persuasive speech outline attention need satisfaction visualization action

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Persuasive speech outline example

-an outline using Monroe's 5 step Motivated Sequence

By:  Susan Dugdale  

This persuasive speech outline example uses Monroe's Motivated Sequence (MMS) - a 5 step structural pattern for organizing material focusing on, as its name suggests, motivational appeals.

The sequence forms the basis of many of the successful political, public awareness or advertising campaigns you see and hear around you on a daily basis.

For example: campaigns to raise awareness of health issues: The Heart Truth, NDAFW - National Drugs and Alcohol Facts Week, or STOMP Out Bullying. *

Why is the framework so popular? Because it faithfully follows the psychology of persuasion. In a nutshell, it works. Exceedingly well.

Use the quick links to get around this very long page efficiently. Each of the five steps is fully explained and illustrated in an example speech outline. There's a printable MMS speech outline document for your own use too!

Page quick links

• Step overview
• Step 1 - Attention
• Step 2 - Need
• Step 3 - Satisfaction
• Step 4 - Visualization
• Step 5 - Action
• Download blank outline template

More persuasive speech resources

About Monroe's Motivated Sequence

The pattern, or steps, of the sequence mirror those identified as being the normal thinking processes that occur whenever a person is confronted by a problem.

Because the steps are perceived as reasonable and logical using them prepares and motivates an audience to respond positively to the speaker's message.

The sequence is named after Dr  Alan H Monroe who, after graduating from Northwestern University in 1924, joined the staff at Purdue University (USA) as an Instructor in English. Two years later he became Instructor in Public Speaking and was subsequently promoted to Assistant Professor and head of the speech section of the English department. He retired from the role in 1963.  

 Overview of Monroe's 5 step motivation sequence

In developing your persuasive speech outline you will follow these 5 steps:

• Attention Grab the audience's attention
• Need Establish there is a problem (need) demanding their attention
• Satisfaction Outline a solution to the problem
• Visualization Show the audience how they will benefit from your solution
• Action Provide the impetus and means to act

Monroe's five steps in more detail

Now let's examine those steps more closely.

To make the process easier to follow I've prepared a simple example speech illustrating each step and the transitions between them.  That's the text in the green boxes. 

As you read start thinking about your audience and your topic.  Jot any ideas down for later use.

About this sample speech - topic, purpose and audience

The subject  is fear of public speaking.

The specific purpose of the speech is  to persuade and encourage people in the audience to take a course to overcome their fear of public speaking. 

The central idea   of the speech is that the ability to speak in public opens doors to many opportunities.

The audience is  drawn from the local community. They range in age from late teens to forties plus.

The 5 steps of Monroe's motivation sequence 

Getting attention - step 1.

This step is your introductory "listen up" call. To make it effective it needs to grab the audience. It could be any of the following:

• a startling statement
• a rhetorical question
• a quotation
• a funny story
• a dramatic story
• a photograph or other visual aid

Put yourself in the position of your audience when deciding how to hook and hold their attention. Why should they listen to you?  How does what you have to say benefit them? Is it relevant to them? How?

Step one - attention 

Do you know the real costs of public speaking fear?

The price is high.

Research reveals that a person with public speaking fear is 10% less likely to graduate from college, is likely to receive 10% less in wages and is 15% less likely to take on management or leadership positions.

Who pays? You. Me. Us. Anybody who allows fear to govern their decision making. We pay by sacrificing our potential selves, putting our dreams away and settling for less.

Establishing credibility

As well as getting their attention you also need to establish your credibility or right to talk on the subject. Your audience needs to know that they can believe what you're telling them. If they feel they can trust your expertise and experience they will be much more likely to follow your lead. 

Credibility statement

That’s a question I asked myself a long time ago. As a teacher with many years of experience I saw far too many students who would do anything they could to avoid public speaking. To answer it I researched.

Then I used those answers to devise public speaking programs that were effective and fun.

Transition - the link from step 1 to step 2

Can you imagine the positive impact feeling OK about speaking up would have? On individuals? On families? On our community?

E stablish the need - step 2

This step develops the need for change. Now that you have your audience's attention you will clearly show them what the problem is and the extent of it.

To be effective use:

• examples to illustrate how it impacts on them - their happiness, future, health, family, neighborhood...
• statistics - facts, figures, graphs, diagrams... Remember to cite your sources and remember too that some are more credible than others. You need recognized sources to give your speech the credibility you want.
• expert witness testimony - the more authoritative, the better

Your goal at the conclusion of this step is to have your audience eager to hear your solution. They agree with you that there is a problem and want the answer.

Step two – Need

A.  According to frequently cited statistics 75%   of people suffer from some degree of glossophobia - fear of speaking in public. Source:    Hamilton, C. (2008) [2005]. Communicating for Results, a Guide for Business and the Professions (eighth edition)

• At the extreme upper end of this very large group are the people who would literally run a mile rather than speak. For example, they will not apply for promotions if the new position means giving presentations. They will not give a speech at a special family occasion - a wedding, birthday or funeral.  Public speaking makes them ill, literally. There maybe quite a few of you here, so you’ll know exactly what I mean.
• At the other end of the scale are the people who have one or two butterflies fluttering around – enough to make them register they’re a little nervous about speaking but it’s nothing to worry about. There’s likely not so many of you here. If you have come along, it’s probably to support someone who needs it! Thank you.
• The majority of us are somewhere in the middle where it’s neither all fine nor all bad. Some days are OK. We manage. And some days it’s definitely not OK. We just hang in there by the skin of our chattering teeth.

B. Bad public speaking experiences often lead to more of the same. History repeats.

• We focus on the criticism we received and interpret it as a criticism of ourselves. Our speech is bad therefore I am bad. This makes a shaky platform to build public speaking skills and confidence on.
• When given a presentation to prepare we procrastinate because we don’t feel confident or competent. That means we don’t put the work in which in turn leads to another bad experience. It becomes a vicious circle.
• When we feel ashamed about ourselves we often close off. We don’t ask for help and it becomes easier to expect less of ourselves and our lives.
•  Here's those stats again. According to Franklin Schneier, MD, s omeone with public speaking fear is likely to receive 10% less in wages, be 10% more likely to drop out of college and be 15% less likely to apply for leadership or management roles.

C. Begins in youth.

• “The fear of public speaking is more common in younger patients as compared to older ones and may be more prevalent in females as compared to males,” says Jeffrey R. Strawn, MD, FAACAP, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics and director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati.
• More than 75% of people experience their first symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder which often includes fear of public speaking during their childhood or early teenage years - American Psychiatric Association. (2014). Understanding Mental Disorders
• Let’s conduct a quick informal survey to test that– raise your hand if any anxiety you feel about public speaking began when you were young.

Transition - the link between step 2 and step 3

However there is a way to break this pattern of anxiety. It can be stopped, and everyone who wants to can learn to speak in public confidently.

S atisfy the need - step 3

Now you outline your answer or solution and show the audience how it will work.

To do this well:

• outline your solution succinctly
• demonstrate how it meets the problem
• use examples to show how effective it is
• support with facts, figures, graphs, diagrams, statistics, testimony...
• if there is known opposition to your solution, acknowledge and counteract showing how your plan overturns it

The ideal outcome of this step is the audience nodding and saying to themselves: " Yes. This is possible, practical and sensible."   Your answer satisfies them. It gives them  "satisfaction".

Step three - Satisfaction 

A. Come along to an introductory course

• It's free, led by experienced teachers and especially designed for people with a history of being nervous about speaking in public.
• Once a week for 4 weeks you'll have 2 hours of practical public speaking training and practice.
• You'll learn tips and tricks to manage your anxiety, to give varying types of presentations, to effectively structure a speech, and to confidently deliver a speech.

B. When people overcome fear of public speaking there are so many things they can do:

• Complete their college education and go on to further study if they wanted to
• Apply for the positions they know would give them greater work satisfaction
• Speak up when they need to about issues concerning themselves, their family and their community
• Inspire others to follow their example

C. Exchanging public speaking fear for confidence will help people to:

• Communicate more effectively
• Listen more carefully to others
• Understand the power of the spoken word and what it can achieve

Transition - the link between step 3 and step 4

Can you imagine the positive impact that would have on people’s lives? Maybe yours?

S ee the future - step 4

In this step the audience "experiences" the solution. They see (feel, hear, taste...) what will happen if they do as you are suggesting contrasted against what will happen if they don't do as you are suggesting.

This step relies on your use of vivid imagery to portray the outcome of their action, or inaction. They see and feel the pleasure, or pain, in their imagination. To bring it home to your audience the pictures you provide, the stories you tell, need to be relevant and believable.

What you want folk thinking as you conclude this step is:  "I can see that this would be good for me."

Step four - Visualization

A. Imagine what society would be like if everyone took full advantage of the educational opportunities that best fitted their interests and abilities. How would that feel?

• There would be much less personal dissatisfaction and social unrest caused by people working in positions that do not pay very well or extend their skills and well being. That would be much more healthy: physically, emotionally and mentally, for everybody. You could ask for a raise! Apply for that job you always wanted! Give a presentation! Toast your bride!
• It would generate a ripple effect. People who speak up confidently and competently encourage others to do likewise. People would feel empowered – free to become the best of themselves - shoulders back, head up, standing tall, looking the world straight in the eye!

B. What disadvantages could there possibly be?

• Perhaps it could uncomfortable for those who have got used to assuming the right to talk for others without consultation. Is that really a bad thing?
• Perhaps it could lead to robust conversations where there are differing opinions over issues?  Again, is that a bad thing? It could be an opportunity to polish debating skills.
• There are no real disadvantages! Overcoming public speaking fear is good for everyone. A win-win.

Transition - the link from step 4 to step 5

Let’s do more than imagine speaking in public freely and competently. Let’s take the steps towards making it happen.

T ake action - step 5

In this last step you present your call to action.

The call to action can be embedded in any combination of the following:

• a challenge or appeal
• a personal statement of intent

To be effective the action step must be readily doable and executed as soon as possible. Make it as easy as you can for your audience. If you want them to sign up for something, have the forms available. If you wish them to lodge a personal protest in writing to your local government have stock letters and envelopes ready. In other words do the leg work for them!

Action steps that are delayed even for 48 hours are less likely to be acted on. We're human - life goes on. Other things intervene and the initial urgency is lost.

Step five – Action

  A. (Summary) Apparently 3/4 of us – 75%, are nervous about public speaking – often the result of a bad experience when were young. That has a direct impact on our adult lives. If we allow it to continue it is likely we will be paid less, fall out of college without graduating and settle for less-challenging jobs. In short – live a lesser life. However it doesn’t have to be like that. We could choose to change. We could become our bigger and best selves.

  B. (Call to Immediate Action)

We could, in the famous words of Susan Jeffers, "Feel the fear and do it anyway!"

I’ve got enrollment forms here for that free introductory public speaking course. That’s four two hour sessions over the next four weeks using tried, tested and proven methods of teaching with experienced instructors. You’ll learn how to prepare and deliver speeches. And you'll swap fear for confidence and competence while having fun!

C. (Memorable Close) Who knows what magic may happen once you speak up!

There are 15 places available. Make one of them yours.

Sources/references 

• Rosemary Black. (2018, June 4)  Glossophobia (Fear of Public Speaking): Are You Glossophobic?     Retrieved from  https://www.psycom.net/glossophobia-fear-of-public-speaking  
• Franklin Schneier. (2005) Social Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from:  http://www.columbia.edu/itc/hs/medical/psychmed2/3_2005/Schneier-SocialAnxietyDisorderBW.pdf
• Author and date of publication unknown.  Social Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from:  http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/social-anxiety-disorder
• Doug Staneart. (2018, March). Podcast 29 - How to Scare the Gooey Out of a Nervous Public Speaker. Retrieved from:  https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/how-to-scare-the-gooey-out-of-a-new-public-speaker/  

F itting the standard speech format

If you are wondering how these 5 steps of Monroe's Motivated Sequence fit into the standard 3 part speech format , they go like this:

• Step 1 ( Attention ) forms the Introduction.
• Steps 2,  3 and 4 ( Need,   Satisfaction and Visualization ) form the Body.
• Step 5 ( Action ) is the Conclusion.

Download a persuasive speech outline template

And now download printable blank ready-to-complete Monroe's Motivated Sequence  persuasive speech outline template . You'll find the entire 5 step process laid out clearly, ready for you to fill in the gaps.

A sample persuasive speech

Want to read a  persuasive speech example ?

This example speech ("After they're gone") follows the sequence outlined on this page.

Before you click through to it you should know the topic is somber; the impact of suicide on family and friends. I wrote it to persuade those in need to seek and accept help and to raise awareness of the issues around suicide.

Persuasive speech topics

Maybe you haven't found the persuasive speech topic you want yet? Check these pages:

- 100 great  persuasive speech ideas  

- 50  good persuasive speech topics

-  205 fun persuasive speech topics

- 309 'easy' persuasive speech topics

-  310 persuasive speech topics for college

- 108 feminist persuasive speech topics

Communication coach Alex Lyon explains

If you'd like more on Monroe's Motivated Sequence  here's a great video with excellent examples from communication coach Alex Lyons. 

And lastly, here's the links to those campaigns I mentioned at the top of the page: The Heart Truth ,  National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW)  and STOMP Out Bullying .

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17.3 Organizing Persuasive Speeches

Learning objectives.

• Understand three common organizational patterns for persuasive speeches.
• Explain the steps utilized in Monroe’s motivated sequence.
• Explain the parts of a problem-cause-solution speech.
• Explain the process utilized in a comparative advantage persuasive speech.

Steven Lilley – Engaged – CC BY-SA 2.0.

Previously in this text we discussed general guidelines for organizing speeches. In this section, we are going to look at three organizational patterns ideally suited for persuasive speeches: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantages.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

One of the most commonly cited and discussed organizational patterns for persuasive speeches is Alan H. Monroe’s motivated sequence. The purpose of Monroe’s motivated sequence is to help speakers “sequence supporting materials and motivational appeals to form a useful organizational pattern for speeches as a whole” (German et al., 2010).

While Monroe’s motivated sequence is commonly discussed in most public speaking textbooks, we do want to provide one minor caution. Thus far, almost no research has been conducted that has demonstrated that Monroe’s motivated sequence is any more persuasive than other structural patterns. In the only study conducted experimentally examining Monroe’s motivated sequence, the researchers did not find the method more persuasive, but did note that audience members found the pattern more organized than other methods (Micciche, Pryor, & Butler, 2000). We wanted to add this sidenote because we don’t want you to think that Monroe’s motivated sequence is a kind of magic persuasive bullet; the research simply doesn’t support this notion. At the same time, research does support that organized messages are perceived as more persuasive as a whole, so using Monroe’s motivated sequence to think through one’s persuasive argument could still be very beneficial.

Table 17.1 “Monroe’s Motivated Sequence” lists the basic steps of Monroe’s motivated sequence and the subsequent reaction a speaker desires from his or her audience.

Table 17.1 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

The first step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the attention step , in which a speaker attempts to get the audience’s attention. To gain an audience’s attention, we recommend that you think through three specific parts of the attention step. First, you need to have a strong attention-getting device. As previously discussed in Chapter 9 “Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively” , a strong attention getter at the beginning of your speech is very important. Second, you need to make sure you introduce your topic clearly. If your audience doesn’t know what your topic is quickly, they are more likely to stop listening. Lastly, you need to explain to your audience why they should care about your topic.

