Chapter 15
Persuasive Speaking
ABOUT CHAPTER 15
The purpose of this chapter is to increase students’ ability to prepare and present persuasive
speeches. They consider the persuader’s purpose and techniques for becoming a more effective
persuader.
Students also explore listeners’ attitudes and beliefs as they relate to the persuasive speech.
Effective reasoning techniques are likewise considered. The chapter explores the role that
emotion plays in persuasive appeals, and it introduces Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Credibility
is also discussed, and students have an opportunity to explore their own credibility with regard to
topics they plan to speak about. A sample persuasive speech titled The Patriot Act concludes the
chapter. Extensive marginal notes are included to spark discussion and analysis.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT
Objectives and Content Activities and Resources
LO1 Define persuasive speaking. In the text:
Pages 408-409
Discussion Starters
Review, Reflect & Apply
Recall
Understand
Apply
Analyze
Evaluate
Create
In the Instructor’s Manual:
17.4 Skill Builder: Persuading Parents
17.5 Skill Builder: The Persuasive Touch
LO2 Explain the purpose of persuasion In the text:
Pages 409-410
Skill Builder: Controversial Issues
Discussion Starters
Review, Reflect, & Apply
Recall
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Understand
Apply
Create
In the Instructor’s Manual:
17.1 Skill Builder: Challenging a Belief
17.6 Skill Builder: Belief and Disbelief
LO3 Distinguish between types of
persuasive speeches.
In the text:
Pages 410-412
Ethics and Communication: Illogical
Reasoning
Review, Reflect, & Apply
Recall
Understand
Apply
Evaluate
Create
On the Online Learning Center (OLC):
Maslow Animation
Skill Builder: Climbing the Motivation
Pyramid
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
Sidebar Discussion Starters
In the Instructor’s Manual:
17.7 Skill Builder: Reasons
LO4 Discuss what it means to persuade
responsibly, strategically, and credibly.
In the text:
Pages 412-415
Exploring Diversity: Persuasion and
Assumed Similarity
Ethics and Communication: Big and Little
Lies
Review, Reflect, & Apply
Recall
Understand
Apply
Evaluate
Create
Discussion Starters
In the Instructor’s Manual:
17.2 Skill Builder: Media Editorials
17.3 Skill Builder: Controlling Anger
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LO5 Identify guidelines for persuading
effectively.
In the text:
Pages 415-425
Ethics and Communication: Illogical
Reasoning
Skill Builder: Climbing the Motivational
Pyramid
Review, Reflect, & Apply
Recall
Understand
Apply
Analyze
Evaluate
Discussion Starters
Sample Speech Outlines
On the Online Learning Center (OLC):
Video: Persuasive Speech that Needs
Work
Video: Improved Persuasive Speech
LO6 Describe Monroe’s motivated
sequence.
In the text:
Pages 425-427
Review, Reflect, & Apply
Recall
Understand
Apply
Create
LO7 Develop and present a persuasive
speech.
In the text
Pages 427-435
Review, Reflect, & Apply
Apply
Evaluate
Sample Persuasive Speeches
Sample Speakers Notes
Tips for Evaluating the Persuasive Speech
In the Instructor’s Manual:
Worksheets
Self Analysis Scale
15.8 Skill Builder: The Messengers: The
American Idol of Public Speaking
15.13 Skill Builder: True/False
15.14: Skill Builder: Brainstorm
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Additional Activities 15.10 Skill Builder: Service Learning
15.11 Skill Builder Listen/View
15.12: Skill Builder: Political Persuaders
On the Online Learning Center (OLC):
Key Term Flashcards
Self-Quizzes
On the Online Learning Center (OLC):
Key Term Crosswords
Self Quizzes
PowerPoint Files (Teacher Area of OLC)
LESSON OUTLINE FOR CHAPTER 15
I. Speaking Persuasively
a. Purposes of Persuasion
i. Thought
ii. Action
b. Types of Persuasive speeches
i. Propositions of Fact
ii. Propositions of Value
iii. Propositions of Policy
Incorporate activities from the text and the instructor’s manual.
II. Persuading Strategically and Credibly
a. How do you become credible?
i. Initial credibility
ii. Derived credibility
iii. Terminal credibility
III. Guidelines for Persuading
a. Identify Your Goal
b. Know Whom You Are Trying to Reach
c. Understand Factors Affecting Your Listeners’ Attitudes
d. Understand Your Listeners’ Beliefs
e. Use Two Principles of Influence: Consistency and Social Proof
f. Reason Logically
g. Gain Your Listeners’ Attention
h. Make Your Listeners Feel as Well as Think
i. Evoke Relevant Needs and Issues
j. Promise a Reward
Ask groups to examine the guidelines and provide examples.
