 As a speaker, sometimes you're just trying to share information with the audience, to educate them. On other occasions, though, your goal may go a little further. What if you feel so passionately about a topic that you don't just want the audience to know about it, but to do something with that knowledge as well? That, my friends, is the realm of persuasion. In this video, we'll talk about the basics of persuasive speaking, including what it means to persuade, the functions and types of persuasive speaking, and picking topics for persuasive speeches. Let's get started. In the simplest terms, persuasive speaking involves attempting to get someone to change in attitude, belief, value, or behavior. Pretty much any time that you're trying to convince someone to do something differently, give you something, change their mind, or generally see things your way, you're engaging in persuasion. Persuasive speaking typically serves one of two functions, to convince or to actuate a response. The aim of a persuasive speech to convince is more internal than external. The persuader is trying to influence the attitudes, beliefs, or values of the audience, but not really asking people to do anything specific. Speeches to actuate, on the other hand, work to get the audience to behave in a certain way, or take specific action steps as a result of the speech. Asking the audience to believe that the Apollo moon landing was faked is a speech to convince. Asking the audience to join you in picketing NASA to demand an admission that the moon landing was fake is a speech to actuate. There are also a few different types of persuasive speeches, each of which involves a differing proposition. Persuasive speeches involving a proposition of fact deal with something that is true or false, like global warming, the connection between football and brain disease, or the existence of Bigfoot. A proposition of fact could also relate to whether or not something will happen in the future, like whether a major earthquake will hit California in the next 10 years. A proposition of value involves an evaluation of whether something is right or wrong, good or bad, or moral or immoral. Arguing that the audience should oppose the death penalty for prisoners because it is morally wrong would involve a proposition of value. Finally, in speeches involving a proposition of policy, a speaker is advocating for a specific change in behavior or actions. Asking people to recycle or to vote for a change in the state law regarding motorcycle helmets would concern propositions of policy. Much like informative speeches, pretty much anything could potentially be a persuasive speech topic. Sometimes persuasive topics are pretty lofty, like climate change, capital punishment, legalizing marijuana, or assisted suicide. You could also deliver a compelling persuasive speech on a less dramatic topic, though, like peanut versus plain M&Ms, or why people should stop paying money for music by Taylor Swift because it's awful. The most important things to remember when picking a persuasive topic are can I speak enthusiastically about this topic? Can I support my arguments with effective evidence? And can I relate this topic to the audience enough to make them care? If the answer to all three of those questions is yes, then you probably have a winner. OK, so now you have an understanding of the basics of persuasion, what it is, the functions and types, and considerations for picking a persuasive topic. We'll save the discussion of the persuasive strategies and organizational patterns for another time. That's what we in show biz call a cliffhanger. Don't miss it.