argumentative presentations

Argumentative Speech Topics and ideas: A Complete Guide

An argumentative speech is a persuasive speech. Here, speakers try to encourage audiences to alter their views on a controversial issue.

Though they are alike in some manner, persuasive and argumentative speech contains different goals.

A persuasive speech focuses on sharing a perspective and asking the public to think it over. An argumentative speech aims to alter the viewpoint already detained by the audience.

This type of speech is challenging. So, the speaker should pick up the topic that he is confident at and come up with a strong argument.

When you are involved in debates with family or friends, you obviously tend to win or lose. The way you argue shows your capability to compel facts and concepts in support of a topic.

While losing an argument, chances are you only used the standpoint supporting your situation. In a perfect argumentative speech, there should be a strong claim and the points to support it.

For an argumentative speech, find a concrete and controversial argument to use as your foundation. These speeches generally focus on the topics discussed at the moment by society. Most of the topics of argumentative speech are derivative of political discussion.

This is most commonly noticed in the media. The selected topic might be social, religious, ethical, or political by nature. The public must be confident to revise their long-held values. They might ask to change detained convictions relevant to the recent evidence.

In fact, picking up a topic that is debatable is important to develop good speech. The topic should not include something which is already demonstrated or verified.

Instead, it should be logical enough to convince the audience. The speaker should come up with a strong opinion to make his speech realistic to the audience.

To be able to argue in a reasonable and logical way is a fine life skill. It helps to stand up for what you think is correct and let others give attention to your viewpoints.

For instance, if the topic includes “eating egg and milk affects your healthiness”. You evaluate the opponent and create your own topic like “Eating egg and milk does not affect your health”. Yet, you have to give strong points to support your answer.

Table of Contents

Terms to Present Argumentative Speech

Claims of fact, claims of value, claims of policy, 1. pick up debatable topic, 2. take a strong standpoint, 3. give some supportable arguments, 4. refute alternate positions, tips for delivering an argumentative speech:, 1. look for your topic, 2. recognize your standpoint, 3. carry out the research, 4. know who your opposition is, 5. know the facts, 6. choose the topic of your interest, list of argumentative speech topic, argumentative speech topics about economy, argumentative speech topics about science, argumentative speech topics about environment, argumentative speech topics about family, argumentative speech topics about technology, argumentative speech topics about health, argumentative speech topics about history, argumentative speech topics about politics, argumentative speech topics about religion, argumentative speech topics about sports, argumentative speech topics about relationships, argumentative speech topics about law, argumentative speech topics about life, argumentative speech topics about ethics,  conclusion.

These are some terms that help you to present an ideal argumentative speech:

• Claim – This is the main term that you should focus on. Try to give a strong standpoint. Support on the point, position, and the issue you are talking about. Do not forget the main purpose of the speech.
• Grounds – Grounds are the key information or the facts that you use to make your point more powerful and reliable. Make sure that the details you give are an appropriate reason for your claims in the initial place.

Argumentative Speech is based on:

It starts with the reality relevant to the evidence. For an instance, you drink too much alcohol and do not exercise. Then, you will surely put up the weight. If you control your drinks, then you can maintain the weight.

Claims of value include the belief something is correct or incorrect, good or bad. For an instance, punishing children is wrong. It does not improve the habits of your children.

Here you can also state “Punishing children is right”. They will think properly before doing anything wrong

Claims of the policy are taken from the course of action. For an instance, you should be able to vote through a driving license. There is a precise rule for the policy. It is realistic and superior compared to the current system.

Every child should learn different languages in school. It is vital to introduce teachers to the value of beginning foreign language experience.

While initiating the argumentative speech, get ready with strong arguments. You desire to give an influential impact right in front. Also, you might wish to leave a good impression on the audience hearing your speech.

Stay away from personal attacks. If you make the argument too boring, there will be a higher chance of losing your audience.

Besides, argumentative speech needs a powerful viewpoint on the topic that you are delivering. Remember, the goal is not to win your audience but to win the argument. You have to stand on your own point with an appropriate reason.

Essential components of an Argumentative speech:

The main goal of an argumentative essay is to influence others in your opinions. Generally, an argumentative speech addresses an audience with opposite opinions on a specific subject.

Here are four essential elements to focus on when developing an argumentative essay:

While picking up a topic, you should select the topic with more than a single side. For an instance, there is no way to discuss the topic of human smell with the nose. It is familiar fact that has no other strong points to discuss against.

While preparing for an argumentative speech, take a strong standpoint. Try to stick with the stance. This makes your speech powerful. Make sure you do not confuse the audience with any irrelevant points.

A good argument needs to have reasonable and convincing evidence. Better support your statement with information, figures, examples, and some relevant opinions. Also, argumentative speech does not contain unproven opinions. Make sure you research and present the argument that is a relevant argument.

At the end of a strong argumentative speech, you have to refute alternate positions. By dealing with the opponent, make some powerful arguments. Try to work on some common and stronger viewpoints.

• Look for a concrete and controversial argument to use as your base.
• Arrange your points properly. Arranging the points can be helpful while planning your thoughts and presenting them
• Give most of your time for research. Better research on your topics along with the topics which your opposition is likely to pick up.

How to develop an effective Argumentative Speech?

After picking up a fine controversial topic, you should work on some powerful points. Those points must make your speech influential. Start developing an outline that translates into better argumentative speech.

These are some points to consider while working on an argumentative speech:

From absorption to health, you can find many types of topics that you feel comfortable presenting.

At first, think about the topic that you are supporting. Are you supporting abortion or speaking against it? Most of the speaker loves to speak against abortion but should be confident to speak on the topic.

Better verify and try to prove the facts using some examples or supportive words. This makes your speech more powerful and interesting. Consider determining whether you are attempting to take the topic.  

You can definitely find the people who have worked for or else against the topic that you picked up earlier.

For this, you have to carry out the research well. But, this does not mean you have to copy from them. Just take your idea and use them in a better way. This helps to know what step you should take to move forward to make a good flow of the argument.

Each argumentative speech contains both for and against the side. The best probable approach that you can use is to know your opponent. Knowing how your opponent thinks and the points they use makes you easy to perform.

An argumentative speech might be weak if you do not provide any facts. For a good outcome, you need facts supporting your argument on the controversial topic. If you ignore this you might be in a problem while presenting the speech.

Be sure, you know and give the facts, and make your points strong. These facts reduce your risk of looking unprepared and unprofessional.

You cannot give a better outcome without passion. To present superior argumentative speech, you should have an interest in the topic. Better select the topic of your interest. This helps you to work and perform better. If you do not trust yourself and your topic, no one will as well.

Deciding on an arguable topic is essential to developing an effective argumentative speech. Better do not pick up the topic which needs great logic for convincing the audience.

You should have an extreme desire in the topic with a deep opinion on the subject. If he cannot fulfill these criteria, he might not provide influencing arguments.

Find here the List of Argumentative Speech Topics. They are great for developing arguments for debates, persuasive speech, and argumentation.

