Daniels. Even Hunter himself seemed sympathetic to Kestan, with the New York Times reporting that “he gave an uncomfortable wave and a smile before looking down, head in hands” when she was asked to identify him in open court. It’s impossible to imagine Trump having similar humility or decency.

Fourth, the contrast in the way that each defendant has treated the legal system itself is stunning. Trump repeatedly antagonized Justice Juan Merchan by violating a gag order that barred him from attacking witnesses and jurors. He used the courtroom hallway to give daily speeches attacking the justice system itself and claiming to be a victim of political persecutions, with those same political supporters who showed up in court going on TV to spread the message.

Meanwhile, Democrats, for the most part, have refused to condemn this prosecution. Even President Joe Biden refused to attack the prosecutors in the case, issuing a basic statement of support for his son. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” Biden said in the statement. “Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. Our family has been through a lot together, and Jill and I are going to continue to be there for Hunter and our family with our love and support.” While these sorts of statements are not supposed to impact—or even reach—jurors, they do play a profound role in how the public views proceedings and the integrity of our justice system.

Finally, and most significantly, the legal cases each defense team is making are markedly different. Lowell has conceded key and obviously true elements of the prosecution’s case, while focusing in on a narrow technical point that he hopes might convince jurors to acquit. Trump attorney Todd Blanche, contrastingly, denied every aspect of the charges, even the ones that seemed impossible to deny, and threw every single possible argument at the wall in order to win acquittal. The latter approach failed for Trump, but the cleaner version might just work for Hunter Biden.

For instance, Lowell conceded that Hunter Biden was, during times in his life, a drug addict and that he bought the gun in question. Instead, Lowell has focused on whether or not Biden intended to violate the law when he said that he was not a drug “user” or “addict” on the federal form at the center of the case. “They have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hunter ‘knowingly’ violated the law,” Lowell told the jurors. The argument Lowell is making is that Hunter Biden was clean at times in his life, including during the period when the gun was purchased, and may not have considered himself a drug user during those times. “The terms ‘user’ or ‘addict’ are not defined on the form and were not explained to him,” Lowell has written in court filings. “Someone like Mr. Biden, who had just completed an 11-day rehabilitation program and lived with a sober companion after that, could surely believe he was not a present tense ‘user’ or ‘addict.’ ”

Lowell also repeatedly noted that Biden only owned the gun for 11 days, never used it, never took it out of the lockbox, and that it was ultimately thrown away by his ex-girlfriend and former sister-in-law , Hallie Biden. This points the jury to the notion that if this was a crime, it was a victimless one. Lowell already appears dead focused on one or two points to give jurors a reason to acquit.

Compare this to the Trump team’s approach. During closing arguments, Blanche offered a complete mishmash of arguments, failing to offer a single persuasive reason to acquit. Indeed, he even said at one point that he was going to list 10 separate reasons to acquit, clearly hoping that the jury would buy just one of them. At no point did he concede even the most patently obvious of facts, such as the idea that Michael Cohen was paid for a reimbursement of Daniels through the false documents in question and not for a nonexistent “legal retainer,” as the Trump team claimed. As Politico magazine senior writer and former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori wrote : “It was legal Trumpism—deny everything, attack indiscriminately.”

That approach failed. Ultimately, Trump does not even have his attorneys to blame for that failure, as it was clearly dictated by Trump himself . Indeed, shortly after the conviction, Blanche went on Fox News to say Trump was “ very much involved ” in the entire defense, going so far as to help select jurors. He even “joked” that Trump “wanted to be the litigator” himself.

It’s a fool who has himself for a client. Fortunately for Hunter Biden, he is—at least in this regard—not a fool.

A Comprehensive Guide to Writing a Persuasive Speech

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

The term Persuasion means the efforts to change the attitudes or opinions of others through various means.

It is present everywhere: election campaigns, salesmen trying to sell goods by giving offers, public health campaigns to quit smoking or to wear masks in the public spaces, or even at the workplace; when an employee tries to persuade others to agree to their point in a meeting.

How do they manage to convince us so subtly? You guessed it right! They engage in what is called Persuasive Speech.

Persuasive Speech is a category of speech that attempts to influence the listener’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, and ultimately, behavior.

They are used in all contexts and situations . It can be informal , a teenager attempting to convince his or her parents for a sleepover at a friend’s house.

It can also be formal , President or Prime Minister urging the citizens to abide by the new norms.

