Chapter 14:

Persuasive Speaking

Communicating in the Workplace, First Edition

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.
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Persuasion is Important

Influenced by a variety of persuasive

speakers

Employers
Friends and family
Businesses

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Persuasion is Important

You become a more skillful communicator

Become more adept at establishing credibility

If people perceive you as trustworthy, dependable

and genuine, they are more likely to accept your
point of view

You develop greater sensitivity in establishing

common ground with your listeners

Make a sincere effort to understand the needs of

your listeners

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2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Persuasion is Important

You learn to use vivid language and

compelling evidence to support your
position

You connect with your listeners

emotionally

Sense your audiences emotional state

Adjust the tone and intensity of your
argument

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2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Persuasion is Important

You become a more resourceful

researcher

Support your arguments with credible

authoritative sources
Examine other sources besides the internet

You become a more critical thinker

Listeners are more likely to believe when

claims are based on sound logic
Become a better problem-solver
Less likely to be misled by propaganda

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2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Persuasion is Important

You become more aware of the

importance of ethical communication

You must be highly ethical

You experience increased confidence as

a communicator

Self-confidence boosts when you express

your ideas clearly, calmly and confidently
for an audience

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Types of Persuasive
Presentations

Fact

Value

Attempt to establish a relationship or

connection between to ideas

Attempt to show an audience that

something is good or bad, right or wrong

Policy

Call for individuals or groups to take action

in response to an existing problem or need

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Logos

Pathos

Logical appeals in your persuasive message

Statistics, testimonials, stories

Emotional appeals used to stir feelings

Ethos

Credibility as a speaker
Enhanced when you display competence,
honesty and empathy for your audience

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2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Logos

Document the source of your information

Share the authors credentials
Select current statistics and examples
Choose reputable publications
Avoid logical fallacies

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Logos (evidence) check list:

1. Are all my major claims supported by evidence

2. Do I use sufficient evidence to convince my audience
of my claims?
3. Is my evidence stated in specific rather than general
terms?
4. Do I use evidence that is new to my audience?
5. Is my evidence creditable, unbiased sources?
6. Do I identify the sources of my evidence?
7. Is my evidence clearly linked to each point that it is
meant to prove?
8. Do I provide evidence to answer possible objections
the audience may have to my position?
Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Logical fallacies

Faulty causation: occurs when coincidental

events are seen as having a cause-effect
relationship

On test day, your teacher wears a red shirt,

and everyone fails

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Logical fallacies

Hasty generalizations: happen when only a few

examples are selected to represent the whole of
the conclusion

throughout American history, military leaders have

always made excellent Presidents. EX: George
Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Dwight
Eisenhower
throughout American history, military leaders have
sometimes made excellent Presidents. EX: George
Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Dwight
Eisenhower
Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Logical fallacies

Either/or thinking: presents two alternative

sides when many more possibilities exist

Critical listener must look for other possibilities

My motorbike is broken;
therefore, I must invest in
new motorbike, or I must
take the bus to school
Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Logical fallacies

Slippery slope: a form of if then

reasoning that presents an
undesirable if couple with an even
more undesirable then

Consequences of a specific action are

exaggerated

if we allow the younger generation to act

bad and change culture, then our culture
will be lost in the near future

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Logical fallacies

Faulty comparison: suggest that

similarities outweigh differences and
unique situations can be treated the
same

Exist when we focus on similarities and

ignore significant differences

David and John are identical twins, so we

can treat them the same.

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Pathos

You can choose from a wide array of feelings

Your word choice, tone of voice and
selection of material should provoke an
emotional response
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological
Safety
Love/Belonging
Esteem
Self-actualization

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Ethos- (creditability)

Competence

Be well-informed on your subject

Make sure facts are current and from reliable
sources
Present your information clearly and logically

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2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Ethos
Which pair of statements would you most likely believe?
The U.S. State Department needs major changes in
organization to fulfill its mission in the 21 st century (Hillary
Clinton)
The State Department does not need any major organizational
changes in the near future (Jonny Depp)
The key to acting is to push your character as far as you can
without making the character unbelievable (Johnny Depp)
The key to acting is to learn your lines and hit your cues
regardless of the character you are playing (Hillary Clinton)
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2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Honesty

Never use an argument you dont believe

Choose fair and accurate supporting evidence

Examine all the facts

Address information that weakens your case

Keep the tone of delivery genuine and sincere

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2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Elements of Persuasion

Empathy

Care about your audiences interests, needs and

well-being

Show that you understand their position

Let them know you recognize their concerns

Show how your ideas will benefit them

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Strategies for
Persuasive Presentations

Find common ground with your

listeners

Share a common view of the problem, issue

or goal
We all want a better life, schools,
environment, etc.
If your audiences first reaction is yes,
youve established common ground
Offer details that put a face on the problem
Develop the issue or problem, then share the
thesis

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Strategies for
Persuasive Presentations

Determine your target audience

Realistically, you cannot persuade everyone

in your audience
Identify those you are most likely to influence
Those who are neutral or moderate are your
target audience
Target audience may be those with status,
leadership roles or seniority
Research your audience to determine those
in the above roles

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Patterns of Organization

Monroes Motivated Sequence

Attention Step: capture your audiences

attention by:

Telling a story about the problem

Offering a series of examples about the problem
Providing a startling statement about the problem
Asking a rhetorical question about the problem

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Patterns of Organization

Problem step: includes four sub-steps

State the problem, but dont reveal the

solution
Illustrate the problem with examples,
testimony, etc.
Show the ramifications of the problem,
how serious it is, how much it costs, how
many will suffer, etc.
Point out the direct effects of the problem
on the audience

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Patterns of Organization

Solution Step: includes five sub-steps

State the solution (central idea)

Explain the solution, who will do what, when, how

Show how the solution will solve the problem

using citations, explanations or other support
Show how others have employed this solution
with true stories or a list
Answer two likely objections to the solution;
anticipate opposition to your solution

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Patterns of Organization

Visualization Step: you show what the future

will be like with a hypothetical story

Positive story describes life 5, 10+ years from

now with the solution implemented
Show how the world will be a better place or
Present the worst case scenario if your solution is
not adopted

Action/Approval: leading, instructing,

challenging or inducing the audience to act
on/accept your solution

Make it easy for your audience to commit

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Patterns of Organization

Advantages-Disadvantages

Arranges information based upon pros and cons

Particularly effective when your audience isnt
completely sympathetic to your position

Begin with the intention to discuss both sides of the

issue objectively
Do not express your viewpoint in your introduction
First main point presents the advantages, or pros
Second main point presents the disadvantages, or
cons
Third main point reveals your position based on your
evidence

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

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Patterns of Organization

Cause-Effect

Establishes connections between variables

Speaker can take one of two approaches

Identify significant causes and their respective

effects
Pin-point important effects and suggest possible
causes

Resolutions are generally implied rather than

stated
Avoid fallacies
Avoid oversimplifying cause-effect
relationships to maintain credibility

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Patterns of Organization
Monroes Motivated Sequence

Monroes Motivated Sequence

Gain attention
Focus on a problem
Present a solution
Visualize the future
Gain action or acceptance

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved