Having found the perfect persuasive speech topic, it should be easy as pie to write and deliver the speech, and have everybody agree with you, right? Wrong. I'm sorry to say that your work has only just begun. Writing, and delivering a persuasive speech is quite possibly the most difficult speaking assignment you will ever be tasked with. But never fear, it isn't impossible, and with a few tips to point you in the right direction, you will soon be writing and delivering your speech like a pro.
The next several articles will guide you through the process, one step at a time, and at the end of this series, you will be more than just comfortable writing your speech, you will be able to deliver it with confidence and conviction.
The very definition of persuasion is to get someone to change their mind about something. Your goal, as the persuasive speaker, is to take them from “no” to “yes”. If you think that this is a confrontational or competitive stance to take, you're right. And if you are not comfortable with that stance, give yourself a pat on the back, because you are halfway to becoming a persuasive speaker.
There is an old saying that goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink”. It's the same with your audience, you can show them whatever you like, but you can't make them take it. Or buy it. Or agree with it. Period. They will take, buy, or agree for reasons of their own, and if you do not understand those reasons, you will get exactly nowhere.
So, in order to lead your audience around to your point of view, you have to start where they are, and lead them from there. Show them that you have something in common with them. It may be a common goal or objective, a shared concern, or similar life events. Whatever it is, show them that you are one of them, and let them know that you have something to share with the group.
Link this common bond to your goal (the thing you wish to persuade the audience of) by addressing their needs, fears, hopes and desires, and show them how your point of view will fulfil, address, or redress the above, as applicable.
From this I hope you can begin to see that your persuasive speech topic is just the starting point to your brilliant presentation. From here, we will continue to explore the ins and outs of writing and presenting your topic, and persuading your audience to accept the gifts that you offer.
Till next time, MBerry
Friday, October 26, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Persuasive Speech Topics to Avoid
You see it in the news at least once a week: The Topic That Won't Die. The Death Penalty. The Legalization of Marijuana. Violence on TV. Or you can pick your own, there are plenty to choose from. These are topics that are overused, and should be avoided for your persuasive speech, except in certain very limited circumstances (more on that in a moment).
The allure of these topics is easy to see; they are popular, everybody is talking about them, and you don't need to introduce or explain the issues at hand. Unfortunately, these are the very reasons that you should avoid them like the plague, especially if you want to persuade your audience towards a particular point of view. Because your audience has probably heard all of the arguments for and against the topic, they have probably already made up their minds, which leaves you either preaching to the choir, or facing a hostile audience.
The only exception to this is if the topic is relevant to the group you are addressing. One possible example could be speaking to a cancer group about the benefits of marijuana as a counter to the effects of chemotherapy. (Note: I am not advocating this as a topic, nor do I advocate the use of marijuana, just using it as an example for this discussion)
While it may be tempting to use one of these topics, I will say again, don't do it, because your goal when giving a persuasive speech is not to keep the discussion going, but to persuade your audience. These “hot” topics are too hotly contested. Your audience has heard all the arguments before, and even if you do manage to persuade them to a different point of view, all your work could easily be demolished when the next news headline causes them to change their minds back.
Some examples of persuasive speech topics to avoid are:
These topics are good examples of what to avoid because they are controversial. They are overused, custom built to start an argument, emotionally charged, and everybody talks about them. They are not persuasive. The rule of thumb is that if everybody else is using it, you shouldn't, because it has long since ceased to be a persuasive speech topic.
The allure of these topics is easy to see; they are popular, everybody is talking about them, and you don't need to introduce or explain the issues at hand. Unfortunately, these are the very reasons that you should avoid them like the plague, especially if you want to persuade your audience towards a particular point of view. Because your audience has probably heard all of the arguments for and against the topic, they have probably already made up their minds, which leaves you either preaching to the choir, or facing a hostile audience.
The only exception to this is if the topic is relevant to the group you are addressing. One possible example could be speaking to a cancer group about the benefits of marijuana as a counter to the effects of chemotherapy. (Note: I am not advocating this as a topic, nor do I advocate the use of marijuana, just using it as an example for this discussion)
While it may be tempting to use one of these topics, I will say again, don't do it, because your goal when giving a persuasive speech is not to keep the discussion going, but to persuade your audience. These “hot” topics are too hotly contested. Your audience has heard all the arguments before, and even if you do manage to persuade them to a different point of view, all your work could easily be demolished when the next news headline causes them to change their minds back.
Some examples of persuasive speech topics to avoid are:
- Gun Control
- Drunk Driving
- Drug Legalization
- Abortion
- Eating disorders
- Capital Punishment
These topics are good examples of what to avoid because they are controversial. They are overused, custom built to start an argument, emotionally charged, and everybody talks about them. They are not persuasive. The rule of thumb is that if everybody else is using it, you shouldn't, because it has long since ceased to be a persuasive speech topic.
Friday, October 19, 2007
A Starter List of Persuasive Speech Topics
You have considered your audience, evaluated your objectives, and you know what you want to persuade them to do/think/or feel with you speech. But what topic do you choose that would best suit your purposes and their needs? What will appeal to them? I can't answer that question for you, because it is entirely dependent on the specific group that you will be addressing. I can, however, give you a short starter list to get the ideas flowing. So without further ado, here is a short list of possible persuasive speech topics.
There you go: 36 suggestions for your consideration as you go about choosing your speech topic. Use one of them, or let the ideas presented here be a springboard to choosing a persuasive speech topic better suited to your presentation.
