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CMNS 101 Fundamentals of Communication

Public Speaking Research Guide

Persuasive Speech

Primary Focus: Create an argument that will alter belief, attitude, or behavior.   

  • There are three main types of persuasive speeches: Fact, Value, and Policy.  
    • Fact: Favoring a particular interpretation of a set of facts and evidence 
      • Example: Due to all of the evidence, most scientists believe that climate change is caused by humans 
    • Value: Favoring something over something else 
      • Example: Waffles are better than pancakes. 
    • Policy: Favoring a particular plan of action to solve a problem 
      • Example: In order to solve rising home prices, the federal government should offer low-interest loans or down-payment forgiveness for individuals or families below the median income level for their local area. 
  • The goals of a persuasive speech are agreement and action, and the more immediate the action the better for the audience to remember and act on the topic in the future. 
  • The most common way to structure a persuasive speech is to use a problem/solution strategy.