Name: _____________________________________________________
PERSUASION Persuasion is not coercion. Persuasion is the art of steering others to your point of view.
Effective persuasion first hooks the audience. Grab their attention right away, and never let go.
Effective persuasion uses rhetorical strategies, which appeal to three different parts of us: an appeal to our reasonable or logical side; an appeal to our emotional side; and an appeal to our desire to trust the speaker / writer. Rhetorical strategies also include rhetorical devices.
Effective persuasion leaves the audience with a clincher. Leave them thinking “Yeah!”
The Hook
Quotation
Use a strong, appropriate quotation from a person who appeals to the audience
Make the audience think that if they love someone (like their children), they will do what you want
Appeal to Ego
Flatter the audience, pump them up and make them feel important
Snob Appeal
Make the audience feel as if they are part of an elite group
Appeal to Tradition
Make audience feel that what you want is good because it’s an old idea, it’s always been done
Fear Appeal
Make the audience think that if they don’t do what you want, something horrible will happen (war, crime, poor health, embarrassment, social isolation, etc.)
Appeal to Anger
Make the audience angry at the same thing you’re angry about (“You can’t let X happen!”)
Guilt Appeal (Appeal to loyalty or duty)
Make the audience feel as if they don’t do what you want, they will be letting someone down (their family, their country, etc.)
