Persuasive speeches have to make your audience believe in what you say
Persuasive speeches have to have a message
Persuasive speeches have to have a message. That message has to persuade your audience to believe in something that you already do. You have to persuade your listeners that they can be happier, healthier or better people if they listen to you and learn to share your beliefs.
A persuasive speech can be about any subject whatsoever. You can persuade your audience to believe in magic and give them reasons for doing so. You can tell them that they can beat stress and explain how they can go about coming to grips with it. You can persuade them that yoga is much more than just exercise and explain what a difference it can make to their mental and physical health.
Of course to be persuasive a speaker must believe in what he or she is saying. He or she must have a conviction about the message that he or she is trying to get across. So a really good persuasive speaker will give examples of what he or she means. The more personal the example the easier it is to connect with your audience. So persuasive speeches need to be given by a speaker who can persuade, cajole and tempt people to listen and learn about his or her beliefs.
There are, of course, exceptional speakers who can speak on any subject on any subject whether or not they believe in the subject matter. Politicians come to mind. Nonetheless it does not do to underestimate an audience. Most people are quick to spot fakes and soon lose interest in what they have to say. Persuasive speeches have to come across as being sincere simply because the speakers themselves are sincere. They should also be professional in their approach. A badly written or badly delivered speech will not get your message across. So you need an interesting opening, firm facts and a convincing conclusion if you are to persuade people to join the Red Cross or donate to your favourite charity
Sometimes it is unlikely that you will be able to persuade your audience no matter how hard you try. You are not going to persuade those present at a Democratic conference that they should vote Republican for instance. So obviously you should do your audience research before you start. However if you facts are compelling enough you may be able to get your audience to believe what you are saying. It's much better, though, to share a deeply held conviction.
Persuasive speeches have to make your audience believe in what you say