Why should we be concerned with the structure of an argument? Well, persuasive messages have several pieces that must be included. Just as Plato stated that every message should have a structure like an animal (head, body, and feet), so must our arguments follow an understandable pattern. There are two basic elements to any persuasive message. These are the substance (arguments, facts, and content) and the form (pattern of arrangement). If you make up the form and pattern of your presentation as it comes into your head, it will be a detriment to long-term persuasion. A confused mind says "no." If the audience can't follow your facts or the substance of your message, their brains will not accept your message--there is no clear message to accept. At one time or another, you have probably been in a classroom where the teacher has completely lost you. You had no idea where the topic was going or where it had been. When this happens, your mind stalls and the learning process stops. Confusion is a state of mind that creates tension. We hate to be confused. When we create this mental confusion as persuaders, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Most uneducated "one-note persuaders" follow Harry Truman's advice: "If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em." Before we jump into the meat of this topic, remember as you prepare your persuasive message that you want to focus on one defined issue. You are not there to persuade on ten different points. Stay focused and steer clear of sensitive issues that aren't on your original agenda. In other words, don't inadvertently offend your audience on one issue when your focus in on another. The structure of your persuasive message should follow the pattern discussed below. A. Create Interest You have to generate an interest about your chosen topic. Your audience needs a reason to listen: Why should they care? What's in it for them? How can you help them? A message that starts with a really good reason to listen will grab the attention of the audience, enabling you to continue with the message. Without this attention, there is no hope of getting your message across. B. State the Problem You must clearly define the problem you are trying to solve. The best pattern for a persuasive speech is to find a problem and relate how it affects the audience. In this way, you show them a problem they have and why it is of concern to them. Why is this a problem to your audience? How does this problem affect them? C. Offer Evidence This is the support you give to your argument. Evidence validates your claims and offers proof that your argument is right. It allows your audience to rely on other sources besides you. Evidence can include examples, statistics, stories, testimonies, analogies, and any other supporting material used to enhance the integrity and congruency of your message. D. Present a Solution You have gained your audience's interest and provided evidence in support of your message, now you must solve their problem. You present the argument you want them to believe and satisfy the need you have identified or created. You have created dissonance and now you are providing the solution. How can your product meet their needs and wants and help them achieve their goals? E. Call to Action A persuasive message is not true persuasion if your audience does not know exactly what they need to do. Be specific and precise. In order to complete the solution to their problem, they must take action. This is the climax, the peak of your logic and emotion. The prescribed actions must be feasible. Make your call to action as easy as possible. Using this type of structure facilitates people's acceptance of your message and clarifies what you want them to do. We all have a logical side to our mind, which results in our need for order and arrangement. If we don't sense some sort of structure, we tend to become confused and create our own organizational flow--thus creating our own solution. If you can't be clear, concise, and orderly, your prospect will find someone else who is. In order to create a good structure for your argument and to reach your audience, it may be helpful to consider the following set of questions. Ask yourself these questions in regards to yourself and your message: - What do I want to accomplish?
- What will make my message clear to my audience?
- What will increase my credibility and trust?
- What Laws of Persuasion am I going to use?
- What do I want my prospects to do?
Ask yourself these questions in regards to your audience: - Who is listening to my message? (Audience demographics)
- What is their initial mindset? (What are they thinking and feeling now?)
- When will the call to action work? (What do you want them to do and when do you want them to do it?)
- Why should they care? (What is in it for them?)
- In what areas of their lives does this affect them? (Health, money, relationships, etc.)
- How will they benefit? (What will they gain?)
- These questions should help you create effective arguments in each of the key areas: interest, problem, evidence, solution, and action.
The call to action is the most important part of your presentation. This is where your audience understands exactly what you want them to do. It's where you define yourself as a persuader instead of a presenter. This conclusion should not come as a shock to your audience. During your presentation, you should have gently led them to the same conclusion that you are now giving them. You should have already prompted them to want to do what you are about to tell them to do. Some people hate this part of persuasion because they are asking their prospects to do something. This should really be the best part--the action is the only reason you are giving the presentation in the first place; your audience is going to understand that. If you become tense and uneasy, so will your prospect. The whole presentation should be structured to make the call to action smooth and seamless. In fact, the prospect should not even see or feel your call to action coming. You should prepare your audience for this conclusion before you even start on the rest of the presentation. Your entire presentation should be built around the call to action. I mean, write out the call to action word for word beforehand. From the outset of your message, you must be eager to get to this point. Be positive and enthusiastic. In your preparation, make sure your conclusion is explicit and that the audience is not left on their own to make sense of and understand your message. You need to tell them what to believe; you draw the conclusion for them. Make the call to action easy for them to follow and simple for them to do. There should be no doubt in your prospects' minds -What to do. There is a story of an old man who goes to a dentist because he has a tooth that is killing him. He has been putting it off for months and finally he has to get the tooth taken care of. Once there, the dentist agrees that the tooth needs to come out. The man asks the dentist how much it will cost. The dentist replies that it will be about $250. The old man yelps and yells, "$250 to pull out a tooth?!!" Then he asks how long the procedure will take. He is told it will take about five minutes. "$250 for five minutes of work? That is highway robbery!" the old man protests. The man then asks the dentist how he can live with himself charging people that kind of money. The dentist smiles and says, "If it's the time you are worried about, I can take as long as you want." When planning and preparing your call to action, remember that the process does not have to be long and painful. Be short, brief, and to the point. |