In the need step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the speaker establishes that there is a specific need or problem. In Monroe’s conceptualization of need, he talks about four specific parts of the need: statement, illustration, ramification, and pointing. First, a speaker needs to give a clear and concise statement of the problem. This part of a speech should be crystal clear for an audience. Second, the speaker needs to provide one or more examples to illustrate the need. The illustration is an attempt to make the problem concrete for the audience. Next, a speaker needs to provide some kind of evidence (e.g., statistics, examples, testimony) that shows the ramifications or consequences of the problem. Lastly, a speaker needs to point to the audience and show exactly how the problem relates to them personally.

Satisfaction

In the third step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the satisfaction step , the speaker sets out to satisfy the need or solve the problem. Within this step, Monroe (1935) proposed a five-step plan for satisfying a need:

• Explanation
• Theoretical demonstration
• Reference to practical experience
• Meeting objections

First, you need to clearly state the attitude, value, belief, or action you want your audience to accept. The purpose of this statement is to clearly tell your audience what your ultimate goal is.

Second, you want to make sure that you clearly explain to your audience why they should accept the attitude, value, belief, or action you proposed. Just telling your audience they should do something isn’t strong enough to actually get them to change. Instead, you really need to provide a solid argument for why they should accept your proposed solution.

Third, you need to show how the solution you have proposed meets the need or problem. Monroe calls this link between your solution and the need a theoretical demonstration because you cannot prove that your solution will work. Instead, you theorize based on research and good judgment that your solution will meet the need or solve the problem.

Fourth, to help with this theoretical demonstration, you need to reference practical experience, which should include examples demonstrating that your proposal has worked elsewhere. Research, statistics, and expert testimony are all great ways of referencing practical experience.

Lastly, Monroe recommends that a speaker respond to possible objections. As a persuasive speaker, one of your jobs is to think through your speech and see what counterarguments could be made against your speech and then rebut those arguments within your speech. When you offer rebuttals for arguments against your speech, it shows your audience that you’ve done your homework and educated yourself about multiple sides of the issue.

Visualization

The next step of Monroe’s motivated sequence is the visualization step , in which you ask the audience to visualize a future where the need has been met or the problem solved. In essence, the visualization stage is where a speaker can show the audience why accepting a specific attitude, value, belief, or behavior can positively affect the future. When helping people to picture the future, the more concrete your visualization is, the easier it will be for your audience to see the possible future and be persuaded by it. You also need to make sure that you clearly show how accepting your solution will directly benefit your audience.

According to Monroe, visualization can be conducted in one of three ways: positive, negative, or contrast (Monroe, 1935). The positive method of visualization is where a speaker shows how adopting a proposal leads to a better future (e.g., recycle, and we’ll have a cleaner and safer planet). Conversely, the negative method of visualization is where a speaker shows how not adopting the proposal will lead to a worse future (e.g., don’t recycle, and our world will become polluted and uninhabitable). Monroe also acknowledged that visualization can include a combination of both positive and negative visualization. In essence, you show your audience both possible outcomes and have them decide which one they would rather have.

The final step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the action step , in which a speaker asks an audience to approve the speaker’s proposal. For understanding purposes, we break action into two distinct parts: audience action and approval. Audience action refers to direct physical behaviors a speaker wants from an audience (e.g., flossing their teeth twice a day, signing a petition, wearing seat belts). Approval, on the other hand, involves an audience’s consent or agreement with a speaker’s proposed attitude, value, or belief.

When preparing an action step, it is important to make sure that the action, whether audience action or approval, is realistic for your audience. Asking your peers in a college classroom to donate one thousand dollars to charity isn’t realistic. Asking your peers to donate one dollar is considerably more realistic. In a persuasive speech based on Monroe’s motivated sequence, the action step will end with the speech’s concluding device. As discussed elsewhere in this text, you need to make sure that you conclude in a vivid way so that the speech ends on a high point and the audience has a sense of energy as well as a sense of closure.

Now that we’ve walked through Monroe’s motivated sequence, let’s look at how you could use Monroe’s motivated sequence to outline a persuasive speech:

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classroom peers that the United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments.

Main Points:

• Attention: Want to make nine thousand dollars for just three weeks of work lying around and not doing much? Then be a human guinea pig. Admittedly, you’ll have to have a tube down your throat most of those three weeks, but you’ll earn three thousand dollars a week.
• Need: Every day many uneducated and lower socioeconomic-status citizens are preyed on by medical and pharmaceutical companies for use in for-profit medical and drug experiments. Do you want one of your family members to fall prey to this evil scheme?
• Satisfaction: The United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments to ensure that uneducated and lower-socioeconomic-status citizens are protected.
• Visualization: If we enact tougher experiment oversight, we can ensure that medical and pharmaceutical research is conducted in a way that adheres to basic values of American decency. If we do not enact tougher experiment oversight, we could find ourselves in a world where the lines between research subject, guinea pig, and patient become increasingly blurred.
• Action: In order to prevent the atrocities associated with for-profit medical and pharmaceutical experiments, please sign this petition asking the US Department of Health and Human Services to pass stricter regulations on this preying industry that is out of control.

This example shows how you can take a basic speech topic and use Monroe’s motivated sequence to clearly and easily outline your speech efficiently and effectively.

Table 17.2 “Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Checklist” also contains a simple checklist to help you make sure you hit all the important components of Monroe’s motivated sequence.

Table 17.2 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Checklist

Problem-Cause-Solution

Another format for organizing a persuasive speech is the problem-cause-solution format. In this specific format, you discuss what a problem is, what you believe is causing the problem, and then what the solution should be to correct the problem.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classroom peers that our campus should adopt a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech.

• Demonstrate that there is distrust among different groups on campus that has led to unnecessary confrontations and violence.
• Show that the confrontations and violence are a result of hate speech that occurred prior to the events.
• Explain how instituting a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy against hate speech could stop the unnecessary confrontations and violence.

In this speech, you want to persuade people to support a new campus-wide policy calling for zero-tolerance of hate speech. Once you have shown the problem, you then explain to your audience that the cause of the unnecessary confrontations and violence is prior incidents of hate speech. Lastly, you argue that a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy could help prevent future unnecessary confrontations and violence. Again, this method of organizing a speech is as simple as its name: problem-cause-solution.

Comparative Advantages

The final method for organizing a persuasive speech is called the comparative advantages speech format. The goal of this speech is to compare items side-by-side and show why one of them is more advantageous than the other. For example, let’s say that you’re giving a speech on which e-book reader is better: Amazon.com’s Kindle or Barnes and Nobles’ Nook. Here’s how you could organize this speech:

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the Nook is more advantageous than the Kindle.

• The Nook allows owners to trade and loan books to other owners or people who have downloaded the Nook software, while the Kindle does not.
• The Nook has a color-touch screen, while the Kindle’s screen is black and grey and noninteractive.
• The Nook’s memory can be expanded through microSD, while the Kindle’s memory cannot be upgraded.

As you can see from this speech’s organization, the simple goal of this speech is to show why one thing has more positives than something else. Obviously, when you are demonstrating comparative advantages, the items you are comparing need to be functional equivalents—or, as the saying goes, you cannot compare apples to oranges.

Key Takeaways

• There are three common patterns that persuaders can utilize to help organize their speeches effectively: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantage. Each of these patterns can effectively help a speaker think through his or her thoughts and organize them in a manner that will be more likely to persuade an audience.
• Alan H. Monroe’s (1935) motivated sequence is a commonly used speech format that is used by many people to effectively organize persuasive messages. The pattern consists of five basic stages: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. In the first stage, a speaker gets an audience’s attention. In the second stage, the speaker shows an audience that a need exists. In the third stage, the speaker shows how his or her persuasive proposal could satisfy the need. The fourth stage shows how the future could be if the persuasive proposal is or is not adopted. Lastly, the speaker urges the audience to take some kind of action to help enact the speaker’s persuasive proposal.
• The problem-cause-solution proposal is a three-pronged speech pattern. The speaker starts by explaining the problem the speaker sees. The speaker then explains what he or she sees as the underlying causes of the problem. Lastly, the speaker proposes a solution to the problem that corrects the underlying causes.
• The comparative advantages speech format is utilized when a speaker is comparing two or more things or ideas and shows why one of the things or ideas has more advantages than the other(s).
• Create a speech using Monroe’s motivated sequence to persuade people to recycle.
• Create a speech using the problem-cause-solution method for a problem you see on your college or university campus.
• Create a comparative advantages speech comparing two brands of toothpaste.

German, K. M., Gronbeck, B. E., Ehninger, D., & Monroe, A. H. (2010). Principles of public speaking (17th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, p. 236.

Micciche, T., Pryor, B., & Butler, J. (2000). A test of Monroe’s motivated sequence for its effects on ratings of message organization and attitude change. Psychological Reports, 86 , 1135–1138.

Monroe, A. H. (1935). Principles and types of speech . Chicago, IL: Scott Foresman.

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Article • 8 min read

Monroe's Motivated Sequence

Perfecting the call to act.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Is persuasion a gift? Are some people born with the ability to speak well and "sell" their ideas successfully?

It sure seems that way when you're wowed by a motivational speaker, or galvanized into action by a thought-provoking presentation.

In your role, do you ever need to motivate, inspire, or persuade others? Whether you're a senior executive giving a presentation to the Board, a manager giving a morale-boosting speech to your team, or a production manager giving a presentation on safety standards, at some point, you'll probably have to move people to action.

While there are certainly those who seem to inspire and deliver memorable speeches effortlessly, the rest of us can learn how to give effective presentations, too. In this article, we'll look at the key factors you need to put together a clear and engaging call to action using a five-step process known as Monroe's Motivated Sequence.

Monroe's Motivated Sequence: The Five Steps

Alan H. Monroe, a Purdue University professor, used the psychology of persuasion to develop an outline for making speeches that will deliver results, and wrote about it in his book Monroe's Principles of Speech . It's now known as Monroe's Motivated Sequence.

This is a well-used and time-proven method to organize presentations for maximum impact. You can use it for a variety of situations to create and arrange the components of any message. The steps are explained below:

Step One: Get Attention

Get the attention of your audience. Use storytelling , humor, a shocking statistic, or a rhetorical question – anything that will get the audience to sit up and take notice.

This step doesn't replace your introduction – it's part of your introduction. In your opening, you should also establish your credibility (see The Rhetorical Triangle for tips), state your purpose, and let the audience know what to expect. Delivering Great Presentations provides a strong foundation for building the steps in Monroe's Motivated Sequence.

Lets use the example of a half-day seminar on safety in the workplace. Your attention step might be as follows.

Step Two: Establish the Need

Convince your audience there's a problem. This set of statements must help the audience realize that what's happening right now isn't good enough – and needs to change.

• Use statistics to back up your statements.
• Talk about the consequences of maintaining the status quo and not making changes.
• Show your audience how the problem directly affects them.

Remember, you're not at the "I have a solution" stage yet. Here, you want to make the audience uncomfortable and restless, and ready to do the "something" that you recommend.

Step Three: Satisfy the Need

Introduce your solution. How will you solve the problem that your audience is now ready to address? This is the main part of your presentation. It will vary significantly, depending on your purpose. In this section:

• Discuss the facts.
• Elaborate and give details to make sure the audience understands your position and solution.
• Clearly state what you want the audience to do or believe.
• Summarize your information from time to time as you speak.
• Use examples, testimonials, and statistics to prove the effectiveness of your solution.
• Prepare counterarguments to anticipated objections.

Step Four: Visualize the Future

Describe what the situation will look like if the audience does nothing. The more realistic and detailed the vision, the better it will create the desire to do what you recommend. Your goal is to motivate the audience to agree with you and adopt similar behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. Help them see what the results could be if they act the way you want them to. Make sure your vision is believable and realistic.

You can use three methods to help the audience share your vision:

• Positive method – Describe what the situation will look like if your ideas are adopted. Emphasize the positive aspects.
• Negative method – Describe what the situation will look like if your ideas are rejected. Focus on the dangers and difficulties caused by not acting.
• Contrast method – Develop the negative picture first, and then reveal what could happen if your ideas are accepted.

Step Five: Action/Actualization

Your final job is to leave your audience with specific things that they can do to solve the problem. You want them to take action now.

Don't overwhelm them with too much information or too many expectations, and be sure to give them options to increase their sense of ownership of the solution. This can be as simple as inviting them to have some refreshments as you walk around and answer questions. For very complex problems, the action step might be getting together again to review plans.

For some of us, persuasive arguments and motivational speaking come naturally. The rest of us may try to avoid speeches and presentations, fearing that our message won't be well received.

But Monroe's Motivated Sequence can help you to improve the quality of your message, and create a call of action that has real impact.

The model includes five key steps:

• Get attention.
• Establish the need.
• Satisfy the need.
• Visualize the future.
• Action/Actualization.

It's a straightforward formula for success that's been used time and again. Try it for your next presentation, and you'll no doubt be impressed with the results!

Monroe, A. (1951). ' Monroe's Principles of Speech (Revised Brief Edition) ,' Scott, Foreman and Company.

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Nathanial Glockania

Ay bruh facts ima use this to convince the bank to gimme some money on the down low, thanks for the advice lil bro

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Understanding Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Approach

Day in and day out, we want to be heard – at work or at home, as we speak or as we write. Sometimes it is easier said than done. While the art of persuasion comes naturally to some, others might struggle to get their message across and fear their arguments won’t be well-received. So practice is the name of the game. 

Fortunately, there’s Monroe’s Motivated Sequence approach, for everyone looking for a quick and understandable way to structure their speech, presentation, or article. Using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence outline, you can achieve a compelling result in just five simple steps. But what is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence? How do you use it in practice? Let’s start with the basics. 

What is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence?

The Monroe’s Motivated Sequence approach is a 5-step persuasive speech outline that helps you organize your ideas and show them in a logical sequence. This sequence is: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization and action.

It was developed in the 1930s by Alan H. Monroe, a Purdue University professor who studied the techniques of influential speakers and found common patterns in their arrangements.

This approach is based on the way people think; it takes into account that people must first be made aware of a problem before they will accept a solution for it. Therefore, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence breaks the act of persuasion into five steps:

• Attention: Capture your audience’s attention.
• Need: Establish a need for change.
• Satisfaction: Present your solution as the best way to address the need.
• Visualization: Describe how things will be different if your audience adopts your solution.
• Action: Call your audience to action.

Monroe found that speeches organized around his sequence were more effective and memorable than the traditional “introduction, body, conclusion” approach. Speech coaches continue to train professional speakers, debaters and sales professionals in this method today. Let’s go through each step to better understand how to use this method of persuasion. 

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When is Monroe’s Sequence useful?

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence can be used in a variety of situations. The most obvious examples of situations where it would be useful are speeches, videos, and other presentations to groups of people.

When you’ve got an important message to get across, it’s helpful to have a format that makes it easy for your audience to understand the information you’re presenting. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence can take the guesswork out of presenting your information, and help you put together a speech that will be effective and impactful.

Here are five ways you can use this approach when presenting to a group:

• When you need everyone on board with a big change.
• When you have new goals to set up for success.
• When you want people to pay attention right away.
• When you need everyone to take action on something important.
• When you’ve got new ideas or products.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence outline: The five steps

In essence, with Monroe’s motivated sequence, you begin your speech with an attention-getter to catch the audience’s eye and ear. Then you explain the need for action and give information to support your argument. Next, you offer a plan to solve the problem and describe the benefits of taking your suggested action. You then ask the audience to imagine what would happen if they followed the plan, and finally, make a clear call to action that defines exactly what you want them to do. Let’s take a look at each step.

