The American economist and writer Mark Andrew Skousen said, and I wholeheartedly agree, “The triumph of persuasion over force is the sign of a civilized society.” We often look at persuasiveness negatively, but that’s not the right way to go about it. Being persuasive and communicative is a skill set everyone should try to have. By the end of this blog, you’ll know exactly why persuasive speech ideas are the way to go. You’ll also have tips to choose persuasive speech topics and structure.

What does persuasive even mean?

Simply put, persuasive is anything convincing or influential. Persuasion is a powerful tool that can help you gain other people’s trust so that they start listening to you. Being persuasive is about making someone follow your footsteps or motivate others to do something. Most importantly, persuasion often helps people take actions that might be difficult but beneficial in the long run. Hence, persuasive speech ideas help clear mental blocks or facilitate decision-making. 

What is a persuasive speech?

A persuasive speech is a speech that influences you to change your mind about something or convince you to do something. It always has a specific purpose, just like the speech you gave to your parents as a six-year-old to buy you that toy! Another simple example of a persuasive speech topic is “Why you should drink at least six glasses of water daily.” 

I am sure that you’ve heard at least one sales pitch in your life. Guess what? A sales pitch is one of the most common examples of persuasive speech. 

There are different types of persuasive speeches, but they almost always argue a point of view. Using persuasive speech topics, you can speak about : 

• What is
• What can be
• Why it should be
• How it should be

What is the difference between a persuasive speech and an informative speech?

There are different types of speeches; some are informative, some are descriptive, and some are persuasive. People tend to mix up persuasive and informative speeches. You need to understand that they’re very different from each other. 

An informative speech presents information to the audience; the goal is to simply inform or give facts with data, stories, statistics, and more. Persuasive speech topics are the ones where the goal is to convince the audience to agree with the speaker’s views or motivate the audience to do what the speaker says. It’s pretty distinct because, in a way, you’re trying to sell something. It could be anything; 

• a product, 
• an ideology, or 
• a strategy.

You need to remember that all good persuasive speech ideas are also informative. You need to include facts and information to support your point of view and convince your audience. The major difference is that you use data to support your arguments in a persuasive speech. So, the two will often overlap.

Communication coach Alex Lyon explains the difference in further detail in this video, so go ahead and check it out.

What makes a speech persuasive?

Think of it from an audience’s perspective; what will make you want to listen to the speaker and follow up on the discussion topic? What will interest you in listening to someone and motivate you to do what the speaker says?

• Relevance to the audience
• How it aligns with your beliefs
• The ethical side of presenting the argument

What is the importance and goal of persuasive speech topics?

As I mentioned, a persuasive speech can help your audience decide. It helps you as a leader to change other people’s mindsets or make them take some action. It’s a great tool that every leader should use to avoid force and blatant authority. 

The primary goal of a persuasive speech idea is to make the audience or listeners embrace your viewpoint or follow your path. But if I have to break it up into points, there are three major goals :

1. Actuation simply means being incited, compelled or moved to action. By this point, I mean that a speech is persuasive if it makes the audience take some action. A speech to actuate is structured so that the audience does something by the end. Presidential campaign speeches designed to make people vote for the candidate are great examples of persuasive speeches of this kind.

2. Convincing: Persuasive speech ideas meant to compel or persuade the audience to believe in the speaker’s truth or point of view fall in this category. These speeches are often delivered to change the existing notion that the listeners have to that of the speaker. An example could be a speaker convincing an audience opposed to adoption to consider it with his/her persuasive arguments.

3. Stimulation: This one is tricky to structure as the audience already agrees with the speakers. It’s the kind of persuasive speech where the speaker wishes to enhance and not change the audience’s belief or notion about something. Religious discourses often fall under this category.

Who needs to give persuasive speeches?

Persuasive speeches are more common than you might think. Have you ever seen a TV advertisement for a product and been persuaded to buy it or at least try it out? That’s a small persuasive speech to convince you to purchase that product! 

Remember when you tried to convince your parents to let you go out and party with your friends? Well, your persuasive speech, or the lack of it, convinced them or didn’t respectively to let you go out. And this is just one example from your everyday life where persuasive speech ideas can be useful. 

If you’ve ever been in a leadership position, you know how important it is to convince your team members to work towards a common goal, and a persuasive speech is the best way to do it. From great business leaders such as Jack Ma and Elon Musk to great politicians and freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., all these great leaders gave persuasive speeches that affected millions of lives. So, never underestimate the importance of persuasive speech topics; they might just change the world!

What needs to be considered when choosing persuasive speech topics?

I understand that finding persuasive speech ideas is hard, but it’s not impossible. So, what can you do to ensure your speech stays with the audience? Let us help you with that and make it easier for you.

The first thing that you need to do is to know your audience. One of the biggest mistakes speakers make is not considering their audience while choosing a topic. The speaker gives a speech, but the audience, the listeners, has to listen to it. So, choose a topic that your audience can engage with. 

