Effective Persuasive Delivery

At this point in your learning, you are well-versed in effective verbal and non-verbal delivery. You may be thinking, what else can I learn in order to connect more deeply with my audience and persuade them to change their minds or behaviors. The readings thus far have provided the foundation for informative and persuasive speaking; the readings, lectures, and activities all work together to create a well-rounded approach to public speaking. However, the most well-written speech will be just well written if it isn’t delivered effectively. Writing your speech is only half of your job. Delivering it effectively is what will accomplish your speaking goals. Let’s push the envelope a bit more to hone in on key skills of persuasion and elements of rhetoric that can be refined.

Skills:

1. Nonverbal delivery is calculated – not just haphazard. Your gestures are used to entice the audience – bring them in, and connect with them. A gesturing to point directly to someone, a long eye contact with a pause, or an increase or decrease of pacing are all ways in which a speaker can illicit pathos within an audience.
   • In a speech persuading an audience to put pressure on a college to create all e-textbooks a student could state: “College students are suffering due to the increased cost of college textbooks all the while professors have the ability to craft creative readings and online learning materials”.
     • A student could boldly state the word suffering. 
     • The student could repeat suffering again to reinforce their message: “College students are suffering, we are financially suffering, due to the increased cost of college textbooks all the while professors have the ability to craft creative readings and online learning materials”.
     • The student could take a pause after suffering and scan the audience to engage the audience.
     • The student could point to professors in the audience, or at the visual aid with a professor on the slide.
     • The student could increase their vocals towards the end of the sentence to ensure the message is heard loud and clear: “all the while professors have the ability to craft creative readings and online learning materials”.
2. Pacing is carefully considered – the pauses between words and sentences matter greatly. If a student is well-rehearsed, they will know when to take careful and articulate pauses to ensure pacing is not dull or too fast.
   • Pacing can be improved by practice and adding different speed indicators to note cards.
     • For example: a note card can state a statistic: “92% of college professors enjoy teaching their courses with tailored lecture materials” and on the top of that note card you could write SLOW SPEAKING RATE to remind yourself to slow down and carefully pace through this statistic.
3. Verbal Delivery – you have built strong skills in this area; however, a public speaking can continue to improve their verbal delivery by being concise, using words that pack a punch, and use visual imagery to get a point across.
   • Being concise – you can state a sentence a million different ways; think about how to shorten that statement to gain a greater impact.
     • For example: College professors really want students to read their course material but so much of the text readings are outdated and students get really bored to old materials that continue to circulate academic classes.
       • Try this instead: College professors lament that college students rarely read course material; texts are outdated and boring, yet these materials continue to circulate higher ed.
   • Use stronger language – words that pack a punch.
     • For example: The students in the classroom are always on their cellphones.
     • Instead state: The students are distracted by cell phones.
   • Use visual imagery – this will allow visual learners to connect with your message. It is like painting a picture with your words.
     • For example: The classroom is dull grey, lacks enticing decor, and has outdated technology from the early 2000’s.
       • You can elaborate on each of these ideas with support as well. Research suggests that color in a classroom can improve students learning, attention spans, and interest in the overall course material (citation, year).
4. Visual Aids
   • Effective visual aids can be basic; however, visual aids that truly connect with your audience and match your verbal and non-verbal delivery greatly enhance a speech.
     • You can use newer technology to ensure you are providing a pleasing visual aid to your audience.
     • You can incorporate videos (embed them properly), memes, artwork/designs, animations, voiceovers, and other visual cues to keep yourself and the audience on-track and engaged.
5. Power of a strong introduction and conclusion
   • People will remember how you began and how you ended, make it meaningful! Connect with your audience through the introduction into the conclusion. You will want to make a lasting impression on them in the conclusion so they engage in your call to action. Take careful inventory of what you have stated, and be sure to recap the main points before you get to the call to action. End just as strong as you started.

Review of Persuasive Strategies 

• Ethos. Develops a speaker’s credibility.
• Logos. Evokes a rational, cognitive response from the audience.
• Pathos. Evokes an emotional response from the audience.
• Cognitive dissonance. Moves an audience by pointing out inconsistencies between new information and their currently held beliefs, attitudes, and values.
• Positive motivation. Promises rewards if the speaker’s message is accepted.
• Negative motivation. Promises negative consequences if a speaker’s message is rejected.
• Appeals to safety needs. Evokes an audience’s concern for their safety and the safety of their loved ones.
• Appeals to social needs. Evokes an audience’s need for belonging and inclusion.
• Appeals to self-esteem needs. Evokes an audience’s need to think well of themselves and have others think well of them, too.

Activity