The Persuasive Speech 

Tips for Making a Persuasive Speech 

 The persuasive speech is one of the hardest speeches to write and deliver because your goal is to sway someone's opinion. Therefore the persuasive speech can be a real challenge. 

If you're a student and you've been assigned to write and deliver a persuasive speech, here are some tips (most of these also apply if you're not a student). 

Choose a speech topic you know already know a lot about. You won't have to do as much research, which will give you more time to focus on writing your persuasive speech. Your persuasive speech will also sound more confident because it will be clear you know what you're talking about.

Choose a persuasive speech topic you care about. People not only care that you know, they "care that your care." Passion and enthusiasm for a topic can be contagious.

Choose words that evoke feelings and emotions.

Use statistics sparingly, and make sure they those you use are easy to understand and relevant.

Use stories and anecdotes to illustrate your points. If these stories can be touching or dramatic, that's great. But be careful not to overdo it.

Be careful with visual aids. Technical problems are credibility-killers anytime, but they're especially deadly during a persuasive speech. Make sure--in advance-- that equipment works, that you're comfortable enough operating it to handle small glitches, and that all your information is in order.

Unless you've been asked to speak on a controversial topic, avoid politics, religion, and sex. Abortion and the death penalty should be avoided, unless you really want to start a heated debate. Your goal is to show your passion for a topic, not to arouse the passions of others--especially if their opinion is 180 degrees from yours.

Be aware of your body language. Walk to the stage or the lectern confidently. Use gestures appropriately.

Face forward toward the audience. If you must turn, keep the turn to a maximum of 45 degrees away from your listeners. Avoid turns if you're in the center of a stage...move to the far right or far left of the stage. This technique is more "audience-friendly."

Raise and lower your voice and modulate your tone according to the subject matter. Avoid a monotone.

A persuasive speech does not have to "shock or awe" your audience. You're there to change their opinion and persuade them to your point of view. You don't need to hit them on the head with an emotional hammer to do it.

But you do have to show them that you care about your topic. Because if you don't, why should they? 

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