Argumentative Speech Topics about Education

• Mobile phones should be banned in schools for both students and teachers.
• Exams should be abolished.
• Exam scores do not reflect student performance.
• Mandatory dress code.
• Studying of foreign languages should begin from kindergarten age.
• College students should have freedom to choose their own courses.
• Sex education should be required in all schools.
• Benefits of attending a single-sex school.
• Essays do not demonstrate student’s knowledge on a topic.
• Home education should only be allowed for medical reasons.
• Education should be free to anyone.
• Teachers should have mandatory re-training every 5 years.
• Testing and choice are undermining education.
• Grades are not important.
• Bilingual education.
• CPR and first aid techniques should be a mandatory course.
• State colleges should be free to attend.
• Teachers should wear uniforms or obey a dress code.
• Why educational computer games should be used in school
• Music education should be placed back into schools
• Student Debts
• Do colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores?
• Price of Education and textbooks
• Popular literature is not as valuable as classical literature.
• Smoking and drinking on campus
• Workers should get four weeks paid vacation each year.
• The illegal immigrant workforce is good for the economy.
• Christmas is just a way for businesses to increase sales.
• Rich people should have tax breaks.
• Decreasing wealth tax is good for the economy.
• Salaries of actors, professional athletes and CEOs should be regulated and capped.
• Government aid for students should be based purely on academic performance.
• Taxes should be imposed on unhealthy foods to combat obesity.
• Paying the waiter hourly rate below minimum wage is unfair.
• Mortgage Crisis
• Consumer Debt
• Outsourcing jobs to foreign countries
• Equal pay for equal work
• Fuel Prices
• How nuclear power shaped the 21st century in electrical generation.
• Space exploration is a waste of money.
• Genetic Research is destroying humanity.
• NASA space landing on the moon was a hoax.
• Media’s effect on teen suicide.
• Stem cell research and the guidelines that control it.
• Hunting is good for the environment.
• Food shortage / world hunger.
• Crimes against the environment should be tougher.
• Vegetarianism is an ecologically thoughtful lifestyle.
• Destruction of the world’s forest is justified by a human need for land and food.
• Racing industry should be forced to use environmentally-friendly fuel.
• Working from home is good for the environment.
• Genetically modified food should be the answer to the world’s hunger problem.
• The government should support and subsidize alternative energy sources.
• Alternative Energy and Hybrid Vehicles can help save our planet.
• Nuclear power is better than solar power.
• Future of recycling.
• Advantages of recycling water.
• Alternative Fuels.
• Every family with children filing for divorce must go through a mandatory ‘cooling off’ period.
• Couples should be banned from adopting overseas.
• Future parents should take parenting classes and pass tests before having a child.
• Physical punishment is good practice for raising children.
• Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
• Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
• Violent video games and toys should not be allowed.
• Technology is making people less creative.
• Human beings are becoming slaves of modern technology.
• Does technology limit creativity?
• Technology makes us lose most of our traditions and culture.
• New technologies create new problems.
• Positive effects of technology on society.
• Modern technology has increased material wealth but not happiness.
• Social Networking Sites had an impact on changing us for the worse.
• Internet censorship is unnecessary.
• Whether the internet has made research easier and more convenient.
•  Life was better when technology was less and more simple.
• Online friends are more effective than real friends.
• Internet Privacy.
• Torrents and internet pirating.
• Social networks are killing sincere relationships.
• Organ donation should be mandatory.
• Health risks of smoking are exaggerated.
• Vaccinations should be compulsory.
• Veganism is an unhealthy way to raise kids.
• Breast-feeding is one of the most important things a mother can give to a child.
• Terminally ill patients should be allowed to use heroin.
• Knowing your ancestry is important for health.
• All farmers should go organic.
• Lapses in food safety as a result of a complex interplay of factors.
• Music Therapy.
• The need of teen depression prevention.
• Drug addiction is a sickness.
• Running is unhealthy.
• Fast food, soda, chips and other unhealthy food should be heavily taxed.
• Bread is bad for your health.
• Child obesity.
• Any products that are believed to cause cancer should have a  warning label.
• The only difference between normal and organic food is the cost.
• Dangers of herbal remedies.
• Smoking a pipe is more harmful than smoking cigarettes.
• Denying health insurance on a basis of a pre-existing condition is against human rights.
• Athletes who are caught using steroids should be banned from the professional sport for life.
• Stretching before and after exercise is overrated.
• A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat.
• Eating meat and dairy is bad for your body.
• GMOs are bad for health and should be avoided at any cost.
• Why slavery was good for society back in the 1800s.
• Adolf Hitler was a great leader.
• Slavery and its effects on global economic developments.
• Why Reagan’s “War on Drugs” had negative effects.
• Many Caribbean people do not understand their heritage and history.
• Famous people (actors, athletes) should not be allowed to become politicians.
• The War in Iraq was justified.
• Invading other countries, as long as for good cause, is justified.
• Illegal immigrants should get an asylum.
• Democracy is the best form of government.
• Why should we trust Official Statistics?
• War as an instrument of foreign policy.
• Voting should be compulsory for all citizens.
• Compulsory military service is good for society and the country.
• Voting age should be lowered.
• Terrorism is a major issue in the world because innocent people are affected.
• The assassination can never be justified.
• Why electronic voting is not effective.
• Downsides of multiculturalism
• Can racial profiling be useful?
• Churches should be required to pay taxes.
• Racialist blames are often used as a great excuse to shut down dialogue.
• The world would be a more peaceful place without religions.
• Life after death.
• Evolution vs. Creationism.
• There should be no religion in schools.
• Islamic Fundamentalism.
• Religion is a force for evil.
• Students should learn about world religions in public schools.
• Jehovah witnesses.
• Why hockey should allow fights.
• Not all great sportsmen can be good coaches. 
• For athletes: Discipline is more important than talent.
• Female athletes train better with female coaches.
• Chess is not a sport.
• Should players’ jerseys display ads?
• Should there be a set age range for basketball players?
• Can gambling be legalized as a professional sport?
• Spousal Abuse.
• Polygamy creates healthy relationships.
• Gender equality is a myth.
• Having sex with a prostitute is not cheating.
• Does age matter in relationships? What age is appropriate for dating?
• Men should be forced to take paternity leave from work.
• Gender does not affect learning.
• Guns should be made illegal.
• Minors should be tried for murder at any age.
• Social Security and Medical Reform are non-negotiable ways out of the debt crisis.
• Gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples.
• Plastic surgery should be illegal for anyone under 18.
• Identity Theft.
• Ban on smoking in public places is undemocratic.
• Euthanasia should be legalized.
• Prostitution should be legalized.
• The taboo on recreational drugs is unjustified.
•  Driving speed limits should be lifted in areas with low accident risk.
• DUI offenders should give up their driver license for a year.
• Laws to protect the victims of domestic abuse should be enforced.
• Making drugs illegal creates an environment for crime and violence.
• Fast Food advertisements and promotions should be banned.
• Retirement should be made compulsory at the age of 60.
• Cell phones and driving.
• Billboards should not be allowed on interstate highways.
• Acceptance of all types of people.
• Today’s world is a dangerous place to live in.
• People don’t enjoy what they have. They constantly seek for more.
• Benefits of having friends.
• Modern offices should have facilities for an afternoon nap.
• Would you rather be lucky, rich, or intelligent?
• Reality television makes people stupid and should be regulated.
• Has television become out-dated?
• Watching television makes people smarter.
• Banning some books and movies can help society.
• Assisted Suicide.
• Genetic Research.
• Is human cloning ethical?
• The Ethics of Capital Punishment.
• Euthanasia is not morally acceptable.
• Abortion is inhumane and murder.
• Abortions should be legal in cases of rape and incest.
• DNA experiments on human embryos are unethical and should not be allowed.
• Torture is an acceptable measure to prevent terrorism.
• Wearing fur is unethical.
• Cultural treasures should be returned to their countries of origin.
• Do animals have rights? Using animals for scientific research is inhumane.
• Spaying and neutering pets should be mandatory.
• Zoos, aquariums, and circus violate animal rights and should be shut down.
• Should scientists bring back extinct species through cloning?
• Hunting is unethical and should not be allowed.
• Doctors are better than Lawyers Are beauty pageants exploitative?
• Feminism is bad for society.
• The Miss America pageant is sexist.

The above-mentioned topics and tips for argumentative speech should help you prepare and deliver an argumentative speech. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know in the comment below.

How to Give a Persuasive Presentation [+ Examples]

Published: December 29, 2020

A presentation aimed at persuading an audience to take a specific action can be the most difficult type to deliver, even if you’re not shy of public speaking.

Creating a presentation that effectively achieves your objective requires time, lots of practice, and most importantly, a focused message.

With the right approach, you can create a presentation that leaves a skeptical audience enthusiastic to get on board with your project.

In this post, we'll cover the basics of building a persuasive presentation. Let's dive in.

What is a persuasive presentation?

In its most basic form, a persuasive presentation features a speaker who tries to influence an audience to accept certain positions and engage in actions in support of them. A good persuasive presentation uses a mixture of facts, logic, and empathy to help an audience see an issue from a perspective they previously discounted or hadn’t considered.

How to Plan a Persuasive Presentation

Want to make a persuasive presentation that connects with your audience? Follow these steps to win friends and influence people within your audience.

1. Decide on a single ask.

The key to convincing your audience is to first identify the singular point you want to make. A good persuasive presentation will focus on one specific and easy-to-understand proposition. Even if that point is part of a broader initiative, it ideally needs to be presented as something your audience can say "yes" or "no" to easily.

A message that isn’t well-defined or which covers too much can cause the audience to lose interest or reject it outright. A more focused topic can also help your delivery sound more confident, which (for better or worse) is an important factor in convincing people.

2. Focus on fewer (but more relevant ) facts.

Remember: You are (in the vast majority of cases) not the target audience for your presentation. To make your presentation a success, you’ll need to know who your audience is so you can shape your message to resonate with them.

When crafting your messaging, put yourself in your audience's headspace and attempt to deeply understand their position, needs, and concerns. Focus on arguments and facts that speak specifically to your audience's unique position.