The next thing to remember to ensure you have a persuasive speech topic is to ask yourself, “Does my speech topic answer a relevant question? Does it have a Call to action?” If the answer is a no or maybe, then it probably isn’t persuasive enough. People like to listen to speeches that answer some questions they have. So, think of it as helping your audience solve problems or controversies with your words.

What to Consider: 

One of the most important aspects of persuasive speech topics is that they have clarity. Before giving your speech, you must ensure you are convinced of what you’re saying. Persuasive speech topics are the ones that firstly convince the audience that you know what you’re talking about and then convince them to agree with you. 

Another essential part of persuasive speech ideas is familiarity and connection. This is to say that you should choose topics that you’re familiar with and preferable, as well as the audience. Topics that can help you connect with your audience and make them relate to you or your speech will almost always be more impactful and persuasive. For example, it’ll be more convincing if you’re a mother addressing an audience about ways to tackle motherhood struggles.

What is the structure of a persuasive speech?

Once you’ve chosen the right persuasive speech topic and before you start preparing and giving persuasive speeches, you need to structure them to have the maximum impact on your audience. Proper organization is the key to an impactful address. By the end of this speech, your goal is to persuade them about your argument that lies at the center of your speech. The most tried and tested method for structuring persuasive speech topics includes three major sections:

1. Introduction

2. Body

3. Conclusion

Introduction

Your introduction will have four main parts. You have to start with a “Hook,” which could be a startling statistic, a relatable anecdote, or even a joke that hooks the audience. Next, you talk about why the topic is relevant to the audience. The next step is stating your main argument for the persuasive speech and giving them a preview of what you will cover next.

Body

The body comprises three main parts: Problem, Solution, and Benefits. In the first part, you must state the degree, nature, and severity of the problem central to your persuasive speech. You may back it up with statistics, facts, and quotes from reputable sources to support your points. This is the most crucial aspect of your speech, so you can focus 40% of your speech on this.

Next, you introduce the solution to the problem stated earlier. You talk about how that solution effectively addresses the issue and persuades the audience about the necessity and importance of such a solution. Then, you segway into the benefits of your solution, which could be of various types. The end goal here is to convince every audience member and make them understand the multiple benefits that make this solution their go-to way to solve the problem.

Conclusion

Finally, you end your persuasive speech with a conclusion that has four main parts. Firstly, you segway an ending to your speech by using the appropriate words. Next, you highlight your persuasive speech’s key takeaway by summarising it into a few words the audience can take home to think about. Thirdly, you give the audience actionable instructions to implement immediately to get started with the solution you persuaded them to use. And finally, you leave them with a clincher statement that leaves a lasting impression in their minds and indirectly reinforces the persuasive speech’s main argument.

Persuasive Speech Example

Let’s take a simple example of the persuasive speech topic “Exercising daily prevents you from future severe illnesses” to understand how to construct a Body for your speech.

You first start with the problems that people who don’t exercise face. Talk about personal family members who have faced such issues and mention statistics about how widespread and severe the consequences of not exercising are and which age groups are most at risk.

Next, you talk about the solution: How regular exercise can reduce the chances of future illness. Finally, you end by elaborating about the benefits of exercising daily and how it can make your daily lifestyle healthier and lead to a long and healthy life!

Now that you know the basic structure of a persuasive speech, you can use it for the ideas I will discuss next and deliver a spot-on speech!

Persuasive speech topics to get you started

If you’ve reached here, you’re determined to deliver a persuasive speech, so keep going. To get you started, there are some words that you can include in your title that’ll surely pique your audience’s interest and make them pay attention (with examples). 

If you still can’t decide on your persuasive speech topics, find our list of interesting persuasive speech topics for college, funny persuasive speech topics, health-related persuasive speech topics, and more persuasive speech ideas below:

How can the knowledge and opinion of the speaker contribute to the choice of a persuasive speech topic?

Choosing a topic you truly understand is key to a persuasive speech. Your expertise empowers you to deliver accurate information, answer challenges, and delve deeper than the surface. This builds trust and credibility with your audience, making them more open to your perspective. Additionally, a personal connection to the topic strengthens your appeal. Sharing your experiences and passion demonstrates genuine understanding and motivates others to share your viewpoint. In short, choose wisely – your knowledge and connection are the bedrock of persuasion.

What are some factors to consider when researching a chosen topic?

Pick a familiar, intriguing topic that sparks your interest. Captivate the audience with fresh angles on familiar topics or vivid, descriptive language. Steer clear of overused themes and tap into emotions to truly connect. Choose a relatable issue close to your audience’s hearts, and always ask, “What do I want to achieve?” Let your goals guide you toward a topic that resonates and inspires action. Research wisely, and your speech will shine.

What are some persuasive speech topics related to ethics?

Buckle up for ethical dilemmas! Explore repeat DUI penalties, legalized prostitution’s impact, and the gun control tightrope walk in the US. Dive into medical marijuana’s pros and cons, the elusive true equality, and how “right” and “wrong” evolve. Finally, unpack the complexities of warfare: is it ever truly justified? Choose your topic, research deeply, and challenge your audience with this ethical exploration.