- Abused Women
- Acid Rain
- Adoption
- Age Discrimination
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Ballot Initiatives/Electronic Voting
- Bermuda Triangle
- Biodiversity
- Body Piercings
- Censorship
- Cloning
- Curfews
- Creationism vs. Evolution (Choose one side to argue)
- Depression
- Espionage and Intelligence Gathering
- Gambling
- Home Schooling
- Homelessness
- Inner City Poverty
- Internet Chatrooms
- Islamic fundamentalism
- Legal System
- Media Violence
- Medicine Abuse
- Nuclear Technology
- Physician-Assisted Suicide
- Racial Profiling
- Reproductive Technologies
- School Uniforms
- Single Parent Families
- Space Exploration
- Transportation
- Urban Terrorism
- War on Drugs
- Women in the Military
- World Trade
There you go: 36 suggestions for your consideration as you go about choosing your speech topic. Use one of them, or let the ideas presented here be a springboard to choosing a persuasive speech topic better suited to your presentation.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Persuasive Speech Topics
The quest for persuasive speech topics can be a daunting one. How do you go about choosing the right speech topic for your presentation? The answer is deceptively simple, yet does require some thought on your part. Start by considering your audience. What are they interested in? What are their needs and desires? What do you want to persuade them to do, think or feel about the topic? These are all questions that you should consider before beginning the process of choosing one out of the variety of persuasive speech topics available.
Let's say, for example, that you were going to address a group of business commuters. Perhaps you decided that a persuasive speech topic might be “Airline Safety”. That's a pretty ambiguous topic, in and of itself. You would do better to state your topic as a statement, such as “Airline Safety in the Post 9/11 World”. That's a good start, but can we do better?
The answer, of course, is, “yes”, we can do better. A persuasive speech topic starts with a debate style question: “Has Airline Safety Measurably Improved in our Post 9/11 World?” This type of speech topic has several advantages. First, it's a question. Ask someone a question, and their minds will immediately begin looking for an answer. The rest of your speech will be devoted to answering that question. The second reason is that this is an open question; that is, you can choose which side of the question you want to persuade your audience with. In simplest terms, you can say yes or no, and spend the rest of your time presenting your supporting arguments.
Now back to our original question: How do you choose the right speech topic for your audience? The truth of the matter is that just about anything can be a persuasive speech topic. It's not the topic that matters but how you present that topic to your audience. You could give a presentation to a disability group with a topic covering how to be a top ranked NFL star, if you presented it correctly. At first blush, talking about becoming a pro football player to a disability group doesn't seem to make much sense, does it?
But what if your talk was was a motivational one? On the surface, your speech topic appears to be potentially inappropriate, however, talking about the motivational techniques that star athletes use to become the best on the field is highly appropriate, and even relevant to the disabled. With the challenges that the disabled face on a daily basis, motivational and peak performance techniques would be a boon to their daily lives. All of a sudden, talking about sports stars to this audience makes a certain amount of sense.
Persuasive speech topics can be direct, such as talking about airline safety to a group of airline employees, or they can be representative, such as talking about football stars to a disability group. Your topic can be used as a metaphor, an allegory, or an example, or it can be a direct address of the real world needs and concerns of your audience. How you approach the group is up to you. Your goal is simply to persuade them of something. Persuasive speech topics, then, can be anything that you deem appropriate for the group you will be addressing, and helps them to understand your point of view, even if it diverges from theirs.
Let's say, for example, that you were going to address a group of business commuters. Perhaps you decided that a persuasive speech topic might be “Airline Safety”. That's a pretty ambiguous topic, in and of itself. You would do better to state your topic as a statement, such as “Airline Safety in the Post 9/11 World”. That's a good start, but can we do better?
The answer, of course, is, “yes”, we can do better. A persuasive speech topic starts with a debate style question: “Has Airline Safety Measurably Improved in our Post 9/11 World?” This type of speech topic has several advantages. First, it's a question. Ask someone a question, and their minds will immediately begin looking for an answer. The rest of your speech will be devoted to answering that question. The second reason is that this is an open question; that is, you can choose which side of the question you want to persuade your audience with. In simplest terms, you can say yes or no, and spend the rest of your time presenting your supporting arguments.
Now back to our original question: How do you choose the right speech topic for your audience? The truth of the matter is that just about anything can be a persuasive speech topic. It's not the topic that matters but how you present that topic to your audience. You could give a presentation to a disability group with a topic covering how to be a top ranked NFL star, if you presented it correctly. At first blush, talking about becoming a pro football player to a disability group doesn't seem to make much sense, does it?
But what if your talk was was a motivational one? On the surface, your speech topic appears to be potentially inappropriate, however, talking about the motivational techniques that star athletes use to become the best on the field is highly appropriate, and even relevant to the disabled. With the challenges that the disabled face on a daily basis, motivational and peak performance techniques would be a boon to their daily lives. All of a sudden, talking about sports stars to this audience makes a certain amount of sense.
Persuasive speech topics can be direct, such as talking about airline safety to a group of airline employees, or they can be representative, such as talking about football stars to a disability group. Your topic can be used as a metaphor, an allegory, or an example, or it can be a direct address of the real world needs and concerns of your audience. How you approach the group is up to you. Your goal is simply to persuade them of something. Persuasive speech topics, then, can be anything that you deem appropriate for the group you will be addressing, and helps them to understand your point of view, even if it diverges from theirs.
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