1. Attention: Capture your audience’s attention

Capture audience attention with a meaningful story, interesting quote, shocking statistic or personal experience.

The first step of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence pattern is to gain the audience’s attention quickly.

This is what you say to grab the attention of your audience and compel them to listen to you. It’s important for your attention getter to be informative without being boring, as well as relevant to the topic at hand. Some examples of attention getters include:

• asking a rhetorical question
• using a quote from someone famous
• recounting an interesting story
• telling a joke
• using an image

2. Need: Establish a need for change

Provide a simple and clear statement of the problem or need.

Once you have gained their attention, talk about the problem or need in relation to your topic. Sometimes it helps to use an interesting quote related to your topic to emphasize the importance of this need. Then tell how this problem affects someone personally such as through an anecdote or personal experience (this establishes credibility as well). If possible, include some kind of shocking statistic that relates back to this problem so they will fully understand how important it is.

When crafting your speech, it is important to understand the exact problem that you are trying to address with your proposal and communicate this to your audience. If you do not make this clear, then it will be more difficult for you to convince your listeners that the five-step plan that you propose is a viable solution. 

For example, if World Vision USA came in front of an audience and said the following: “We believe in bringing clean drinking water and hygiene education to impoverished communities around the world,” that would not be enough information because it does not show how things wouldn’t improve without their intervention. 

However, by adding a few additional words they can transform this statement into a definite problem: “The lack of access to clean drinking water has left many impoverished communities around the world vulnerable.” This sentence allows us to see that there is a problem and motivates us to want to help solve it.

3. Satisfaction: Present your solution as the best way to address the need

Propose your solution to the problem or need.

Now that they know there is a need for change and why it needs to happen, the next step in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is proposing your solution to the problem/need. Let them know how they could solve this problem if they take action on your cause/topic/idea. 

In this phase, you’ll also want to make sure that your proposed solution is clear, simple and easy to implement.

You can do this by asking yourself how do you know the solution will work? What is the benefit of your solution? How will it solve the problem? How will it make their lives better?

By answering these questions for yourself, you’ll be able to come up with a simple and clear solution that people can easily understand and act on.

In other words, explain clearly what steps could be taken now and what concrete benefits would come from taking these steps in detail so that they can visualize themselves benefiting from taking action on the issue at hand.

You should briefly describe your solution and then explain why it is effective in meeting that need or solving the problem.

• Provide an overview of your solution.
• Explain why your solution is effective.
• Provide examples of how the solution will work.
• Provide evidence to support your solution (concrete facts and figures). If possible, include a timeline for its implementation.
• Explain the benefits of the solution: how will it improve things?

Once this is done, you can jump to the next step – visualization. 

4. Visualization: Show them what will happen if they accept your proposal

Describe how things will be different if your audience adopts your solution .

This step is self-explanatory. Here, you show your audience what will happen if they accept your proposal. You can use vivid sensory descriptions of how people’s lives could improve or become easier if they follow your plan. The more oomph you have in this step, the more likely people are to follow the lead. Only after visualizing what will happen, can you call your audience to action. 

5. Action: Call your audience to action

Call your audience to action so they’ll feel empowered to make the desired change .

The final step is a call to action – a statement telling the audience exactly what you want them to do as a result of hearing your message. Your request should be specific and reasonable given the circumstances. Tell them the steps that they need to take in order to implement your solution.

All in all, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a great tool for any speaker who wants to convince an audience to take action. By following the five-step pattern – attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action – you can construct an effective persuasive speech. 

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Editor-in-Chief and Founder of PM Column. Iryna doesn't imagine her life without eating tomatoes and writing project management articles. She has raised two project management blogs from scratch and written for Epicflow, TechRadar, and Project Manager Today.

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Mastering Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: A guide to persuasive speaking

Georgina Guthrie

April 19, 2023

Have you ever watched a skilled chef prepare a meal? They don’t just toss ingredients together and hope for the best. Instead, they follow a carefully crafted recipe that guides them through each step to ensure a delicious outcome. 

Similarly, persuasive speakers need a recipe for success, and that’s where Monroe’s Motivated Sequence comes in. This persuasive speaking technique is like a recipe for a great speech, guiding speakers through each step of the process. Following the sequence ensures that they capture their audience’s attention and motivate them to take action, two crucial goals for any speaker. 

Whether you’re presenting to your colleagues, making a pitch to potential investors, or simply trying to convince a friend to try a new restaurant, understanding Monroe’s Motivated Sequence can help you become a more persuasive and effective communicator. Here’s what you need to know to start using it.

What is Munroe’s motivated sequence?

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence was developed by Alan H. Monroe , a professor of speech at Purdue University, in the 1930s. At the time, Monroe was studying psychology and persuasion principles, and he wanted to develop a framework for creating more effective speeches.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence was the result of years of research and experimentation. He analyzed thousands of speeches and identified the most effective elements for persuading audiences to take action. He then combined these elements into a five-step framework for structuring persuasive speeches.

The five steps of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence are:

• Attention : Grab the audience’s attention with a compelling opening statement or question.
• Need : Identify a problem or need that the audience has.
• Satisfaction : Present a solution to the problem or need.
• Visualization : Help the audience visualize the benefits of adopting your solution.
• Action : Call the audience to action, and provide a clear and actionable next step.

Since its development, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence has become one of the world’s most widely used persuasive speaking techniques. Its effectiveness is clear in everything from political speeches to advertising campaigns.

How to follow Munroe’s Motivated sequence

Here is how to follow each step.

Step 1: Attention 

First, you must grab the audience’s attention with a compelling opening statement or question. This step is crucial because it sets the tone for the rest of the speech and determines whether the audience will be engaged. Here are some practical tips for effectively grabbing the audience’s attention:

• Use a surprising statistic or fact. People are naturally drawn to numbers and statistics, especially if they’re surprising or shocking. For example, you might begin by saying, “Did you know that approximately 1 in 3 people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water?” before starting a talk on improving water quality. 
• Ask a rhetorical question . A well-placed rhetorical question can be a powerful way to engage the audience and get them thinking. For example, if you’re giving a speech on wild animal preservation, you might begin by asking, “How many more species need to be lost before we take action?”
• Use a personal anecdote . Sharing a personal story can be an effective way to connect with the audience on an emotional level. For example, if you’re giving a speech on the importance of education, you might begin by telling a story about how education changed your life.
• Use humor. Humor can be a great way to break the ice and put the audience at ease. Just be sure to keep it appropriate and relevant to your topic.
• Use a powerful quote. A powerful quote can be a great way to set the tone for your speech and get the audience thinking. For example, if you’re giving a speech on leadership, you might begin by quoting John F. Kennedy’s famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Step 2: Need 

This step involves convincing the audience that a problem or issue needs to be addressed. Here are some practical tips for effectively establishing a need for change or action:

• Identify a problem or issue. First, identify a problem or issue that is relevant to your audience. This could be a societal issue, a personal problem, or something else entirely. For example, if you’re giving a speech on mental health, you might identify the problem of stigmatization surrounding mental illness.
• Use evidence and statistics. To convince your audience there’s a problem, you must provide objective evidence supporting your claims. This could include data from scientific studies, government reports, or other credible sources. For example, if you’re giving a speech on climate change, you might use data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to demonstrate the severity of the issue.
• Use personal stories or examples. Again, sharing personal stories or examples can be a powerful way to illustrate the need for change or action. For example, if you’re giving a speech on the importance of organ donation, you might share a story of someone whose life was saved by an organ transplant.
• Appeal to emotions. Emotions can be a powerful motivator for change or action. Appealing to your audience’s emotions can help them connect with the issue more deeply. For example, if you’re giving a speech on animal rights, you might use images or videos to show the mistreatment of animals and appeal to your audience’s sense of empathy.

Step 3: Satisfaction

Next, it’s time to offer a salve to those issues you just raised. This step involves providing a clear and actionable plan for addressing the problem. Here are some practical tips:

• Identify the key components of the solution. To effectively present a solution, you must break it down into its key features. This will help your audience understand how the solution works and what steps they need to take to implement it. For example, if you’re giving a speech on reducing plastic waste, you might break your solution down into components such as using reusable bags, reducing single-use plastics, and recycling.
• Explain how the solution works. Once you’ve identified the key components of the solution, you need to explain how it works. This could involve demonstrating a product or service, providing instructions for using a particular tool or resource or showing before-and-after examples. For example, suppose you’re giving a speech on reducing plastic waste. In that case, you might show your audience how to properly use a reusable water bottle or provide before-and-after examples of how much plastic waste you can reduce by using reusable bags.
• Highlight the benefits of the solution. To motivate your audience to take action, highlight the solution’s benefits. This could include environmental benefits, health benefits, cost savings, or other positive outcomes. For example, suppose you’re giving a speech on the benefits of exercise. In that case, you might highlight the health benefits such as improved cardiovascular health, reduced risk of chronic disease, and improved mental health.
• Address potential objections. When presenting a solution, it’s important to address any potential objections or concerns your audience may have. This could involve addressing common misconceptions, providing evidence to support your claims, or providing counterarguments to common objections. For example, suppose you’re giving a speech on the benefits of renewable energy. In that case, you might address common objections such as the installation cost or the green credentials of renewable energy sources.

Step 4: Visualization

This step involves painting a vivid and compelling picture of what the world will look like after the solution. Here are some practical tips for effectively visualizing outcomes:

• Use storytelling. By telling a story that illustrates the positive outcomes of the solution, you can help your audience imagine what the future could look like. For example, if you’re giving a speech on the benefits of education, you might tell a story about a student who overcame adversity and achieved academic success.
• Use statistics and data. As with the other steps, statistics and data can be powerful tools. You can help your audience understand the solution’s impact by providing concrete numbers and data points. For example, suppose you’re giving a speech on the benefits of renewable energy. In that case, you might provide statistics on how much carbon emissions can be reduced by switching to renewable energy sources.
• Use visual aids. Visual aids such as graphs, charts, and images can help you illustrate the outcomes of the solution. If you’re giving a speech on reducing poverty, you might use a graph to show how poverty rates have declined in other countries that have implemented poverty reduction programs.
• Paint a picture. Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture of what the world will look like if everyone makes the change. Use sensory language to help your audience imagine the sounds, smells, and feelings associated with the positive outcomes. For example, if you’re giving a speech on the benefits of public transportation, you might describe a city with clean air, quiet streets, and happy commuters.
• Show the consequences of inaction. Sometimes, it can be effective to highlight the consequences of inaction to motivate your audience to take action. This could involve describing the negative outcomes that will occur if the solution is not implemented. For example, if you’re giving a speech on climate change, you might describe the catastrophic effects of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and food shortages. 

Speaking of negative approaches: when it comes to helping your audience visualize the future, there are three approaches you can take. 

• The Positive Method: This method involves describing what the situation will look like if everyone adopts your idea. It emphasizes the positive aspects of the solution and focuses on the benefits and opportunities that will arise.
• The Negative Method: This method involves describing what the situation will look like if people reject you. It focuses on the dangers and difficulties caused by not acting and highlights the negative consequences of inaction. 
• The Contrast Method: This method involves developing the negative picture first and then revealing what could happen if things change. This method can be effective because it creates a sense of contrast between the negative outcomes of inaction and the positive outcomes of taking action. For example, if you’re advocating for education reform, you might describe the negative outcomes of a broken education system, such as high dropout rates and low test scores, before highlighting the positive outcomes of reform, such as better-prepared students and a more educated workforce.

When deciding which method to use, it’s important to consider your audience and the context of your message. The positive method is more effective for inspiring and motivating your audience, while the negative method highlights the situation’s urgency more effectively. The contrast method is good for creating a sense of contrast and emphasizing the importance of taking action in general. 

 Step 4: Call to action 

This is the sequence’s final and arguably most important step: you ask your audience to take a specific action. Here are some practical tips.

• Be specific. Whether signing a petition, donating to a cause, or making a personal change, provide clear instructions on how to take action.
• Make it urgent. Create a sense of urgency around your call to action. Explain why taking action now rather than later is important and use strong language to convey the situation’s urgency.
• Use emotional language. Use emotional language to connect with your audience and inspire them to take action. Use words that evoke compassion, empathy, or urgency to motivate.
• Provide a reason why. Explain why taking action is essential and how it will make a difference. Provide evidence or personal stories that illustrate the impact of taking action, and show your audience how their efforts can make a positive change.
• Offer alternatives. Sometimes, the action you’re asking your audience to take may not be feasible for everyone. Offer alternative activities that your audience can take to support the cause, such as sharing information on social media or volunteering their time.

Three famous speeches that follow Munroe’s Motivated sequence 

Martin luther king jr’s “i have a dream”.

Martin Luther King Jr. used Monroe’s Motivated Sequence in his “I Have a Dream” speech . He first identified the need for racial equality and presented a solution. King then helped the audience visualize the benefits of his solution, which was a world free of discrimination and prejudice. Finally, he called upon the audience to take action and join him in the fight for civil rights.

By using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, King effectively communicated his message and inspired his audience to take action. His speech remains a powerful example of how this persuasive speaking technique can create lasting change.

Steve Jobs’s 2007 iPhone launch

Steve Jobs used Monroe’s Motivated Sequence in his 2007 iPhone launch keynote . During his keynote speech, Jobs hooked the audience’s attention with a powerful opening statement: “Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything.” He then identified the need for a better mobile device and presented the iPhone as the solution. Jobs highlighted the benefits of the iPhone, which combined a phone, music player, and internet browser into one device, and helped the audience visualize its potential. Finally, he called upon the audience to take action and go out to buy the iPhone.

Using this approach, Jobs effectively communicated the iPhone’s value and created a buzz around the product. His presentation remains a classic example of how to use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence to market a product successfully.

Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”

Winston Churchill used Monroe’s Motivated Sequence in his “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech . Churchill’s famous speech began with a powerful opening statement, “We shall fight on the beaches,” which captured the audience’s attention. He then identified the need for a strong defense against the Nazis and presented a solution: to fight them on the beaches, fields, and streets. Churchill helped the audience visualize the benefits of victory, which would be a world free of Nazi tyranny. Finally, he called upon the audience to take action and join him in the fight against the Nazis.

By using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, Churchill delivered a powerful speech that motivated the British to fight against the Nazis during World War II. His speech remains a classic example of using persuasive techniques to inspire action and create change.

Applying Monroe’s Motivated Sequence in the digital world 

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a powerful tool for crafting persuasive and memorable messages. By following the five steps — attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and call to action — you can effectively grab your audience’s attention, create a sense of urgency, offer a solution, paint a picture of the future, and inspire action. 

When working remotely, this sequence can help you communicate more effectively with your remote team and leave a lasting impression on others. With the increasing use of chat apps in today’s world, it’s important to adapt your communication style so that your messages have as much impact as face-to-face interactions. The same rules apply, but you’ll need to consider factors like accessibility, reliability, engagement (using tools like images, polls, and video), and email or direct message best practices (avoid sending someone a ‘ wall of text ’!). 

Whether you’re messaging a friend, emailing a colleague, or having a video chat with a client, remember the power of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence and use it to create more impactful messages.

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Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: A Simple Summary

Monroe’s motivated sequence is a model of persuasive communication that’s used to issue “calls to action”. The model has has five stages: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. Summary by The World of Work Project

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence was detailed by Alan Monroe, a professor at Purdue University, in the 1930s. The approach he documented for persuasive communication is particularly popular in the political arena and is used for influencing groups. If you pay attention in the wider world, you will see many people using roughly this approach.

This sequence has five stages: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.