But not to confuse these with informative speeches! These also aim to inform the audience about a particular topic or event, but they lack any attempt at persuasion.

The most typical setting where this kind of speech is practiced is in schools and colleges.

An effective speech combines both the features of an informative and persuasive speech for a better takeaway from an audience’s point of view.

However, writing and giving a persuasive speech are different in the sense that you as a speaker have limited time to call people to action.

Also, according to the context or situation, you may not be able to meet your audience several times, unlike TV ads, which the audience sees repeatedly and hence believes the credibility of the product.

So, how to write and deliver an effective persuasive speech?

How to start a persuasive speech? What are the steps of writing a persuasive speech? What are some of the tricks and tips of persuasion?

Read along till the end to explore the different dimensions and avenues of the science of giving a persuasive speech.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE WRITING A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

1. get your topic right, passion and genuine interest in your topic.

It is very important that you as a speaker are interested in the chosen topic and in the subsequent arguments you are about to put forward. If you are not interested in what you are saying, then how will the audience feel the same?

Passion towards the topic is one of the key requirements for a successful speech as your audience will see how passionate and concerned you are towards the issue and will infer you as a genuine and credible person.

The audience too will get in the mood and connect to you on an emotional level, empathizing with you; as a result of which will understand your point of view and are likely to agree to your argument.

Consider this example: your friend is overflowing with joy- is happy, smiling, and bubbling with enthusiasm.

Before even asking the reason behind being so happy, you “catch the mood”; i.e., you notice that your mood has been boosted as a result of seeing your friend happy.

Why does it happen so? The reason is that we are influenced by other people’s moods and emotions.

It also means that our mood affects people around us, which is the reason why speaking with emotions and passion is used by many successful public speakers.

Another reason is that other’s emotions give an insight into how one should feel and react. We interpret other’s reactions as a source of information about how we should feel.

So, if someone shows a lot of anxiety or excitement while speaking, we conclude that the issue is very important and we should do something about it, and end up feeling similar reactions.

Meaningful and thought-provoking

Choose a topic that is meaningful to you and your audience. It should be thought-provoking and leave the audience thinking about the points put forward in your speech.

Topics that are personally or nationally relevant and are in the talks at the moment are good subjects to start with.

If you choose a controversial topic like “should euthanasia be legalized?”, or” is our nation democratic?”, it will leave a dramatic impact on your audience.

However, be considerate in choosing a sensitive topic, since it can leave a negative impression on your listeners. But if worded in a neutral and unbiased manner, it can work wonders.

Also, refrain from choosing sensitive topics like the reality of religion, sexuality, etc.

2. Research your topic thoroughly

Research on persuasion conducted by Hovland, Janis, and Kelley states that credible communicators are more persuasive than those who are seen as lacking expertise.

Even if you are not an expert in the field of your topic, mentioning information that is backed by research or stating an expert’s opinion on the issue will make you appear as a knowledgeable and credible person.

How to go about researching? Many people think that just googling about a topic and inferring 2-3 articles will be enough. But this is not so.

For writing and giving an effective speech, thorough research is crucial for you as a speaker to be prepared and confident.

Try to find as many relevant points as possible, even if it is against your viewpoint. If you can explain why the opposite viewpoint is not correct, it will give the audience both sides to an argument and will make decision-making easier.

Also, give credit to the source of your points during your speech, by mentioning the original site, author, or expert, so the audience will know that these are reliable points and not just your opinion, and will be more ready to believe them since they come from an authority.

Other sources for obtaining data for research are libraries and bookstores, magazines, newspapers, google scholar, research journals, etc.

Analyze your audience

Know who comprises your audience so that you can alter your speech to meet their requirements.

Demographics like age group, gender ratio, the language with which they are comfortable, their knowledge about the topic, the region and community to which they belong; are all important factors to be considered before writing your speech.

Ask yourself these questions before sitting down to write:

Is the topic of argument significant to them? Why is it significant? Would it make sense to them? Is it even relevant to them?

In the end, the speech is about the audience and not you. Hence, make efforts to know your audience.

This can be done by surveying your audience way before the day of giving your speech. Short polls and registration forms are an effective way to know your audience.

They ensure confidentiality and maintain anonymity, eliminating social desirability bias on part of the audience, and will likely receive honest answers.

OUTLINE OF A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

Most speeches follow the pattern of Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

However, persuasive speeches have a slightly different pathway.

