The right persuasive speech topics should ignite your passions, which – in turn – should ignite the passions of your audience members.
I have LOTS of ideas for you to think about – choose from the categories below to see my suggestions, then read on for some great tips in helping you make your selection.
Speech Topic: Find Your Ideal Topic
- 60 good persuasive speech topics – a range of ideas to fire your imagination.
- Fun ideas for a persuasive speech – ideal if you wish to go for something a little more light-hearted. Try to give a fresh perspective on the issue of your choice.
- 50 easy persuasive speech ideas – subjects about which most of us have a pretty strong opinion and LOTS to say!
Speech Topic: Should You Use ‘Hot’ Subjects As Persuasive Speech Topics?
Before you decide on your topic area, it’s important to understand the fundamental concept of a persuasive speech.
The goal of any good persuasive speech is to help listeners make a decision about a topic. You want to influence your audience members to take action, whether that action be to change their beliefs on an issue or actually engage in some sort of activity.
Most of us have a tendency to look to the day’s ‘hottest’ topics in the headlines for this type of speech – but if you consider these the only viable persuasive speech topics, you may be overlooking some of the most important aspects of delivering this type of presentation.
When you’re thinking through possible ideas on which to base your speech , keep in mind that almost any speech topic you would consider for an informative speech can work quite well for a persuasive one too.
The difference is that your persuasive speech will have to recognize ideas on the OTHER side of the issue. You must then effectively state ideas that support YOUR side of the argument, leading your audience to see that YOUR point of view is the correct one!
If you are a little too ‘fanatical’ about a particular topic, you may not be able to weigh both sides of the issue enough to satisfy the curiosity of audience members. As a result, focusing only on the most highly discussed issues of the day – about which many of your audience members may already have strong opinions – may not be the best idea.
What’s more, when you remember that the goal of a persuasive speech is to get audience members to take action, choosing hotly debated topics like state-sponsored executions – about which 99% of your listeners will have firm views – may only set you up for failure in terms of your goal.
So my recommendation is to avoid including ‘hot topics’ in your persuasive speech topics list. You have a short amount of time to convince people. Use it wisely by making a good topic choice.
Speech Topic: Start your persuasive speech topics list with your areas of interest.
For example, if you enjoy reading in your spare time, think about convincing audience members to pick up a text by the author of your choice.
Move on to some of your recent experiences. If you went on an interesting vacation before the start of last term, try to persuade your listeners to visit the same area.
If you want to choose serious persuasive speech topics, think about those that are so frequently ignored by the media. Topics like food stamps and speed limits that have been a part of our society for years are often overlooked by most people.
Once you have made your list of potential persuasive speech topics, you are ready to make a final selection.
My advice is to pick a topic with accessible resource material, as any good speech needs a bit of research to make it perfect! Once you’ve got your topic, create your persuasive speech outline and you’ll be well on your way to giving a great speech!
Speech Topic: Sample Persuasive Speeches
Have you heard of Alan H. Monroe’s motivated sequence? It’s a technique used to present a persuasive speech in a way that galvanizes people into taking action and it’s WELL worth putting into practice when you create your own presentation.
You can learn more about the technique here
Watch for the use of the technique in the following sample speeches and use these speeches as a ‘framework’ for creating your own.
- Free persuasive speech on a controversial subject
- Example of a persuasive speech on gender selection
- Sample speech about integrating energy medicine into the medical mainstream
- An example speech about bullying, ideal for high school
- A fun persuasive speech about luck
- A persuasive presentation about how Benjamin Franklin did NOT discover electricity
- A sample speech on the dangers of secondhand smoke
- A speech persuading others not to use a cell phone whilst driving
Other pages you’ll find helpful…
How to write good persuasive speeches
Techniques to help you come up with persuasive speech ideas
Three steps to a persuasive speech that gets results
Persuasive speech topics for teens
Don’t forget – I LOVE to share both my speeches and yours with visitors to this website… so if you’ve written a killer speech that the world deserves to see (or any speech you’re happy with!) please do send it in to me!