Stage 1: Attention

The first stage of the model is to do something dramatic, funny, unusual or striking to capture the attention of your audience. They can be a joke, a fact, a visual aid or anything else that will get people to focus.

Basically, the very first thing you do when you engage with your audience, whatever means of communication you use, should be captivating enough that they stay with you and pay attention to whatever you are going to say next.

Stage 2: Need

Having captured the attention of your audience, the next thing you should do in this model is to create a need.

This is normally done by painting a picture showing why the current state is not satisfactory. You can do this through data, images or stories, and ultimately the goal is to create an emotional response to the current state. If this stage is done well, people may feel angry, sad, frustrated or other negative emotions.

It’s this negative emotion that is the goal of this stage of the model because with this negative emotion comes a desire for change. And herein lies one of the keys to influence and persuasion.

Stage 3: Satisfaction

After you create a sense of need in your audience, that sense that things are currently bad and all the negative emotions that come with that, you then move on to stage three and provide a solution. You explain or describe your proposed solution to the current, unsatisfactory state.

What you’re really doing here is saying that you know how to make those negative emotions go away. Of course, you don’t say that, but that’s what you offer through your solution.

Stage 4: Visualization

Explaining your solution alone isn’t normally enough, and this is where stage four of the model comes in.

Instead of simply explaining your solution to the audience, you need to go further and help your audience visualize the future you’re painting.

The goal is for them to feel like they are in the future and to connect emotionally with the vision you have painted for them. You want them, however briefly, to feel their negative emotions vanish and be replaced with the positive emotions of the future that you’ve created.

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Stage 5: Action

The last and key stage of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is action.

Having done all of this it’s crunch time, you now need to ask your audience to do something to help you make your vision a reality. This is where you issue your call to action.

At this stage your audience will have been on an emotional roller-coaster. They’ll have felt the negative emotions associated with being told that their current world isn’t good enough, and they’ll have felt the positive emotions of the potential future that you’ve created for them. And it’s this disparity that is the key to action.

Having felt these different emotions, your audience will be motivated to do something to banish their negative emotions and achieve their potential positive state. They just need to know what it is they can do to make this happen. And so, you tell them. And so, you influence and exert some control over the world.

Learning More

Monroe’s motivated sequence is really about persuasion and influence. You might find Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Persuasion interesting. From a marketing perspective the AIDA model is worth looking at. As a side exploration, it might be worth reading about Trust and Five Dimensions of Trust in Sales as well .

Increasingly, products are also design to be persuasive, as it were. They are designed to create habits and drive increased use. Examples of this include Fogg’s model and the Hook model of behavioral design .

You can listen to our podcast on this topic below.

The World of Work Project View

Tools like Monroe’s Motivated Sequence are designed to influence people, and they do this by tapping into the brain’s more primal and emotional states of being and thinking. By playing on people’s emotions in this way, it’s possible to create very powerful responses in them, particularly if you’re speaking to crowds. A lot of political activity makes use of these activities.

In many ways we dislike these tools because they embody an effort to manipulate the actions of others by “hacking” their feelings. That said, they can be used for good as well as for evil.

Whatever your views are on this topic, we believe that understanding how these models of influence and persuasion work is important. The more people understand how others are trying to influence them, the more able they will be to see through those attempts and to use their own rational thought processes to reach their own decisions.

Our Podcast . 

Our Podcast is a great way to learn more about hundreds of fascinating topics from around the world of work.

Monroe, Alan Houston, 1903-, and Douglas Ehninger. Principles of Speech. 5th brief ed. Chicago: Scott, Foresman, 1964.

The World of Work Project: Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: A Simple Summary

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Applying Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Here’s a transcript of the video:.

Psychologist Alan H. Monroe developed the five-step motivated sequence in the 1930s while he was a speech professor at Purdue University. Monroe designed this structure so that by following each of the steps you develop a solid argument that refutes any objections and also inspires your audience to take action.

Many persuasive pieces just leave the audience hanging and don’t give them a pathway forward to making a positive change in the world. With the motivated sequence, on the other hand, you take your audience on a journey and give them a solution to the problem you’re presenting with actions they can take, no matter how big or small.

Here are the five steps of the motivated sequence:

• Satisfaction
• Visualization

If you think back to middle school and the classic five paragraph essays your teachers would assign, you can imagine each of these steps of the motivated sequence as one of those paragraphs.  For example, the attention step is your introduction, then you have three body paragraphs, and then conclude with the action step.

Most likely, however, you’ll be writing a much longer essay or speech. Each of the steps then might encompass several paragraphs, and you can think of them as sections. Some of them might be longer, others shorter, depending on the topic you’re writing about. For example, your introduction might only be one paragraph or it could be three.

But, essentially, no matter how much time you spend on each step, you want to follow each of them in order so that you lead your audience into a certain frame of mind and persuade them of your position.

Now, the motivated sequence is a fantastic structure for outlining your own persuasive speeches, and it’s also a fantastic structure to use to analyze great speeches in history and literature and see what made them so powerful.

So let’s break down each of these steps, and I’ll show you how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “ I Have a Dream ” speech follows this structure. I’ll be using quotes from Monroe’s book  Principles of Speech  to explain how to use the motivated sequence.

1. The Attention Step

Obviously, this step is all about grabbing your audience’s attention. Do you remember the famous line Mark Antony delivers at the beginning of his speech in the Shakespeare play  Julius Caesar ?

He says, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”

It’s a fantastic reminder that we need to grab the attention of our audience before we launch into our argument.

In fact,  a 2015 study  found you only have eight seconds to grab a person’s attention before they lose concentration.   Here are several ways you can grab your audience’s attention: a rhetorical question, a startling statement, a humorous anecdote, or a story.

Or you can just dive right in and state the subject or problem if you know your audience already has a vital interest in what you will be talking about.

That’s why when choosing how to open your speech, it’s important to consider your topic and your audience. A joke, for example, might be perfect for a light-hearted topic but not for a more somber one.

Once you’ve presented the topic you’re arguing about, clearly state your position so the audience knows what to expect in the rest of your piece.

For example, let’s say you’re writing an article about how an empty lot in your neighborhood should be turned into a park. Here’s what your attention step might look like. Open with a quote from a news story about the empty lot to grab the audience’s attention. Present your thesis statement that summarizes your argument that it should be turned into a park.

Let’s look at the attention step in the “I Have a Dream Speech.” Here’s the opening line:

“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.”

That line grabs the attention of the audience, telling them that they are participating in a historic moment.

2. The Need Step

Once you’ve grabbed your audience’s attention and presented the topic you’re going to be arguing about,  it’s time to convince the audience that this is a serious problem that needs to be solved.

In a persuasive piece, there are two different needs you could be arguing for: one, to urge a change to the status quo (point out what’s wrong with the present conditions) or, two, to demand preservation of the status quo (point out the danger of change).

Your speech arguing to turn an empty lot into a park would be an example of urging change to the status quo.

Here are four elements that Monroe says will help you write a powerful need step:

• Statement:  “Point out the importance of the subject and the need to be better informed about it.”
• Illustration:  “Tell of one or more incidents to illustrate the need.”
• Reinforcement:  “Employ as many additional facts, examples, quotations, etc., as are required to make the need more convincing and impressive.”
• Pointing:  “Show the direct relation of the subject to the well-being and success of your audience.”

Here’s a quote from the need step part of the “I Have a Dream” speech.

“We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now…Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”

That repetition of the word “ now ” is an excellent way to drive home the need step.

3. The Satisfaction Step

Once you’ve convinced your audience there is a problem that needs to be solved, you need to offer them a solution. You’ve pulled back the curtain and shown that there is something wrong in the world. Now we have to work to make the world a better place.

B ut when will we be satisfied that the problem has been solved ? How will we know?

Here’s how Monroe says you can frame your satisfaction step.

• Statement of Solution:  “A brief statement of the attitude, belief, or action you wish the audience to adopt.” For example, let’s turn the empty lot into a park.
• Explanation:  “Make sure that your proposal is understood. Explain it clearly.” For example, describe what the park will look like, how much money it will cost, etc.
• Theoretical Demonstration:  “Show how the solution logically and adequately meets the need pointed out in the need step.” For example, show why the park will benefit the community.
• Practical Experience:  “Actual examples showing where this proposal has worked effectively or the belief been proved correct. Facts, figures, and the testimony of experts to demonstrate this conclusion.” For example, show how parks in other cities have helped to lower crime rates and make the community stronger.
• Meeting Objections:  “Forestall opposition by showing how your proposal overcomes any objections which might be raised.” For example, show why building a park is better than building a strip mall on the empty lot.

Here’s a quote from the “I Have a Dream” speech that emphasizes the satisfaction step:

“There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights when will you be satisfied? … No, no, we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”

4. The Visualization Step

Monroe noted that the function of this step is to intensify desire.  You envision for your readers what the world will be like if your solution is carried out or what it will be like if it isn’t.

“The visualization step must stand the test of reality. The conditions you describe must be realistic. You must make the audience virtually put themselves in the picture. Use vivid imagery: make the audience see, hear, feel, taste, and smell. The more vividly real you make the projected situation seem, the stronger will be the reaction of the audience.”

Monroe gives three methods for visualizing the future.

• Positive:  Describe the conditions if your solution is actually carried out. “Do not be abstract about this,” he writes. “Picture the listeners in that situation actually enjoying the safety, pleasure, or pride that your proposal will produce.”
• Negative:  Describe conditions if your solution is not carried out. “Picture the audience feeling the bad effects or unpleasantness that the failure to affect your solution will produce. Go back to the need step of your speech and select the most strikingly undesirable things and put these into the picture of future conditions.”
• Contrast:  This is a combination of one and two. “Begin with the negative method, the undesirable situation, and conclude with the positive method, the desirable solution.”

I call this last method the “two worlds” approach. For example,

“Imagine two worlds. In the first world, the empty lot attracts teen gangs and crime. In the second world, we have a beautiful green space where everyone in the community can come together and children can play safely.”

Of course, the most memorable part of the “I Have a Dream” speech is the part where the phrase “I have a dream” is repeated. That’s an example of this visualization step in action.

“And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream… I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.’”

5. The Action Step

Monroe writes,

“The function of the action step is to translate the desire created in the visualization step into a definitely fixed attitude or belief or to galvanize into overt action.”

You don’t want your action step to be too long. Sum up your points and conclude quickly.

Here are five different ways Monroe says you can frame your action step. You can combine these together for a powerful conclusion.

• Challenge or appeal:  “A short compelling and emphatic appeal to take a specific course of action or adopt a certain belief.”
• Summary:  “A quick recap of the main points in the need or satisfaction steps or both followed by a challenge or appeal to your audience.”
• Quotation:  “A direct statement made by an authoritative figure about the central idea of your piece which suggests the attitude or action you want the audience to take.” For example, this quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer would be fantastic to conclude a speech depending on your topic:  “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
• Illustration:  “This could be an incident or a story which contains the kernel of the idea or suggests the action you wish the audience to take.” It could be a fictional story like a parable.
• Personal Intention:  “A statement of your own intention to take the course of action recommended.” Monroe points out that one of the most famous examples of this method was used by Patrick Henry when he concluded his speech with the words, “ As for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

Here’s how the “I Have a Dream” speech concludes,

“With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”

The Takeaway

That’s it. Now you know how to write a powerful persuasive speech.

Of course, this persuasive speech outline should only be used when you’re attempting to convince someone to do something that is in their own best interest, something that will truly help them and make their life better and the world a better place.

Communication Competence: Developing Skills for Your Personal and Professional Life Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

48 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, Problem-Solution, Comparative Advantages

Learning objectives.

• Understand three common organizational patterns for persuasive speeches.
• Explain the steps utilized in Monroe’s motivated sequence.
• Explain the parts of a problem-cause-solution speech.
• Explain the process utilized in a comparative advantage persuasive speech.

Organizing Persuasive Speeches

Previously in this text, we discussed general guidelines for organizing speeches. In this section, we are going to look at three organizational patterns ideally suited for persuasive speeches: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantages.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

One of the most commonly cited and discussed organizational patterns for persuasive speeches is Alan H. Monroe’s motivated sequence. The purpose of Monroe’s motivated sequence is to help speakers “sequence supporting materials and motivational appeals to form a useful organizational pattern for speeches as a whole” (German et al., 2010).

While Monroe’s motivated sequence is commonly discussed in most public speaking textbooks, we do want to provide one minor caution. Thus far, almost no research has been conducted that has demonstrated that Monroe’s motivated sequence is any more persuasive than other structural patterns. In the only study conducted experimentally examining Monroe’s motivated sequence, the researchers did not find the method more persuasive but did note that audience members found the pattern more organized than other methods (Micciche, Pryor, & Butler, 2000). We wanted to add this sidenote because we don’t want you to think that Monroe’s motivated sequence is a kind of magic persuasive bullet; the research simply doesn’t support this notion. At the same time, research does support that organized messages are perceived as more persuasive as a whole, so using Monroe’s motivated sequence to think through one’s persuasive argument could still be very beneficial.

Below are the basic steps of Monroe’s motivated sequence and the subsequent reaction a speaker desires from his or her audience.

The first step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the  attention step , in which a speaker attempts to get the audience’s attention. To gain an audience’s attention, we recommend that you think through three specific parts of the attention step. First, you need to have a strong attention-getting device. As previously discussed, a strong attention getter at the beginning of your speech is very important. Second, you need to make sure you introduce your topic clearly. If your audience doesn’t know what your topic is quickly, they are more likely to stop listening. Lastly, you need to explain to your audience why they should care about your topic. If this sounds familiar, it should! The attention step uses the same elements as an introduction for any speech: The attention getter, relevance, credibility, thesis statement, and preview.

In the  need step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the speaker establishes that there is a specific need or problem. This will be your first main point. In Monroe’s conceptualization of need, he talks about four specific parts of the need: statement, illustration, ramification, and pointing. First, a speaker needs to give a clear and concise statement of the problem. This part of a speech should be crystal clear for an audience. Second, the speaker needs to provide one or more examples to illustrate the need. The illustration is an attempt to make the problem concrete for the audience. Next, a speaker needs to provide some kind of evidence (e.g., statistics, examples, testimony) that shows the ramifications or consequences of the problem. Lastly, a speaker needs to point to the audience and show exactly how the problem relates to them personally.

Satisfaction

In the third step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the  satisfaction step , the speaker sets out to satisfy the need or solve the problem. This will be your second main point. Within this step, Monroe (1935) proposed a five-step plan for satisfying a need:

• Explanation
• Theoretical demonstration
• Reference to practical experience
• Meeting objections

First, you need to clearly state the attitude, value, belief, or action you want your audience to accept. The purpose of this statement is to clearly tell your audience what your ultimate goal is.

Second, you want to make sure that you clearly explain to your audience why they should accept the attitude, value, belief, or action you proposed. Just telling your audience they should do something isn’t strong enough to actually get them to change. Instead, you really need to provide a solid argument for why they should accept your proposed solution.

Third, you need to show how the solution you have proposed meets the need or problem. Monroe calls this link between your solution and the need a theoretical demonstration because you cannot prove that your solution will work. Instead, you theorize based on research and good judgment that your solution will meet the need or solve the problem.

Fourth, to help with this theoretical demonstration, you need to reference practical experience, which should include examples demonstrating that your proposal has worked elsewhere. Research, statistics, and expert testimony are all great ways of referencing practical experience.

Lastly, Monroe recommends that a speaker responds to possible objections. As a persuasive speaker, one of your jobs is to think through your speech and see what counterarguments could be made against your speech and then rebut those arguments within your speech. When you offer rebuttals for arguments against your speech, it shows your audience that you’ve done your homework and educated yourself about multiple sides of the issue.

