ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the definition of persuasion, explores how do persuasive presentations differ from informative presentations, and what specific factors affect persuasion. It describes the two types of persuasive presentations such as presentations to convince and presentations to actuate, and what are the differences between them. The chapter explores three primary means of persuasion, and how do they help speakers build effective persuasive appeals according to Aristotle. To be persuasive speakers need more than just credibility, they also need to show they are using effective evidence and reasoning. Evidence includes the statements and opinions presented in the form of statistics, definitions, illustrations, and other types of supporting materials that back up their position. Reasoning is a process that ties their evidence together in an orderly manner so that their conclusion logically follows from the evidence. The chapter also discusses different organizational patterns that work well for persuasive speeches.
