Page 311 - Essentials of Human Communication

290 ChaPter 14 The Persuasive Speech

Table 14.1 The Motivated Sequence as a Persuasive Strategy
This table summarizes the motivated sequence as used in persuasive speeches.

Audience question
Step and Purpose Speaker Should Answer ideal Audience response Cautions to Observe
Attention: Focus listeners’ Why should I listen? Is this ● This sounds interesting. Make attention relevant to
attention on you and your worth my time? ● Tell me more. speech topic.
message

Need: Demonstrate that there Why do I need to know or do ● Ok, I understand; there’s a Don’t overdramatize the
is a problem that affects them anything? problem. need.
● Something needs to be done.
Satisfaction: Show listeners How can I do anything about ● I can change things. Answer any objections lis-
how they can satisfy the need this? ● I know what I can do. teners might have to your
plan.
● I’m empowered.
Visualization: Show listeners How would anything be ● Wow! Things look a lot better Be realistic; don’t visualize
what the situation will be like different or improved? this way. the situation as perfect .
with the need satisfied. ● That change was really
needed.
Action: Urge listeners to act. What can I do to effect this ● Let me sign up. Be specific. Ask for small
change? changes and behaviors.
● Here’s my contribution.
● I’ll participate.

● Satisfaction: We can force management to stop these policies. . . .
● Visualization: If this policy were ended we’d all experience a wealth of rewards. . . .
● Action: Boycott the XYZ Restaurant.

Table 14.1 provides a way of looking at the motivated sequence in terms of audience
responses and some cautions to observe in using the motivated sequence.

Objectives Self-Check
● Can you explain the suggestions for persuasive speaking (focus on your audience, ask for reason-
able amounts of change, anticipate selective exposure, adapt to the culture of your audience,
and follow a motivated sequence)?
● Can you apply these principles in your own persuasive speeches?

Supporting Materials

In addition to the supporting materials described in Chapter 13—examples, testimony, nu-
merical data, and definitions, for example—three forms of support are of special importance
in persuasive speeches: logical appeals, emotional appeals, and credibility appeals. These
forms of support have been an essential part of public speaking for over 2000 years and were
known in the rhetoric of Greece and Rome as logos, pathos, and ethos. Each of these, unfortu-
Explore the Exercise
“Evaluating the Adequacy nately, can also be misused; such fallacies are noted for each of these three forms of support.
of Reasoning” at
MyCommunicationLab
lOgiCAl APPeAlS
When you use logical appeals—when you argue on the basis of logic supported by reliable
facts and evidence—your listeners are more likely to remain persuaded over time and to resist
Watch the Video “Interstate
Commerce Commission” at counterarguments that may come up in the future (Petty & Wegener, 1998). There are three
MyCommunicationLab main ways of using logical appeals: (1) specific instances, (2) causes and effects, and (3) sign.