Visualization

The next step of Monroe’s motivated sequence is the  visualization step , in which you ask the audience to visualize a future where the need has been met or the problem solved. This will be your third main point. In essence, the visualization stage is where a speaker can show the audience why accepting a specific attitude, value, belief, or behavior can positively affect the future. When helping people to picture the future, the more concrete your visualization is, the easier it will be for your audience to see the possible future and be persuaded by it. You also need to make sure that you clearly show how accepting your solution will directly benefit your audience.

According to Monroe, visualization can be conducted in one of three ways: positive, negative, or contrast (Monroe, 1935). The positive method of visualization is where a speaker shows how adopting a proposal leads to a better future (e.g., recycle, and we’ll have a cleaner and safer planet). Conversely, the negative method of visualization is where a speaker shows how not adopting the proposal will lead to a worse future (e.g., don’t recycle, and our world will become polluted and uninhabitable). Monroe also acknowledged that visualization can include a combination of both positive and negative visualization. In essence, you show your audience both possible outcomes and have them decide which one they would rather have.

The final step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the  action step , in which a speaker asks an audience to approve the speaker’s proposal. For understanding purposes, we break the action into two distinct parts: audience action and approval. Audience action refers to direct physical behaviors a speaker wants from an audience (e.g., flossing their teeth twice a day, signing a petition, wearing seat belts). Approval, on the other hand, involves an audience’s consent or agreement with a speaker’s proposed attitude, value, or belief.

When preparing an action step, it is important to make sure that the action, whether audience action or approval, is realistic for your audience. Asking your peers in a college classroom to donate one thousand dollars to charity isn’t realistic. Asking your peers to donate one dollar is considerably more realistic. In a persuasive speech based on Monroe’s motivated sequence, the action step will end with the speech’s concluding device. As discussed elsewhere in this text, you need to make sure that you conclude in a vivid way so that the speech ends on a high point and the audience has a sense of energy as well as a sense of closure.

This step will be your conclusion. Again, it will have the same elements as a conclusion you would use for any speech.

Application

Now that we’ve walked through Monroe’s motivated sequence, let’s look at how you could use Monroe’s motivated sequence to outline a persuasive speech:

Specific Purpose:  To persuade my classroom peers that the United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments.

Main Points:

• Attention:  Want to make nine thousand dollars for just three weeks of work lying around and not doing much? Then be a human guinea pig. Admittedly, you’ll have to have a tube down your throat most of those three weeks, but you’ll earn three thousand dollars a week.
• Need:  Every day many uneducated and lower socioeconomic-status citizens are preyed on by medical and pharmaceutical companies for use in for-profit medical and drug experiments. Do you want one of your family members to fall prey to this evil scheme?
• Satisfaction:  The United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments to ensure that uneducated and lower-socioeconomic-status citizens are protected.
• Visualization:  If we enact tougher experiment oversight, we can ensure that medical and pharmaceutical research is conducted in a way that adheres to basic values of American decency. If we do not enact tougher experiment oversight, we could find ourselves in a world where the lines between research subject, guinea pig, and patient become increasingly blurred.
• Action:  In order to prevent the atrocities associated with for-profit medical and pharmaceutical experiments, please sign this petition asking the US Department of Health and Human Services to pass stricter regulations on this preying industry that is out of control.

This example shows how you can take a basic speech topic and use Monroe’s motivated sequence to clearly and easily outline your speech efficiently and effectively.

Below is a checklist that contains a simple checklist to help you make sure you hit all the important components of Monroe’s motivated sequence.

The following video further details Monroe’s Motivated Sequence outlining each component and providing examples to provide an in-depth understanding of the organizational pattern.

For Future Reference | How to organize this in an outline |

Introduction: Attention Step

Main Point #1: Need Step

Main Point #2: Satisfaction Step

Main Point #3: Visualization Step

Conclusoin: Action Step

Problem-Cause-Solution

Another format for organizing a persuasive speech is the problem-cause-solution format. In this specific format, you discuss what a problem is, what you believe is causing the problem, and then what the solution should be to correct the problem.

Specific Purpose:  To persuade my classroom peers that our campus should adopt a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech.

• Demonstrate that there is distrust among different groups on campus that has led to unnecessary confrontations and violence.
• Show that the confrontations and violence are a result of hate speech that occurred prior to the events.
• Explain how instituting a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy against hate speech could stop the unnecessary confrontations and violence.

In this speech, you want to persuade people to support a new campus-wide policy calling for zero-tolerance of hate speech. Once you have shown the problem, you then explain to your audience that the cause of the unnecessary confrontations and violence is prior incidents of hate speech. Lastly, you argue that a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy could help prevent future unnecessary confrontations and violence. Again, this method of organizing a speech is as simple as its name: problem-cause-solution.

Comparative Advantages

The final method for organizing a persuasive speech is called the comparative advantages speech format. The goal of this speech is to compare items side-by-side and show why one of them is more advantageous than the other. For example, let’s say that you’re giving a speech on which e-book reader is better: Amazon.com’s Kindle or Barnes and Nobles’ Nook. Here’s how you could organize this speech:

Specific Purpose:  To persuade my audience that the Nook is more advantageous than the Kindle.

• The Nook allows owners to trade and loan books to other owners or people who have downloaded the Nook software, while the Kindle does not.
• The Nook has a color-touch screen, while the Kindle’s screen is black and grey and noninteractive.
• The Nook’s memory can be expanded through microSD, while the Kindle’s memory cannot be upgraded.

As you can see from this speech’s organization, the simple goal of this speech is to show why one thing has more positives than something else. Obviously, when you are demonstrating comparative advantages, the items you are comparing need to be functional equivalents—or, as the saying goes, you cannot compare apples to oranges.

Key Takeaways

• There are three common patterns that persuaders can utilize to help organize their speeches effectively: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantage. Each of these patterns can effectively help a speaker think through his or her thoughts and organize them in a manner that will be more likely to persuade an audience.
• Alan H. Monroe’s (1935) motivated sequence is a commonly used speech format that is used by many people to effectively organize persuasive messages. The pattern consists of five basic stages: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. In the first stage, a speaker gets an audience’s attention. In the second stage, the speaker shows an audience that a need exists. In the third stage, the speaker shows how his or her persuasive proposal could satisfy the need. The fourth stage shows how the future could be if the persuasive proposal is or is not adopted. Lastly, the speaker urges the audience to take some kind of action to help enact the speaker’s persuasive proposal.
• The problem-cause-solution proposal is a three-pronged speech pattern. The speaker starts by explaining the problem the speaker sees. The speaker then explains what he or she sees as the underlying causes of the problem. Lastly, the speaker proposes a solution to the problem that corrects the underlying causes.
• The comparative advantages speech format is utilized when a speaker is comparing two or more things or ideas and shows why one of the things or ideas has more advantages than the other(s).

German, K. M., Gronbeck, B. E., Ehninger, D., & Monroe, A. H. (2010). Principles of public speaking  (17th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, p. 236.

Micciche, T., Pryor, B., & Butler, J. (2000). A test of Monroe’s motivated sequence for its effects on ratings of message organization and attitude change.  Psychological Reports, 86 , 1135–1138.

Monroe, A. H. (1935).  Principles and types of speech . Chicago, IL: Scott Foresman.

Public Speaking Copyright © by Dr. Layne Goodman; Amber Green, M.A.; and Various is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Home » Business » Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Explained [with Examples]

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Explained [with Examples]

How do you write speeches that motivate people? One way to achieve this goal is with something called Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. This is essentially a simple formula for writing persuasive speeches.

It was created by American psychologist Alan H. Monroe, who was a lecturer at Purdue University. By studying the psychology of persuasion, Monroe was able to create a simple sequence of steps for generating persuasive communication.

In this article, we’ll briefly go over the basic steps of Monroe’s sequence, as well as provide examples of the sequence outline in action.

The 5 Steps Explained

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence steps consist of the following:

• Satisfaction
• Visualization

#1: Grab the Attention of Your Audience

The first step in this five-step process is grabbing the attention of the audience. This is by far the most important step of Monroe’s sequence. The reason why is simple: the use of attention is critical if you want the audience to listen to what you have to say.

Remember, people have extremely short attention spans. This means you only have seconds to grab their attention. According to Monroe’s sequence, the easiest way to do this is by bringing up a problem the audience has.

The specific parts of the attention step can involve the following. For example, you can start off by telling a dramatic story. This could be your own personal story of how you overcame adversity and went on to success.

You may also want to use a rhetorical question. Just be careful when doing this. Avoid questions that have a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Another method is to mention a shocking statistic or historical fact. Statistics are a good idea because they help to prove you’re an authority on the subject.

Examples: a. Better Sleep Workshop: “According to a 2021 August article in the Harvard Medical Journal, 7 out of 10 people are sleep deprived. These people do not get more than 4-5 hours of rest per night…”  (Follow this sleep example set down through the steps below.)

b. Workplace Safety Seminar: “How many companies ignore workplace safety? It’s a lot more than you think. In fact, according to a recent survey, 4 out of 5 employees routinely ignore practices related to workplace safety. The reason why they do this is that it’s simply easier. Unfortunately, ignoring safety practices often results in injuries or even death…”  (Follow this safety example set down through the steps below.)

c. Random Acts of Kindness: “Did you know that you can literally save someone’s life with random acts of kindness? How many times have you stopped to thank the people in your life? For example, the waiter or waitress who served you, or maybe your electrician or spouse. These random acts of kindness can have a profound effect. They can brighten the person’s day and even change the world…”  (Follow this kindness example set down through the steps below.)

#2:  Highlight the Fact That the Audience Needs This Problem Solved Immediately

Here are the three key parts of how to do this step.

Highlight the Problem The next step in this sequence is highlighting the problem which needs to be solved. In this second step, you want to talk about the potential consequences of ignoring their problem. You address what could happen if the issue is left unsolved.

Provide Specific Evidence on How the Issue Affects Them Directly Try to provide some evidence for this. For example, ignoring a weight problem could lead to diabetes or heart disease. The key here is that your audience must believe that they need to change. That the best place and time to do this is NOW, and that failure to do so will result in serious consequences.

Also, zero in on the fact that this problem affects them directly. Do not talk about vague or unspecific problems that may or may not apply to them specifically. Don’t tell them that plastic pollution affects the environment. Tell them that microparticles end up in the food that THEY eat.

Use Statistics to Instill a Sense of Urgency and Get Them Emotional to Take Action In addition to this, you need to instill them with a sense of urgency. They have to realize that action needs to be taken immediately. Explain what will happen if the problem gets worse. Also mention what will happen if the problem becomes irreversible.

It’s important that you back this up with evidence. Prove to them that what you’re saying is true. The easiest way to do this is once again with statistics. You want to elaborate and expand on the issue. Visual data like graphs and charts is also a useful tool.

The ultimate goal is to agitate the audience and get them into a highly emotional state. You want to make them worried about the problem and even a little bit fearful. The audience needs to be at the point where they need to solve the problem immediately. Just note that you don’t want to go overboard. Using too much fear can make things seem unrealistic and you’ll lose the audience.

Examples: a. Better Sleep Workshop: “What most people don’t know is that sleep deprivation affects every part of your body. Not only that, over time, this problem can lead to chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, and also strokes. If this is the first time you’re hearing this, then you may be shocked…”

b. Workplace Safety Seminar: “There are dozens of cases where this happens. For example, oftentimes employees don’t pack away their tools or clean up properly. There are other times when safety equipment is used for everything other than what it’s meant for…”

“But this is why there were more than 173 worked place safety-related deaths last year. And this was in our state alone. When you look at the USA as a whole, this figure measures in the thousands…”

c. Random Acts of Kindness:  “But why do we need to do this? After all, a random act of kindness might sound a bit stupid or even corny to some. The fact is that millions of people are struggling through life. In fact, more than 20 million Americans are now suffering from clinical depression. Not only that, the suicide rate is at an all-time high. This unhappiness leads to greater unhappiness…”

“For example, these unhappy people go home and yell at their families, or indulge in other negative vices such as drugs or alcohol. It’s a vicious cycle which only gets worse with time and leads to even bigger issues. The problem is that most people are so wrapped up in their own lives that they barely take the time to think about other people…”

#3:  Provide a Solution to Their Problem or Way to Satisfy Their Need

The third step of Monroe has five main components:

Provide a Solution to the Problem The third step of Monroe’s sequence is all about providing a solution to their problem (This is also known as the “need” step of Monroe’s sequence). This section usually covers the main part of the presentation.

Explain How This Solution Works to Meet a Specific Goal Another purpose of this satisfaction step is to explain how your solution works. For example, if you’re selling a product then you’ll need to explain the product, step-by-step. How does the solution to the audience’s problem satisfy their desires and fulfill their specific need?

Talk about the specific goals they’d like to achieve. For example, you can break the specific parts of the need down into further elements. How does this problem affect their health, finances, relationships, and so on?

Provide Details, Be Believable & Provide Proof When doing this it’s important that you provide enough details. By the time you’re done with this section, the audience should understand exactly how the solution works.

Make sure the audience believes in your solution. To do this, you need to provide proof of its efficacy, and also prove that you have the best and most effective solution. You can do this by providing statistics, success examples and testimonials. For the testimonials, it helps to talk about the practical experience of people who have used the solution.

In this step, visual aids like charts and graphs will also be helpful. You can provide additional evidence, such as in the form of before and after pictures and case studies.

Anticipate & Overcome Objections Something else you need to think about is meeting objections the audience may have. Think about objections they may raise, how you can defuse these, or even turn them to your advantage. Depending on your format, you may want to involve audience members in your presentation. You can do this by having people ask questions.

Recap Finally, summarize your solution and the information you’ve provided. You can even think of this as your thesis statement (when doing this it helps use visuals accompanied by persuasive bullets).

Examples: a. Better Sleep Workshop: “I’ve spent the last five years researching this issue. During this time I’ve discovered the common reasons why people struggle to get enough sleep. Using these findings I’ve created the Better Sleep Workshop…”

b. Workplace Safety Seminar: “To prevent this, workers need to be instilled with a sense of responsibility. They need to be held accountable for their own safety, and also the safety of fellow co-workers. The way this happens is through the development of habits, and also by holding employees to a higher standard so that your company can build a culture of workplace safety…”

c. Random Acts of Kindness:  “This is why it’s so important that we engage in these random acts of kindness. Doing this will also have an incredible effect on your own life. They cost you nothing and will make you feel on top of the world. Think about you: don’t you feel good after complimenting someone or helping them out?”

“Whether it’s appreciating service workers, friends, or assisting the homeless, random acts of kindness have an immediate effect on your emotional state. Another great benefit is that people will start doing things for you. The key point here is to realize that random acts of kindness can only lead to good things… ”

#4:  Help Them Visualize a Compelling Future

At this point, you should be moving towards the conclusion of your speech. In this visualization step, the speaker shows their audience a future without the problem (You can also think of this as the “projection” step). This is where the power of your persuasion skills really comes into play. You have to paint a vivid picture of how great life will be when their needs are satisfied.

Mention what will happen if they implement your solution. What changes can they expect to see? You can also use the compare and contrast method. For example, what will life be like if they don’t take action? What kind of negative outcomes will they experience? How will these negative outcomes affect their lives?

