Persuasive Strategies

Ethos – speaker credibility. The sense of character and competence a speaker conveys.

Logos – logical appeals. The systematic way you structure your argument.

Pathos – emotional appeals. Refers to a speakers attempts to evoke certain feelings in your listeners.

Has to do with being perceived as well-informed, skilled, or knowledgeable.

Initial credibility is communicated by information sent before you speak.

Derived credibility are messages about your credibility communicated by the things you say and do.

Terminal credibility is the sense of your competence and character that your listeners have at the end of your speech.

Content Strategies• Explain your competence.• Establish common ground.• Use strong evidence.•

Language Strategies• Use respectful language.• Humor can enhance your perceived

character. Delivery Strategies

• Attractive people are perceived as more credible – dress up.

• Use confident body language.• Speak fluently at a moderate pace.

Inductive reasoning- the process of arriving at a general conclusion from a series of specific evidence.• Examples, statistics, and testimonies.

Deductive Reasoning- the process of showing how a general premise applies to a specific case.• Start with a major premise most people believe to

be true.• Move to your Minor premise establishing that the

point you are making fits with the major premise.• Finish with your conclusion.• This three part process is also known as a syllogism.

Analogical Reasoning- reasoning by comparison.• Claim that because one thing is true,

something just like it is also true.

Hasty Generalizations – conclusions drawn on too little evidence.

False Cause – claims that because one event follows another the first event caused the second.

Slippery Slope – cause and effect fallacy where a particular action sets off a chain of events that eventually causes the effect.

Either/Or – when someone argues that there are only two solutions to a problem.

Straw man – misrepresenting the opposing view and attacking an obviously weak argument.

Bandwagon – presenting one side of an argument as being popular.

Appeal to tradition – defends position with “because that is the way it has always been done.”

Red Herring – using irrelevant evidence to divert listeners attention from the real issue.

Ad hominem – attacking an opponent’s character instead of their argument.

Non sequitur – supporting your argument with evidence that is not relevant.

Use stories that personalize or dramatize your point.

Visuals and music will add drama to your presentation.

Strategically use words that add emotion.

Use strategic stresses and pauses.