Speaking to persuade
Speaking to persuade is also known as
persuasive speech. This means a speech
specially designed to change or reinforce the
beliefs or actions of an audience. The target here
is to make the listener(s) or the audience decide
to do something by giving them satisfactory
reasons why they should do it. The indication
here is that the audience may not really want
to perform the action. As a result, the need for
your speech arises to convince them, giving
them the whys and wherefores of the action.
Persuasive speech is different from the
other type of speech we have studied, which
is mainly designed to inform, and is called
informative speech. It is important that we
study the differences between this example
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Persuasive speech is a complex and
challenging type of speech. It is necessary in
a situation where there is disagreement. It is
usually not easy to change the mind of persons
on a given idea. The speaker has to indulge in
a psychological process of winning the minds
of the listeners, while the listeners assess the
speaker’s integrity and credibility, the manner
of delivery, supporting details, etc. in order to
decide whether or not to believe the speaker
and thus change their minds, or to remain
neutral or opposed.
Target audience
By the target audience we mean the particular
audience the persuasive speaker wishes mostly
to address; those whom he/she would want
the message to reach. We can group them as
the uncommitted audience, those inclined to
agree and those inclined to disagree, but who
are open to persuasion. We must also, however,
expect other listeners of different opinions as
part of the audience.
In persuasive speech, we deal with three
different types questions. They are:
questions of fact
questions of value
questions of policy.
Questions of fact
These are questions directed at the truth or
falsity of an assertion. Questions of fact are
structured to make audience believe in the
speaker’s view of facts about the matter for
persuasion.
Question of value
The question of value is directed to the worth,
rightness, morality, etc. of an idea or action.
The speaker, under the question, makes a
judgement, right or wrong, good or bad,
moral or immoral, ethical or unethical. The
speaker justifies the position in line with clear
standards.