As we wrote in our post on How to Present a Compelling Argument When You're Not Naturally Persuasive , "just because a fact technically lends support to your claim doesn't mean it will sway your audience. The best evidence needs to not only support your claim but also have a connection to your audience."

What are the target audience's pain points that you can use to make a connection between their needs and your goals? Focus on those aspects, and cut any excess information. Fewer relevant facts are always more impactful than an abundance of unfocused pieces of evidence.

3. Build a narrative around your evidence.

If you want to persuade someone of something, it’s not enough to win their brain -- you need their heart in it, too. Try to make an emotional connection with your audience throughout your presentation to better sell them on the facts you’re presenting. Your audience is human, after all, so some emotional tug will go a long way to shaking up how they view the issue you’re talking about. A little bit of emotion could be just what your audience needs to make your facts “click.”

The easiest way to incorporate an emotional pull into your presentation is through the use of narrative elements. As we wrote in our guide to crafting pitch decks , "When our brains are given a story instead of a list of information, things change -- big time. Stories engage more parts of our brains, including our sensory cortex, which is responsible for processing visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. If you want to keep people engaged during a presentation, tell them a story."

4. Confidence matters.

Practice makes perfect (it's a cliche because it's true, sorry!), and this is especially true for presentation delivery. Rehearse your presentation several times before you give it to your audience so you can develop a natural flow and move from each section without stopping.

Remember, you're not giving a speech here, so you don't want your delivery to come across like you're reading fully off of cue cards. Use tools like notes and cue cards as ways to keep you on track, not as scripts.

Finally, if you can, try to practice your presentation in front of another human. Getting a trusted co-worker to give you feedback in advance can help strengthen your delivery and identify areas you might need to change or bulk up.

5. Prepare for common objections.

The last thing you want to say when someone in your audience expresses a concern or an outright objection during your presentation's question section is “umm, let me get back to you on that.”

Carefully research the subject of your presentation to make the best case possible for it -- but also prepare in advance for common objections or questions you know your stakeholders are going to ask. The stronger your command of the facts -- and the more prepared you are to proactively address concerns -- the more convincing your presentation will be. When you appear confident fielding any rebuttals during a question and answer session after your presentation, it can go a long way towards making your case seem more convincing.

Persuasive Presentation Outline

Like any writing project, you’ll want to create an outline for your presentation, which can act as both a prompt and a framework. With an outline, you’ll have an easier time organizing your thoughts and creating the actual content you will present. While you can adjust the outline to your needs, your presentation will most likely follow this basic framework.

I. Introduction

Every persuasive presentation needs an introduction that gets the listener’s attention, identifies a problem, and relates it to them.

• The Hook: Just like a catchy song, your presentation needs a good hook to draw the listener in. Think of an unusual fact, anecdote, or framing that can grab the listener’s attention. Choose something that also establishes your credibility on the issue.
• The Tie: Tie your hook back to your audience to garner buy-in from your audience, as this issue impacts them personally.
• The Thesis: This is where you state the position to which you are trying to persuade your audience and forms the focal point for your presentation.

II. The Body

The body forms the bulk of your presentation and can be roughly divided into two parts. In the first half, you will build your case, and in the second you will address potential rebuttals.

• Your Case: This is where you will present supporting points for your argument and the evidence you’ve gathered through research. This will likely have several different subsections in which you present the relevant evidence for each supporting point.
• Rebuttals: Consider potential rebuttals to your case and address them individually with supporting evidence for your counterarguments.
• Benefits: Outline the benefits of the audience adopting your position. Use smooth, conversational transitions to get to these.
• Drawbacks: Outline what drawbacks of the audience rejecting your position. Be sure to remain conversational and avoid alarmism.

III. Conclusion

In your conclusion, you will wrap up your argument, summarize your key points, and relate them back to the decisions your audience makes.

• Transition: Write a transition that emphasizes the key point you are trying to make.
• Summary: Summarize your arguments, their benefits, and the key pieces of evidence supporting your position.
• Tie-back: Tie back your summary to the actions of your audience and how their decisions will impact the subject of your presentation.
• Final word: Try to end on a last emotional thought that can inspire your audience to adopt your position and act in support of it.

IV. Citations

Include a section at the end of your presentation with citations for your sources. This will make independent fact-checking easier for your audience and will make your overall presentation more persuasive.

Persuasive Presentation Examples

Check out some of these examples of persuasive presentations to get inspiration for your own. Seeing how someone else made their presentation could help you create one that strikes home with your audience. While the structure of your presentation is entirely up to you, here are some outlines that are typically used for different subjects.

Introducing a Concept

One common type of persuasive presentation is one that introduces a new concept to an audience and tries to get them to accept it. This presentation introduces audience members to the dangers of secondhand smoke and encourages them to take steps to avoid it. Persuasive presentations can also be a good format to introduce marco issues, such as this presentation on the benefits of renewable energy .

Changing Personal Habits

Want to change the personal habits of your audience? Check out this presentation on how to adopt healthy eating habits . Or this presentation which encourages the audience to get more exercise in their daily lives.

Making a Commitment to an Action

Is your goal to get your audience to commit to a specific action? This presentation encouraging audience memes to become organ donors could provide inspiration. Trying to make a big sale? Check out this presentation outline that can encourage someone to buy a home .

Remember: You Can Do This

Anyone can craft a persuasive presentation once they know the basic framework for creating one. Once you get the process down, you’ll be in a better position to bring in sales, attract donors or funding, and even advance your career. The skills you learn can also benefit you in other areas of your personal and professional life as you know how to make a case and influence people toward it.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Blog Data Visualization How to Make a Persuasive Presentation [PRESENTATION TEMPLATES]

How to Make a Persuasive Presentation [PRESENTATION TEMPLATES]

Written by: Midori Nediger Nov 06, 2019

No matter how many times you’ve done it, presenting in front of peers, clients, colleagues, or strangers is challenging, nerve-wracking, and stressful. Especially if you’ve been tasked with delivering a persuasive presentation.

As someone who has delivered a number of conference talks, calls and webinars   over the past few years, I know how impossible it can feel to put together a presentation that clearly conveys your content while also being persuasive and engaging.

But what I’ve learned from making and giving persuasive  presentations is that there are a few things that always get great reactions from the audience.

Here’s what you can do to make a persuasive presentation:

• Make the first 30 seconds of your presentation count
• Compare and contrast your solution with the status quo
• Use visual aids to summarize and clarify your big ideas
• Get your audience involved to build trust and rapport
• Use a clean, consistent presentation layout and design
• Eliminate extraneous detail to focus on core concepts
• Sign off with a persuasive call-to-action

These persuasive presentation strategies apply whether you’re leading a workshop, keynoting a conference, creating or selling an online course , or pitching a potential client.

Want to make a persuasive presentation fast? Try using our presentation templates . Then, customize them using our simple online  presentation maker  tool.

Read on for plenty of persuasive presentation examples .

1. Make the first 30 seconds of your persuasive presentation count

The first 30 seconds of any presentation are far and away the most important of your entire presentation.

In those first 30 seconds, listeners are open to the ideas you’re going to present to them. They might even be enthusiastic and excited to hear what you have to say.

Inexperienced presenters often waste these first 30 seconds with things like introductions and agendas that will soon be forgotten. Seasoned presenters do something much more effective: state their big ideas right up front.

Like Steve Jobs did in 2007 with the iPhone (with “iPhone: Apple reinvents the phone”), try to state one big “headline” message within the first 30 seconds . A big idea for listeners to absorb and internalize.

Like an elevator pitch , you should be able to write this idea down in a single sentence, and it should be memorable and specific.

You can then turn it into the hook of your presentation. Use an opening story, surprising fact, joke, or personal anecdote to pique your listeners’ interest and lead into your big idea.

This will frame the rest of the talk and prep your listeners for what’s to come.

In this persuasive presentation example the importance of the message is outlined clearly on the title slide:

2. Compare and contrast your solution with the status quo

Most presentations share some information, strategy, idea, or solution that challenges the status quo. You can use this to your advantage!

By presenting the drawbacks of the status quo before suggesting your solution, you’ll help your audience understand the scope of the problem while building a case for your big idea.

Mixpanel did this to great success in their first pitch deck (which got them a $865M valuation).

By comparing and contrasting these two states, you’ll make a much more persuasive case than you would with the solution alone. And when you get into the nitty-gritty details later on in the presentation, your audience will be more likely to stay engaged.

