Mastering The Elusive Persuasive Speech

Persuasion is the cardinal principal of repetition. Writing a persuasive speech is like being a lawyer presenting a case in front of a jury. The writer takes a stand on an issue either “for” or “against” and then builds up the strongest possible arguments to win over the audience.

In a persuasive speech it is the speaker’s job to convince the audience to accept a particular point of view or take a specific action. A persuasive speech requires a good research both on the subject at hand, as well as the audience it is being presented to, the audiences’ bias and a strong knowledge of both sides of the argument. Good persuasive speeches will not only demonstrate how a certain viewpoint is right but also how the opposing argument is incorrect.

The way to write a good persuasive speech can be broken down into 5 steps:

The Prewriting Phase

The prewriting phase includes making sure you have all the necessary information and evidence and are in tangent with both sides of the argument. Outlining the speech: organize the evidence to build the strongest viewpoint. In the introductory phase you give an overview of the argument including topics that “hook” the audience onto what you are going to be talking about in the latter half of your speech. The body paragraphs should talk about evidence, one at a time and have sufficient support to prove them. Make sure to mention the opposing viewpoint in the next paragraph. In your concluding paragraph reinforce and restate the strength of your supporting evidence.

Writing The Persuasive Speech

When you begin to write the first draft of your persuasive speech be sure to include a lot of illustrations, drawings etc. that help the audience to relate to the topic. Never assume that your audience has in-depth knowledge of what your topic is, including minor details and simplifying the writing always helps. The concluding paragraph should make sure to initiate action amongst the audience, otherwise the speech loses all its value no matter how well written it may be.

Revision

Revision is essential. After writing your first draft leave it aside and when you come back to it come back with a mind free of clutter. Every time you revise your speech there will be minor adjustments you would want to make.

Editing

Editing your speech requires an open mind and reading your speech as if you are a critique. Never begin to edit your work immediately after writing. Leave it aside and let it rest, you can always ask a friend or colleague to read and edit it for you.

Presenting

Practice repeatedly. Make sure you practice alone in front of a mirror and also present it to a small group of people before the final speech. Pronunciation and confidence play an important role here, if you are not sure how a word is pronounced correctly look it up, look confident and smile always it helps.