COM 231 - Public Speaking: Persuasive Speech

Here are some tips to help you with your topics.

Points to Consider

• Not everything is a persuasive topic or will have sources supporting different sides. Search your topic and see is the data supports your argument before locking yourself in to a topic.
• Choose something that appeals to you.
• Your topic should be neither too broad nor too narrow.

Places to Go for Topic Ideas

• Talk with friends or family.
• See what's trending on social media.
• Check out Wikipedia articles -- don't use the article in your speech, but the article may help you by identifying people, events and organizations.
• Search Google -- you may find an organization's website that will help you broaden or narrow your topic.
• Watch the news, or read a newspaper or current magazine.

Sources to consider for Topic Ideas:

• 200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing
  • Access the above list in PDF format.
• List of Persuasive Speech Topics
• ProCon.org
• Intelligence Squared Debates
• www.myspeechclass.com 

Sometimes it can be difficult to find scholarly sources that take a side in a debate. The keywords below, and others like them, can help pull out articles that support your argument.

• Benefits
• Rewards
• Advantages
• Strengths
• Opportunity
• Impact
• Effect
• Implications
• Consequences
• Risks
• Threats
• Dangers
• Costs
• Fail* (remember, the asterisk will include all words that begin with 'fail': fail, failed, failing, failure, etc.)
• Fallout
• Pitfall
• Ramification

• Education: More awareness needs to be made about how are girls educated in third world countries. College should be free in the US.
• Race: More training should be provided for teachers to understand a diverse student body. 
• Health: Foods and drinks high in sugar content should be taxed heavily. 
• Technology: The Internet has/or hasn't improved education. Using drones in private areas is an invasion of privacy.  Social media should be more tightly regulated.
• Globalization: The United States should be less into the global market and keep more business at home. The US shouldn't trade with countries that allow child labor.

Finding Persuasion

In persuasive writing and speaking, the author tries to cause the audience to do or believe something. 

Consider your audience, their experiences, and what they are likely to believe already. Pick a topic that has at least two valid sides. If you are trying to convince the audience to believe something generally considered to be true, (for example, texting and driving is dangerous) your speech may be more informative than persuasive. 

Ways to amplify your argument:

• Think of your topic as an answer to a question.

Instead of "Texting and driving is dangerous", try framing it as an open-ended question. Then, choose a position to argue.

What is the best way to make new drivers understand the dangers of texting?
"New drivers should use virtual reality to see how texting impacts their driving habits"
How can cell phone companies help to reduce instances of distracted driving?
"Cell phone companies should increase voice control capabilities to reduce distracted driving"
Should distracted driving laws change as autonomous vehicles increase in popularity?
"There should be standards that self-driving cars need to meet before you're allowed to text while using them."

• Tell your audience what to do

We sometimes call this the 'So what?' of your speech. Informing your audience of an issue can become persuasive when you offer a solution and provide evidence of why it would be effective. Including should or should not can help you keep your speech focused on persuasion.

"Texting and driving is dangerous, so...

...it should be a primary offense in all states."
...cell phone providers should restrict texting when high speeds are detected."
"...students should practice hands-free cell phone features and voice texting during Driver's Ed."

• Find evidence-based solutions

You don't have to come up with solutions on your own. Search for resources that describe what has already been tried and argue for what you think will work best.

These keywords may help: solution(s), strategy(ies), policy(ies), approach(es), campaign(s), methods, 

• Widen your search

You can find resources that support your argument by trying different keywords that might not be specific to your topic.

"New drivers need to be aware of the dangers of texting and driving."

Additional questions:

Does increased public awareness actually lead to less instances?
What is the most effective way to increase public awareness?
If young people are most likely to text and drive, how can we raise their awareness specifically?

For these questions, you may need to research public awareness campaign and what makes them effective with different demographics rather than focusing on distracted driving. 

• Find a different angle

Try looking at your topic through a new lens. It is generally understood that distracted driving is physically dangerous, so there's not a lot of convincing, but you can persuade your audience about a different aspect.

"Texting and driving is not only physically dangerous, but is also a symptom of anxiety. The fear of missing out and social expectation to be constantly available push young people to respond quickly even when they know it's unsafe"

• Be flexible

You may not find resources to support the argument you planned to make, so be prepared to shift. Maybe you find research showing that new drivers are actually much less likely to text while driving than people who have been behind the wheel for 15+ years. In that case, our new argument might be "Efforts to raise awareness about texting and driving should not focus on new drivers" or "A postcard campaign is the best way to raise awareness about distracted driving among experienced drivers"

• Be more specific

A topic like "Texting and driving is dangerous" or  "Having a pet is good for you" can easily lean informative if you are only providing facts. Take your argument one step further to include your opinion.

"Texting and driving should be a bigger concern than driving under the influence (DUIs)."

"The financial benefits (lower health costs) of having a pet outweigh the expenses"

"Getting a dog is better for your health than calorie-counting"

Verbal Citations

Like written citations in a paper, verbal citations should include:

1. Author (and credentials)
2. Title
3. Date

Verbal citations son't have to Use signal words to introduce sources and quotes in your speech. For more information on verbal citations, visit the tab above.

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