Persuasive speeches should reflect your sincere beliefs. After all you cannot persuade your audience that abortion is wrong if you don't believe it is.  You cannot persuade your audience that cell phones and cars are a dangerous mix if you regularly use your own phone while driving.  A persuasive speech, therefore, should express a deep conviction such as the fact that in child abuse home is where the hurt is.

Of course persuasive speeches can cover a multitude of subjects.  A public speaker may not feel strongly about buttons or fashion.  A speech on either of these topics could be entertaining or informative but unless it was either for or against the wearing of the burqa it would not be persuasive.  So when you are writing a persuasive speech the first thing you must ask yourself is "Do I really believe what I am saying?"

Then you have to ask yourself the best way of getting others to share your belief. Can you give them statistics backing up what you are saying?  Do you know the real facts about the subject? How do you touch hearts and sway minds?

You begin your speech by stating your case. You might tell them, for instance, how important it is to be a blood donor. Then you list the reasons why and the consequences of their act if they do so. If you can you should personalise the speech by telling them how your own child's life was saved because someone donated blood. You can explain that this is why you are trying to persuade others to be donors.

You could then give the details of where to go and what happens when someone is giving their blood. Give the times the blood bank is open.  Explain what happens when the blood is collected., telling them how it is stored and used. In fact you might even persuade your audience to persuade others to donate blood too. You might suggest, for instance, that they take posters and put them up in their offices or in their local football clubs or shopping malls.

Obviously every persuasive speech does not have the same effect on others. You might feel that homework should be banned and you could give a very good speech on the topic.  If you really want to sway hearts, though, you should choose a more emotive subject such as euthanasia or suicide. Finish off your speech with a summary of the reasons why your audience should believe in your argument and leave them with a thought provoking ending that says "Do it my way".