INTRODUCTION

BODY OR SUPPORTING STATEMENTS( ATLEAST 3 ARGUMENTS)

CONCLUSION OR A CALL TO ACTION

1. INTRODUCTION

Grab attention of your audience.

The first few lines spoken by a speaker are the deciding factor that can make or break a speech.

Hence, if you nail the introduction, half of the task has already been done, and you can rest assured.

No one likes to be silent unless you are an introvert. But the audience expects that the speaker will go on stage and speak. But what if the speaker just goes and remains silent?

Chances are high that the audience will be in anticipation of what you are about to speak and their sole focus will be on you.

This sets the stage.

Use quotes that are relevant and provocative to set the tone of your speech. It will determine the mood of your audience and get them ready to receive information.

An example can be “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin” and then state who gave it, in this case, Tony Robbins, an American author.

Use what-if scenarios

Another way to start your speech is by using what-if scenarios and phrases like “suppose if your home submerges in water one day due to global warming…”.

This will make them the center of attention and at the same time grabbing their attention.

Use personal anecdotes

Same works with personal experiences and stories.

Everyone loves listening to first-hand experiences or a good and interesting story. If you are not a great storyteller, visual images and videos will come to your rescue.

After you have successfully grabbed and hooked your audience, the next and last step of the introduction is introducing your thesis statement.

What is a thesis statement?

It introduces the topic to your audience and is one of the central elements of any persuasive speech.

It is usually brief, not more than 3 sentences, and gives the crux of your speech outline.

How to make a thesis statement?

Firstly, research all possible opinions and views about your topic. See which opinion you connect with, and try to summarize them.

After you do this, you will get a clear idea of what side you are on and this will become your thesis statement.

However, the thesis should answer the question “why” and “how”.

So, for instance, if you choose to speak on the topic of the necessity of higher education, your thesis statement could be something like this:

Although attending university and getting a degree is essential for overall development, not every student must be pushed to join immediately after graduating from school.

And then you can structure your speech containing the reasons why every student should not be rushed into joining a university.

3. BODY OF THE SPEECH

The body contains the actual reasons to support your thesis.

Ideally, the body should contain at least 3 reasons to support your argument.

So, for the above-mentioned thesis, you can support it with possible alternatives, which will become your supporting statements.

The option of a gap year to relax and decide future goals, gaining work experience and then joining the university for financial reasons, or even joining college after 25 or 35 years.

These become your supporting reasons and answers the question “why”.

Each reason has to be resourcefully elaborated, with explaining why you support and why the other or anti-thesis is not practical.

At this point, you have the option of targeting your audience’s ethos, pathos, or logos.

Ethos is the ethical side of the argument. It targets morals and puts forth the right thing or should be.

This technique is highly used in the advertising industry.

Ever wondered why celebrities, experts, and renowned personalities are usually cast as brand ambassadors.?

The reason: they are liked by the masses and exhibit credibility and trust.

Advertisers endorse their products via a celebrity to try to show that the product is reliable and ethical.

The same scenario is seen in persuasive speeches. If the speaker is well-informed and provides information that is backed by research, chances are high that the audience will follow it.

Pathos targets the emotional feelings of the audience.

This is usually done by narrating a tragic or horrifying anecdote and leaves the listener moved by using an emotional appeal to call people to action.

The common emotions targeted by the speaker include the feeling of joy, love, sadness, anger, pity, and loneliness.

All these emotions are best expressed in stories or personal experiences.

Stories give life to your argument, making the audience more involved in the matter and arousing sympathy and empathy.

Visuals and documentaries are other mediums through which a speaker can attract the audience’s emotions.

What was your reaction after watching an emotional documentary? Did you not want to do something about the problem right away?

Emotions have the power to move people to action.

The last technique is using logos, i.e., logic. This includes giving facts and practical aspects of why this is to be done or why such a thing is the most practical.

It is also called the “logical appeal”.

This can be done by giving inductive or deductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning involves the speaker taking a specific example or case study and then generalizing or drawing conclusions from it.

For instance, a speaker tells a case study of a student who went into depression as the child wasn’t able to cope with back-to-back stress.

This problem will be generalized and concluded that gap year is crucial for any child to cope with and be ready for the challenges in a university.

On the other hand, deductive reasoning involves analyzing general assumptions and theories and then arriving at a logical conclusion.

So, in this case, the speaker can give statistics of the percentage of university students feeling drained due to past exams and how many felt that they needed a break.

