September 4, 2006
How to Find Good Persuasive Speech Topics
Trying to settle down and find a good persuasive speech topic is no easy task. As a matter of fact, simply deciding upon a topic can be nearly as difficult as actually writing the speech. But far too frequently, greenhorn public speakers fail to take advantage of easy tactics that could make their jobs much, much simpler. With a little insight into who your audience is and a lot of homework, you shouldn't have any trouble narrowing your topic ideas down to the very best one.
However, it's vital to remember that when it comes to persuasive speeches, it's a pretty good idea to make your principal goal getting the positive attention and admiration of your audience. If you can manage to do that, regardless of what your topic is, you're well on your way to successful persuasion.
Be Sure That You Know Your Audience…
To really get to the heart of the matter, it's important that you understand that your audience will play the single most important role when it comes to choosing a topic for your persuasive speech.
That's because it's always a good idea to choose a topic that will keep them interested and involved in your speech. If there are some basic similarities between the attendees, capitalize on them! While this hardly sounds like original advice, you'd be absolutely amazed to discover how many speakers (even experienced speakers!) fail to take this into account.
Also, be sure to remember that most audiences are taking the time of their busy schedules and going to seminars and attending functions where persuasive speeches prevail in an effort to discover more about themselves. If you can also make this one of the underlying benefits of your persuasive speech, you're light-years ahead of most public speakers!
Start out by asking yourself what you can do to in some way, shape or form to show your audience something that will enhance the quality of their lives. Topics that qualify for this category might include:
- Amplified joy
- Deeper, truer love
- More wealth
- Satisfying relationships
- Strengthened power, or
- Superior health
However, not every public speaker can have total freedom when it comes to picking out a topic. If you're speaking at an event that caters to dentists, you're probably not going to be welcomed if your topic is "How to Never Have to Visit a Dentist Again…"
On the other hand, you can still increase the impact of your persuasive speech if you keep in mind certain trends that nearly all audiences share, even if you're working with a seemingly dry topic. Audiences want you to sell them the benefits of your topic or idea, and not simply the features. If you can answer the question, "What's in it for me?" for the majority of your audience members, you're much more likely to influence them that you're way of thinking, acting or behaving is the best.
Still searching for possibilities? Here's a little tip: the two supreme sources of interest for ANY audience are
- Financial prosperity and
- Self-development.
Can you include either (or both) of these aspects into your own persuasive speech?
Are You Still Finding Yourself Stumped?
If you're still a little stumped, pay mind to current values, thoughts, events and ambitions that may be shared by your audience members.
Are they all in the same industry?
Are they all the same sex?
Do many of them fall under the same income bracket?
What demographics do your audience members share?
While trying to persuade your audience, don't overlook opportunities to inform and educate, motivate and arouse or offer new solutions or new behaviors to help out with old, burning problems. Whatever you decide to say, make sure that the information is clear-cut and easy to understand for everyone sitting in the audience.
And, if you're still completely bewildered, here are a few popular persuasive topics you might want to think about:
- Adoption rights
- Affirmative action
- AIDS
- Animal Rights
- Capital Punishment
- Cloning
- Cost of Living/Minimum Wage
- Drugs and alcohol
- Elections
- Erosion/Deforestation
- Euthanasia
- Evolution
- Foreign policy
- Gay Rights
- Homelessness
- Home-Schooling
- Immigration
- Inflation
- Paranormal Phenomena
- Private School vouchers and/or
- Religious Intolerance
- Reproductive rights
- Suicide
- The environment
- The War in Iraq
- Vaccines
Remember to Consider the Dissenters in the Ranks…
In addition to all of this, since you will be giving a persuasive speech, it's a pretty good idea to work hard to establish both good will and credibility with your audience members. Offer qualifications and be as friendly and as likeable as possible. Why? Because if you're called to persuade, the chances are that there will be dissenters in the ranks, sometimes even to the point that you'd call them rude hecklers! What can a girl or guy do? Kill 'em with kindness!
However, you don't want to make the blunder of being too careful to avoid controversy, or you may risk coming off as wishy-washy or unresolved. Before you can ever expect to persuade your audience one way or another, you must first make certain that you've thoroughly convinced yourself!
And, as with any speech, be sure that you close with a powerful, poignant ending that leaves the listener mulling over questions such as, "What if?" or "Maybe I could…" long after they've left the event and gone back to their lives.
Finding good persuasive speech topics doesn't have to be brutal! Just know your audience, learn what they want to learn and then teach it to them!
It's a surefire way to sway their opinions and get the response you're after!
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