The Persuasive Speech A p ersuasive speech is designed to persuade, or convince the

1. The Persuasive Speech A persuasive speech is designed to persuade, or convince the audience of the validity of the speaker's argument. This might involve persuading someone to change their opinion or at the very least take into account some ideas that they had not really considered before.

2. There are four steps to successful public speaking: 1. Choosing your topic 2. Writing your speech 3. Practicing your speech 4. Delivering your speech

3. 1. Choosing your topic

4. 2. Writing a Great Persuasive Speech requires a great Beginning and Ending as well as a solid Body

5. First impressions are very important!!!! As you know, a poor beginning may so distract or alienate your audience that you may never recover. AND Having a good beginning is a confidence booster and will propel you into the rest of your speech.

6. In most speeches, just as in any essay, there are two objectives you need to accomplish at the outset: • Get the attention and interest of your audience. •Reveal the topic of your speech.

7. There are several ways to get the attention and interest of your audience. These are NOT two of them!

8. Bring the topic home to your listeners. They will be more likely to be interested if the topic relates to their personal lives. Example: Last year alone in Newfoundland and Labrador 162 young people, between the ages of 17 and 24, died in alcohol related accidents. Some from this very community.

9. State the Importance of Your Topic Show your audience why your topic is important. Using statistics would be useful in this area, if you have them Example: More than 30% of drinking drivers involved in fatal crashes were aged 16-24 years. "A Quick Look at Alcohol-related Crashes in Canada", Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate

10. Startle Your Audience Share a shocking statistic or make a bold statement. Example: Approximately 1 500 Canadians are killed annually in car accidents involving an impaired driver. Another 73,120 Canadians are injured annually in impaired driving crashes, according to MADD Canada. That's roughly 200 per day.

11. Arouse the Curiosity of the Audience Draw your audience into your speech with several statements that pique their curiosity. Example: I cause 37% of boating deaths every year. I cause 42% of recreational power boating deaths every year. And I cause 54% of snowmobile-related drownings every year. What am I? Alcohol!

12. Question the Audience Ask a rhetorical question or a series of questions. Example: $18 000.00. Do you have that kind of money to throw away? Well that's what it will end up costing you if you're convicted of impaired driving.

13. Begin with a Quotation Begin with a quote from a famous writer, from a poem or song, from a television show or movie, or from an expert. Example: “I used to have a full life. I had a wonderful family and great friends. I enjoyed my work and had so many plans for the future. Now, without Alex, nothing seems to matter anymore. When I leave the house I see Alex everywhere. He’s so real, then I blink and he’s gone. This feels as though I’ve just lost him all over again.” This is a quote from Penney Hayes whose 16 year old son, Alex was killed by a drunk driver while riding his bike home from his part-time job.

14. Tell a Story We all love stories and they work well in your introduction. Be sure that your story relates to your topic. Example: When I was six years old I had a best friend Alex. Alex was fun to be with... He made me laugh. The summer we turned seven Alex was killed by a drunk driver. I still remember seeing his mother and father crying at his funeral. That was the saddest day of my life.

15. Now that you have their attention, it's time to... reveal the topic of your speech

16. Reveal the Topic State clearly the purpose of your speech. If you do not, your listeners will be confused. And then your chances of getting them absorbed in the speech are almost nil.

17. Begin by addressing the audience. Then introduce yourself and state your topic or purpose. Example: “Parents, teachers, fellow students, my name is -------- And today I am here to convince you that you should never let a friend drink and drive."

18. The Main Body State your points clearly ·Stay focused and to the point. ·A rambling speech only confuses your audience ·Use examples

19. Establish Credibility You must establish your credibility, why you're qualified to speak on this subject. Give your audience some reasons to believe that you know what you are talking about. Either explain why you're an expert or use statistics and information from reputable and credible sources.

20. Ending your speech The conclusion has three functions: 1. To let the audience know you are ending the speech. 2. To reinforce the audience's understanding of, or commitment to, your topic. 3. To thank the audience for listening

21. Examples: "In conclusion, please...never let a friend drive when they've been drinking. Thank you." "In closing, please...never let a friend drive when they've been drinking. Thank you for listening." "Let me end by saying, that I hope I've convinced you not to let your friends drink and drive. I appreciate your attention." "My purpose has been, to convince you not to let your friends drive if they've been drinking. Thank you."

22. Write Like You Talk Remember that you're writing a speech, not an essay. People will hear the speech, not read it. The more conversational you can make it sound, the better. So try these tips: •Use short sentences. It's better to write two simple sentences than one long, complicated sentence. •Don't use big words that you wouldn't use when talking to someone. •You don't have to follow all the rules of written English grammar.

23. Try to write like people talk. People don't always talk in complete sentences with verbs and nouns. "Like this. See? Got it? Hope so."

24. 3. Practicing your speech After you've written your speech, it's time to practice saying it . There are three main tips to help you get ready. 1. Say It Out Loud 2. Mark Up Your Script 3. Incorporate gestures

25. Say It Out Loud You can't just mumble to yourself! You must practice reading your speech like you're really talking to a group. Why? • You'll find out how long it is. Remember, three minutes is minimum. Five minutes is the maximum. •When you read out loud you hear problems that your eyes don't notice, like sentences that are way too long and seem to go on forever like this sentence does so that I can make a point about sentences that go on for too long. (Whew! Can you say that sentence without taking a breath or stumbling?) • When you read out loud you'll also hear accidental tongue-twisters.

26. Mark Up Your Script ·What script? Your speech! It's a good idea to think of anything you write to read aloud as a script. ·So when your speech is finished, get a pencil and mark it up. ·You can underline words that you want to emphasize by saying them louder or with more energy. ·You can mark places where you want to pause for dramatic effect, or where you need to take a breath. ·There are no special marks to use. Just make up your own. Maybe put a "P" where you want to pause.

27. Here's an example of a marked-up script. The words are from a speech by President John F. Kennedy. Can you tell how it was meant to be said?

28. Incorporate gestures Try doing what feels "natural" and then make it bigger. If you don't naturally gesture at all, start by just adding one or two gestures to a sentence you practice in private. Try using words that have obvious gestures associated with them (large, tall, small, all, etc.). It probably will not feel or look natural at first, but, with a bit of practice, you can become a more powerful and eloquent speaker.

29. Penguins can be cute, but they're not good presenters.

30. 4. Delivering your speech Okay! You've written your speech, and you've practiced reading it aloud. Now it's time to present your work. Here are some tips to remember as you present your final product:

31. Get the Attention and Interest of Your Audience Before beginning your speech, wait until you have the attention of your audience. Look at them and wait until all eyes are on you.

32. Slow It Down!!! Many people experience stage fright when called upon to speak publicly. The result can be racing through your speech without pausing. Try to speak slowly and clearly in a voice that is loud without shouting.

33. Keep It Lively While it’s important to speak slowly enough that people will hear what you have to say, it's also important to speak with enough emotion and feeling that people will want to listen. Include some pauses and emphasize your key points with your voice. Refer to your marked-up script, but DON'T READ word for word.

34. Make Eye Contact Look up from your paper whenever you can. Your goal is to engage your audience and make them feel as if you are addressing them personally. If you feel nervous, one trick is to look out at your audience as if you’re making eye contact, but don’t actually look at anyone directly. LOOK JUST OVER THEIR HEADS.

35. And Finally.... Don't forget to thank your audience. Thank You For listening!!!!