As always, the more visual you can be, the better (as seen in this Uber pitch deck template ):

You could use a comparison infographic in your presentation to visualize your key differentiators.

Want to learn more about creating persuasive pitch decks? Read our pitch deck guide.

How to understand and address the struggles of your audience

To maximize the impact of this strategy, do your best to directly address the struggles of your specific audience.

Figure out what’s standing in the way of your audience performing the desired behavior, and tell them how your solution will improve that experience. If you can make a direct connection with your audience’s experiences, your argument will be all the more persuasive.

Taking a closer look at Steve Jobs’ 2007 keynote, we can see that he lays out the big problems for his audience (that smartphones that aren’t so smart and are hard to use) before proposing his solution (a smarter, easier-to-use device).

In this persuasive presentation example we can see that by studying the wants and needs of his audience, he frames his new device as the perfect solution. He understands what the audience needs to know, and structures the presentation around those needs.

One final point on this – it can be incredibly useful to let your audience know what to expect in your presentation. If people are already expecting your idea, they will be more receptive to it. Consider including your persuasive presentation outline up front. You can either create a slide of contents, or you could print out an outline and share it with your audiences before the meeting.

Either way – sharing your persuasive presentation outline is never a bad thing.

3. Use visual aids to summarize and clarify your big ideas

More than ever, viewers expect engaging visual content . Creative, relevant visuals are no longer a nice-to-have addition to a persuasive presentation…they’re an integral part of an engaging experience.

Beyond that, visuals are great for explaining complex concepts in simple terms. You can use visuals to communicate big ideas without dealing with any jargon or technical terms.

Summarize your background research with charts and tables

Visual aids like tables, charts, and mind maps are perfect for summarizing any research you’ve done to back up the claims you make in your presentation.

I find these types of summative visuals are most helpful when I feel at risk of throwing too much information at my listeners. Forcing myself to transform that research into a digestible visual helps me organize my thoughts, and ensure my audience won’t be overwhelmed.

Visual aids should also be used anytime you’re communicating with data . Besides making insights more tangible, it’s been suggested that charts can make claims more persuasive and make information more memorable .

Let’s say, for example, that you’re trying to convince a client to hire you as a consultant. If you can show the financial impact you’ve made for other clients visually, your argument will be much more persuasive than if you mention a few numbers without visuals to back you up.

Learn how to customize this template:

Organize information meaningfully with timelines and flowcharts

There are plenty of concepts that naturally lend themselves to structured visuals like Venn diagrams , flowcharts , and timelines .

If you’re presenting a project plan you might include a Gantt chart -style product roadmap or project timeline:

Or a more abstract Venn diagram like this one from Boston Consulting Group’s persuasive presentation pictured below.

Visuals like these can help you move past minor details so you can communicate directly about more fundamental ideas. Simple visuals can help make key ideas crystal-clear and easy to remember.

Entertain and engage with visual metaphors

I like to integrate visual metaphors into the denser portions of my presentations. This way, when I know I’m going to start losing my audience to boredom or confusion, I can jump into a fun example that will bring them right back on board with me.

Like a shortcut to understanding, visual metaphors are a great way to get everyone on the same page.

But it can be hard to come up with good visual metaphors that don’t feel cliché. If you’re out of design ideas, don’t be afraid to get some inspiration from our infographic templates .

I can’t stress enough that simple, visual slides are the best way to make your presentation understandable and persuasive. The right visuals keep the audience engaged, make your points memorable, and give your presentation impact.

For more tips on designing a persuasive presentation with impact, check out our presentation design guide .

4. Get your audience involved to build trust and rapport

No one likes to be talked at.

And most listeners will be more engaged and receptive to your ideas if they’re engaged in a dialogue instead of passively absorbing what you’re saying.

The top qualities of a good presentation include making your presentation an interactive experience by encouraging questions, fostering discussions and maybe even throwing in a fun activity.

Imagine you’re pitching a potential client who’s looking to hire a marketing specialist for an upcoming job. You could try to impress them with an extensive presentation that shows off all of your background research and past success stories:

Or, you could use the presentation as an opportunity to learn more about your potential clients by engaging them in a dialogue. You’ll build trust and credibility, all without making a gigantic slide deck.

You can put together a deck of 5-10 slides with your big ideas, then build a conversation around each slide.

Even if you’re speaking in front of a large crowd, a great persuasive presentation should feel like a conversation. There should be some give and take from both sides. Simply asking a question and getting your audience to respond can instantly raise the energy level in a room.

Engaging audiences changes when we no longer present in-person is a unique challenge, but easily overcome. Lisa Schneider, Chief Growth Officer at Merriam-Webster, has plenty of experience presenting to crowds in-person as well as online. She recently wrote for Venngage on how to adapt an in-person presentation into a virtual presentation . Check it out for actionable tips on your next virtual presentation. 

In this persuasive speech presentation the key points have been broken into powerful, punchy slides that engage the audience.

5. Use a clean, consistent layout and design

Why does it seem like every time I’m putting together a presentation, it’s at the last minute!?

When I’m rushing to get all of my content together and my presentation rehearsed, the layout and design of the presentation usually become an afterthought.

But when you’re presenting an idea and building a case for yourself or your business, the last thing you want is for the design your slide deck to get in the way of your success. And a big part of being persuasive is having a slide deck that shows your information in a clear, consistent manner.

Let’s say, for example, that you’re a financial consultant presenting a solution to a new client. When you’re trying to justify why your skills and knowledge are worth paying a premium for, you simply can’t have a messy, unprofessional-looking slide deck.

A professional presentation design should have:

• Consistent layouts with plenty of white space
• A simple color scheme with one highlight color
• Clear distinctions between headers and body text, with minimal font styles

With the layout and design locked down, you’ll have the confidence to hold your own with big clients and senior management. A polished presentation will go a long way toward reinforcing your credibility.

6. Eliminate extraneous detail to focus on core concepts

Take a second to think about the last presentation you sat through that didn’t hit the mark. What was it that made you lose interest?

Was there too much text on the slides? Was it bland, with not enough visuals? Was it disorganized, with no clear takeaways?

For me, it was that the presenter rambled on and on. They tried to cram way too much detail into their 20-minute talk, and I walked away without really learning anything.

Like the persuasive presentation example below, a well-designed presentation should have no more than one takeaway per slide (with a healthy balance of text and visuals):

So cut the fluff! Eliminate everything that isn’t absolutely necessary for you to get your point across.

For me, this is the hardest part of making a persuasive presentation. I want to include every little detail that I think will help persuade my audience to change their behavior or accept my new idea. But when diving too deep into the details, I always end up losing my audience along the way.

And if you think about it, have you ever complained that a presentation was too short? I don’t think so. We really appreciate presenters who can get their point across quickly and concisely.

7. Sign off with a persuasive call-to-action

Most presenters’ go-to for the end of a presentation is a summary slide that reviews all of the main points of the talk. But these summaries are boring…they don’t tell the audience anything new, so listeners completely tune them out.

A better way to conclude a presentation is to give your audience something to do with the information you’ve just given them, in the form of a call-to-action (like the persuasive presentation example below).

Audiences must be prompted to do take action! Even if they’ve been given all of the tools they need to get something done, if you don’t prompt them directly, it’s not going to happen.

A call-to-action can be as simple as asking a question that encourages listeners to think about the topics you’ve raised, or posing a challenge that will change their behavior.

If it’s a simple ask, they’ll be likely to follow through.

Putting together a truly persuasive presentation is not an easy task.

The good thing is, if you’re here reading this article, you’re a few steps ahead of most people. Putting these strategies to use might just mean the difference between landing your next client and walking away empty-handed.

Choose a presentation template to get creating (and persuading) today!

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How to Make a Persuasive Presentation (+ Examples)

See persuasive presentation examples that show you how to make highly engaging, effective, and converting presentations with persuasive writing and design.

Dominika Krukowska

7 minute read

Short answer

How to make a presentation persuasive?

If you want to make a presentation persuasive, you need to:

Start with a strong hook

Show relevance on the get-go, make it clear who you cannot help, demonstrate value early, showcase your authority, assume your audience’s voice, tell a story, use the rule of three, use the power of repetition, personalize your presentation, tell them what to do next, if your presentation doesn’t persuade, you’re just wasting your time.

Crafting a presentation can be a lot of work. And there's nothing more frustrating than feeling like your message just didn't land, despite all the effort you put in.

The hard truth is that even the most beautifully designed presentation slide can fail to persuade.

What is a message good for if it doesn’t hit home and doesn’t drive action?

