APPENDIX D

Goals of Persuasion

1. Changing Attitudes: To move audience member sin such a way that they feel more positively or negatively about a speech topic. The speaker's overriding goals is to change the audience's feelings or emotions about a particular idea, practice, policy, or product.

2. Changing Beliefs: To change how the audience thinks about the topic of the speech. The speaker's overriding goal is to motivate the audience to accept a new set of beliefs.

3. Changing Behavior: To motivate the audience into taking some kind of action or at least making a commitment to take action.

Types of Persuasive Speeches

1. Political Speeches: The overriding goals of a political speech are to reinforce audience beliefs and secure votes at the polls. Professional political campaign strategists are called upon by political parties to write campaign speeches, handle the press, interpret opinion poll and focus group data, prioritize the issues, schedule meetings and presentations, and carry out other important tasks. Political speeches are highly crafted, thoroughly tested, and well rehearsed. No single phrase, look, or gesture goes unnoticed under the close scrutiny of the press and the American people. It is no wonder, then, that politicians rely on these experts to successfully "package" the candidates themselves and their ideas.

2. Speeches Advocating Social Change: Many televised speeches emphasize social change. Advocates of social change tell us how we should feel, think, or behave- with the greatest emphasis being placed on behavior change. Persuasive speeches advocating social change are essential for a thriving democracy and provide an open market for introducing new ideas and challenging old ones.

3. Advertisements: Today, advertising speeches promise to change your life- from exercise equipment and special diets to cosmetic makeovers, gourmet cookware, and car wax. These so-called infomercials pitch a consumable product that the media audience is supposed to run right out and purchase or, better yet, order from a convenient 1-800 number! Obviously, the overriding goal of advertising speeches is behavioral change- here's the product, now purchase it.

4. Sermons: The primary goal of most sermons or religious presentations is to change or reinforce an audience's attitude toward God or some other supreme being or beings. The sermon is designed to share a vision of eternal life; to give meaning to our existence; and to help us lead a good and moral life.

5. Motivational: These speeches are designed to persuade audience members to feel better about themselves. Motivational speeches are also designed to incite people to do something about their lives. their primary goal is attitude change--and, hopefully, behavior change. Motivational speeches typically begin by acknowledging the sorry state we are all in. After the gloomy entry, the motivational speaker then helps us rethink our lives. We are told that we need not remain in this awful condition and that we can and must change.

Information taken from

Patricia Kearney and Timothy G. Plax

Public Speaking in a Diverse Society

1996