A persuasive speech idea should consider stating facts, value, or policy in order to get your listeners change their views or to make modification on what they think and make them to act or to agree with your opinion and solutions. This checklist will help you turning public speaking ideas into speech topics to persuade and not just to inform.



1. First, you have to determine who your listeners are. Because the more controversial your speech topics are the harder you have to persuade and make them believe on what you are trying to convey.

2. Realize the social-economic status of your listeners: Age, males, females, ethnicity? What is their political, educational, religious background? Do they have knowledge with regards to the speech topic? What are their needs and interests?

3. Keep a note and examine your viewpoint-- why the topic interests you and what your clear opinion is.

4. What is the attitude of your public towards your persuasive speech idea? Why do they have to agree or act on it? Can you develop the topic more relevant to them or make an idea that the topic you are conveying has something to do with their life?

5. If you state a Fact Claim then you must provide proof that your claim is the best. Why do I think something is true or false? Show evidence, hard facts, statistics, new figures, illustrations, quotations, definitions.

If you state a Value Claim then appeal to the morality and values of your listeners. Why do I like or dislike something? Why do your listeners have to agree that something is right or wrong, moral or immoral, valuable or worthless? Why do you want to convince them? Offer examples the public will recognize, try to find common ground on related subjects and expert testimonies, and compare your idea with oppositional ideas.

If you state a Policy Claim then persuade that there is a problem and get the listeners to agree with your solution. Appeal to human needs, to ideas and to emotion. Give an overview of the present situation, the causes and the bad effects everybody will recognize. T

6. Find out and have your goal organized for your persuasive speech idea. Formulate it in a single phrase.

Fact claim: I want to persuade that the aging population has bad effects on the economy.

Value claim: I want to persuade that metal detectors in schools violate the students' rights.

Policy claim: I want to persuade the public that arranged marriages must be outlawed.

7. Now, make your goal into an effective persuasive speech idea statement that is clearly identifying your idea: The Aging Population Cripples The Economy, Metal Detectors In Schools Violate Students' Rights and Arranged Marriages Must Be Outlawed are examples of catchy persuasive speech idea statements.