Plus, how to deliver your speech to change hearts and minds
- Education |
- Economy |
- Technology |
- Social Media |
- Sports |
- Arts |
- Environment |
- Politics |
- Society |
- College |
- Health |
- Ethics |
- Easy |
- Funny |
- Choosing a Topic |
- Crafting Your Speech
A persuasive speech is an argument where a presenter tries to convince an audience to see things from their point of view or take action for a cause. If you’re scrounging for a good topic for your next speech assignment, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for a list of over 300 persuasive speech topics for high school and college students to get inspired to persuade. We’ve even got speech writing and delivery tips from professional voice and speech coach Patrick Muñoz to help you present your arguments to the best of your ability.
Steps
Section 16 of 16:
Writing & Delivering a Persuasive Speech
-
1Research your topic and determine your angle or thesis statement. Maybe you’re already familiar with your topic and know exactly what your point of view is—or, maybe you don’t. In either case, research different opinions and data about your topic so you’re very familiar with both its supporting and opposing arguments. Gather as much information as you can before starting an outline or draft of your speech. [13] X Research source
- Once you’ve got all the facts, write your thesis statement . This is your main argument in one sentence. For example, “School uniforms should not be required because they don’t positively impact academic performance or behavior.”
- Your audience will be able to tell if you’re prepared and knowledgeable about the topic. If you appear unsure or your research is weak, you’ll have a harder time persuading them to agree with you.
-
2Open with an attention-getting anecdote or statistic in your thesis. Use your introduction to hook the audience and find some common ground with them. [14] X Research source Muñoz recommends starting with a personal anecdote: “Say the opposite of what you're going to be persuading them on to make it really stand out in their mind, like ‘Wow, is he/she really saying this?’ Speak from your heart and make sure you really connect to people, that you really look them in the eyes, that you really talk to them, that you're speaking very specifically about your topic. Those are good things to open up a persuasive speech with.”
- State your thesis after your attention-getter to preview what’s to come in the body of your speech.
-
3Outline your arguments and support them with facts and evidence. After your intro, walk the audience through the problems you’re describing, using evidence from your research to prove they’re a real issue. Explain what causes these problems and then propose solutions that relate back to your thesis statement. Include details on how your solution should ideally be executed, how long it may take, and any other relevant information. [15] X Research source
- For example, you could state that “School uniforms suppress self-expression” is a problem and use a student survey as evidence.
- Then, explain the cause: “Forcing everyone to wear the same thing limits creativity and personal expression at school.”
- End with a solution: “Eliminating uniforms allows students to dress more authentically.”
- You can also address any relevant counterarguments in a similar way: state what the counterargument or problem is, then use evidence to explain why it’s a weak or false argument and why your solution will work instead.
-
4Summarize your position and primary argument in a short conclusion. Wrap up your speech by summarizing the problem and your proposed solutions to it. This could be a loose summary for casual presentations, or a restatement of your thesis for formal speeches. Try ending with a final statement that leaves your audience thinking about your ideas—this is the last thing they’ll hear, so aim to make it impactful! [16] X Research source
- For example, you might say something like “A school without uniforms is a school where individuality and creativity soar. Will you be part of the movement?”
-
5Practice your delivery, including body language and enunciation. According to Muñoz, “Most of the time, we're not aware of how we come across.” The solution? “Prepare, prepare, prepare. Record yourself or practice giving [your speech] to the mirror. Practice singing it, try going as fast or slow or loud as you can, and jump around while you do it. Do anything you can do to get out of [your head] and into your body.”
- He continues, “Make sure there are no physical tics that give you away…and you're using a warm, centered voice.”
- If you struggle with mumbling , Muñoz advises to “Slow down and over-enunciate. Take a passage from a poem or a tongue twister and start to speak it very slowly and clearly. Make sure you're breathing in and letting that breath flow out. Record and listen to yourself.”
-
6Present your speech to the audience with confidence and energy. Pretend you’re speaking to real people instead of an amorphous “audience” in the distance. The key to persuading people is to make them feel like you’re really connecting with them. This could be through an anecdote, asking the audience questions, or just being your authentic self while you talk to them. [17] X Research source
- Muñoz adds, “Make sure you're standing up and you're very centered. Make sure you're breathing, make sure you're physically relaxed. All of those things can really help you give a great speech.”
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
References
- ↑ https://www.quadeducationgroup.com/blog/persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://www.quadeducationgroup.com/blog/persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://www.quadeducationgroup.com/blog/persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://press.uchicago.edu/dam/ucp/books/pdf/course_intro/978-0-226-52454-2_course_intro.pdf
- ↑ https://www.myperfectpaper.net/blog/persuasive-speech/persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://blog.collegevine.com/good-persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/05/23/is-college-worth-it-2/
- ↑ https://blog.collegevine.com/good-persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://blog.collegevine.com/good-persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://www.myperfectpaper.net/blog/persuasive-speech/persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://www.myperfectpaper.net/blog/persuasive-speech/persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://www.quadeducationgroup.com/blog/persuasive-speech-topics
- ↑ https://www.bbcmaestro.com/blog/how-to-write-a-persuasive-speech
- ↑ https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Tips-for-Writing-a-Persuasive-Speech.pdf
- ↑ https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Tips-for-Writing-a-Persuasive-Speech.pdf
- ↑ https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Tips-for-Writing-a-Persuasive-Speech.pdf
- ↑ https://www.bbcmaestro.com/blog/how-to-write-a-persuasive-speech
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 376 times.
Advertisement