Persuasive Speech\
Persuasive Speech Tips and Topics
How to write a persuasive speech
© Naomi Rockler-Gladen
Feb 1, 2007
1. Find an appropriate and interesting persuasive speech topic. For many students, this is one of the most difficult parts of writing a persuasive speech. 2. Know your audience well. To be persuasive, you absolutely must identify with your audience and make your audience identify with you. This is so important, and yet many speakers don't try. Who are the members of your audience? What is important to them? Are they conservative? Liberal? Religious? Serious? Young? In order to write and deliver a speech that effectively persuades an audience, you need to understand who the audience is and what kinds of appeals might persuade them. 3. Use "local" examples. To help identify with the audience, use local examples that they can relate to. For example, if you're giving a speech about how big chain coffee shops cause small ones to go out of business, mention a popular coffee shop near campus that went out of business because they couldn't compete with the chains. 4. Use excellent evidence. Do your research, and pack your speech with lots of statistics, facts, quotes from credible people, and emotional examples. Remember, don't rely too strongly on examples as evidence. You can find an isolated example of just about anything. 5. Represent the other side accurately. When discussing the other side's point of view, make sure you are accurate. You need to accurately represent their motives and their point of view. If you are giving a pro-choice speech, do not imply that pro-life audience members do not care about the well-being of teen mothers. If you are giving a pro-life speech, do not imply that pro-choice audience members do not like children. People who disagree with you will feel alienated and stop listening. 6. Represent the other side sympathetically. This can be difficult to do, but it's so important! State clearly that although you
How to write a persuasive speech
© Naomi Rockler-Gladen
Feb 1, 2007
1. Find an appropriate and interesting persuasive speech topic. For many students, this is one of the most difficult parts of writing a persuasive speech. 2. Know your audience well. To be persuasive, you absolutely must identify with your audience and make your audience identify with you. This is so important, and yet many speakers don't try. Who are the members of your audience? What is important to them? Are they conservative? Liberal? Religious? Serious? Young? In order to write and deliver a speech that effectively persuades an audience, you need to understand who the audience is and what kinds of appeals might persuade them. 3. Use "local" examples. To help identify with the audience, use local examples that they can relate to. For example, if you're giving a speech about how big chain coffee shops cause small ones to go out of business, mention a popular coffee shop near campus that went out of business because they couldn't compete with the chains. 4. Use excellent evidence. Do your research, and pack your speech with lots of statistics, facts, quotes from credible people, and emotional examples. Remember, don't rely too strongly on examples as evidence. You can find an isolated example of just about anything. 5. Represent the other side accurately. When discussing the other side's point of view, make sure you are accurate. You need to accurately represent their motives and their point of view. If you are giving a pro-choice speech, do not imply that pro-life audience members do not care about the well-being of teen mothers. If you are giving a pro-life speech, do not imply that pro-choice audience members do not like children. People who disagree with you will feel alienated and stop listening. 6. Represent the other side sympathetically. This can be difficult to do, but it's so important! State clearly that although you