What are some persuasive speech topics related to business and the economy?

Business and economics ignite sparks – delve in with these hot topics! Explore the leadership potential of introverts, break through the isolation of entrepreneurship, and untangle the web of rising energy costs. Debate the economic impact of foreign workers, analyze the ethics of intern pay, and consider incentivizing green commutes. Friend or foe? Dive into the controversy of mandatory tipping. Each topic ignites discussions, fuels ideas, and propels you into the fascinating realm of business and the economy. Choose your platform and persuasively tackle these compelling issues!

What are some persuasive speech topics related to automotive?

From testing drivers every three years to debunking sports car myths, your next persuasive speech is waiting! Tackle hot topics like bicycle helmet laws, the pros and cons of electric cars, the dangers of distracted driving, drunk driving prevention, or the rise of self-driving vehicles. Choose your platform and ignite discussion with these thought-provoking automotive themes!

What are some persuasive speech topics related to arts/culture?

Dive into the vibrant world of arts and culture! Should schools fund creativity? Is music therapy healthcare? Art: Vandalism or masterpiece? Who protects our heritage? Can art change the world? Freedom of expression vs. censorship. Digital revolution: friend or foe of art? Let’s fight for diversity in the arts. Art: a mirror to our identity. Should we invest in artistic dreams? Choose your theme and ignite meaningful discussions!

What are some persuasive speech topics related to animals?

Dive into the animal world with these thought-provoking questions! Debate responsible pet adoption vs. buying from breeders. Unravel the ethics of keeping wild animals as pets. Should owning exotic creatures like monkeys be allowed? Should we close all zoos and aquariums? Choose your stance and ignite discussions on these compelling animal-related topics!

Where can timely persuasive topics be found?

Timely persuasive topics can be discovered through various sources such as social media platforms, radio broadcasts, television programs, and newspapers. These channels provide ample opportunities to explore a diverse range of categories, and we have curated a comprehensive list comprising 75 persuasive speech topic ideas.

How can familiarity with a topic make it easier to prepare for a speech?

Familiarity with your speech topic unlocks power! Build on existing knowledge, skip basic research, delve deeper, and structure your speech effortlessly. Confidence flows, ideas connect, and you handle audience questions like a pro. Anticipate challenges, refine arguments, and deliver a well-prepared, engaging, and memorable speech!

How do you choose a topic for a persuasive speech?

Finding the perfect speech topic? Consider this! Choose something you know and care about, something your audience finds interesting and relatable. Let visual descriptions paint a picture, offer a fresh perspective, and tug at their heartstrings. Consider what action you want them to take and pick a topic that sparks that motivation. With these factors in mind, you’ll deliver a speech that resonates, persuades, and inspires!

What should be considered when delivering a persuasive speech?

Captivate with your intro: startling fact, relatable story, or witty joke. Make it relevant: explain why it matters to them. State your case: what you want them to think/do and key points. Highlight the problem: its depth, nature, and severity. Prove it: use facts, stats, and quotes to back it up. Offer the solution: explain how it fixes the problem and why it’s needed. Showcase the benefits: how it makes things better for them. Wrap it up: smooth transition, key takeaway, call to action, memorable final thought. Persuade with structure and impact!

What should be done after choosing a topic for a persuasive speech?

Be an expert: Research deep and gather facts on your topic. Consider all sides: Explore different views and strengthen your argument. Speak to them: Tailor your message and connect with their interests. Build trust: Show your expertise and establish credibility. Structure for impact: Captivate, present the problem & solution, highlight benefits, and conclude powerfully. Practice makes perfect: Refine and deliver with confidence! Persuade, inspire, and captivate your audience!

What are some persuasive speech topics related to health?

Dive into persuasive speaking with these thought-provoking health topics! Explore the life-saving potential of blood donation, challenge media censorship and its impact on freedom of speech, or debate the reliability of Wikipedia as a factual source. These are just a few sparks to ignite your creative fire – more diverse speech prompts are coming!

What factors should be considered when choosing a topic for a speech?

To captivate your audience with a persuasive speech, choose a topic they care about that answers a question and inspires action. Show your expertise, connect with personal experiences, and pick something familiar to you and them. Go beyond the cliche, paint a vivid picture with your words, and tap into their emotions. Remember your desired outcome: What do you want them to do? Consider all these factors to ignite their interest and deliver a speech that truly moves them!

What can you do once you have everything in place?

Practice, practice, and practice! Preparation is the key to success and can do wonders for you. If you’re wondering how to practice, you’re at the right place. I have some excellent, useful, and affordable tips for you to do that. Head over to our video or blog on practicing your speech right away because I’ve got it all, from practicing in front of a mirror to fun tongue twisters. 

You can also check out our video about the ideal speech rate to make your speech even more persuasive.

Now that you have everything you need to deliver a persuasive speech and choose a persuasive speech topic, all the best! Don’t forget to tell us how it went in the comments or drop your questions.