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3) Do not be too technical.
If we are talking to a group of scientists, we can use technical words and be
understood. We must do all we can do to avoid technical words when informing a
general audience.

4) Avoid abstractions.
One way to avoid abstraction is through description. It is usually related to
external events, but description is also used to communicate internal feelings.
Another way to avoid abstraction is with comparison that put the subject in
concrete, familiar terms.
5) Personalize your ideas.
Nothing is more interested and important than giving personal illustrations in
delivering the informative speech. Whenever it is possible, a speaker should try to
personalize the ideas and dramatize them in human terms.

B Speaking to Persuade

1. The Importance of Persuasion
Persuasion is the process of creating, reinforcing, or changing people’s beliefs or
actions. When a speaker speaks to persuade, he/she acts as an advocate. The ability to
speak persuasively will benefit the speakers in every part of their life, from personal
relations to community activities to career aspirations.

2. The Challenge of Persuasive Speaking

Persuasion is the most complex and the most challenging. The objective is more
ambitious than in speaking to inform and audience analysis and adaptation become
much more demanding. In some persuasive speeches, a speaker will deal with
controversial topics that touch on the audiences’ basic attitudes, values, and beliefs.
In every persuasive speech, a speaker will face some audiences who are strongly in
favor of the speaker’s position, some who are neutral, and some who are really opposed.
When thinking about the range of persuasive responses, it will be easy by visualizing
audiences on a scale below.

Strongly Moderately Slightly Slightly in Moderately Strongly in
Opposed Opposed Opposed Neutral Favor in Favor Favor

Persuasion involves any movement by the audiences from
left to right

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