Persuasive Speeches

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence The Monroe’s Motivated Sequences is a 5 step pattern to write persuasive speeches. This method of arranging material forms the basis for many of the successful political, public awareness or advertising campaigns you see and hear around you on a daily basis. Why? Because it follows the psychology of persuasion.

Step Overview In developing your persuasive speech outline you will follow the following 5 steps: Attention Grab the audience's attention Need Establish there is a problem (need) demanding their attention Satisfaction Outline a solution to the problem Visualization Show the audience how they will benefit from your solution Action Provide the force to make something happen and how to go about doing it

Step 1: Attention This step is your 'listen up' call. To make it effective it needs to grab the audience. It could be any of the following: a startling statement a rhetorical question a quotation a funny story a dramatic story a photograph or other visual aid Consider 'What's in it for me?' while deciding on your attention getter. Why should your audience listen? Is it relevant to them? How? Why should they believe what you say? Have you established your credibility?

Step 2: Establish the Need This step develops the need for change. Now that you have your audience's attention you will clearly show them what the problem is and \ the extent of it. To be effective use: examples to illustrate how it impacts on them - their happiness,future, health, family, neighborhood... statistics - facts, figures, graphs, diagrams... Remember to cite your sources and remember too that some are more credible than others. You need recognized sources to give your speech the credibility you want. expert witness testimony - the more authoritative, the better Your goal at the conclusion of this step is to have your audience eager to hear your solution. They agree with you that there is a problem and want the answer.

Step 3: Satisfy the Need Now you outline your answer or solution and show the audience how it will work. To do this well: outline your solution briefly demonstrate how it meets the problem use examples to show how effective it is support with facts, figures, graphs, diagrams, statistics, testimony... if there is known opposition to your solution, acknowledge and counteract showing how your plan overturns it The ideal outcome of this step is the audience saying to themselves: 'Yes. This is possible, practical and sensible.' Your answer should give them 'satisfaction'.

Step 4: Visualization (See the Future) In this step the audience 'experiences' the solution. They see (feel, hear, taste...) what will happen if they do as you are suggesting contrasted against what will happen if they don't do as you are suggesting. This step relies on your use of vivid imagery to portray the outcome of their action or inaction. They see and feel the pleasure or pain in their imagination. To bring it home to your audience the pictures you provide, the stories you tell, need to be relevant and believable. What you want folk thinking as you conclude this step is: 'I can see that this would be good for me.'

Step 5: Take Action In this last step you present your call to action. The call to action can be embedded in any combination of the following: a summary a quotation a challenge or appeal an example a personal statement of intent To be effective the action step must be readily doable and executed as soon as possible. Make it as easy as you can for your audience. If you want them to sign up for something, have the forms available. If you wish them to lodge a personal protest in writing to your local government have stock letters and envelopes ready. In other words do the leg work for them! Action steps that are delayed even for 48 hours are less likely to be acted on. We're human - life goes on. Other things intervene and the initial urgency is lost.

Fitting the Standard Speech Format If you are wondering how these 5 steps of Monroe's Motivated Sequence fit into the standard 3 part speech format, they go like this: Steps 1 and 2 (Attention and Need) form the Introduction Steps 3 and 4 (Satisfaction and Visualization) form the Body Step 5 (Action) is the Conclusion

How to Come Up With Ideas When you are trying to come up with a topic to discuss consider the Following: your audience (their interests, values, hopes) your interest in the topic In order to persuade convincingly and confidently you need to genuinely believe your persuasive speech idea is good. the time you have to research it thoroughly your desired outcome (What do you want your audience to do as a result of hearing you speak?) your credibility How qualified are you to speak on the topic you've chosen? Do you have personal experience on your side? How long have you been interested in it? Have you done your research? Found reliable resources?