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Good persuaders make strategic choices in an ethical manner.

In this chapter, we explored how persuasive speakers strengthen or weaken their audience’s commitment to a particular topic or motivate their listeners to take a particular action. In doing so, persuasive speakers make one of three types of claims: fact, value, or policy. In evaluating a message, audience members may take the central route and carefully process the message, or take the peripheral route and be influenced by cues that have little to do with speech content. If they are interested in the topic, they will most likely follow the central route, resulting in more effective and longer lasting attitude change.

We also shared strategies for relating a persuasive message to your audience, including choosing a thesis based on your listeners’ disposition, linking your message to your audience’s needs and values, demonstrating how the costs of your proposal are worth the benefits, addressing audience reservations about your thesis, and focusing on your listeners’ peripheral beliefs.

Additionally, you can develop your message in an ethical manner by helping your listeners make an informed decision, researching your facts thoroughly, disclosing any biases, and properly attributing your research sources. Finally, we offered strategies for organizing your message, depending on whether you are making a fact, value, or policy claim.