Organizing a Persuasive Speech

In many ways, a persuasive speech is structured like an informative speech. It has an introduction with an attention-getter and a clear thesis statement. It also has a body where the speaker presents their main points. It ends with a conclusion that sums up the main point of the speech.

The biggest difference is that the primary purpose of an informative speech is to explain whereas the primary purpose of a persuasive speech is to advocate the audience adopt a point of view or take a course of action. A persuasive speech, in other words, is an argument  supported by well-thought-out reasons and relevant, appropriate, and credible supporting evidence.

Persuasive speeches fall into three broad categories:

1. Those that deal with propositions of fact. When you make a claim of fact you argue about the truth or falsity about an assertion being made. E.g., “The widely used pesticide Atrazine is extremely harmful to amphibians.”

2. Those that deal with propositions of policy. When you make a claim of policy, you argue about the nature of a problem and the solution that should be taken. Persuaders arguing policy claims attempt to convince their audiences to either accept the claim or actively act to enact the policy. E.g., “All  house-cats should be kept indoors to protect the songbird population.”

3. Those that deal with propositions of value. When you argue a claim of value, you ask your audience to make a judgment about something, whether it’s good or bad, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly, or moral or immoral. E.g., “Offshore tax havens, while legal, are immoral and unpatriotic.”

The organizational pattern you select and the type of supporting material you use should support the overall type of argument you are making.

The following organization patterns are especially suited to persuasive speeches:

• Cause/Effect: This pattern describes some cause and then identifies what effects resulted from the cause. This can be a useful pattern to use when you are speaking about the positive or negative consequences of taking a particular action.

• Comparative advantage: You compare two or more things or ideas and explain why one of the things or ideas has more advantages or is better than the other.

• Problem-solution: With this organizational pattern, you provide two main points. The first main point focuses on a problem that exists and the second details your proposed solution to the problem. This is an especially good organization pattern for speeches arguing for policy changes.

• Problem-cause-solution: This is a variation of the problem-solution organizational pattern. It’s a three-step organizational pattern where you start by explaining the problem, then explain the causes of the problem, and lastly propose a solution to the problem.

• Monroe’s motivated sequence: This is an organizational pattern that is a more elaborate variation of the problem-cause-solution pattern.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Monroe’s motivated sequence is the best-known organizational pattern focused on motivational appeals. It is especially useful in situations where the speaker is proposing a solution to an existing problem.

If you use Monroe’s motivated sequence, you’re asking your audience to visualize the consequences of what will happen if they are persuaded to engage in the action you are arguing for. Health-related appeals often use this strategy, for example arguments about mask-wearing or vaccination during a pandemic.

Alan H. Monroe was a Purdue University psychology professor who used what he knew about the psychology of persuasion to write a book called Monroe’s Principles of Speech. He outlines an organizational pattern most effective in persuasive speeches, that involves five key steps as a way to order the speech:

1. 1. Get attention. This involves calling the audience’s attention to a problem. It may occur in the introduction part of the speech or as the first point in the body of the speech. For example, according to the New England Medical Journal in their 2018 June article, four out of five people do not get more than five quality hours of sleep per night.

   2. Establish the need. Show that there is a problem or a need for something to be done. Use statistics, evidence, etc., to prove the need. This establishment may occur in the introduction or the body of the speech. For example, lack of sleep depletes productivity.

   3. Satisfy the need. Offer a solution to the issue and explain how the solution would work. This usually is in the body of the speech as a main point. Take a sleep workshop.

   4. Visualize the future. Paint a picture of what the world would be like if the need is satisfied using your proposed solution. For example, how productive the world would be on seven hours of sleep per night? The visualization could be in the body or conclusion.

   5. Action/Actualization. Call the audience to take action and commit to doing something such as signing a pledge to get better sleep, going to a sleep workshop, etc. The call for action is usually in the conclusion.

In the following video, Eric Robertson breaks down the components of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.

You can view the transcript for “Monroe’s Motivated Sequence | COMMUNICATION STUDIES” here (opens in new window).

In this TED talk, fashion designer and urban gardener Ron Finley talks about creating gardens in a South Central food desert.

You can view the transcript for “A guerilla gardener in South Central LA | Ron Finley” here (opens in new window).