398 17.5 Using PersUasive strategies
Strategies for Organizing Persuasive
Messages
17.5 Identify and use strategies for effectively organizing a persuasive
speech.
Is there one best way to organize a persuasive speech? The answer is no. Specific
approaches to organizing speeches depend on audience, message, and desired
objective. But how you organize your speech does have a major effect on your
listeners’ response to your message.
Research suggests that there are some general principles to keep in mind
when preparing your persuasive message:^34
• If you feel that your audience may be hostile to your point of view, advance your
strongest arguments first. If you save your best argument for last, your
audience might have already stopped listening.
• Do not bury key arguments and evidence in the middle of your message. Your
listeners are more likely to remember the information that is presented first17.5
Correct an Audience’s Misconceptions
How To
Step- Summarize the common
misconceptions. - State why these misconceptions
may seem reasonable. Tell your
listeners why it is logical for them
to hold that view, or identify
“facts” they may have heard that
would lead them to their current
conclusion. - Dismiss the misconceptions.
Provide sound, credible evidence to
support your point. (In this example
you would probably cite two or
three specific medical studies.) - State the accurate information
that you want your audience to
remember.
Example
Many people think that AIDS can be transmitted
through casual contact such as kissing or that
it can easily be transmitted by your dentist or
physician.
Since AIDS is such a highly contagious disease,
it may seem reasonable to think it can be
transmitted through such casual contact.In fact, countless medical studies have shown
that it is virtually impossible to be infected with the
AIDS virus unless you have unprotected sexual
contact or use unsterilized hypodermic needles
that have also been used by someone who has
AIDS.
According to recent research, the most common
factor contributing to the spread of AIDS is
unprotected sex.