Unless you’re satisfied with simply getting in front of an audience, you probably want to bring some sort of transformation to people’s lives , no?

Well, your message is not gonna go past the exit door if it’s not persuasive.

Stick with me for a few minutes and you’ll learn how to write and design persuasive presentations.

Let’s look at some real-life examples that delivered great results, and I’ll even throw in a few templates to get you a good start.

Let’s dive in!

What makes a presentation persuasive?

Let's dive straight into the heart of what makes a presentation truly persuasive. Each element plays a crucial role in ensuring your message not only reaches your audience but deeply resonates with them.

11 weopons of of persuasive presentations:

1) Credibility

People need to believe you in order to agree with you. Just as you'd trust a friend's recommendation, your audience needs to trust what you're sharing.

It's about authenticity and integrity and ensuring they feel you're genuine and have their best interests at heart.

2) Authority

People respect authority figures. Flaunt your credentials subtly. If you're an expert, let it show - use slides that highlight your expertise and experience in the field.

3) Social Proof

People follow the crowd. Include in your presentation testimonials, user statistics, and stories of people like your audience who took you on your offer and experienced success. If everyone's using your product, it must be good, right?

4) Familiarity

If you or your topic are familiar then you’re intuitively less threatening and therefore acceptable. It's that warm feeling that makes you feel at home and among friends.

When your audience sees their own experiences and challenges reflected in your content, it creates an instant bond. It's like recognizing a familiar face in a crowd.

Incorporate names, places, and topics familiar to your audience into your presentation to get into their inner circle.

We say 'yes' to people we like. Be likable. Smile, make jokes, and show enthusiasm. If they like you, they'll like what you're selling. Use humor and storytelling to make yourself more relatable.

When making a reading presentation, include a personal video of you in a casual environment talking directly to your audience as you would a colleague you like and feel comfortable with.

To make people like you want to align your presentation with the 7-38-55 rule which guides you on what contributes to likability.

According to the rule:

“Total Liking = 7% Verbal Liking + 38% Vocal Liking + 55% Facial Liking”

So make sure to write what you feel and feel what you say. Or otherwise learn acting.

6) Reciprocity

People feel obliged to return favors. To use this to your advantage start a physical presentation with a small handout. To make it easy use a QR code slide (you can use a free QR code generator )to give your audience a digital handout.

If you’re creating a digital reading presentation you can offer a coupon with a small taste of what you offer (like a short consultancy, a free audit, studio design time, or a small taste of your product).

Do this and they'll feel like you've given them something, and they'll pay closer attention and be more inclined to 'return the favor.'

7) Relevance

People listen intently when you’re talking about them. Ever heard someone talk about a topic you were concerned about, and your ears perked up? It got your attention like a 3-year-old seeing a chocolate cake, didn’t it?

Tailor your message to your audience's current needs or challenges to ensure they feel you're speaking directly to them.

8) Memorability

People make decisions based on what they remember. You will only ever persuade people of something they remember you said.

To make your presentation memorable give it substance - show what you offer in images or videos, provide concrete examples of your key concepts in action, and tell detailed stories about you, your team, your solution, and the audience you serve.

9) Consistency

Once people commit, they like to stay consistent. Get your audience to agree with you early on.

Maybe ask them to raise their hand if they've ever experienced a problem that you solve. Maybe tell them a story of someone in their situation and ask if it resonates with them.

In reading presentations, use rhetorical questions or interactive slides to get early commitments.

10) Scarcity

Limited availability increases appeal. Create a sense of urgency. Maybe offer a limited number of seats in an event.

Maybe offer a discount for the first 100 subscribers. Maybe tell them they can schedule a meeting with you for 2 weeks before you leave for another destination.

For a reading presentation use a countdown timer or "limited seats available" to create this sense of urgency.

11) Feasibility

The harder a thing is to do the less likely people will do it. Whatever you decide to ask from your audience, keep it simple to do.

Ask for small concessions rather than big commitments. You only need them to take the first step, and then you’ve got a relationship going, which positions you to ask for the next step, and the next after that, till you reach your goal.

Note: Reciprocity, Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity were taken from Robert Cialdini’s seminal book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Here’s a summary of the book.

How to write your presentation persuasively?

Writing persuasively is all about connecting with your audience on a deeper level. With these techniques in your toolkit, you're all set to craft presentations that not only inform but inspire and motivate.

Beginnings matter. Think of your opening as the first impression. You want to grab your audience's attention right from the get-go.

Whether it's a surprising fact, a thought-provoking question, or a relatable story, make sure it's something that makes your audience lean in and think, "Tell me more!"

Here's a presentation that hooks people in right from the start:

Don’t beat around the bush. Get to the point fast. Give your audience a quick overview of what you have in store for them and how you can change their life for the better.

Make sure to be clear about who you are talking to. Define your target audience the way they would describe themselves and let them know you are speaking to them on a topic they care about.

Don’t take a one-shoe-fits-all approach. You can’t serve everyone well. Do everyone a favor and tell them who your message, solution, or advice (or whatever it is you offer) is not meant for.

They won’t resent it. They will appreciate it, and it will lend you integrity, credibility, and persuasive power.

Don’t let people guess what you can do for them. Introduce the value you offer as soon as you can. Give your value shape and concrete detail.

If it’s a product - show it in action, if it’s an intangible prize like money - show them what they can do with it, and if it’s an emotional outcome - tell them the story of someone you’ve helped.

Most of us get our information through authority figures. If you demonstrate your authority your words will encounter less skepticism and less push-back.

Show what you or your team have achieved in your field, and show some acknowledgment of your achievements by established and well-known authorities, whether people or organizations.

Just be very careful not to come off as boastful or cocky, unless these traits resonate with your target audience (yes, I am talking about you - sales crowd).

Talk to your audience in their own words, use the phrases they use, and tell stories and allegories that appeal to them and fit into their life.

Do the research. Hang out where they hang out, physically or on the web, listen and read what they say and who they say it to.

I know you’ve heard this one too many times before, so let me be clear: tell stories, plural. Short anecdotes or examples that give substance to what you’re talking about.

Fill your little stories with details about who did something where, when, what, and why. Make it mostly familiar but at the same time a bit surprising and unexpected.

If it’s too outlandish it’s not credible, and if it’s too familiar it's not interesting.

There's something satisfying about things that come in threes. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", "of the people, by the people, for the people"... you get the point.

This is called the rule of tree . Simply put it means grouping your points or ideas in threes which makes your message more rhythmic, elegant, and sticky.

Repetition can be a powerful tool to emphasize your key points. Just think about Martin Luther King Jr's " I have a dream ".

By repeating key phrases, you not only drive your message home but also give it a predictable structure that lets your audience unconsciously chant the words with you .

Everyone loves feeling special. Tailor your content to resonate with your particular audience. Whether it's addressing their unique challenges or using examples they can relate to, personalization builds a deeper connection and rapport.

In this case, personalize more thoroughly. Use their name, and their specific details, like their company, city, product, or (if you met each other) where you met.

Just don’t overdo it and cross into creep-land. Keep any personalization unmistakably within the context of your presentation. (Unless you’re selling a bed, don’t reference how beautiful they look when they sleep 😜).

Here's an example of a personalized sales pitch presentation:

Note: Notice the dynamic variables they’ve added in their Storydoc deck. WiseStamp actually shows a ready-made email signature with the prospect’s name, image, and company logo in it. They personalized their product demo! How crazy is that?

Check out their full deck here.

Finish strong! After sharing your insights, guide your audience on what to do next. Whether it's trying out a new tool, adopting a mindset, or simply reflecting on what they've learned, a clear call to action gives direction and purpose.

Here's what it should look like:

How to design a presentation for persuasion?

While words are the heart of your presentation, design is its soul. A well-designed presentation not only captivates but also amplifies your message.

Let's dive into the world of persuasive design and uncover the secrets that make a presentation truly stand out:

Visual hook

First impressions count. Start with a captivating visual that immediately grabs attention. This could be a bold graphic, a striking image, or even an intriguing layout. It's like the cover of a book; it invites the audience to delve deeper.

Here's a great example of a presentation with a visual hook:

Social proof

As humans, we often look to others to validate our choices. Dr. Robert Cialdini defines social proof as people doing what they observe others doing. It's the idea that if other people are doing it, it must be good.

In the context of your presentation, this could mean showcasing testimonials, endorsements, or even user reviews. It's a nod to the audience that others have been here and found value.

