Persuasive Talk
EWU 2014 Persuasive Talk—Jack Whelan
Write Script for a Persuasive Talk
Goal: The pedagogical goal is to give you the opportunity to pull together all the
elements taught this quarter about persuasion into an effective, short persuasive talk.
Task: Choose a topic below; write the script for short presentation that should take 5
minutes to read out loud (800-900 words). Assume you are speaking to an audience
with a third undecided, a third pro, a third con. Your goal is to win over enough
undecideds to get a majority.
…….
….
Deliverable. Typed script of the talk. It should clearly state the “crux argument”
before you begin your text, so I know what your rhetorical objectives are. Text of talk
should follow in full-block format.
Due: Class 14.
Here are the topics. Select one:
1. Persuade the group to donate money to a charitable organization of your
choice. Assume that another charitable group will be making its pitch after
yours and that you have to anticipate its argument. And that the audience has
to choose between you to make a $10,000 grant.
2. You’re testifying before the Seattle City Council about passing a $200 million
bond issue that will be part of a financial package that will build an NBA
quality arena. Persuade the councilors sitting on the fence to support this tax.
3. Convince a group of 21 elderly people that they need adopt a specific
exercise program. If at least 11 don’t sign up, they can’t pay for the
instructor.
…….
….
4. Persuade those at a town council meeting that they need to support the
building of a recreation center rather than a juvenile detention center to
reduce gang violence.
5. You’re testifying before a Senate Committee taking testimony about gun
control. The issues on the table are whether to ban assault rifles and to
require background checks at gun shows. Pick one and take either side.
6. You’re testifying before a Senate Committee taking testimony on certain
accounting practices:
• Should
small
public
companies
be
allowed
to
deviate
from
GAAP
when
complying
is
considered
excessively
expensive?
• Should
the
Security
and
Exchange
Commission
focus
on
prosecuting
companies
or
…….
….
individuals
for
criminal
offenses?
• Should
the
United
States
adopt
International
Accounting
Standards
within
the
next
five
years?
• Should
there
be
a
cap
on
executive
compensation
in
the
United
States?
7. Persuade a group of art (or science, or engineering) majors to take Strategic
Communications next quarter.
8. If you have another topic you’d like to use instead of these, talk to me or
email me to get a green light to do it.
Midterm Rubric—100 points total
Content
…….
….
Frame &: Crux Pathos Frame: If you want to succeed, you need to create awareness
about your work. It’s not about making money; it’s about making connections with
dealers and gallery owners.
Arrangement: I want you to label each part of your text so that I know when you’re
doing Narration, when Division, etc.
Opening: Ethos—build credibility and a sense of connection and trust
Body: Logos dominant, but not exclusively. Exposition of both problem and
solution.
• Narration: establish the motivating problem.
• Division: solution options—solutions conceptually framed.
• Proof: prove why your solution is best (primary & secondary benefits)
• Prolepsis: anticipate and refute your opponents’ arguments.
Close: Pathos/Synthesis
Clarity/Correctness
Sentence Style
• decorum: tone, mood, appropriate pathos/ethos
• vividness/concreteness: examples, stories
• ornament: figures of speech, metaphors, humor
Correctness
• proper language: usage, mechanics, clarity, fluency
…….
….