Persuasive Speaking - The Art of Persuasion

Persuasive Speaking:
I. The Nature of Persuasive Speaking
• Definition: Persuasive speeches aim to change others by prompting them to think, feel, believe, or act differently.
• Key Qualities:
◦ Transactional: Involves interaction between the speaker and listeners.
◦ Not Coercive: Relies on influence rather than force.
◦ Incremental: Effects are usually gradual rather than immediate.
II. The Three Pillars of Persuasion
Effective persuasion relies on three modes of proof:
1. Ethos (Credibility): The perceived personal character of the speaker.
◦ Dimensions: Goodwill, Expertise, Trustworthiness, and Dynamism.
◦ Enhancement: Identifying common ground, showing respect, documenting sources, and demonstrating energy.
2. Pathos (Emotion): Emotional reasons for attitudes, beliefs, or actions.
◦ Strategies: Personalize the issue, appeal to listeners' needs and values, and bring material alive through vivid examples.
3. Logos (Logic): Rational or logical proof.
◦ Inductive Reasoning: Uses specific examples to draw a general conclusion.
◦ Deductive Reasoning: Begins with a general claim, proceeds to a specific claim, and ends with a conclusion.
◦ Toulmin Model: A model of reasoning that includes Claim, Grounds, Warrant, Qualifier, and Rebuttal.
III. Types and Development of Credibility
Credibility is the perception that a speaker is informed and trustworthy.
• Three Types:
◦ Initial Credibility: Recognized expertise or trustworthiness before the presentation begins.
◦ Derived Credibility: Gained during the presentation based on evidence, organization, and connection with the audience.
◦ Terminal Credibility: The credibility at the end of the presentation.
• The Formula: Initial Credibility +/- Derived Credibility = Terminal Credibility.
IV. Organization Strategies
• Motivated Sequence Pattern: A specific structure designed for persuasion consisting of five steps:
1. Attention
2. Need
3. Satisfaction
4. Visualization
5. Call to action
• One-Sided vs. Two-Sided Presentations: The choice depends on listeners' expectations, attitudes, knowledge, and the need for inoculation against opposing views.
V. Avoiding Fallacious Reasoning
Speakers must avoid logical fallacies—flawed logic that can be intentional or unintentional.
• Ad Hominem: Attacking the person instead of the idea.
• Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc: Arguing that a coincidental sequence is causal ("after this, therefore because of this").
• Bandwagon Appeal: Arguing that one should do something because "many people" are doing it.
• Slippery Slope: Assuming that a first step will inevitably lead to uncontrollable consequences.
• Hasty Generalization: Making a broad claim based on insufficient evidence.
• Red Herring: Attempting to deflect listeners from relevant issues.
• Either–Or Logic: Wrongly suggesting only two options exist.
• Halo Effect: Generalizing a person’s authority in one area to unrelated areas.

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Analogy for Understanding: Think of a persuasive speech as building a Greek Temple. The Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are the three massive pillars holding up the roof; if you remove one (e.g., you have logic but no credibility), the structure collapses. The Motivated Sequence is the blueprint for construction: you must dig the foundation (Attention) before you can lay the floor (Need) or build the walls (Satisfaction). Finally, Logical Fallacies are like cracks in the stone; they might look like solid marble from a distance, but they compromise the integrity of the whole building and make it unsafe for the audience to enter.