394 17.4 Using PersUasive strategies
Strategies for Adapting Ideas to
People and People to Ideas
17.4 adapt your persuasive message to receptive, neutral, and unreceptive
audiences.
We opened this chapter with Donald C. Bryant’s pithy definition of rhetoric as
“the process of adjusting ideas to people and people to ideas.”^28 His description
of the rhetorical process gets at the heart of what an effective persuader does—
he or she ethically adapts the message and delivery to create agreement.
As we have observed several times before, an early task in the public-
speaking process is to analyze your audience. This is particularly important
in persuasion. Audience members are not just sitting there waiting to respond
to every suggestion a speaker makes. Instead, audience members may hold
differing views of you and your subject. Your task is to find out whether there
is a prevailing viewpoint held by a majority of your listeners. If they are gen-
erally friendly toward you and your ideas, you need to design your speech
differently from the way you would if your listeners were neutral, apathetic,
or hostile.
Research studies as well as seasoned public speakers can offer some use-
ful suggestions to help you adapt your approach to your audience. We will dis-
cuss three general responses your audience may have: receptive, neutral, and
unreceptive.Persuading the Receptive Audience
It is always a pleasure to face an audience that already supports you and your
message. In speaking to a receptive group, you can explore your ideas in greater17.4
Quick Check
Tips for Using Emotion to Persuade
• Use concrete examples.
• Use emotion-arousing words.
• Use visual images.
• Use appropriate metaphors and similes.
• Use appropriate fear appeals.
• appeal to a variety of emotions.
• Communicate emotions nonverbally.
• tap into shared myths.