In this visualization stage, you need to be as realistic as possible. Go into great detail when talking about either a positive or a negative future. The better you can do this, the more effective you’ll be at creating desire. Essentially, your most important goal is to make your audience agree with you. They have to agree that adopting what you’ve proposed is going to lead them to a better future. Here are the five steps to do this:

• Use the positive method of visualization by highlighting the positive outcomes they may experience.
• Use the negative method of visualization by talking about negative emotions and consequences. What are the consequences of not acting today?
• Contrast these futures. Mention that their life can either be like this…or that. Things can either get better or worse and it’s up to them to decide.
• Help them imagine the actual implementation of your solution. Talk about what they’ll have to do and what that will be like.
• Make this future projection realistic. Don’t talk about things that seem impossible or unrealistic. If you do this you may turn them off.

Examples: a. Better Sleep Workshop: “The bottom line is that this problem is more serious than you could ever imagine. Unless you dramatically improve the quality of your sleep, you may end up with one of the chronic conditions previously mentioned. What’s more, you’ll sleepwalk through life and spend your days feeling terrible, living life as a burnt-out zombie with bags under your eyes. There’s a good chance you’ve already experienced this and desperately want to change…”

“On the other hand, if you solve this problem, imagine how much better your life could be. What would it feel like to finally get enough sleep, and wake up every morning feeling as if you’re on top of the world? If you’ve been sleep-deprived for a long time, this probably sounds like a dream. But it’s more than possible…”

b. Workplace Safety Seminar: “What would your company be like if workplace accidents were a thing of the past? If you could go years without an accident? Believe it or not, this is possible, even if it doesn’t seem like it today. The exact opposite is also true. Unless you take care of this problem, accidents are going to continue. You may find yourself attending more funerals than you’d like…”

c. Random Acts of Kindness:  “Can you see yourself becoming this type of person? You probably could if you try hard enough. Imagine yourself becoming the type of person who actually takes the time and effort to deliver heartfelt compliments to those around them. Who genuinely goes out of their way to commit random acts of kindness. How would your life change if you started doing this? Even better, how would the lives of the people around you change? The first thing you’ll notice is that you immediately start to feel happier…”

#5:  Call on the Audience to Take Action

Below are the three main points to accomplish this Step #5.

Give Them a Specific Call to Action The final step in this sequence is asking the audience to take action. In this part of your speech speaker attempts to make the audience commit to the solution. The solution could be buying your product, making changes in their life, or taking some kind of action.

What’s important is that you mention the specific action which must be taken. Do they need to call a number, visit a website, or click on a link? Does the action involve booking an appointment or meeting with a sales representative? Even if the presentation doesn’t involve selling, there are still actions that can be taken. For example, do they need to implement a new habit or start living life in a new way?

Keep It Simple Keep this action as simple as possible. You don’t want to overload the audience or give them too much information. As an alternative to this, you may want to provide the audience with options. For example, you could mention options a, b, c, and so on.

Because they need to think about these options, this helps to get your listeners more involved in the solution. Ultimately, the complexity of this action will depend on the complexity of your solution.

Make It Urgent Something else you should do is leave the audience with a sense of want and urgency. This sense of need should be so great that the audience takes immediate action. When everything is said and done, you’ll want to end your speech. Sum up everything you’ve said in a simple way and provide one final call to action.

Examples: a. Better Sleep Workshop: “The choice is now yours. You can continue with doing what you’ve always done and one day face the consequences. Your next best choice is to sign up for our Better Sleep Workshop. To get started now, simply visit our website at…”

b. Workplace Safety Seminar: “Part of the solution to this is immediately reviewing your safety procedures. Our company can help you with this. We’ll tour your factory and identify areas that need attention. Our team will point out what you’re doing wrong and how you can improve. If you’d like to get started on solving this problem, then call or email us now at the number or email on the screen.”

c. Random Acts of Kindness:  “The problem is that many people have no idea how to get started. This is why we’re going to go over some examples and suggestions for random acts of kindness which you can do today. Try the following methods today and take note of how it makes you feel, and more importantly, how it affects the recipient of your random act of kindness. Who knows, you might just save someone’s life, or even change the world.”

With Monroe’s Motivated Sequence you can quickly create a persuasive argument. This organizational pattern also provides you with the framework needed to persuade people. Another benefit of this method of persuasion is that it’s versatile, and fits almost any situation. While the purpose of Monroe’s motivated speech outline is to motivate people, it can really be used for anything.

This path of persuasion is highly effective. It’s the secret behind the great speeches of people like Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs, and others. The bottom line is that these structural patterns will also work for you, even if you’re not a persuasive speaker or have experience giving public speeches.

Related Posts:

• Force Field Analysis Explained with Examples
• 25 Best Elevator Pitch Examples for Startups and…
• 25 Best Ways to Make a Good First Impression
• 21 Best Active Listening Exercises with Examples

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17.3: Organizing Persuasive Speeches

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Learning Objectives

• Understand three common organizational patterns for persuasive speeches.
• Explain the steps utilized in Monroe’s motivated sequence.
• Explain the parts of a problem-cause-solution speech.
• Explain the process utilized in a comparative advantage persuasive speech.

Steven Lilley – Engaged – CC BY-SA 2.0.

Previously in this text we discussed general guidelines for organizing speeches. In this section, we are going to look at three organizational patterns ideally suited for persuasive speeches: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantages.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

One of the most commonly cited and discussed organizational patterns for persuasive speeches is Alan H. Monroe’s motivated sequence. The purpose of Monroe’s motivated sequence is to help speakers “sequence supporting materials and motivational appeals to form a useful organizational pattern for speeches as a whole” (German et al., 2010).

While Monroe’s motivated sequence is commonly discussed in most public speaking textbooks, we do want to provide one minor caution. Thus far, almost no research has been conducted that has demonstrated that Monroe’s motivated sequence is any more persuasive than other structural patterns. In the only study conducted experimentally examining Monroe’s motivated sequence, the researchers did not find the method more persuasive, but did note that audience members found the pattern more organized than other methods (Micciche, Pryor, & Butler, 2000). We wanted to add this sidenote because we don’t want you to think that Monroe’s motivated sequence is a kind of magic persuasive bullet; the research simply doesn’t support this notion. At the same time, research does support that organized messages are perceived as more persuasive as a whole, so using Monroe’s motivated sequence to think through one’s persuasive argument could still be very beneficial.

Table 17.1 “Monroe’s Motivated Sequence” lists the basic steps of Monroe’s motivated sequence and the subsequent reaction a speaker desires from his or her audience.

Table 17.1 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

The first step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the attention step , in which a speaker attempts to get the audience’s attention. To gain an audience’s attention, we recommend that you think through three specific parts of the attention step. First, you need to have a strong attention-getting device. As previously discussed in Chapter 9 “Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively”, a strong attention getter at the beginning of your speech is very important. Second, you need to make sure you introduce your topic clearly. If your audience doesn’t know what your topic is quickly, they are more likely to stop listening. Lastly, you need to explain to your audience why they should care about your topic.

In the need step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the speaker establishes that there is a specific need or problem. In Monroe’s conceptualization of need, he talks about four specific parts of the need: statement, illustration, ramification, and pointing. First, a speaker needs to give a clear and concise statement of the problem. This part of a speech should be crystal clear for an audience. Second, the speaker needs to provide one or more examples to illustrate the need. The illustration is an attempt to make the problem concrete for the audience. Next, a speaker needs to provide some kind of evidence (e.g., statistics, examples, testimony) that shows the ramifications or consequences of the problem. Lastly, a speaker needs to point to the audience and show exactly how the problem relates to them personally.

Satisfaction

In the third step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the satisfaction step , the speaker sets out to satisfy the need or solve the problem. Within this step, Monroe (1935) proposed a five-step plan for satisfying a need:

• Explanation
• Theoretical demonstration
• Reference to practical experience
• Meeting objections

First, you need to clearly state the attitude, value, belief, or action you want your audience to accept. The purpose of this statement is to clearly tell your audience what your ultimate goal is.

Second, you want to make sure that you clearly explain to your audience why they should accept the attitude, value, belief, or action you proposed. Just telling your audience they should do something isn’t strong enough to actually get them to change. Instead, you really need to provide a solid argument for why they should accept your proposed solution.

Third, you need to show how the solution you have proposed meets the need or problem. Monroe calls this link between your solution and the need a theoretical demonstration because you cannot prove that your solution will work. Instead, you theorize based on research and good judgment that your solution will meet the need or solve the problem.

Fourth, to help with this theoretical demonstration, you need to reference practical experience, which should include examples demonstrating that your proposal has worked elsewhere. Research, statistics, and expert testimony are all great ways of referencing practical experience.

Lastly, Monroe recommends that a speaker respond to possible objections. As a persuasive speaker, one of your jobs is to think through your speech and see what counterarguments could be made against your speech and then rebut those arguments within your speech. When you offer rebuttals for arguments against your speech, it shows your audience that you’ve done your homework and educated yourself about multiple sides of the issue.

Visualization

The next step of Monroe’s motivated sequence is the visualization step , in which you ask the audience to visualize a future where the need has been met or the problem solved. In essence, the visualization stage is where a speaker can show the audience why accepting a specific attitude, value, belief, or behavior can positively affect the future. When helping people to picture the future, the more concrete your visualization is, the easier it will be for your audience to see the possible future and be persuaded by it. You also need to make sure that you clearly show how accepting your solution will directly benefit your audience.

According to Monroe, visualization can be conducted in one of three ways: positive, negative, or contrast (Monroe, 1935). The positive method of visualization is where a speaker shows how adopting a proposal leads to a better future (e.g., recycle, and we’ll have a cleaner and safer planet). Conversely, the negative method of visualization is where a speaker shows how not adopting the proposal will lead to a worse future (e.g., don’t recycle, and our world will become polluted and uninhabitable). Monroe also acknowledged that visualization can include a combination of both positive and negative visualization. In essence, you show your audience both possible outcomes and have them decide which one they would rather have.

The final step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the action step , in which a speaker asks an audience to approve the speaker’s proposal. For understanding purposes, we break action into two distinct parts: audience action and approval. Audience action refers to direct physical behaviors a speaker wants from an audience (e.g., flossing their teeth twice a day, signing a petition, wearing seat belts). Approval, on the other hand, involves an audience’s consent or agreement with a speaker’s proposed attitude, value, or belief.

When preparing an action step, it is important to make sure that the action, whether audience action or approval, is realistic for your audience. Asking your peers in a college classroom to donate one thousand dollars to charity isn’t realistic. Asking your peers to donate one dollar is considerably more realistic. In a persuasive speech based on Monroe’s motivated sequence, the action step will end with the speech’s concluding device. As discussed elsewhere in this text, you need to make sure that you conclude in a vivid way so that the speech ends on a high point and the audience has a sense of energy as well as a sense of closure.

Now that we’ve walked through Monroe’s motivated sequence, let’s look at how you could use Monroe’s motivated sequence to outline a persuasive speech:

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classroom peers that the United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments.

Main Points:

• Attention: Want to make nine thousand dollars for just three weeks of work lying around and not doing much? Then be a human guinea pig. Admittedly, you’ll have to have a tube down your throat most of those three weeks, but you’ll earn three thousand dollars a week.
• Need: Every day many uneducated and lower socioeconomic-status citizens are preyed on by medical and pharmaceutical companies for use in for-profit medical and drug experiments. Do you want one of your family members to fall prey to this evil scheme?
• Satisfaction: The United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments to ensure that uneducated and lower-socioeconomic-status citizens are protected.
• Visualization: If we enact tougher experiment oversight, we can ensure that medical and pharmaceutical research is conducted in a way that adheres to basic values of American decency. If we do not enact tougher experiment oversight, we could find ourselves in a world where the lines between research subject, guinea pig, and patient become increasingly blurred.
• Action: In order to prevent the atrocities associated with for-profit medical and pharmaceutical experiments, please sign this petition asking the US Department of Health and Human Services to pass stricter regulations on this preying industry that is out of control.

This example shows how you can take a basic speech topic and use Monroe’s motivated sequence to clearly and easily outline your speech efficiently and effectively.

Table 17.2 “Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Checklist” also contains a simple checklist to help you make sure you hit all the important components of Monroe’s motivated sequence.

Table 17.2 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Checklist

Problem-Cause-Solution

Another format for organizing a persuasive speech is the problem-cause-solution format. In this specific format, you discuss what a problem is, what you believe is causing the problem, and then what the solution should be to correct the problem.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classroom peers that our campus should adopt a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech.

• Demonstrate that there is distrust among different groups on campus that has led to unnecessary confrontations and violence.
• Show that the confrontations and violence are a result of hate speech that occurred prior to the events.
• Explain how instituting a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy against hate speech could stop the unnecessary confrontations and violence.

In this speech, you want to persuade people to support a new campus-wide policy calling for zero-tolerance of hate speech. Once you have shown the problem, you then explain to your audience that the cause of the unnecessary confrontations and violence is prior incidents of hate speech. Lastly, you argue that a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy could help prevent future unnecessary confrontations and violence. Again, this method of organizing a speech is as simple as its name: problem-cause-solution.

Comparative Advantages

The final method for organizing a persuasive speech is called the comparative advantages speech format. The goal of this speech is to compare items side-by-side and show why one of them is more advantageous than the other. For example, let’s say that you’re giving a speech on which e-book reader is better: Amazon.com’s Kindle or Barnes and Nobles’ Nook. Here’s how you could organize this speech:

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the Nook is more advantageous than the Kindle.

• The Nook allows owners to trade and loan books to other owners or people who have downloaded the Nook software, while the Kindle does not.
• The Nook has a color-touch screen, while the Kindle’s screen is black and grey and noninteractive.
• The Nook’s memory can be expanded through microSD, while the Kindle’s memory cannot be upgraded.

As you can see from this speech’s organization, the simple goal of this speech is to show why one thing has more positives than something else. Obviously, when you are demonstrating comparative advantages, the items you are comparing need to be functional equivalents—or, as the saying goes, you cannot compare apples to oranges.

Key Takeaways

• There are three common patterns that persuaders can utilize to help organize their speeches effectively: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantage. Each of these patterns can effectively help a speaker think through his or her thoughts and organize them in a manner that will be more likely to persuade an audience.
• Alan H. Monroe’s (1935) motivated sequence is a commonly used speech format that is used by many people to effectively organize persuasive messages. The pattern consists of five basic stages: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. In the first stage, a speaker gets an audience’s attention. In the second stage, the speaker shows an audience that a need exists. In the third stage, the speaker shows how his or her persuasive proposal could satisfy the need. The fourth stage shows how the future could be if the persuasive proposal is or is not adopted. Lastly, the speaker urges the audience to take some kind of action to help enact the speaker’s persuasive proposal.
• The problem-cause-solution proposal is a three-pronged speech pattern. The speaker starts by explaining the problem the speaker sees. The speaker then explains what he or she sees as the underlying causes of the problem. Lastly, the speaker proposes a solution to the problem that corrects the underlying causes.
• The comparative advantages speech format is utilized when a speaker is comparing two or more things or ideas and shows why one of the things or ideas has more advantages than the other(s).
• Create a speech using Monroe’s motivated sequence to persuade people to recycle.
• Create a speech using the problem-cause-solution method for a problem you see on your college or university campus.
• Create a comparative advantages speech comparing two brands of toothpaste.

German, K. M., Gronbeck, B. E., Ehninger, D., & Monroe, A. H. (2010). Principles of public speaking (17th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, p. 236.

Micciche, T., Pryor, B., & Butler, J. (2000). A test of Monroe’s motivated sequence for its effects on ratings of message organization and attitude change. Psychological Reports, 86 , 1135–1138.

Monroe, A. H. (1935). Principles and types of speech . Chicago, IL: Scott Foresman.

