Preparing a Persuasive Speech

Jedi Mind Tricks for the 21st Century

Not This Jedi Mind Trick

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This Jedi Mind Trick

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Why Mind Tricks At All?
• Ok, these are not mind tricks so much
as ways to show others shared interests
that could potentially benefit from
adopting a new attitude, belief, or
behavior

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So Really, it’s this Jedi Mind Trick

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Why Politics?

• Who cares?

• What else would

we talk about?

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Real Answer?
• We talk about political/social issues
because everything is political – these
issues are important.

• Learning how to express beliefs helps

prepare you to defend them later.

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Our Actions Have Real Results
• Marci Harris – We Can Beat the
Lobbyists
• Omar Ahmad – Change with Pen and
Paper
• Dave Meslin – Antidote to Apathy

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Let’s Get Down to Business

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Outlines are friends not food

PERSUASIVE SPEECH
OUTLINE

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SURPRISE!

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Rule of 3
• People need to hear • Tell them what you
things three times to are going to tell
really start to get it them

• Fold this principal • Tell them

into your outlines
• Tell them what you
told them

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The Outline to End All Outlines
• Introduction
• Body 1
• Body 2
• Body 3
• Conclusion

Even Vader is impressed

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Introduction
• Attention getter
• Statement of significance
• Thesis
• Preview of main points

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Body 1 – The Problem
• What is the problem?

• Who is being affected?

• When did it happen?

• Where is this a problem?

• Why is it bad?

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Body 2 - Cause
• How did this become a problem?

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Body 3 - Solution
• Suggest a plan to address the problem
and explain why it will work

• Don’t just think of the government -

What can we do as individuals?
– You should always have some sort of
personal step

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Conclusion
• Review of main points

• Restatement of thesis

• Tie back to attention getter

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Try it out!

LET’S TRY AN EXAMPLE

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Introduction
• A/G – Star Wars, battle of good and evil
• Significance – We all get hungry
• Thesis – Getting food is a difficult task
that we have to overcome
• Preview
– Problem – The Problems of being hungry
– Cause – The Cause of being hungry
– Solution – Do something to address hunger
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Problem
• Who - Me
• What – I am hungry
• When – as of now
• Where – right here
• Why – When I get hungry I turn into
the Grade Grinch, cousin of The Grinch
Who Stole Christmas

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Cause
• How did this happen? I did not eat this
morning, I did not eat when I cam to
school, and I did not eat before class
• I did not eat because I left my food and
wallet at home so I cannot buy food
– Even then he is a poor, starving teacher
who probably couldn’t afford it

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Solution
• Plan to solve the problem – The class
should get together and donate $0.50
each to Matthew so he can eat…
something
• Now that Matthew has money he will be
able to buy food and will not be hungry
anymore

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Conclusion
• Review – We looked at the problem,
causes, and solutions of Matthew’s
hunger
• Thesis tie back - Imperative to get fed
• Tie back to A/G – In fight vs good and
evil, do you want me to be Darth Vader
or Luke Skywalker – eat a snickers

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It’s That Easy!

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Just kidding…..

THAT’S NOT ALL FOLKS

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It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE

STORY

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The Real Step 1
• http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2017/01
/13/the-end-obama-documentary-
speechwriters.cnn/video/playlists/cnn-
films-the-end-inside-the-last-days-of-
the-obama-white-house/

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Criticism of Speeches
• And four years later, the verdict on that address is pretty
unanimous from former White House speechwriters of both
parties:
• Speechwriter Mary Kate Cary, who wrote for President George
H.W. Bush: "I think most people would have a hard time
quoting you a line back from it. ... It just seems like there were
a lot of platitudes."
• Jeff Shesol, who wrote for President Bill Clinton: "There really
aren't very many lines in President Obama's first inaugural
address that stood out even in the moment. ... It didn't have an
animating idea. It didn't have a clear theme.
Cont…

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resumed…
• George W. Bush speechwriter John
McConnell: "I had to go back and look at
Obama's inaugural address to really
remember lines that I had at the time paused
over."
• Clinton speechwriter Michael Waldman:
"There's the old adage: You only get one
chance to make a first impression. And I think
President Obama might hope that's not true.”

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Building your speech around you

• http://www.npr.org/2014/06/19/32351
0652/speechwriters-deliberately-use-
rhythm-to-help-make-their-point

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The Song
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjX
yqcx-mYY

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Mat’s Keys to Success

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Tips for a better speech
• OUTLINE • It’s about the story
• Doublecheck youre • Research
wurk • It’s about the story
• Memorize/prepare • Use
adequately examples/descriptiv
• Cite your sources e language
• Eat at some point • You do you
before you speak • Did I mention, it’s
about the story
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Brainstorming

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