1. Chapter 14: Persuasive Presentations

2. What is Persuasion?
Persuasion is communication intended to influence choice.
To persuade is to limit the options that are perceived as acceptable.
Persuasion is not coercion.
Receivers weigh the logic and evidence and make their own decisions.

3. Types of Persuasive Presentations
Presentation to convince
You want your audience to agree with your way of thinking; you aren’t asking your audience to do anything other than agree with you.
Presentation to actuate
You want your audience to go one step past agreement to take a particular action

4. Four Main Factors of Persuasion
Logos
Evidence and logic of the message
Ethos
Credibility of the persuader
Pathos
Psychological needs of listeners
Opinions
Those held by key people in the audience

5. Evidence & Logic
Evidence is defined as factual statements and opinions originating, not from the speaker, but from another source.
Evidence is the basis for the logical arguments a speaker develops.
Logic (Greek word logos or reason) is the study of orderly thinking
the sequence and connection of thoughts and ideas as they relate to one another.

6. Fallacious Reasoning
Ad hominem- attacking the person rather than the argument
Ad populum- arguing that because everyone knows an idea is right, it cant be wrong
Ad ignoratam- arguing that because no one can prove that a particular belief is false, it must be true
Begging the question- asserting that something is because it is
Hasty generalization- basing a general conclusion on too few examples or on isolated examples
Post hoc- claiming a causal relationship simply because one event followed another event
Slippery Slope- asserting that taking a particular step automatically will lead to a second undesirable step.

7. Speaker Credibility
A credible person is someone whom others view as believable—someone in whom they can place their confidence.
Trustworthiness
Competency
Dynamism
Objectivity
Organizational Rank
Credibility

8. Psychological Needs of Listeners
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
Physiological Needs
Food, shelter, clothing, water, sleep, sexual attraction
Safety Needs
Job, financial security, law & order
Social Needs
Love, companionship, friendship
Esteem Needs
Pride, recognition from others, status & prestige
Self-actualization Needs
Becoming the best person one can

9. Persuasive Presentations: Preparation Steps
Step 1: Analyze your audience and their needs
Step 2: Write your exact purpose as a position statement
Step 3: Determine your initial credibility
Step 4: Research your topic and choose your presentation method
Step 5: Decide how to organize your presentation
Step 6: Prepare and Outline or Storyboard
Step 7: Review your presentation to ensure it is ethical
Step 8: Practice your presentation to gain confidence