Here’s how to develop and narrow down a persuasive speech idea.

Steps

1. Determine who your listeners are because the more controversial persuasive speech topics you choose, the harder it will be to convince them. Figure out the social-economic status of your audience. How old are they? Males, females, ethnicity? What is their political, educational, religious status? What are their needs and interests?

2. Note down why the topic of your choice interests you and what your clear opinion is.

3. Answer these questions: What is attitude of your public towards your persuasive speech topic? Why do they have to agree or act? Can you make the topic more relevant to them?

4. Provide evidence, hard facts, statistics, new figures, illustrations, quotations, definitions. Ask yourself, why do I think something is true or false?

5. Appeal to the morality and values of your listeners. Why do you like or dislike something? Why do your listeners have to agree that something is right or wrong, moral or immoral, valuable or worthless? Why do you want to convince them?

6. Offer examples the public will recognize, try to find common ground on related subjects and expert testimonies, and compare your idea with oppositional ideas.

7. If you suggest a change of policy then persuade that there is a problem and get the audience to agree with your solution.

8. Appeal to human needs, to reason and to emotion. Summarize the present situation, the causes and the negative effects everybody will recognize. Then present your solution to solve the problem.

9. Set the goal of your persuasive speech topic. Formulate it in a single phrase.

Examples: Fact claim: I want to persuade that the aging population has negative effects on the economy. Value claim: I want to persuade that metal detectors in schools violate the rights of students. Policy claim: I want to persuade the public that arranged marriages should be outlawed.

10. Turn your goal into an effective persuasive speech topic statement that is clearly identifying your message.

The Aging Population Hurts The Economy, Metal Detectors In Schools Violate Students’ Rights and Arranged Marriages Should Be Outlawed are examples of a catchy persuasive speech topic statements.

Tips:

• Definition of a persuasive speech topic: It has to state or claim facts, values or policies in order to get your listeners change their views or to convince them to act or to agree with your opinion and solutions. Tip: persuade and not just inform.

1. Quit Making Excuses
2. Spend Some Time With Yourself
3. Figure out What you Want-Then Go Get It
4. Stop Talking and Start Doing
5. Stop Being – Start Living
6. Stop Being a People Pleaser
7. Discover Your True Abilities
8. Curb Obesity in Children
9. Control Your Emotions With Meditation
10. Don’t Worry Be Happy
11. Pro-Life or Pro-Choice It doesn’t Matter
12. Are You a Dangerous Drinker?
13. Use Your Sixth Sense
14. Friend or Acquaintance -Do You Know?
15. Endings or Beginnings
16. Get Out Of Bed
17. Eliminate Self Imposed Age Discrimination
18. Guess Your True Independence
19. Organ Donation
20. Get Happy – Easy As 1-2-3
21. Get Independent
22. Acquire Your Communication Skills
23. What Drives You
24. Recognize The Power Of Intuition
25. Setting Goals Could Be A Set Up
26. Cults
27. Picking The Right Partner In Only 5 Steps
28. Think Before You Share Your Secrets
29. Happiness – What To Do To Create It
30. Depression and Pregnancy
31. No Really…Who Are You?
32. Step Into The Good Life – Change It Up
33. Being Different – That Makes Two Of Us

Related:

• How To Write A Speech
• Informative Speech Topics