Building Persuasive
Arguments
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Presentation Overview
• What is Persuasion?
• How Do You Build an Argument?
What Is Persuasion?
Persuasion is the process of convincing others to
act in a certain way or to accept a viewpoint.
How Do You Build an Argument?
1. Identify your desired outcome.
2. Consider the constraints that may impact
your audience.
3. Structure the argument.
4. Decide on the appropriate medium for
presenting your argument.
Identify Your Desired Outcome
Your desired outcome is what you want to
achieve:
To
convince
them to
To make accept a
others viewpoint
listen
To influence
them to
choose one
option over
another
To inspire
them to act
To
motivate
them to
change
Consider the Constraints that May
Impact Your Audience
• Audience constraints
• Workplace constraints
Audience Constraints
Determine by asking:
• Are your audience members internal or
external? Where are they in the
organizational hierarchy?
• Do you have a relationship with the
audience? And if so, is it a positive or
negative one?
• How familiar are they with the topic?
Workplace Constraints
Determine by asking:
• How much time and money is budgeted to
achieve the outcome?
• Is the outcome and the means for achieving it
legal?
• Is the outcome and the means for achieving it
ethical?
• What is the political climate at your workplace?
Is it likely that your idea will be rejected? Has the
idea already been proposed by someone else
and rejected?
Structure the Argument
The Claim
The Evidence
The Appeal
The Claim
The claim is your desired outcome.
Example
Our agency needs to purchase
11 six-tier, open-shelf files for
the medical records department
to replace 15 five-drawer file
cabinets.
Downloaded from the World Wide Web, May 1, 2009:
http://osulibrary.orst.edu/archives/handbook/chapter2/filing.html
The Evidence
Evidence is information used to support the
claim:
•Facts
•Statistics
•Examples
•Expert testimony
Facts
A fact can be observed, demonstrated, or
measured.
Example
The file cabinets take up most of the space in the department,
leaving no room for expansion.
The drawers have become so overfilled that they do not close
completely and are unsteady.
An employee recently suffered injuries when she was pinned
beneath a falling cabinet.
Statistics
Statistics are numerical data.
Example
One six-tier, open-shelf file is equal to eight drawers.
Efficiency rating = floor space of filing system (including access space)
linear-filing feet capacity
A higher number indicates greater efficiency. A five-drawer file
cabinet has an efficiency rating of 0.84, while a six-tier, openshelf file has an efficiency rating of 1.81 (OSU Archives).
Examples
Examples help audiences
•visualize abstract information
•remember your arguments
•identify with your arguments
Example (of an example)
Judy Peters has been working in the medical records
department for five years now as a clerk. She is frustrated by the
fact that she wastes a few hours every day retrieving and
returning files from/to crammed file cabinets. For the past two
months, she has had to work overtime each week to complete
her duties.
Expert Testimony
As long as it is unbiased, expert testimony can
lend your argument credibility.
Example
Caring Hearts Home Care in nearby Clover Springs recently
upgraded to an open-shelf filing system. One of their medical
records clerks claims, “The shelves have given us so much more
office space; this has sped up the filing process. They also help
our office stay better organized. We don’t misplace as many files
anymore.”
The Appeal
The appeal consists of all the reasons why the
audience should accept the claim. Types of
appeals include
•appealing to shared goals and values
•appealing to common sense
•appealing by recognizing the opposing
viewpoint/evidence
•appealing to the audiences’ emotion
The Appeal
Examples
•Appealing to shared goals and values: An open-shelf filing system
would save space, increase efficiency (thereby decreasing overtime),
and improve organization.
•Appealing to common sense: Without all the overfilled, unsteady
drawers, the new system would obviously be safer.
•Appealing by recognizing the opposing viewpoint/evidence: The
new system would be expensive. However, by eliminating one of the
primary causes for overtime, we could recoup this expense. And as we
bring in new clients, we would have the room to store their files.
•Appealing to the audience’s emotions: Employees like Judy are
frustrated with the file cabinet situation and need a new system to
help them do their jobs.
Decide on the Appropriate Medium
for Presenting Your Argument
• Will you present it orally?
• Will you present it in writing? If so, what
format will you use?
Questions?