IV. Technology and the Persuader
a. Lets use powerpoint effectively
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b. Research using technology
V. Delivering a Persuasive Speech
Use groups to examine the sample speeches.
UNIT SUMMARY
Consider this case in the text:
Town Meeting Blues. Consider the 5 discussion questions at the end of the case.
Great Debaters: A film case study
You may want to sum up the public speaking segment of the course by using the Case Study as a
class discussion starter or the basis for an in class or take home essay. Use some or all of The
Great Debaters, and let students discuss the principles of public speaking that are illustrated in
this fine film. You can use the entire film in class or show various clips. Students enjoy renting
the DVD and sharing their reactions in class or in an essay.
The Great Debaters also serves as a wonderful opening to the Public Speaking unit. It shows the
importance of public speaking and debate in our society.
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Consider the chapter-opening quotation: “Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for
he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they
ought to be” (William Hazlitt). How does this concept relate to your job as a persuader?
What are your responsibilities as you stand before an audience to deliver a persuasive
speech?
2. Many theorists contend that to persuade audiences to act differently, you must first persuade
them to think differently. Do you agree? Why or why not?
3. Have you ever resented someone’s questioning your position on an issue of importance to
you? If so, why?
4. What are some effective measures a persuader can use to gain an audience’s attention? Are
there techniques you have used in your personal life that you might use in public speaking?
5. What needs do you have at each level of Maslow’s hierarchy?
6. List some topics about which you feel you would be a credible persuader, and some topics
about which you do not feel you would be a credible persuader. What steps might you take to
increase your credibility regarding the second list?
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DISCUSSION STARTERS
1. Cartoon: “I Found the Old Format More Exciting.” Have students consider the cartoon in
the text. Do they agree that the “old format” (violence) would have been more exciting than
the debate shown (persuasion)? Would violence also be more appropriate or effective? Are
there any issues for which they would advocate violence over persuasion? Why or why not?
2. What Shapes Our Attitudes? Have students consider the list of factors shaping audiences’
attitudes. What other factors can the students identify as shapers of our attitudes?
ADDITIONAL SKILL BUILDERS
15.1 SKILL BUILDER: Challenging a Belief
1. Select a belief you hold strongly—one you would defend if challenged by others. Prepare a
two- or three-minute presentation to explain your belief to the entire class or to a group.
2. After listening to your explanation, members of the class or group will be asked to challenge
your belief. They might question the nature of your belief, its validity, or even your right to
hold it. Respond to each challenge in a way you consider appropriate.
3. After participating in the exercise, answer these probes:
What feelings did you experience as other people challenged your belief?
What type of challenge did you find most threatening?
To what extent, if any, was your belief altered as a result of this exercise?
15.2 SKILL BUILDER: Media Editorials
Audiotape or videotape several television or radio editorials. Note that a persuasive speaker is
doing much the same thing when attempting to convince audiences to take or support action on
an important issue. Have students consider how the editorials could be made more persuasive in
content and style.
15.3 SKILL BUILDER: Controlling Anger
Ask students to jot down things that make them angry. Divide the class into groups. One member
shares his or her list with the group. The group members then focus on those topics in an attempt
to make him or her angry. Students should consider why they become angry, and how to control
anger when speaking in public.
If time permits, students may videotape this exercise so that they can see themselves controlling
(and not controlling) their anger.
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15.4 SKILL BUILDER: Persuading Parents
How effective are children as persuaders? Ask students to list specific techniques they used as
children to persuade their parents. If they are parents themselves, they can report on techniques
their children use to persuade them.
Which children’s techniques can we adopt as adults for use in persuasive speaking?
15.5 SKILL BUILDER: The Persuasive Touch
1. Name several people you consider highly credible as persuaders. Explain your choices.
2. Name several people you consider not credible as persuaders. Again, explain your choices.
3. Name several people whom you think would consider you highly credible as a persuader.
Explain.
4. Name several people whom you think would not find you a credible persuader. Explain.
15.6 SKILL BUILDER: Belief and Disbelief (See Worksheet)
1. Think of 10 different ways to complete the sentence: “I believe. . . .”
2. Next, think of 10 different ways to complete the sentence, “I do not believe. . . .”
3. Attempt to identify how what you believe and what you do not believe influence you by
describing how each belief and non-belief listed above affected what you did or said in a
particular situation.
4. Finally, attempt to describe how your behavior would change if you did not believe what you
said you believed and if you believed what you said you did not believe.
15.7 SKILL BUILDER: Reasons
Individually or with a partner, select one topic for a persuasive speech. Write three to five basic
reasons why people should believe what you believe about this topic, or why they should take
whatever action you are proposing.