Module 10: Persuasive Speaking

Monroe’s motivated sequence, learning objectives.

• Explain the use of Monroe’s motivated sequence to motivate listeners.

Monroe’s motivated sequence is the best-known organizational pattern focused on motivational appeals. It is especially useful in situations where the speaker is proposing a solution to an existing problem.

If you use Monroe’s motivated sequence, you’re asking your audience to visualize the consequences of what will happen if they are persuaded to engage in the action you are arguing for. Health-related appeals often use this strategy: for example, smoking, seat belts, mask-wearing in a pandemic, etc.

Alan H. Monroe was a Purdue University psychology professor who used what he knew about the psychology of persuasion to write a book called “Monroe’s Principles of Speech.” He outlines a speech organizational pattern which is most effective in speeches of persuasion. It involves five key steps for which to order the speech.

• Get attention. This involves calling the audience’s attention to a problem. It may occur in the introduction part of the speech or as the first point in the body of the speech. For example, according to the New England Medical Journal in their 2018 June article, four out of five people do not get more than five quality hours of sleep per night.
• Establish the need. Show that there is a problem or a need for something to be done. Use statistics, evidence, etc., to prove the need. This establishment may occur in the introduction or the body of the speech. For example, lack of sleep depletes productivity.
• Satisfy the need.  Offer a solution to the issue and explain how the solution would work. This usually is in the body of the speech as a main point. Take a sleep workshop.
• Visualize the future. Paint a picture of what the world would be like if the need is satisfied using your proposed solution. For example, how productive the world would be on seven hours of sleep per night? The visualization could be in the body or conclusion.
• Action/Actualization.  Call the audience to take action and commit to doing something such as signing a pledge to get better sleep, going to a sleep workshop, etc. The call for action is usually in the conclusion.

In this video, Eric Robertson breaks down the components of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.

You can view the transcript for “Monroe’s Motivated Sequence | COMMUNICATION STUDIES” here (opens in new window) .

To watch: Ron Finley, “A guerilla gardener in South Central LA”

In this TED talk, fashion designer and urban gardener Ron Finley talks about creating gardens in a South Central food desert.

You can view the transcript for “A guerilla gardener in South Central LA | Ron Finley” here (opens in new window) .

What to watch for:

Finley’s speech is a good example of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. Here’s how it fits into the five steps:

Attention : “I live in South Central. This is South Central: liquor stores, fast food, vacant lots.”

Need : “Just like 26.5 million other Americans, I live in a food desert, South Central Los Angeles, home of the drive-thru and the drive-by. Funny thing is, the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.”

Satisfaction : “So me and my group, L.A. Green Grounds, we got together and we started planting my food forest, fruit trees, you know, the whole nine, vegetables. . . . I have witnessed my garden become a tool for the education, a tool for the transformation of my neighborhood. To change the community, you have to change the composition of the soil. We are the soil.”

Visualization : “Now this is one of my plans. This is what I want to do. I want to plant a whole block of gardens where people can share in the food in the same block. I want to take shipping containers and turn them into healthy cafes.”

Action : “If you want to meet with me, come to the garden with your shovel so we can plant some sh*t.”

• Monroe's Motivated Sequence | COMMUNICATION STUDIES. Authored by : Eric Robertson. Located at : https://youtu.be/NdrJX5b4R-0 . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• A guerilla gardener in South Central LA | Ron Finley. Provided by : TED. Located at : https://youtu.be/EzZzZ_qpZ4w . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Monroeu2019s Motivated Sequence. Authored by : Mike Randolph with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

All You Need To Know About ‘Monroe’s Motivated Sequence’

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Do you remember all the speech writing lessons you had in school? Well, most of these lessons missed out on an important chapter- Monroe’s Motivated Sequence .

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a five-step organizational framework that acts as a guiding line for writing a persuasive speech. It organizes the content of a persuasive speech and helps the orator to align his audiences’ thoughts with his ideas by allowing him to inspire the audience to take action after the speech. This technique was developed by Alan H. Monroe at Purdue University in the early 1930s.

Since time immemorial, this concept has been the reason behind the success of MANY persuasive speeches. To name a few-

• I Have A Dream By Martin Luther King, Jr.
• We Shall Fight on the Beaches By Winston Churchill
• The Gettysburg Address By Abraham Lincoln

Alright, let’s dive into it!

A Quick Overview

The concept of Monroe’s Motivation Sequence was introduced as early as the 1930s. Just like mathematical formulae, even the domain of persuasive speaking now had a formula. If you’ll have a closer look, you’ll find the application of this concept in a number of famous speeches.

Who was Alan H. Monroe?

Alan H. Monroe, a renowned American Psychologist, introduced ‘Monroe’s Motivated Sequence’. He’s considered to be a pioneer in the field of communications.

Having focused his entire career around public speaking and studying the psychology of persuasion, Alan H. Monroe wished to disseminate his learnings and experiences with all the public speakers out there. To top it all, he spent a significant amount of time as a professor of communications at Purdue University. So, when the University asked him to draft a special communications course for its students, he was overjoyed.

As a result, he crafted an outline for persuasive speeches and mentioned this outline in one of his books, ‘ Monroe’s Principles of Speech ‘. With the popularization of this concept, this outline later came to be known as ‘Monroe’s Motivated Sequence’.

As the name suggests, this sequence helps the audience to stay motivated to listen to your speech in its entirety and at the same time, calls for initiation of action from the audience.

Why you should bother learning ‘Monroe’s Motivated Sequence’?

Universality of Persuasion

Persuasive speaking is an inescapable skill. Be it something as huge as a professional workspace or something as tiny as daily conversations, we all are required to convince people one way or another. Now, not everyone wishes to devote their time and energy to honing the skill of persuasive speaking. Some just wish to be good enough to influence small groups of people if not mammoth gatherings and that’s perfectly alright!

No matter what your aim is, ‘Monroe’s Motivated Sequence’ is the foundation stone of persuasive speaking for all the beginners out there. It’s a MUST-LEARN concept for every adult who wishes to excel in his professional life.

Give the power in the hands of the audience

You know what most of us lack as speakers? It’s the care for the audience members.

As a consequence to this, after most of the speeches, audience members are clueless about the way forward just because you failed to guide them towards the way forward with a takeaway. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence carries an entire technique of ‘call-to-action- that will help you tailor your speech from an audiences’ perspective and establish you as a likeable personality over other speakers.

The potency of human psychology

Unlike other techniques, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence has been created after an in-depth study of human psychology and leads the listeners gradually to a desired action. Alan H. Monroe himself was a great psychologist and a devoted public speaker. So, if that doesn’t establish the credibility of this sequence to you, I don’t know what will.

Everything About ‘Monroe’s Motivated Sequence’

For the sake of your better understanding, let’s break down this concept into five sections-

1. What is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence?: Definition, Steps, and More

2. application of monroe’s motivated sequence’ in persuasive speaking, 3. why is monroe’s motivated sequence so effective, 4. learning resources to help you out.

Stay till the very end of this article as we’ve come up with bonus tips to aid this learning process, just for you!

Meaning of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a five-step organizational framework that is designed to ace the art of persuasive speaking. Keeping in view the aim of persuasive speaking, it is designed to induce the audience to take some sort of action once you are done speaking. It makes sure that your call-to-action has been implemented by the audience.

With the help of this technique, one can organize and structure a persuasive speech to maximize its impact. This technique has been derived by Monroe after studying the decision-making abilities and working of the human brain in great detail.

The five steps of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence can be stated as follows-

Satisfaction

Visualization.

Remember that all of these steps must be incorporated in a persuasive speech in this very order to maximize the impact. Without any further delay, let’s understand what each of these steps really means.

Steps of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Have you ever noticed people yawning and checking their wristwatches as you delivered a speech? It’s one of those embarrassing situations that we all have faced at least once in our lifetimes. But can you blame your audience? NO!

As it turns out, your speech is just not persuasive and gripping enough for the audience to pay their attention. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

The mantra of attention requires you to have a strong opening line and establish your credibility as a speaker.

Did you know that the audiences’ attention span is maximum at the beginning? So, the next time when you are walking up the stage to deliver the speech, know that you need to kick start your speech with a strong hook.

Instead of sticking with a bland ‘Good Morning’ or ‘Good Evening’, bring out the crystal of creativity to use. Here are a few tips for you to incorporate a strong hook-

• Narrate a story (be it fictional or real, make it believable)
• Use prop or placard to make an impact
• Shoot an intriguing question
• Ask the audience to imagine and dive deeper into the magical realm of imagination
• Cite an unpopular opinion related to the topic of your speech

Want to know more speech opening ideas? We’ve written an article on ‘ 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines and How to Create Your Own ‘. Check it out to master the art of drafting a killer speech opening line.

And in order to establish your credibility as an orator, the audience must first have a reason to trust you. You can establish your credibility as a speaker either by stating your credentials or establishing a relatability quotient with the audience.

As you have successfully captured that attention, it’s now time to tell your audience as to why they should change their existing thought lines, just to believe you?

So, start listing logical arguments to back up your ideas and tell them the need associated with the topic. Why, you ask?

Do you buy a television set just because you woke up one day and felt it’s cool? No, right? You analyze your need. You aware yourself of the requirements and then, invest your time, money and energy in something.

Likewise, for the audience to take some action after the delivery of your speech, they must realize the need and urgency of the situation.

Here, present your audience four-five logical arguments to support your ideas (Don’t bombard your listeners with too many facts, remember that less is more). Make a point to connect each of these logical arguments with a sense of emotion. This way, you’ll have your audience at the edge of their seats wanting to know more.

If you are still not sure on how you should go about incorporating facts in your speech, make sure you check this article.

If you are someone who has just graduated high school, you now realize the ‘need’ for a good application essay to get into your dream college. But what’s the thing that keeps us motivated to work harder to make sure we get admission there?

For most of us, it’s the efforts we can put in to achieve that goal.

Likewise, when your audience realizes the need, they would think about putting in efforts to get it fulfilled. But will they be determined? Chances are unlikely. For us to work harder towards a goal, we need an anticipated satisfaction to cheer us up from time-to-time.

So, in your persuasive speech, you need to provide your audience a sense of what all good is in store for them if this need gets fulfilled. Keep it realistic, it needs to be relatable enough. One way to do that is to give your audience a list of solutions.

Tell them the solutions to satisfy that need. State the exact steps they would be required to undertake to reach their ultimate goal. Here, avoid being generic with the process. Think from an audiences’ perspective.

Remember that the solutions need to be clear and precise for the audience to remember in long-term.

When you read a book, you get immersed in a fictional world. You can picture the scenario with your eyes wide open. It’s exactly what you need to do here. Help the audience rip the fruits of benefit through their eyes. The key is to list the benefits of listening to you.

In this step, you need to draw a picture in the minds of the audience. Visualize a world where things are all hunky-dory as they’ve followed those solutions.

This visualization can either be positive or negative. It all depends on the impact you wish to create.

In the positive visualization, you can provide a picture of a welcoming scenario where the problem you presented has been solved with the help of solutions listed by you.

In the negative visualization, you can provide a picture of a scary and traumatizing scenario where things have gone downhill just because the audience didn’t follow those solutions.

Call-to-action

If you have reached this stage, give yourself a pat on the back! You’re almost close to winning your audiences’ hearts.

Your audience should know what to do once the speech has ended and that’s where a Strong Call-to-Action comes to play.

Initiate a strong call-to-action by summing up the essence of your speech and tell what exactly does the audience needs to do once your speech has ended. Make sure you cite a key takeaway from your speech.

If possible, leave the audience with a thought to ponder over. But how do you do it? Just like a strong opening statement, one needs to have a memorable takeaway highlighting your key takeaway and call-to-action. Here are a few tips for you to add a memorable ending-

• The good old charm of poetry
• Use of rhetorical devices
• Intriguing Question
• The classic hook of quote

Which step is the most important in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence?

Undoubtedly, ‘attention’ is the most important step in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.

If you don’t have your audiences’ attention, they won’t listen to your problem-solution-visualization approach. Consider the attention step to be that lesson on alphabets. You cannot form meaningful sentences until and unless you know the basics of alphabets.

Likewise, the attention technique in the beginning of your speech is what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The point of having a strong opening is to change the vibe of the room in your favor so you have the undivided attention of your audience. With this undivided attention, you will be able to put forth your ideas in a convincing manner and the audience will actually listen to the content of your speech. If delivered well, you will be able to win over the hearts of your audience with the utmost certainty.

When should you use ‘Monroe’s Motivated Sequence’?

We have witnessed what this technique is and how exactly we can use it to our benefit to convince people. But here’s the catch, even after knowing what it is, most of you must be wondering where do you use it? Allow us to enlighten you with the help of these pointers-

• Works great in persuasive and demonstrative speeches

While delivering a persuasive speech, you want the audience to truly believe in your point-of-view and Monroe’s Motivated Sequence provides the right step-by-step guidance for you to achieve this goal.

When it comes to demonstrative speeches, the audience members won’t just believe you. You need to tell a story, present the right facts at the right time and project a tempting positive scenario that awaits their presence. Well, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence does the job for you here as well.

• Convince your stakeholders to invest by delivering a great pitch note

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence consists of the buzzword ‘attention’, which is why it will help you catch the attention of your stakeholders in work meetings. In addition to this, call-to-action will help you win over your investors.

• In work meetings, to put forth your ideas in a convincing manner

In order to be persuasive, you must sound believable. The problem and solution pattern encompassed in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence will help you convince your fellow team-mates without them even realizing it.

• It hones your leadership skills in college and work assignments

Being a great leader requires you to convince your fellow team members to follow your lead and put in the same amount of dedication and efforts that you are willing to put in a project. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence will help you do justice to it.

You must be wondering where exactly do each of those five steps can be applied within the structure of a speech ?

Well, as you all know, any speech can be divided into three sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. That being said, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is particularly designed to hone each of these three sections. To list the bifurcations-

The Introduction: Attention

The body: need, satisfaction, visualization.

• The Conclusion: Call-to-action

Deliver your introductory statement by keeping just one goal in preview, that is, attention. Ace your introduction with three simple steps-

A. Strong Hook

Always begin your speech with a strong opening line (we possibly cannot stress this more). We have already discussed how to incorporate a strong hook in the section where we discussed ‘attention’. So, we won’t bore you to sleep with repetition but check this article out to really ace this art of penning down a killer opening statement.

B. Establishing Credibility

Speaker’s credentials play a huge role in making the audience decide whether they should listen to you or not. Why does it matter, you ask?

The catch is, in order to be convinced, the audience must first trust you. You can established credibility amongst your audience by simply following one of these three hacks-

• Relatable Personal Experiences
• State your Credentials
• Narrate a story
• Sound Confident and Smile

C. Thesis Statement

Here, just like the trailer of a movie, you provide your audience with a sneak peek into the content of your speech. How do you do it? Simply provide a preview of the theme of your speech.

Need, Satisfaction, and Visualization forms the body of the speech. Remember that you cannot change this order. The body has to highlight these three main points in the exact same order.

After a gripping introduction, you need to highlight the problem and explain it in such a way that it resonates with your audience. The best way is to bring out the emotional appeal here. Give them a purpose as to why should they care.

This step of need is crucial because when you begin your speech, the audience in their minds are thinking positively about the issue. They’re of the opinion that everything’s just fine and you need to break it!

Your ‘need’ statement should be so powerful that after listening to your statement the audience must go bonkers thinking, ‘Whoa, is that so? It is scary’.

Be as descriptive as you can while explaining the problem because the more vivid you explain, the more the audience will be able to visualize. This way, the audience will retain it for a much longer time.

