Speaking to Persuade Communicating to External Stakeholders

Speaking to Persuade  Persuasive presentations are designed to influence your audiences’ opinions, behaviors, or beliefs.  Unlike informative speaking, persuasive speaking tells the audience what it is they should think, feel, or do.

Key things to consider when preparing a presentation to persuade:  What it is that you hope to accomplish through your presentation (what are your goals?).  Who is your target audience (the part of the whole audience you most want to reach; usually made up of those who are uncommitted to either side).  How you can adapt the presentation to fit the needs, values, and concerns of that target audience.  What the rest of the audience thinks and feels about your topic.

Guidelines for Building Effective Persuasive Arguments  Develop Your Credibility. Credibility is the perception that you are qualified to speak on a particular topic. The very power to persuade is often contingent on those assessments of your credibility.  Choose the Appropriate Appeals. Any argument requires the use of appeals, be they appeals to credibility, appeals to logic, appeals to emotion or appeals to cultural values. As you persuade, you will necessarily use all four types of appeal as they are interdependent components of proof used to support claims.  Address Resistance and Concerns of the Audience In persuasive situations it is important to anticipate the potential resistance and counterarguments your audience might feel. When you have a sense of what objections the audience might raise, you can and should address the most significant points of disagreement in your message.

Develop Your Credibility  A communicator’s ability to influence is largely determined by the Credibility assigned her/him by an audience.  Using good evidence and explaining it to an audience will enhance your perceived competence.  Your trustworthiness will be assigned based on how honest you are when you speak and write and how well you communicate sincerity in relation to your audiences. Demonstrating a genuine concern for your audiences will also increase this element of credibility.  When you speak confidently and assertively and inspire others with your energy and words, you will be perceived as dynamic.  How well you put messages together and how well you communicate ideas will be assessed carefully, particularly by external audience who may need to rely on the information you provide for their well being or livelihood.

Choose the Appropriate Appeals  Any argument requires the use of appeals, be they appeals to credibility, appeals to logic, appeals to emotion or appeals to cultural values. As you persuade, you will necessarily use all four types of appeal as they are interdependent components of proof used to support claims.

Address Resistance and Concerns of the Audience  Finally, in persuasive situations it is important to anticipate the potential resistance and counterarguments your audience might feel. When you have a sense of what objections the audience might raise, you can and should address the most significant points of disagreement in your message.  Addressing resistance is never easy. In fact, addressing resistance effectively requires an astute ability to listen carefully, reflect an understanding of the root of resistance and to build trust in the process.

Addressing the belief that the project (or action) has been handled Improperly  Ask for and listen to their concerns  Apologize for any mistakes that were made  Provide additional information, as needed  Don’t make excuses for mistakes  Ask for suggestions to avoid similar situations in the future  Be honest about suggestions you can and cannot accept and explain why  Follow through on agreements reached to improve the situation.

Guidelines for Addressing the Belief that the project (or action) will fail  Ask for and listen to their concerns  Discover if their facts and fears are accurate and complete  Determine if their beliefs are based on accurate information—they could be based on rumors  Provide additional information to correct mistaken or inaccurate beliefs  Offer more accurate interpretations of facts, even if the truth hurts  Ask for suggestions to help make the action feel more successful  Ask how you can help them implement change  Encourage them to focus on the positive while addressing the reality of your situation  Ask for their support in making the action work and thank them for what they have already done  Express confidence in their ability to implement action successfully.  Ask how you can help them implement action  Follow through on agreements reached to improve the situation