Here's an example of a social proof slide:

Recognized people and places

Including familiar faces or landmarks can be a game-changer. When your audience sees someone they recognize or a place they relate to, it builds an instant connection and trust. It's like seeing a friend in a crowd; it feels familiar and safe.

Original visuals lend you credibility and status. They show that you put in the effort. They show that you can afford to invest in your content and that you’re not some shmo working from his mom’s basement.

Quality original visuals

Stock photos have their place, but nothing beats original, high-quality visuals. Whether it's custom graphics, original photographs, or tailored illustrations, unique visuals make your presentation memorable and authentic.

Here's a great example of a presentation with high-quality visuals:

Emotion-driven imagery

Think about those commercials that tug at your heartstrings or make you laugh. They stay with you, right? Using images that evoke emotions can make your message resonate more deeply with your audience.

Consistency

Just like a catchy jingle in a commercial, maintaining a consistent design theme throughout your presentation creates a rhythm and flow. It ensures your audience remains hooked and can easily follow along.

Here's a great example of a visually cohesive presentation:

End with a call to action

After taking your audience on a journey, guide them on the next steps. Whether it's trying a new product, exploring a concept further, or simply reflecting on the insights shared, a clear call to action gives direction.

More importantly, make your call-to-action super easy to act on. Make it something they can do immediately with as little friction as possible.

Note: In Storydoc, there’s a handy little design feature that lets you embed your calendar app direction into your presentation. This way whenever you share it, your reader can simply access your calendar and set a meeting.

Here's an example of a calendar slide:

Persuasive presentation templates

When it comes to persuasive presentations, having a structure that's been tried and tested can be a game-changer.

We built our persuasive presentation templates based on insights from more than 100,000 presentation sessions and the world of neuroscience. They’re all designed with storytelling in mind and tested to look flawless on every device.

It's like having a seasoned presenter whispering tips in your ear, guiding your content to truly resonate.

Pick a template from our library and use it to create your presentation.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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How to give more persuasive presentations: A Q&A with Nancy Duarte

Stepping onto the TED or TEDx stage — or speaking in front of any group of people, for that matter — is truly nerve-wracking. Will you remember everything you wanted to say, or get so discombobulated that you skip over major points? Will the audience be receptive to your ideas, or will you notice a guy in row three nodding off to sleep?

Presentation expert Nancy Duarte , who gave the TED Talk “ The secret structure of great talks ,” has built her career helping people express their ideas in presentations. The author of  Slide:ology  and  Resonate , Duarte has just released a new book through the Harvard Business Review:  The HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations .

What would you say are the three keys to giving a great presentation?

The number one thing, I think, is to be audience-centric. To take the time to think through who the audience is and develop all your material from a place of empathy toward them. You’re asking them to adopt your idea, which means they may have to abandon a belief they hold as true — and that’s hard. So, know your audience — take a walk in their shoes. What keeps them up at night? How are they wired to resist your message? Most presenters are consumed with preparing their content rapidly, which makes the material about their own narrow perspective. By flipping that paradigm to an audience-centric approach, your material will resonate and the audience can feel a deeper connection to you and your material.

Number two, you need to understand your role in the presentation. So many people feel like they’re the central figure — kind of like the hero of the story — because they’re the one talking the most. But in reality, your role is that of a mentor — you should be giving the audience a magical gift or a special tool, or helping them get unstuck in some way. You have to defer to your audience. When you put your idea out there for an audience to contend with — if they reject your idea, your idea will die. You have to think of it as, “The speaker needs the audience more than the audience needs the speaker.” Then you’ll start to approach a material with your audience in mind – you’ll have more of a stance of humility than one of arrogance. That will help you create the kind of movement needed to get your idea to spread.

And then the third thing — wrap your content in story. A story serves like the sugarcoating on the outside of a pill in some ways — it just makes it go down easier. If you look at preliterate generations for thousands and thousands of years, stories would pass down for generation after generation after generation — and stay almost completely intact. Yet, a lot of people can’t remember the last presentation they sat through. So, using principles of story — the tension and release that happens in a story — that’s what will help persuade the audience toward your idea.

What do you feel like you learned from giving your own TED Talk?

I learned so much. Being the “Presentation Lady,” I knew I couldn’t suck at it. The hardest part was getting [my talk] to fit within this finite amount of time. So I trimmed and trimmed, keeping in mind that you still have to nail why this is important to the audience. I had a person coach me and point out places where I could trim. “You took too long here, and that made this part of emphasis too long.” I worked with the timer counting up until I knew I was within the time window — then what I did was work with the timer counting down so I’d know, “When I’m a fourth of the way through, I should be on this slide. When I’m halfway through, I need to be on this slide.” I created markers in my mind so I would know how I was running on time. Sure enough, I finished the talk and I had six seconds left on the clock.

It was a great experience for me because I hadn’t gone through it myself. I’d coached people through it but — wow — to actually be a victim was interesting. I learned the power of rehearsing. If you rehearse really, really, really well — it looks improvisational. Some people rehearse to a point where they’re robotic, and they sound like they have memorized their presentation and didn’t take it to the next level. Going from sounding memorized and canned to sounding natural is a lot of work.

So, the classic advice for stage fright is to imagine the audience in their underwear. What do you recommend people do to calm their nerves?

I don’t usually get nervous, but when I got on [the TED] stage, I was nervous because it’s pretty high stakes. I recommend doing some breathing exercises — breathe in as deep as you can, and then take a couple more big gasps. Then, release it really slowly. That calms my heart down. But my favorite piece of advice isn’t my own — it’s from a guy named Nick Morgan. He said, “What you need to do right before you walk on stage is think of someone that you love dearly.” Doing that, I felt the chemistry in my whole body change. My shoulders relaxed and my heart melted. That feeling of affection makes your body calm itself down. That’s a really great way to stop stage fright.

What is the best way to start creating a presentation?

My best advice is to not start in PowerPoint. Presentation tools force you to think through information linearly, and you really need to start by thinking of the whole instead of the individual lines. I encourage people to use 3×5 note cards or sticky notes — write one idea per note. I tape mine up on the wall and then study them. Then I arrange them and rearrange them — just work and work until the structure feels sound. And from that sound structure, you start to fill it in using a presentation tool.

[For visuals], I think people tend to go with the easiest, fastest idea. Like, “I’m going to put a handshake in front of a globe to mean partnership!” Well, how many handshakes in front of a globe do we have to look at before we realize it’s a total cliche? Another common one — the arrow in the middle of a bullseye. Really? Everyone else is thinking that way. The slides themselves are supposed to be a mnemonic device for the audience so they can remember what you had to say. They’re not just a teleprompter for the speaker. A bullseye isn’t going to make anyone remember anything. Don’t go for the first idea. Think about the point you’re trying to make and brainstorm individual moments that you’re trying to emphasize. Think to the second, the third, the fourth idea — and by the time you get to about the tenth idea, those will be the more clever memorable things for the audience.

One thing that is really different about giving a TED Talk is the fact that you know it will be filmed. How do you think about the difference between live presentations and ones that will exist on video?

On stage, it feels really awkward to do large movements because — normally in life — we’re talking to someone in a more intimate setting and moving your arms really big feels melodramatic. But on the stage, you have to move your body in really big gestures. It feels awkward at first if you’re not used to it, so you have to kind of close your eyes and get used to it. Say things and move largely. Take big bold steps forward, big bold steps backward. You have this grand stage and people don’t use the space enough. I think one of the great things that Jill Bolte Taylor did was how she used her body. Her arms stretched all the way up when she talked about nirvana. Then she when she talks about her whole soul feeling constricted, she brings her hands down and folds her arms down in front of her. She’s using her body as a prop. That’s an important way to create meaning.

Also, with video, a tech rehearsal is important. Your audience on video is exponentially larger than the people in the room. So by familiarizing yourself with the cameras, you can at least look in that general direction. You know how you’re supposed to look around the audience — look and hold for five seconds, look and hold for five seconds? You should look at the camera as if it’s a human. Get used to seeing that circular lens as a face. Feel like it’s a person you’re talking to, because that audience on camera needs to feel like they’re there and that you’re looking right at them.

To me, presentations are the most powerful device. You can’t really name a movement that didn’t start with the spoken word. TED was once this exclusive, amazing event where ideas were exchanged, but you’ve moved to treating presentations as a media type. You guys have been so refined at it, that what it’s done is created a movement. What TED has done is made a platform for introverts, for scientists, for inventors — to share their ideas in a way that’s clear and appeals to a broad audience so that their ideas spread and get adopted. It’s completely changed how people present. It’s created this desire to be excellent in communication.

