Craff Survey
Name: _______________________
Monroe’s Motivational Sequence
What follows is the traditional sequence that almost all professional persuasive speeches follow. Sometimes speakers
modify the following steps a little bit.
When you write your speech, you’ll need to apply the following sequence—you may not need to use every single step
listed below, BUT you must use rhetorical appeals, use the opposing argument to help make YOUR case, and you must
include the most important steps in your speech outline and body of the speech.
I. ATTENTION STEP (introduction)
A. Attention Getter
B. Orient Audience Toward Topic – Make your question and argument clear… you must take a
stand!
II. NEED STEP (the problem)
A. State the need…. Why exactly are you talking to us about this issue?
B. Prove the significance of the need using rhetorical appeals
1. Ethos (credibility)
2. Logos (Evidence/ Facts)
3. Pathos (Relate to audience via emotional appeals)
III. SATISFACTION STEP (the solution)
A. Statement of Solution - Statement of the attitude, belief, or action that you wish the
audience to adopt in order to solve the problem.
B. Explanation - Explain your solution to the audience
C. Theoretical Demonstration - Demonstrate to your audience how your solution logically
meets the problem pointed out in the need step
D. Workability- present examples showing that this solution has worked effectively in the past
or that this solution has been advocated by experts in the field.
E. Meeting Objections -Answer possible objectives that might be raised (This is where you
might bring up the opposing argument—use it to help YOU make your point)
IV. VISUALIZATION STEP (world will look like with or without your idea)
A. Visualize a world in which…. Imagine a world where…
B. The speaker may also explain the consequences of not adopting the solutions
V. ACTION STEP (call to action)
A. What the audience themselves can do/think/believe/begin
B. What YOU will do or what you are doing/thinking/believing/beginning
C: May conclude by tying back to attention step or leaving the audience thinking.