What is a Persuasive Speech? Ideas for Writing

Are you interested to know what a persuasive speech is? Then sit comfortably and get ready to obtain all the information you need to succeed!

The main goal of such a speech is to persuade the reader to complete a particular action. For example, such a speech is used if you want people to vote for a particular candidate, to follow the city rules or to change someone’s opinion on an important matter. Such speeches are a great tool to stir interest of the audience and flame its hearts.

At first, you may find it quite difficult to understand how to write a persuasive speech but with a positive approach and enough devotion, you will be able to create an outstanding material and engage the audience with ease!

A persuasive speech doesn’t have an accepted structure, as it greatly depends on the topic, the audience, timing and place. That is why you should always ask for tutor’s guidelines and carefully study the surrounding to make sure your speech is relevant and appropriate.

The most common mistakes you may face can include:

Boring topic. While a written assignment can often be plain and simple, a speech should be energetic, emotional and persuading. That is why selecting an appealing topic is crucial if you want to succeed;
Lack of details and information. Your speech shouldn’t consist of generalities, so try to make a thorough research before writing down your speech. Make sure it contains interesting facts, statistics, shocking details and any other information, which may intrigue the audience. However, you should remember that such details need to be credible;
Slang and clichés. Your language should be professional and academic, and your vocabulary - vivid and bright. Even if your topic is quite loose, make sure your lexis is attractive for the reader;
Slovenly appearance and too much gesticulation. Although it may be not so obvious but thousands of students make the same mistake: don’t pay proper attention to the way they look, dress and behave in front of the audience. The best advice here is to suite up and practice your speech before the mirror or in front of the people you trust. They may help you to fix your mistakes and correct imperfections of your performance.

Here are some of the additional tips you need to keep in mind:

Set your goal. You need to have a clear understanding of the main goals you are planning to achieve. Knowing them, you will be able to tailor your performance;
Understand the audience. You should know whether they know anything about the topic, which side they are on and so on. This will help you to prepare for the questions and be able to make your speech clear and understandable;
Prepare visual materials. Print out or draw pictures, diagrams, charts and any other files, which will make your speech more persuasive and live. Take into account that some people remember material better, when they see it;
Strong introduction and conclusion. Always start and finish your speech with a powerful statement and a call-to-action. The audience shouldn’t have any doubts whether you are a real master of the topic;
Relax! Make a deep breath, drink herbal tea or meditate. Make sure you are calm and have positive approach, when starting your speech!