ABSTRACT
The strongest power that public speaking possesses is the power to persuade. Persuasion in many ways is one of the most powerful tools of life. An informative speech may persuade, but if its primary purpose is to inform, then the persuasion is accidental. Over 2,000 years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle said that no other factor was more important to success in persuasion than the audience's perception of a persuader as having good sense, good moral character, and goodwill. In persuasion, the term image refers to a mental picture that a customer has of the product that the persuader is selling. The act of persuasion is psychologically based. Persuasive speeches can be classified into three types: speeches to convince; speeches to reinforce; and speeches to activate. The Independence Day orator, the speaker at a pep rally, commencement speaker, political speaker at the Democratic National Convention, and persons delivering eulogies, inaugural addresses, memorials, and testimonials are involved with persuasion to reinforce.
