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A persuasive speech is a specific type of speech in which the
speaker has a goal of convincing the audience to accept his or her
point of view. The speech is arranged in such a way as to hopefully
cause the audience to accept all or part of the expressed view.
Though the overarching goal of a persuasive speech is to convince
the audience to accept a perspective, not all audiences can be
convinced by a single speech and not all perspectives can persuade
the audience. The success of a persuasive speech is often measured
by the audience’s willingness to consider the speaker’s
argument.
An example of a persuasive speech is a sales pitch. During a sales
pitch, the speaker is trying to convince the audience to buy his or
her product or service. If the salesperson is successful, the
audience (the person being sold to) will choose to purchase the
product or service.
However, salespeople understand that just because someone does not make a purchase after the first sales pitch does not mean the pitch failed. Persuasion is often a process. People may need multiple persuasive pitches and a lot of outside information before they are ready to accept a new view.
Components of a Persuasive Speech.
While ethos is an essential part of a persuasive speech, pathos and
logos are usually combined to form the best possible
argument.
While a speaker can attempt to establish ethos, or credibility,
with an audience, it is ultimately assigned to them based on the
audience’s perception. If the audience does not perceive the
speaker as a credible source on the topic about which they are
speaking, they will ultimately have a hard time considering the
speaker’s argument.
The logos in a speech, or logical appeals, are arguments that
present a set of information and show why a conclusion must
rationally be true. For example, arguments heard in court are
logical arguments.
Pathos, emotional appeals, are appeals that seek to make the
audience feel a certain way so that they will accept a conclusion.
Negative political ads, for example, often incorporate emotional
appeals by juxtaposing an opponent with a negative emotion such as
fear.
How to Succeed-
Using an attention grabbing device is a powerful way to begin a persuasive speech. If you can make your audience laugh, think about a personal experience, or tell an anecdote that produces emotion, they are more likely to listen to the content of your argument. Additionally, keeping a speech within 6-8 minutes makes the audience less likely to let their mind wander away from what you are saying.
The effectiveness of a persuasive speech also depends on factors beyond the words of the speech. The willingness of the audience to accept a new view, the body language of the speaker, and the environment in which the speech is given all can affect the success of a persuasive speech.
A successful speaker will do their best to establish strong
ethos with their audience, and combine pathos and logos to form the
best possible argument. Audience analysis is an important factor
when giving a persuasive speech. For example, if a speaker is
trying to convince the audience not to tell their children about
Santa Claus, using arguments that relate and resonate with them,
such as encouraging them to remember how they felt when they
discovered he wasn’t real, will be more successful than if the
speaker shared a negative personal experience of their own.
The Goals of a Persuasive Speech: Convincing, Actuation, and
Stimulation.
Persuasive speeches can be designed to convince, incite action, or
enhance belief by the audience.