SPEAKING PURSUASIVELY

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][What’s To Come

» The Meaning and Art of Persuasion

» Creating a Persuasive Message

» Honing Your Persuasive Speaking Skills

][The Meaning and Art of Persuasion

» Persuasion is an attempt to motivate others to adopt or maintain a specific manner of thinking or doing• Beliefs• Opinions• Actions

][Choosing a Method of Informing

» Three forms of rhetorical proof• Ethos: Appeals to a speaker’s respectability,

trustworthiness, and moral character• Pathos: Appeals to listeners’ emotions• Logos: Appeals to listeners’ sense of reason

» Inductive reasoning» Deductive reasoning

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» We use various types of persuasive propositions• We influence beliefs with propositions of fact

» Barack Obama was born in Hawaii» Flying is the safest mode of transportation» Solar power is not capable of meeting the energy

demand in the United States

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» We use various types of persuasive propositions• We influence opinions with propositions of value

» Fathers are just as important as mothers» Animal cloning is immoral» Our country is right to do anything it can to protect its

citizens

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» We use various types of persuasive propositions• We influence actions with propositions of policy

» The federal government should ban the use of human stem cells in medical research

» Hate crimes against ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities should be capital offenses

» Everyone should eat only locally grown, organic foods whenever possible

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» We organize persuasive messages in various ways• Problem-solving pattern

» Establish that a problem exists and is serious

» Establish that your proposed solution is possible, practical, and effective

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» We organize persuasive messages in various ways• Refutational approach

» Present the main arguments against your position» Immediately refute those arguments» State your own position and argue for it

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» We organize persuasive messages in various ways• Comparative advantage method

» Describe the problem» Identify various alternative viewpoints» Explain why each alternative viewpoint is deficient» Propose your own solution to the problem

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» We organize persuasive messages in various ways• Monroe’s motivated sequence

» Generate attention» Identify the need» Describe how your solution will satisfy the need» Ask listeners to visualize how their situation will

improve with your solution» Tell listeners what action you want them to take

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» Avoiding logical fallacies• Ad hominem fallacy• Slippery slope• Either/or fallacy• False-cause fallacy• Bandwagon appeal

][Creating a Persuasive Message

» Avoiding logical fallacies• Hasty generalization• Red herring fallacy• Straw man fallacy• Begging the question• Appeal to false authority

][Honing Your Persuasive Speaking

Skills» Adapt to your

audience• Identify your

audience’s disposition

» Receptive audience

» Neutral audience» Hostile audience

• Neutralize hostility

][Honing Your Persuasive Speaking

Skills» Build rapport with your

listeners• Interact with listeners

before your speech• Maintain eye contact

while you speak• Open with a story• Use humor when

appropriate

][Honing Your Persuasive Speaking

Skills» Establish your

credibility• Demonstrate your

competence• Accent your

character• Communicate with

charisma

][For Review

» What does it mean to persuade?

» In what ways can we craft a persuasive

message?

» Through what strategies can we hone our

persuasive-speaking skills?