Persuasion. Isn't it everywhere? Yes, it is. Advertisements persuade, retailers and sellers persuade, your small child persuades you to buy a candy bar, you persuade your friends to go to a coffee joint rather than a juice place... in most incidents and happenings of life, you'll find that persuasion plays an important role. So persuasion is everywhere, but it isn't easy. Changing people's opinions and making them follow yours is a tough thing to do. Getting to the pulse of the audience and convincing them is even more difficult. But more importantly, persuasion becomes important because people who perfect the art of persuasion get a lot of things done for themselves. And since it is not easy to have a vast audience following you and agreeing with your views, there needs to be a particular method followed which will guarantee you the attention that you set out to get. In the following article, we will be looking at how to go about giving the perfect persuasion speech by following a proper speech outline. Persuasive Speech Format Introduction The introduction speech is probably more important than the body. That's because it sets the mood of the speech that is to follow and lets the audience know what to expect. Make sure that the introduction includes the following factors: 1. Shocker Not necessarily a shocker, but it needs to definitely be something so good that it shocks/startles the audience into listening and paying attention. Make this happen through an anecdote, music, or with the help of a video. 2. State Objective The introduction will pave the way for the persuasive speech that will come about. Which is why, introducing the subject effectively is very important. Tell them what you'll be covering in the speech, what is the goal of the speech etc. 3. Form a Connect One of the best ways to prove that you're one with the audience is to draw a connect with them. Relate an incident that shows them that you understand their problem and identify with it because you've been through it yourself. 4. Make it Flow It is important to have your speech in one smooth flowing movement rather than in conjoined pieces. This makes it easier for the audience to stay with you. Body Coming to the body of the persuasive speech, make sure that your topic has you etching all the points out well. Thorough research is integral, not only for making good points, but also to maintain your credibility. Literally pen down what you want to convey to the audience and then make points based on that. In explaining each point, make use of a lot of examples and then take it back to connect it to the main goal and objective. Two of the main factors that make a speech effective is to infuse them with humor and to quote a lot of live examples (either personal or borrowed). Humor does not have to be used only in the matter of funny persuasive speech topics, cause nothing connects an audience better. After you're done stating the points, move to the conclusion by maintaining a smooth link between the body and the conclusion. Also, if you can, try to get the audience to interact, this will keep them attentive and make your job easier. And don't forget to maintain an open body language―confident and commanding. Conclusion In the conclusion, follow an outline that makes it imperative for you to state your purpose for giving that speech. Repeat your goals and state in brief how you proved it to be right. Ending on a personal note where you end with a question is also a very effective way of driving the speech home. Remember to practice giving the speech. I'm sure with all the tips that this article gave you, formulating an effective speech won't be really that tough. All the best!