Topic:
Reason 1:
Reason 2:
Reason 3:
Reason 4:
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Reason 5:
Which seem to be the best reasons? Are you incorporating logical as well as emotional appeals or
reasons in your plan?
Share your ideas with your class member for their feedback.
15.8 SKILL BUILDER: The Messengers–The American Idol of Public Speaking
During the summer of 2006, the TLC television network ran a series on a
motivational/persuasive public speaking competition called The Messengers. It consisted of 10
contestants who were sent various places each week to gather information about an assigned
topic. The topics included: charity, love, friendship, and so forth. The studio audience voted off
candidates each week.
There are several ways to use the program in class.
1. Play the first episode “Charity.” The televised group spends a night on the street with the
homeless people. The next day they each present a two-minute speech to an audience.
2. Ask students to do some research on charity and bring in a two-minute speech in which it
is their purpose to convince the class to donate time or money to a particular charity.
3. Continue with the remaining topics. If you wish, you can play two of the programs and
assign partners different topics. The partners act as speech coaches for each other.
Students will enjoy discussing the examples in the program. Some speakers seem overly preachy.
Others are inappropriate—one speaker sits on the floor and admits to the audience that he needs
to go to the restroom. Still others seem to have little to say. Many, however, use effective
emotional examples to help persuade their audience. Students can relate the speeches to
Maslow’s Hierarchy or Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, as well as to audience attitudes and
beliefs.
Of course you can either fast-forward or edit the programs to meet the needs of your classes.
15.9 SKILLBUILDER: Interview a Pro
Work alone or with a team. Locate one or two people who make their living persuading others.
You may find someone who sells insurance, real estate, jewelry in retail stores, and more.
Interview that person. Ask them how they learned to sell. Did they have a structured training
program? Did they have role plays? Tests?
What do they think the most important steps are in persuading people to buy and sell anything?
Report the findings to the class.
15.10 SKILL BUILDER: Focus on Service Learning
Using information found on sites such as
www.speech-topics-help.com/motivational-speech-topics.html and
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http://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/en/chlss/communication/resources.aspx , write a persuasive speech that
supports the fund raising efforts of your college or a charity of your choice.
15.11 SKILL BUILDER: Listen/View
Ask student teams to select a song, book and film that relate to the persuasion concepts in this
chapter. Share their insights with the class.
15.12 SKILL BUILDER: Political Persuaders.
Consider this question: Do you think the current president is an effective persuasive speaker?
Explain why or why not. Are there politicians who are excellent persuaders? Explain.
15.13 SKILL BUILDER: True/False
Work in groups to develop one list of statements you believe are true and another list of
statements you believe are false.
Identify what a speaker would need to do to persuade you to move a statement from the true
(believe) list to the (disbelief) false list. Share your list with the class
15.14 SKILL BUILDER: Brainstorm Propositions
Work with a team. Brainstorm topics for speeches that have goals focusing on the adoption,
discontinuance, deterrence, or continuance of something. After the session, develop propositions
of fact, value, or policy for each topic.
VIDEO
Many famous speeches are available through YouTube. Simply Google “YouTube famous
speeches” for currently available presentations.
If you classroom is not equipped with the internet, you can find a number of collections
including The Greatest Speeches of All Time published by Speech Works. It is available through
Amazon.
The Teaching Company has interesting public speaking programs. The Art of Public Speaking:
Lessons from the Greatest Speeches in History taught by John Haile, University of Louisville is
interesting. You can assign the speech on YouTube as homework and listen to Haile’s discussion
in class.
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WORKSHEETS
Worksheet for 15.6 Skill Builder: Belief and Disbelief
Think of 10 different ways to complete the sentence “I believe . . .” Then think of 10 different
ways to complete the sentence, “I do not believe . . .” Next, for each belief and each nonbelief,
give an example of how it affected your behavior in a specific situation. Finally, try to describe
how your behavior would have been different if your beliefs had been nonbeliefs, and vice versa.
Use this form for each belief or nonbelief.
Belief and Disbelief
I believe
I do NOT believe
Situation
Behavior affected by this belief or nonbelief
How I would have behaved if I believed otherwise
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Worksheet for Skill Builder: Reasons
Select a topic for a persuasive speech. List three to five reasons why your listeners should
believe as you do about the topic or should take whatever action you are proposing. Use the form
below.
Reasons
Topic
Reason 1
Reason 2
Reason 3
Reason 4
Reason 5
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Worksheet for Additional Skill Builder: The Persuasive Touch
The Persuasive Touch
People you consider highly credible
persuaders:
Name Reason
Name Reason
People you do not consider credible
persuaders:
Name Reason
Name Reason
People who would consider you a credible
persuader:
Name Reason
Name Reason
People who would not consider you a
credible persuader:
Name Reason
Name Reason
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