Persuasive public speaking requires a strong conviction and a compelling story. The first key to a good speech is to start with a good story, as this will grab the audience’s attention. Intensity is also important. For this reason, you should ask a friend to give you feedback before your speech. You should also conduct mock speeches before the actual public speaking event to gain confidence and see how well you present yourself.
Cicero’s formula for structuring a persuasive public speaking presentation:
Putting together a persuasive public speaking presentation involves following a simple formula that dates back to 55 BCE. Cicero identified five key elements of a speech and suggested a six-part process to follow in order to make a good speech.
The first element of Cierco’s formula is to invent. It basically means to narrow down your key message, highlight the main points you want to convey in your message, and be prepared with proofs and validations for these points. The second Element of Cierco’s formula is to structure your speech in a persuasive way. The third element is to stylize your points and decide how you are going to present each point. After this, Memorising is his 4th element. The fifth element is to learn your speech so well that you can present it in front of your audience without needing any notes. Next is to include gestures, tone, and pacing in your speech, which will emphasize your points. The 6th element is to include elements of Ethos(Ethics), Logos(Logic) and pathos(Emotions) in your speech.
Identifying your target audience
Identifying your target audience is crucial to making a good speech. By identifying their interests and concerns, you can present your topic in their language. This way, you can create a profile and speak to them effectively.
Providing evidence for your refutation
The key to persuasive public speaking lies in providing specific evidence to back up your claim. This is especially important if the audience doesn’t recognize the speaker as an expert or if they oppose your point of view. The skeptical listener is likely to mentally construct counterarguments that will undermine your claims. Therefore, it is important to anticipate this internal response and provide specific evidence that will back up your position.
Creating a conversation around each slide
Creating a conversation around each slide can make your presentation more engaging. Generally, you should build a conversation around a deck of five to 10 slides. A good persuasive speech should feel like a conversation, with both the speaker and audience participating. One of the best ways to do this is to ask questions, which will immediately raise the energy level in the room. Likewise, visuals can add more flavour to your presentation. Simply put, Keep your presentation interactive.
Using emotive language
Using emotive language when speaking in public can create an emotional reaction in your audience and influence them to behave in a particular way. For example, A devious fox ate an innocent rabbit. Here, devious and innocent shows the use of emotive language. They depict a scenario that evokes emotion in the mind of the reader. Understanding how to use this type of language effectively is critical when you want to be persuasive.
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