Speech

Chapter 14: Speeches to Persuade

Overview

The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your listeners to believe as you do and to influence them to take some sort of action. In preparation, the first thing you must do is analyze your audience to determine how your listeners feel about you and your message. Most audiences can be classified into four categories: supportive (friendly), uncommitted (neutral), indifferent (apathetic), and opposed (hostile). Regardless of the type of audience you address, your main goal is to gain as many supporters as possible.

According to Aristotle, the persuasive powers of a speaker depend on his or her logical, emotional, and personal appeal. This is a combination of appealing to an audience’s intellect, feelings, and ethics. If an audience regards you as a person of integrity, your audience will more likely trust you and believe what you say. Besides presenting yourself as honest, you also need to show your audience that you are a competent, or able, person who can get the job done. A persuasive speech is most effective when it appropriately combines the three types of appeals for its intended audience.