This general data will then be personalized to conclude how there is a need for every student to have a leisure break to refresh their mind and avoid having burned out.

Using any of these 3 techniques, coupled with elaborate anecdotes and supporting evidence, at the same time encountering counterarguments will make the body of your speech more effective.

4. CONCLUSION

Make sure to spend some time thinking through your conclusion, as this is the part that your audience will remember the most and is hence, the key takeaway of your entire speech.

Keep it brief, and avoid being too repetitive.

It should provide the audience with a summary of the points put across in the body, at the same time calling people to action or suggesting a possible solution and the next step to be taken.

Remember that this is your last chance to convince, hence make sure to make it impactful.

 Include one to two relevant power or motivational quotes, and end by thanking the audience for being patient and listening till the end.

Watch this clip for a better understanding.

TIPS AND TRICKS OF PERSUASION

Start strong.

A general pattern among influential speeches is this: all start with a powerful and impactful example, be it statistics about the issue, using influential and meaning statements and quotes, or asking a rhetorical question at the beginning of their speech.

Why do they do this? It demonstrates credibility and creates a good impression- increasing their chance of persuading the audience.

Hence, start in such a manner that will hook the audience to your speech and people would be curious to know what you are about to say or how will you end it.

Keep your introduction short

Keep your introduction short, and not more than 10-15% of your speech.

If your speech is 2000 words, then your introduction should be a maximum of 200-250 words.

Or if you are presenting for 10 minutes, your introduction should be a maximum of 2 minutes. This will give you time to state your main points and help you manage your time effectively.

Be clear and concise

Use the correct vocabulary to fit in, at the same time making sure to state them clearly, without beating around the bush.

This will make the message efficient and impactful.

Answer the question “why”

Answer the question “why” before giving solutions or “how”.

Tell them why is there a need to change. Then give them all sides of the point.

It is important to state what is wrong and not just what ought to be or what is right, in an unopinionated tone.

Unless and until people don’t know the other side of things, they simply will not change.

Suggest solutions

Once you have stated the problem, you imply or hint at the solution.

Never state solutions, suggest them; leaving the decision up to the audience.

You can hint at solutions: “don’t you think it is a good idea to…?” or “is it wrong to say that…?”, instead of just stating solutions.

Use power phrases

Certain power-phrases come in handy, which can make the audience take action.

Using the power phrase “because” is very impactful in winning and convincing others.

This phrase justifies the action associated with it and gives us an understanding of why is it correct.

For instance, the phrase “can you give me a bite of your food?” does not imply attitude change.

But using “may I have a bite of your food because I haven’t eaten breakfast?” is more impactful and the person will likely end up sharing food if you use this power- phrase, because it is justifying your request.

Another power-phrase is “I understand, but…”.

This involves you agreeing with the opposite side of the argument and then stating your side or your point of view.

This will encourage your audience to think from the other side of the spectrum and are likely to consider your argument put forth in the speech.

Use power words

Use power words like ‘incredible’, ‘fascinating’, ‘unquestionable’, ‘most important’, ‘strongly recommend’ in your speech to provoke your audience into awe.

Watch this video of some of the common but effective words that can be used in a persuasive speech.

Give an emotional appeal

Like mentioned earlier as one of the techniques of persuasion called pathos, targeting emotions like joy, surprise, fear, anticipation, anger, sadness, or disgust gives your speech an emotional appeal, and more feel to your content, rather than just neutrally stating facts and reasons.

Hence, to keep your audience engaged and not get bored, use emotions while speaking.

Make use of the non=verbal elements

Actions speak louder than words, and they create a huge difference if used effectively.

There is so much else to a speech than just words.

Non-verbal elements include everything apart from your words.

Maintaining eye contact, matching your body language with your words for effective transmission of the message including how you express your emotions, making use of the visual signs and symbols via a PPT are all important parts of any speech.

Check your paralanguage i.e., your voice intonation, pitch, speed, effective pauses, stressing on certain words to create an impact.

Doing all of these will make your speech more real and effective, and will persuade your audience into taking action.

Give real-life examples

Speak facts and avoid giving opinions.

However, just mentioning hard statistical facts will take you nowhere, as there is a chance that people may not believe the data, based on the possibility of them recollecting exceptions.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Hence, back up your statistics with real-life examples of situations.

Also, consider using precise numerical data.

