METHODS OF PERSUASION

By: Wijdan Alwidyani

Outline

Building Credibility Using Evidence Reasoning Appealing to Emotions

“The day when you could yell and scream and beat people into good performance is over. Today you have to appeal to them by helping them see how they can get from here to there, by establishing some credibility, and by giving them some reason and help to get there. Do all those things, and they’ll knock down doors.”

(Johnson, 1998)

Introduction

What are the oral presentation objectives ?Why do you want to persuade your audience?Why are we discussing this issue?How can you do so? (4 steps)

Introduction

I. Building Credibility (Ethos)

Credibility is how people consider a speaker as being qualified to speak on a given topic.

I. Building Credibility (Ethos) Factors :I. Competence : expert, knowledgeable,

intelligentII. Character : sincere, trustworthy, concerned

Types :I. Initial : before speechII. Derived : during the speechIII.Terminal : at the end

I. Building Credibility (Ethos)

How to enhance it

II. Using evidence

Evidence: Support your speech with documents and materials to prove or disprove something

II. Using evidence

III. Reasoning

Reasoning : drawing a conclusion on the basis of evidence

III. Reasoning

III. Reasoning From specific instances

Guidelines

1.Avoid hasty generalization

2.Be careful with wording

3.Use statistics

III. Reasoning From principle

What dose it mean?

III. Reasoning Causal

Seeks to establish the relationship between causes and effects

Errors to avoid:I. The fallacy of false causeII. Assuming that events have only one causeFalse cause:An error in causal reasoning in which a

speaker mistakenly assumes that because one event follows another, the first event is the cause of another

III. Reasoning Analogical

Analogical reasoning: Reasoning in which a speaker compares

two similar cases and infers that what is true for the first is also true for the other

Invalid analogy:An analogy in which the two cases been

compared are not essentially alike

Fallacies

Fallacy is: an error in reasoningThere are 5 types

Bandwagon

Slippery Slope

• Assumes that because something is popular, it’s therefore good, correct or desirable (Peer Pressure)

• Assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented (The Camel's Nose)

Emotional Appeals (Pathos)

Some of these emotions are: Fear: economic hardship, illness Compassion: for the physically disabled,

neglected animals Pride: in country, in family Anger: at terrorists, at landlords Guilt: about not helping people less

fortunate than ourselves Reverence: for an admired person

Emotional Appeals (Pathos)

How to generate them? Use emotional words : (the promise of

America sparkles in the eyes of every child) Develop vivid examples : (Nathan was only

five years old when the fever struck him) Speak with sincerity and conviction : (not

only words, but also tone of voice, rate of speech, gestures, facial expressions)

Emotional appeal should be guided by a firm ethical rudder in seeking immediate action and should never be substituted by evidence and reasoning

SPEAKING ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS

I. Speeches of Introduction

Definition: it is a speech that introduces a speaker to the audience.

Guidelines:1. Be brief2. Accuracy of remarks3. Adapted to the occasion4. Adapted to the speaker5. Adapted to the audience6. Create sense of drama

II. Speeches of Presentation

Definition: it is a speech that presents someone a gift, an award, a medal or some other form of public recognition

Characteristics: Brief, (4-5 min) in length Purpose: to tell the audience why the

recipient received the award Matters to be discussed: (the award, the

losers)

III. Speeches of Acceptance

Definition: a speech that gives thanks to a gift, an award, or other form of public recognition.

Characteristics: brevity, humility, and graciousness

Purpose: to give thanks for a gift Matters to be discussed: people who are

bestowing the award, people who helped you

IV. Commemorative Speeches Definition: they are the speeches of praise

or celebration Examples: Forth of July Purpose: to pay tribute to/inspire a

person, group of people, an institution, or an idea

Matters to be discussed: information about the subject, why the subject is praiseworthy, examples and statistics to illustrate the achievement of the subject.

References

Lucas, 2009: The art of public speaking (10th edit.) http://www.egs.edu/library/ferdinand-de-saussure/

biography/ http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/red-herring.html http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/ad-hominem.html http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~shagin/logfal-pbc-

eitheror.htm http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/bandwagon.html http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/slippery-slope.html http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Independence-Day.shtml

Thank You