When you look at even how businesses communicated in the ’30’s, ’40’s and ’50’s — they were so much clearer and well-crafted. I recently went to the Stanford Library and I got a bunch of old GE Board meetings from, like, 1957. And I thought, “These are so beautiful!” Their presentations referenced history, they quoted things, they crafted their words in such a beautiful way. Then PowerPoint entered into the mix and suddenly there wasn’t any desire to craft anymore. I think TED Talks have brought the desire for the craft back.

Your new book is from the Harvard Business Review. Is it intended for someone who is in business, or for anyone?

All of my books are for anyone who has an idea that they need to communicate! I loved working with Harvard Business Review and I think because of the publisher, business professionals may be more interested in this book. But anyone with an idea can benefit from it. It’s a guidebook, so that people can think, “Oh, I need to know how to do this specific thing. I’m going to go get this book and find that one thing.”

Want more advice on giving talks? Our curator Chris Anderson is writing the official TED guide to public speaking —to be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in spring 2016. Titled Talk This Way! , it will be packed with insights on what makes talks work.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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10 Tips for a Persuasive Presentation

Powerful presentation is persuasion. here's how to elevate your impact..

Posted May 11, 2024 | Reviewed by Ray Parker

• Presentations aim to effect change. It's essential to be clear about what change you want to see.
• Powerful presenters embrace and extend empathy to seek first to understand their audience.
• Substance and style both matter to create an audience-informed communication experience.
• Persuasive presentations are relevant, reasoned, real, and resonant.

How many of us realize that giving a presentation or making a speech is all about persuasion , influence, and emotional intelligence ? Impactful presenters understand the power of empathy to understand and engage their audience, the efficiency and kindness of having a clear objective and message, and the importance of substance and style—all as a way to connect in a way that engages and inspires.

Much has been written on the power and behavioral science of persuasion, not least by expert Robert Cialdini. His bestselling book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion explains seven research-based universal principles of influence .

From my experience as a leadership coach working with thousands of people worldwide, I have compiled a list of ten essentials to elevate our presentation.

1. Maintain an "other" focus. What do you know about your audience and how can you find out more? Ask yourself what kind of a speaker will appeal to your audience, what arguments are likely to resonate with them, and what feelings you want to inspire so the audience will positively respond to your ask.

If your audience is predominantly data-driven, you may want to use more evidence-based arguments. If the audience is mixed, a combination of data, authority, and storytelling may be more appropriate. Extend Daniel Goleman’s three types of empathy to gather intelligence , understand your audience, and tailor your intervention to connect more profoundly.

2. Determine a specific objective. Presentations aim to effect change in some way. What change do you want to see in your audience?

For instance, gaining their approval for a certain investment, soliciting their buy-in for a change, or creating a sense of enthusiasm for an idea or initiative. The purpose of a presentation is to bring about change so make sure you are clear on what kind of change you want to bring about.

3. Design a grabber. Our attention spans have shrunk as we have more and more competing demands on our attention . If you want to get someone’s attention, you need to grab it at the outset and try and hold on.

You can do this in several different ways. Throw out a question that demands a response from the audience. Give a surprising fact or statistic, or quote from a well-known figure. Tell a story or an anecdote. A good grabber captures the attention of everyone there and makes them focus on what you have to say.

4. Crystalize your message and construct your arguments. Your message is the heart of your speech. Craft a brief phrase that clearly defines your proposal in 10-12 words—for example, “This post is about crafting presentations that inspire and engage others to elevate their presentations.”

Make it memorable by choosing inspiring words, symbols, catchy expressions, something that will remain in the audience's mind. As Brené Brown says: “Clear is kind,” and a clear message provides a path to develop your ideas.

When you have a clear and concise message, it helps you formulate your arguments. Think of developing your arguments using the rule of three —three compelling arguments to convince but not overwhelm your audience.

5. Prepare a call to action. Remember, we want to change our audience in some way, so we need to make our ask clearly and concretely. Consider your call to action in terms of what you want your audience to think/feel/do:

• Think: “I want you to think about how you can improve your presentations.”
• Feel: “I want you to feel enthusiastic and motivated so that you can elevate your power to persuade.”
• Do: “I want you to try out some of these tips and tools for yourself.”

6. Craft a memorable closing. Close the speech in an elegant and memorable way. We need people to remember what we've told them, so prepare it well.

This is not the time to improvise. Try to connect your closing to your opening grabber, which makes the presentation more memorable. Good preparation means preparing everything to the very end—finish well.

7. Plan your delivery. A dynamic speaker draws listeners in by using vocal variety (tone, intonation, speed, volume, pace, pauses, silence) and body language (posture, gestures, expression, and movement) to highlight important points and hold the audience’s attention. Be intentional: How will you use your voice and your body to emphasize a thought or idea? Think about it: If you increased the time you spent on style or delivery by 20 percent, what would it mean for the impact you make?

8. Think about how you will engage your audience. You want the audience to feel considered throughout. Include pauses so they can process what’s being said; connect with individuals throughout the room and make deliberate eye contact while speaking, especially when delivering key points. Read and respond to the audience by changing how you deliver as you go based on the audience’s nonverbal communication .

9. Rehearse and practice. Practice is one of the most crucial elements of presenting—and probably the most neglected one. If this is new to you, start by reading your presentation in front of a mirror to get comfortable speaking your presentation.

Next, video yourself and watch out for nervous or distracting habits to eliminate them and identify any areas where you can improve your delivery. If you are feeling brave, practice in front of an audience and ask for feedback.

10. Prepare your success rituals and mantra. Public speaking and/or stage fright can feel debilitating for some. Have your calm-down ritual prepared and ready to go before you start your presentation. This might be a certain gesture, a power pose, breathwork, or a mantra.

Try this tip: Identify three adjectives to describe how you would like to show up during this presentation. This sets an intention and helps focus our cognitive and emotional resources on success.

Powerful presenters embrace and extend empathy to seek first to understand their audience. They use this intelligence to carefully make choices about substance and style to create an audience-informed communication experience that feels relevant, reasoned, real, and resonant and creates a pathway for change.

Palena Neale, Ph.D. , is a women’s leadership coach, lecturer, and founder of unabridged, a boutique leadership development practice.

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75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas

October 4, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

To write a captivating and persuasive speech you must first decide on a topic that will engage, inform and also persuade the audience. We have discussed how to choose a topic and we have provided a list of speech ideas covering a wide range of categories.

What is persuasive speech?

The aim of a persuasive speech is to inform, educate and convince or motivate an audience to do something. You are essentially trying to sway the audience to adopt your own viewpoint.

The best persuasive speech topics are thought-provoking, daring and have a clear opinion. You should speak about something you are knowledgeable about and can argue your opinion for, as well as objectively discuss counter-arguments.

How to choose a topic for your speech

It’s not easy picking a topic for your speech as there are many options so consider the following factors when deciding.

Familiarity

Topics that you’re familiar with will make it easier to prepare for the speech.

It’s best if you decide on a topic in which you have a genuine interest in because you’ll be doing lots of research on it and if it’s something you enjoy the process will be significantly easier and more enjoyable. The audience will also see this enthusiasm when you’re presenting which will make the speech more persuasive.

The audience’s interest

The audience must care about the topic. You don’t want to lose their attention so choose something you think they’ll be interested in hearing about.

Consider choosing a topic that allows you to be more descriptive because this allows the audience to visualize which consequently helps persuade them.

Not overdone

When people have heard about a topic repeatedly they’re less likely to listen to you as it doesn’t interest them anymore. Avoid cliché or overdone topics as it’s difficult to maintain your audience’s attention because they feel like they’ve heard it all before.

An exception to this would be if you had new viewpoints or new facts to share. If this is the case then ensure you clarify early in your speech that you have unique views or information on the topic.

Emotional topics

Emotions are motivators so the audience is more likely to be persuaded and act on your requests if you present an emotional topic.

People like hearing about issues that affect them or their community, country etc. They find these topics more relatable which means they find them more interesting. Look at local issues and news to discover these topics.

Desired outcome

What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? Use this as a guide to choosing your topic, for example, maybe you want people to recycle more so you present a speech on the effect of microplastics in the ocean.

Persuasive speech topics

Lots of timely persuasive topics can be found using social media, the radio, TV and newspapers. We have compiled a list of 75 persuasive speech topic ideas covering a wide range of categories.

Some of the topics also fall into other categories and we have posed the topics as questions so they can be easily adapted into statements to suit your own viewpoint.