For example, using “5487 people die due to road accidents every day”, instead of “approximately 5500 people”.

Have no personal stake

You can lose credibility if the audience feels that you have a personal stake in it.

Suppose that you are speaking for the idea of using reusable plastic products, and you say that you are from a company that sells those goods.

People are likely to perceive your argument as promoting self-interest and will not be ready to change their opinion about reusable plastic products.

Consequently, if you argue against your self-interest, your audience will see you as the most credible. 

So, if you say that you are working in a plastics manufacturing company and have a statistical record of the pollution caused by it; and then promote reusable plastic as an alternative to stop pollution and save the environment, people are likely to accept your point of argument.

The you attitude

Shift your focus to the audience, and chances are high that they are likely to relate the issue to themselves and are most likely to change.

Hence, use the “you attitude” i.e., shifting focus to the listener and giving them what they want to hear and then making subtle additions to what you want them to hear.

Make a good first impression

The first impression is indeed the last. This is the reason why image consultancy is such a growing sector.

A good first impression works wonders on the people around you, including the audience, and makes your work of convincing a lot easier.

Avoid appearing shabby, ill-mannered, and refrain from using uncourteous and biased language.

Doing these will reverse the effect you want from the audience and will drive them away from your opinion.

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION?

If you are the type who gets nervous easily and have fear of public speaking, practice till you excel in your task.

I used to dread speaking in front of people, and partly still do.

Earlier, unless and until someone called my name to state my opinion or start with the presentation, I didn’t even raise my hand to say that I have an opinion or I am left to present on the topic.

I had to do something about this problem. So, I made a plan.

2 weeks before the presentation, I wrote the script and read it over and over again.

After reading multiple times, I imagined my room to be the classroom and practiced in front of a mirror.

The main thing I was concerned about was keeping my head clear on the day of my presentation. And that’s what happened.

Since my mind was clear and relaxed, and I had practiced my speech over and over again, presenting came more naturally and confidently.

You might ask what is the purpose of impression management?

Impressions are used for Ingratiation i.e., getting others to like us so that they will be more than willing to accept or agree to your point.

If you like someone, you are drawn towards them and are likely to agree on what they agree or say.

TIP- Try to come early to the venue, and dress appropriately to the needs of the occasion. And don’t forget to smile!

PERSUASIVE SPEECH EXAMPLES

1. wendy troxel – why school should start later for teens.

Almost all the important elements of a persuasive speech are found in this TED talk by Wendy Troxel.

Take a closer look at how she starts her introduction in the form of a real-life personal story, and how she makes it relevant to the audience.

Humor is used to hook the audience’s attention and in turn their interest.

She is also likely to be perceived as credible, as she introduces herself as a sleep researcher, and is speaking on the topic of sleep.

Thesis of how early school timings deprive teenagers of their sleep and its effects is introduced subtly.

The speaker supports her statements with facts, answers the question “why” and most importantly, presents both sides of an argument; effects of less to lack of sleep and its consequences and the effects of appropriate and more sleep on teenagers.

The use of non-verbal elements throughout the speech adds value and richness to the speech, making it more engaging.

The use of Pathos as a persuasive technique appeals to the audience’s emotions; at the same time backing the argument with Logos, by giving scientific reasons and research findings to support the argument.

Lastly, the speech is meaningful, relevant, and thought-provoking to the audience, who are mostly parents and teenagers.

2. Crystal Robello- Being an introvert is a good thing

In this example, Crystal Robello starts by giving personal experiences of being an introvert and the prejudices faced.

Notice how even without much statistics the speech is made persuasive by using Ethos as a technique; and how credibility is achieved by mentioning leaders who are introverts.

3. Greta Thunberg- School strike for climate

One of my favorite speeches is the above speech by Greta Thunberg.

She uses all the techniques; pathos, ethos and logos.

Also notice how the speaker speaks with emotions, and uses body and paralanguage efficiently to create a dramatic impact on the audience.

Her genuine interest is clearly reflected in the speech, which makes the audience listen with a level of concern towards the topic, climate change.

To sum up, we looked at the things to keep in mind before writing a speech and also became familiar with the general outline or the structure of a persuasive speech.

We also looked at some of the tips and tricks of persuasion, and lastly, got introduced to 3 amazing persuasive speech examples.

So, now that you know everything about persuasion, rest assured and keep the above-mentioned things in mind before starting your next speech!

Also, check out related posts:

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