B. Satisfaction

With such a vivid description of the problem, the audience must now be thirsty for the solutions. You will come to their rescue and be the anchor to drive them out of the stormy ocean and put them at ease.

To quench their thirst for solution, you now need to state the solution to the problem at hand.

Be very specific and realistic while giving the solutions. The ideal way would be to list the solutions from an individual’s perspective, something you and I can do. If you go all broad in terms of your solutions by listing the solutions at the national or even international level, the audience would much likely lose their interests. You won’t want that, would you?

So, maintaining the right balance is of key importance here. Also, remember not to burden your audience with too many facts as they will go all haywire and possibly end up remembering nothing.

C. Visualization

Using the power of imagination is gonna come in handy here. Ask your audience to imagine a hypothetical situation as reality. To list-

Positive Visualization: Imagine the good world where things are fine, just because you decided to implement the previously mentioned solutions

Negative Visualization: Even this can turn out to be effective by prompting the fear emotion. As we know that the negative emotions overpower the positive ones, you can actually use it to your ethical advantage.

Contrast Visualization: It calls for drawing a comparison between the above-mentioned points and then, asking the audience to choose the better one. They would obviously prefer the positive scenario.

Whenever you are asking your audience to visualize, give a detailed description. It’ll help them picture your thoughts with better clarity.

The Conclusion: Call-to-Action

Appeal to the sentiments of your audience while reiterating the core message of your speech and providing a takeaway to the audience. While stating the takeaway, you sum up your speech and provide a direction to your audience as to what exact action they need to take once the speech has ended.

Of course, you need to incorporate a killer ending line as well. To your relief- we’ve written an entire article on how you can draft a killer and memorable concluding statement . Make sure that you check it out!

Since time unknown, scholars have been debating as to why exactly is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence so effective? We have researched the answers for you-

The first and foremost reason behind its effectiveness is that it takes into account the audiences’ perspective. It might sound obvious and lame but the thing is, we get so engrossed in honing our speaking skills that we often forget the aim of public speaking, the aim of adding some value to the listeners’ lives. In this quest, our audiences lose and are left clueless even after the speech has ended. The entire sequence is constructed in such a way that a speaker devotes his entire time and energy just to initiate some action from the audience members.

The second key reason would be the simplification of the concept. Monroe has simplified the concept to such a level that even a kid with just enough dedication could get a hang of this technique.

The third reason would be the universal use and relevance of this concept. People from all walks of life can learn it to excel in their respective professional workspaces. Essentially, it’s not an advanced learning concept but more of a must-have learning concept.

To help you guys better understand this concept with real-life examples, we’re offering you three things in this section. First off, we’ll discuss three sample speech notes written with the help of this technique. Secondly, we’re gonna provide you with a speech outline template to help you draft your own speech accordingly. Last but not the least, as promised, we’ll give you a bonus checklist for you to make sure you’ve incorporated all the elements in your persuasive speech.

Examples of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

• Speech Topic: ‘How Gossip Sessions Do More Harm Than Good?’
• Speech Topic: ‘Why Addressing Mental Health Is Necessary?’
• Speech Topic: ‘Afraid of dogs? Know why running isn’t the best but the worst way out’

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: Speech Topic Ideas

Now that you are well-acquainted with the Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, you must be wondering as to what all topics you can speak on.

We’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of 5 speech topics on which you can apply the Monroe’s Motivated Sequence-

• Why watching dark content is bad for your mental health?
• How is your favorite show ‘Tom and Jerry’ promoting violence among children?
• How is Instagram a privacy peril?
• How is Instagram leading to body dysmorphia among today’s youth?
• Romantic Comedies are not ‘goals’ but a toxic representation of women.

Want to get more Speech Topic Ideas? We have an article dedicated just for that with HUNDREDS of persuasive speech topics you to choose from. Check this out.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: Speech Outline Template

The next time you sit to write a speech, feel free to put all your fears and concerns away as this speech outline template will help you structure and organize your speech. All you gotta do is find a comfortable space, grab a mug of coffee, and put your thoughts into words to write a strong narrative. Sounds simple, right? That’s because it is.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: Sample Speech

Speech Topic- How Gossip Sessions Do More Harm Than Good?

The first time I actually discovered the “power of gossip” was when I accidently spilled the beans of one of my colleague’s misadventures at Bali to my lunch buddy. Two hours later, I heard the same piece of gossip from one of my friends and by the end of the day, my whole tribe knew about it. ‘HOW???’ To my surprise, this incident somehow led to me becoming one of the “popular kids” at work. Though I did not feel very ecstatic, I did enjoy all the attention I received thereafter. Somehow, I gained the reputation of being the go-to-person for all the new hearsay around the place. What you just heard is the key element of our daily conversations and one of my personal experiences. Yes, I’m talking about the inevitable gossip sessions, the sessions where you and I discuss IMPORTANT SHIT. I mportant shit that doesn’t concern our lives but the personal lives of others. I mportant shit that may not be true. T his is the ocean where you dive into the secrets of others, the secrets you weren’t meant to know in the first place. But do you hesitate?  N O, you continue to listen and react. S o, let me ask you, are you a gossip?  “ No, I hate people who gossip!’ That’s how most of us will react to that question. Trust me, I’d react the same way because guess what? The word, ‘Gossip’ in itself has a negative connotation.  S o, I’m here to tell you how nothing ever good follows the phrase, ‘Tell me, What’s the goss?’ and how these little gossip sessions can destroy your social sanity. I magine this! You had a really bad day at work and got yelled at by your boss. Feeling overwhelmed, you reach home and call one of your closest friends to vent it all out. After an hour-long conversation, your mind is at ease, you feel a lot better, and thank your friend for just being there and listening. T he next day, an acquaintance calls you and asks you how you were coping in a sarcastic tone. As it turns out, your closest friend couldn’t keep a secret and breached that circle of trust. How would you feel? S ad? Disheartened? Betrayed?  W ould you be able to trust this close friend of yours? NO, Never. A nd that’s exactly what’s wrong with these gossip sessions. The moment you start passing on secrets about someone else’s life, you are diminishing your own social credibility. After all, no one trusts a gossip. B ut diminishing credibility is just ONE of the reasons why gossiping is bad for you. There’s more harm to it! H ave you ever gotten along with someone just because you share a common foe? Here’s an interesting fact for you- this bond is even more toxic than a bad relationship.  W hen you make friends because your personalities clicked, you have a reason to stick by. But what would happen if your friend suddenly starts to get along with your foe? DISASTER, right? Then, you’re the one who’s portrayed in the negative light and you’re the one who’s considered a gossip. Within the blink of an eye, you have destroyed your social life just because gossip spreads like wildfire. G ossip sessions may sound enticing at first. It comes off as a messiah for your non-existent social life but the more indulged you get, the more you mess up your social image.  W hat we need is ‘meaningful conversations’. W hat we need is ‘quality friends with whom you can even enjoy the silence’. After all, you don’t need to talk just for the sake of it. Even a meaningful silence is better than a piece of gossip. But how do you really escape these inescapable gossip sessions? F irstly, the next time you hear someone gossiping something to you. Go ahead and tell them to sort things out with the person they’re gossiping about. Back bitching isn’t gonna help them in any way possible. S econdly, begin to have conversations that DO MATTER. Talk about life decisions, career choices, even current affairs for that matter. This world encompasses a billions of things, gossiping is just petty and a complete wastage of your time. Consider gossip sessions as those weeds you pluck out from your garden. ‘ The less people you chill with, the less shit you deal with’. This is the mantra for your third and final solution. Keep your friend circle tight and have people who contribute to your growth and not get carried forward in petty gossips. G ossiping is most definitely the devil’s talk show. Socrates once said, ‘ Strong minds discuss ideas, A verage minds discuss events, W eak minds discuss people.’ E ssentially, the ball of your social credibility is in your court. Do you make it or break it? The choice is yours and completely yours.

Bonus Tip: Checklist for Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

If you’ve worked on all of these pointers, trust me no one can stop in becoming a great persuasive speaker.

In Conclusion

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is your secret recipe to craft a perfect persuasive speech. Bearing this in mind, this article is your one-stop destination for everything you need to know about this brilliant technique.

From what does this concept really mean to provide learning resources to help you out in the process, we have tried our level best to help you become a persuasive speaker.

Smile, be confident, and put your worries away as this technique is going to take care of the content of your speech. All you now need to focus upon is your presentation skills and don’t worry, we ain’t gonna leave you clueless. Here are a few articles to help you with your speech delivery techniques-

• Body Language Guide to Public Speaking (The Do’s & Don’ts)
• All You Need to Know about Voice Modulation & Tonality for Public Speaking
• How to Improve Your Stage Presence for Public Speaking

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Persuasive Speech Outline, with Examples

March 17, 2021 - Gini Beqiri

A persuasive speech is a speech that is given with the intention of convincing the audience to believe or do something. This could be virtually anything – voting, organ donation, recycling, and so on.

A successful persuasive speech effectively convinces the audience to your point of view, providing you come across as trustworthy and knowledgeable about the topic you’re discussing.

So, how do you start convincing a group of strangers to share your opinion? And how do you connect with them enough to earn their trust?

Topics for your persuasive speech

We’ve made a list of persuasive speech topics you could use next time you’re asked to give one. The topics are thought-provoking and things which many people have an opinion on.

When using any of our persuasive speech ideas, make sure you have a solid knowledge about the topic you’re speaking about – and make sure you discuss counter arguments too.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• All school children should wear a uniform
• Facebook is making people more socially anxious
• It should be illegal to drive over the age of 80
• Lying isn’t always wrong
• The case for organ donation

Read our full list of  75 persuasive speech topics and ideas .

Preparation: Consider your audience

As with any speech, preparation is crucial. Before you put pen to paper, think about what you want to achieve with your speech. This will help organise your thoughts as you realistically can only cover 2-4 main points before your  audience get bored .

It’s also useful to think about who your audience are at this point. If they are unlikely to know much about your topic then you’ll need to factor in context of your topic when planning the structure and length of your speech. You should also consider their:

• Cultural or religious backgrounds
• Shared concerns, attitudes and problems
• Shared interests, beliefs and hopes
• Baseline attitude – are they hostile, neutral, or open to change?

The factors above will all determine the approach you take to writing your speech. For example, if your topic is about childhood obesity, you could begin with a story about your own children or a shared concern every parent has. This would suit an audience who are more likely to be parents than young professionals who have only just left college.

Remember the 3 main approaches to persuade others

There are three main approaches used to persuade others:

The ethos approach appeals to the audience’s ethics and morals, such as what is the ‘right thing’ to do for humanity, saving the environment, etc.

Pathos persuasion is when you appeal to the audience’s emotions, such as when you  tell a story  that makes them the main character in a difficult situation.

The logos approach to giving a persuasive speech is when you appeal to the audience’s logic – ie. your speech is essentially more driven by facts and logic. The benefit of this technique is that your point of view becomes virtually indisputable because you make the audience feel that only your view is the logical one.

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking and Persuasion

Ideas for your persuasive speech outline

1. structure of your persuasive speech.

The opening and closing of speech are the most important. Consider these carefully when thinking about your persuasive speech outline. A  strong opening  ensures you have the audience’s attention from the start and gives them a positive first impression of you.

You’ll want to  start with a strong opening  such as an attention grabbing statement, statistic of fact. These are usually dramatic or shocking, such as:

Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat – Jamie Oliver

Another good way of starting a persuasive speech is to include your audience in the picture you’re trying to paint. By making them part of the story, you’re embedding an emotional connection between them and your speech.

You could do this in a more toned-down way by talking about something you know that your audience has in common with you. It’s also helpful at this point to include your credentials in a persuasive speech to gain your audience’s trust.

Obama would spend hours with his team working on the opening and closing statements of his speech.

2. Stating your argument

You should  pick between 2 and 4 themes  to discuss during your speech so that you have enough time to explain your viewpoint and convince your audience to the same way of thinking.

It’s important that each of your points transitions seamlessly into the next one so that your speech has a logical flow. Work on your  connecting sentences  between each of your themes so that your speech is easy to listen to.

Your argument should be backed up by objective research and not purely your subjective opinion. Use examples, analogies, and stories so that the audience can relate more easily to your topic, and therefore are more likely to be persuaded to your point of view.

3. Addressing counter-arguments

Any balanced theory or thought  addresses and disputes counter-arguments  made against it. By addressing these, you’ll strengthen your persuasive speech by refuting your audience’s objections and you’ll show that you are knowledgeable to other thoughts on the topic.

When describing an opposing point of view, don’t explain it in a bias way – explain it in the same way someone who holds that view would describe it. That way, you won’t irritate members of your audience who disagree with you and you’ll show that you’ve reached your point of view through reasoned judgement. Simply identify any counter-argument and pose explanations against them.

• Complete Guide to Debating

4. Closing your speech

Your closing line of your speech is your last chance to convince your audience about what you’re saying. It’s also most likely to be the sentence they remember most about your entire speech so make sure it’s a good one!

The most effective persuasive speeches end  with a  call to action . For example, if you’ve been speaking about organ donation, your call to action might be asking the audience to register as donors.

Practice answering AI questions on your speech and get  feedback on your performance .

If audience members ask you questions, make sure you listen carefully and respectfully to the full question. Don’t interject in the middle of a question or become defensive.

You should show that you have carefully considered their viewpoint and refute it in an objective way (if you have opposing opinions). Ensure you remain patient, friendly and polite at all times.

Example 1: Persuasive speech outline

This example is from the Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Specific purpose

To persuade my audience to start walking in order to improve their health.

Central idea

Regular walking can improve both your mental and physical health.

Introduction

Let’s be honest, we lead an easy life: automatic dishwashers, riding lawnmowers, T.V. remote controls, automatic garage door openers, power screwdrivers, bread machines, electric pencil sharpeners, etc., etc. etc. We live in a time-saving, energy-saving, convenient society. It’s a wonderful life. Or is it?

Continue reading

Example 2: Persuasive speech

Tips for delivering your persuasive speech

• Practice, practice, and practice some more . Record yourself speaking and listen for any nervous habits you have such as a nervous laugh, excessive use of filler words, or speaking too quickly.
• Show confident body language . Stand with your legs hip width apart with your shoulders centrally aligned. Ground your feet to the floor and place your hands beside your body so that hand gestures come freely. Your audience won’t be convinced about your argument if you don’t sound confident in it. Find out more about  confident body language here .
• Don’t memorise your speech word-for-word  or read off a script. If you memorise your persuasive speech, you’ll sound less authentic and panic if you lose your place. Similarly, if you read off a script you won’t sound genuine and you won’t be able to connect with the audience by  making eye contact . In turn, you’ll come across as less trustworthy and knowledgeable. You could simply remember your key points instead, or learn your opening and closing sentences.
• Remember to use facial expressions when storytelling  – they make you more relatable. By sharing a personal story you’ll more likely be speaking your truth which will help you build a connection with the audience too. Facial expressions help bring your story to life and transport the audience into your situation.
• Keep your speech as concise as possible . When practicing the delivery, see if you can edit it to have the same meaning but in a more succinct way. This will keep the audience engaged.

The best persuasive speech ideas are those that spark a level of controversy. However, a public speech is not the time to express an opinion that is considered outside the norm. If in doubt, play it safe and stick to topics that divide opinions about 50-50.

Bear in mind who your audience are and plan your persuasive speech outline accordingly, with researched evidence to support your argument. It’s important to consider counter-arguments to show that you are knowledgeable about the topic as a whole and not bias towards your own line of thought.