Persuasive Speeches Outline Template (Page 5 of 6) in pdf

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

The fourth and final type of organizational pattern for a persuasive speech we will present is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. This

pattern follows five steps, with each taking place in order within your presentation. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is most often found in

advertising and business presentations, and often it can be easily identified within commercials.

The first step in the sequence is attention, where you focus the audience on the issue you plan to address. This is done by tying the

attention-getter directly to your topic. The second step calls for you to establish a need, so the audience becomes aware of a problem

or issue that needs to be addressed. This is a creative endeavor as you must find a way to establish the need for the audience by

illustrating your familiarity with their particular situation. The third step of the sequence is to present a way that satisfies the need. This

solution fills the need you created in the audience. Just presenting the solution does not guarantee they will adopt it, however, and so

the fourth step of visualization uses colorful language and vivid imagery to encourage the audience to see themselves adopting your

solution and fulfilling the need. The last step is the call to action, and takes place in the conclusion of the speech, where you reiterate

the desire for the audience to do as you propose.

Ultimately, you decide the organizational pattern by determining exactly what you want to accomplish in your speech. Persuasion

is a mental process, and at times the audience will not react as you desire. That is why it is important for you to know what to do if

you notice a negative reaction from the audience. In the final section, we will provide some suggestions on how to adapt to audience

feedback during your presentation to help ensure you stay on topic and retain the best possible chance at persuading your audience.

Adjusting to the Audience during the Speech

Just as credibility changes during a speech, so too does the audience’s response to your presentation. Sometimes this is good, as they

indicate enthusiasm and agreement with your position, but other times they can exhibit a lack of interest and even hostility as you lay

out your argument. Knowing how to adapt to this feedback is an essential part of successful persuasive speaking. In this section, we

will provide you with some tips for adapting to audience feedback.

Adapting to a Favorable Audience

The ideal audience is one that looks upon you favorably. You may be able to adjust your delivery to garner even more support, so be

sure to not do anything offensive that could jeopardize their support. If you notice nods of agreement with your statements, or clapping

and cheering, capitalize on this good feeling by increasing the volume and tone of your voice. Mirroring their enthusiasm can help

engender even stronger support for your position.

It might seem like engendering more support with an already favorable audience is unnecessary, but nothing could be further from

the truth. It is imperative to maintain, and even increase, interest and enthusiasm for you and your position. When an audience sees

your excitement, they will share it and take the message even further than the setting in which they heard you speak, thus giving your

position even more reach than your speech. All of this can be created by adapting to and taking advantage of good feelings and a

positive atmosphere created by a supportive audience.

Adapting to a Neutral Audience

In many cases, you may be presenting to an audience that does not know you or what you are talking about, and we characterize these

audiences as neutral. This audience has no position regarding you or your topic and thus could go either way, depending upon your

speech. In this environment, you will again not want to be offensive, but will need to make a strong case, as you are asking them to

choose among options. In these instances, you need to elaborate on the issue and connect it to your audience’s life, demonstrating why

they should care about it. Only then can you move forward to creating a persuasive call to action.

During your speech, you need to be prepared for several different audience reactions. They may appear confused, in which case you

need to reframe what you are talking about to make it easier to understand. They may begin to demonstrate agreement, which you can

then reference as you move forward with the speech. They also may appear uninterested, in which case you need to pause and find a

way to bring them back. Neutral audiences can be the trickiest audiences you might address.

Adapting to a Hostile Audience

There may be times when you are called upon to speak to an audience with an unfavorable disposition toward you and/or your topic. In

fact, they might be outright hostile. In some ways this is easier than a neutral audience because you at least know in advance where

they stand, making it easier to craft a message that might hit home. Establish common ground quickly with these types of audiences.

Beginning from a place of agreement or familiarity will lessen their hostility and at least open the possibility they will listen to what you

have to say. In fact, even during the speech when you notice disagreement or hostility in the audience, returning to these common

issues can help dull that discontent in the audience.

Persuasive Speeches Outline Template Page 5

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