CMST 2060 SAMPLE OUTLINE

Persuasive Speech

INTRODUCTION

I. Attention-getter

A. An attention-getter can be an anecdote, bold claim, rhetorical question, interesting fact or statistic, or something else. The important thing is that you make it interesting.

B. Attention-getters should, of course, be relevant to your topic.

II. Orienting material

A. Introduce your topic clearly and quickly.

B. Relate your topic to the audience.

C. Establish credibility (what is the nature of your connection with this topic? Why are you the one best equipped to tell us about it?)

III. Thesis/topic statement.

A. For the persuasive speech, the thesis statement should identify all parts of your policy solution. B. Remember, the thesis is not your preview. a. Rather than a roadmap, your thesis should function as a kind of “teaser,” designed to entice and engage your audience. b. Leave the preview of your speech to the next part.

IV. Preview.

A. In one sentence, provide us an overview of your main points.

B. A preview is a psychological roadmap. Or, if you prefer, it’s an appetizer for the main course.

(transition) Transitions are the glue or the stitching that holds your speech together.

Example introduction:

I. On June 1, Rosie Vallejo received a payday loan for $1,000. A month later, the cost of that loan had quadrupled to $2,000; a year later, the cost of the loan was around $20,000.
A. Rosie has fallen into what critics of payday loans have called a “debt trap.”
B. Though they claim that they desire to help their customers get, payday loan stores are actually in the business of creating debt traps.

II. Why would someone take out a payday loan?

A. Presently, a large portion of the United States workforce is either un- or under-employed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “ “ (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). B. At the same time, the cost of living continues to rise. According to Source X, cost of living increases X% a year. (Source X, 2013). C. Payday loan stores have profited greatly from this situation, with X number of stores opening in Louisiana in the past ten years (Source Y, 2014). D. Recognizing the problem, the Louisiana legislature attempted to pass a law in April of 2014 that would limit the number of payday loans any one person could take out (Source Z, 2014). The resolution failed, and the problem persists. E. Though I’ve never taken out a payday loan myself, I understand the need for a bit of financial assistance every once in a while. a. I hit up my parents often for money/I work two jobs/etc. b. My research on the payday loan industry has shown me that payday loan stores provide a bitter pill solution to a more structural problem.

III. I believe that we can reduce the attractiveness of for-profit payday loans by creating better and more affordable short-term loan alternatives, and by making sure that those customers are well-informed about the alternatives.

IV. In what follows, I will tell you a bit more about the problem of for-profit payday loans, and then outline a two-pronged solution to that problem, which involves, first, a more robust public education campaign about the dangers of payday loans and, second, the creation of a non-profit payday loan industry.

Transition: First, a bit more about the problem with for-profit payday loans.

BODY

I. Main point. (“For-profit payday loans prey on the financially vulnerable.”)

A. A main point is a claim. B. As a claim, main points should always be supported by evidence, here given in sub-points. a. Sub-subpoints are possible too. b. You should have no fewer than two sub or sub-subpoints if you are going to use them at all.

(transition) “Part of the reason people are vulnerable, however, is because they simply aren’t aware of the dangers they face with for-profit payday loans.”

II. Main Point. “The State of Louisiana should fund a public education campaign about the dangers of payday loans.”)

A. Presently, several states are considering similar actions. B. Several vocal critics have already done good work in creating awareness about the problem. C. [One more bit]

(transition) “Education about the dangers of for-profit payday lending is all well and good, but the problem will persist until there are viable alternatives to the for-profit payday loan industry.”

III. Main Point. “The city of Baton Rouge can intervene in the problem by subsidizing the creation of not-for-profit payday loan centers.”

A. As I mentioned in the introduction, there is a clear need for payday lending in our poorly performing economy. B. The answer is not to regulate or ban the industry, but to foster good old-fashioned competition with the industry. C. The city of San Francisco has a non-profit payday loan center (Source Y, 2012). a. More b. More

CONCLUSION

I. SIGNAL THAT WE ARE IN THE CONCLUSION WITHOUT HITTING US OVER THE HEAD WITH THAT INFORMATION. In other words, avoid saying “In conclusion” or “to conclude.” “As I have shown, the problem of for-profit payday lending is severe, but I also believe it is fixable.”

II. Acknowledgement of limitations of your speech, or the “To be sure” statement. A. The “to be sure” statement acknowledges limitations of your speech. B. The purpose of the “to be sure” statement is to reinforce your credibility by demonstrating that you are aware of any limitations to your claims. C. You are not trying to backpedal here; rather, the point is to support your claims by acknowledging your limitations and effectively dismissing them.

Example: “To be sure, this list of pre-speech rituals is not conclusive. I may have spoken also about power-posing, or about the importance of practicing your speech in front of a live audience. What I have done here, though, is shared with you what has worked best for me. I’ve found breathing and stretching exercises, along with a warm glass of milk, to be tried and true methods to reduce speech anxiety.”

III. Conclusive conclusion. A. Wrap. It. Up. B. One way to do this effectively is to recall the information you conveyed in the attention-getter.