Aristotle’s Finest Contribution to Persuasion

If you’ve not read Aristotle’s Rhetoric, do so. If you’d rather spend time watching TV or reading pulp fiction, that’s okay. But, realize that you’ll be missing something of serious value.

FACT: many of the principle’s laid down in Rhetoric are as pertinent and valid today as they were however many thousands of years ago.

FACT: learning and using his principles will help you formulate fantastic arguments.

FACT: these next five points are seriously awesome, and by using them you will be awesomely smart, because you’ll be following the thoughts of a GENIUS!

So, to create a persuasive argument:

1. Tell a story or make a statement that rocks the audience into attention. (Cool facts or You statements are always good).
2. Raise a problem or a question that the audience will want you to answer.
3. Give a way of solving the problem.
4. Tell the benefits the audience will receive by adopting your solution.
5. Tell them what to do! (Call to Action!)

For example…

(Spoken to a room full of dog lovers)

Last year XCR company had six thousand complaints filed against it for it’s poison tainted dog food. Many of you buy XCR’s products to feed your dogs.

Companies that receive the amount of complaints that XCR received last year are wrong. And they should be stopped.

We have the power to stop their ill practices by not purchasing their products & by writing to the Better Business Bureau demanding they take action against XCR.

By acting on these two proposals, we will harm XCR financially, and we will be sending a huge message that poor quality is unacceptable. We will be taking advantage of our government supported protective agencies to do what they were designed to do….protect consumers against the unscrupulous practices of foolish companies who seem to be putting profit ahead of quality. This will ensure a future product and industry that provides high quality SAFE products that we can rest assured will not harm our beloved friends….the pooch.

So as of tonight, stop buying XCR products. Even if affording something different is difficult. Do it for your pooch. And, write a letter to the Better Business Bureau. Tell them you want changes made at once!

Even though the example is a rough draft, it shows an example of the kind of argument you can create following Aristotle’s time tested Persuasion tips.

So….now…..go and do likewise!