• Should pets be adopted rather than bought from a breeder?
• Should wild animals be tamed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like monkeys?
• Should all zoos and aquariums be closed?

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should automobile drivers be required to take a test every three years?
• Are sports cars dangerous?
• Should bicycles share the roads with cars?
• Should bicycle riders be required by law to always wear helmets?

Business and economy

• Do introverts make great leaders?
• Does owning a business leave you feeling isolated?
• What is to blame for the rise in energy prices?
• Does hiring cheaper foreign employees hurt the economy?
• Should interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should boys and girls should be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should schools include meditation breaks during the day?
• Should students be allowed to have their mobile phones with them during school?
• Should teachers have to pass a test every decade to renew their certifications?
• Should online teaching be given equal importance as the regular form of teaching?
• Is higher education over-rated?
• What are the best ways to stop bullying?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their drivers’ licenses?
• Should prostitution be legalised?
• Should guns be illegal in the US?
• Should cannabis be legalised for medical reasons?
• Is equality a myth?
• Does what is “right” and “wrong” change from generation to generation?
• Is there never a good enough reason to declare war?
• Should governments tax sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Has cosmetic surgery risen to a level that exceeds good sense?
• Is the fast-food industry legally accountable for obesity?
• Should school cafeterias only offer healthy food options?
• Is acupuncture a valid medical technique?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Does consuming meat affect health?
• Is dieting a good way to lose weight?

Law and politics

• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Should the President (or similar position) be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Would poverty reduce by fixing housing?
• Should drug addicts be sent for treatment in hospitals instead of prisons?
• Would it be fair for the government to detain suspected terrorists without proper trial?
• Is torture acceptable when used for national security?
• Should celebrities who break the law receive stiffer penalties?
• Should the government completely ban all cigarettes and tobacco products
• Is it wrong for the media to promote a certain beauty standard?
• Is the media responsible for the moral degradation of teenagers?
• Should advertising be aimed at children?
• Has freedom of press gone too far?
• Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
• Does religion have a place in government?
• How do cults differ from religion?

Science and the environment

• Should recycling be mandatory?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in supermarkets?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should selling plastic bags be completely banned in shops?
• Should smoking in public places be banned?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Should doping be allowed in professional sports?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• How does parental pressure affect young athletes?
• Will technology reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have mobile phones?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Should we recognize Bitcoin as a legal currency?
• Should bloggers and vloggers be treated as journalists and punished for indiscretions?
• Has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should mobile phone use in public places be regulated?
• Do violent video games make people more violent?

World peace

• What is the safest country in the world?
• Is planetary nuclear disarmament possible?
• Is the idea of peace on earth naive?

These topics are just suggestions so you need to assess whether they would be suitable for your particular audience. You can easily adapt the topics to suit your interests and audience, for example, you could substitute “meat” in the topic “Does consuming meat affect health?” for many possibilities, such as “processed foods”, “mainly vegan food”, “dairy” and so on.

After choosing your topic

After you’ve chosen your topic it’s important to do the following:

• Research thoroughly
• Think about all of the different viewpoints
• Tailor to your audience – discussing your topic with others is a helpful way to gain an understanding of your audience.
• How involved are you with this topic – are you a key character?
• Have you contributed to this area, perhaps through blogs, books, papers and products.
• How qualified are you to speak on this topic?
• Do you have personal experience in it? How many years?
• How long have you been interested in the area?

While it may be difficult to choose from such a variety of persuasive speech topics, think about which of the above you have the most knowledge of and can argue your opinion on.

For advice about how to deliver your persuasive speech, check out our blog  Persuasive Speech Outline and Ideas .

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130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Questions on everything from mental health and sports to video games and dating. Which ones inspire you to take a stand?

By The Learning Network

Note: We have an updated version of this list, with 300 new argumentative writing prompts .

What issues do you care most about? What topics do you find yourself discussing passionately, whether online, at the dinner table, in the classroom or with your friends?

In Unit 5 of our free yearlong writing curriculum and related Student Editorial Contest , we invite students to research and write about the issues that matter to them, whether that’s Shakespeare , health care , standardized testing or being messy .

But with so many possibilities, where does one even begin? Try our student writing prompts.

In 2017, we compiled a list of 401 argumentative writing prompts , all drawn from our daily Student Opinion column . Now, we’re rounding up 130 more we’ve published since then ( available here as a PDF ). Each prompt links to a free Times article as well as additional subquestions that can help you think more deeply about it.

You might use this list to inspire your own writing and to find links to reliable resources about the issues that intrigue you. But even if you’re not participating in our contest, you can use these prompts to practice the kind of low-stakes writing that can help you hone your argumentation skills.

So scroll through the list below with questions on everything from sports and mental health to dating and video games and see which ones inspire you to take a stand.

Please note: Many of these prompts are still open to comment by students 13 and up.

Technology & Social Media

1. Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? 2. Does Online Public Shaming Prevent Us From Being Able to Grow and Change? 3. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media? 4. Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use Your Phone? 5. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 6. Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers? 7. Does Grammar Still Matter in the Age of Twitter? 8. Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving? 9. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating?

10. Are Straight A’s Always a Good Thing? 11. Should Schools Teach You How to Be Happy? 12. How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved? 13. Should Schools Test Their Students for Nicotine and Drug Use? 14. Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools? 15. Should Facial Recognition Technology Be Used in Schools? 16. Should Your School Day Start Later? 17. How Should Senior Year in High School Be Spent? 18. Should Teachers Be Armed With Guns? 19. Is School a Place for Self-Expression? 20. Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money? 21. Is Live-Streaming Classrooms a Good Idea? 22. Should Gifted and Talented Education Be Eliminated? 23. What Are the Most Important Things Students Should Learn in School? 24. Should Schools Be Allowed to Censor Student Newspapers? 25. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 26. Should Teachers and Professors Ban Student Use of Laptops in Class? 27. Should Schools Teach About Climate Change? 28. Should All Schools Offer Music Programs? 29. Does Your School Need More Money? 30. Should All Schools Teach Cursive? 31. What Role Should Textbooks Play in Education? 32. Do Kids Need Recess?

College & Career

33. What Is Your Reaction to the College Admissions Cheating Scandal? 34. Is the College Admissions Process Fair? 35. Should Everyone Go to College? 36. Should College Be Free? 37. Are Lavish Amenities on College Campuses Useful or Frivolous? 38. Should ‘Despised Dissenters’ Be Allowed to Speak on College Campuses? 39. How Should the Problem of Sexual Assault on Campuses Be Addressed? 40. Should Fraternities Be Abolished? 41. Is Student Debt Worth It?

Mental & Physical Health

42. Should Students Get Mental Health Days Off From School? 43. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness? 44. Does Every Country Need a ‘Loneliness Minister’? 45. Should Schools Teach Mindfulness? 46. Should All Children Be Vaccinated? 47. What Do You Think About Vegetarianism? 48. Do We Worry Too Much About Germs? 49. What Advice Should Parents and Counselors Give Teenagers About Sexting? 50. Do You Think Porn Influences the Way Teenagers Think About Sex?

Race & Gender

51. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism? 52. Is America ‘Backsliding’ on Race? 53. Should All Americans Receive Anti-Bias Education? 54. Should All Companies Require Anti-Bias Training for Employees? 55. Should Columbus Day Be Replaced With Indigenous Peoples Day? 56. Is Fear of ‘The Other’ Poisoning Public Life? 57. Should the Boy Scouts Be Coed? 58. What Is Hard About Being a Boy?

59. Can You Separate Art From the Artist? 60. Are There Subjects That Should Be Off-Limits to Artists, or to Certain Artists in Particular? 61. Should Art Come With Trigger Warnings? 62. Should Graffiti Be Protected? 63. Is the Digital Era Improving or Ruining the Experience of Art? 64. Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age? 65. In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant? 66. Is Hollywood Becoming More Diverse? 67. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 68. Do We Need More Female Superheroes? 69. Do Video Games Deserve the Bad Rap They Often Get? 70. Should Musicians Be Allowed to Copy or Borrow From Other Artists? 71. Is Listening to a Book Just as Good as Reading It? 72. Is There Any Benefit to Reading Books You Hate?

73. Should Girls and Boys Sports Teams Compete in the Same League? 74. Should College Athletes Be Paid? 75. Are Youth Sports Too Competitive? 76. Is It Selfish to Pursue Risky Sports Like Extreme Mountain Climbing? 77. How Should We Punish Sports Cheaters? 78. Should Technology in Sports Be Limited? 79. Should Blowouts Be Allowed in Youth Sports? 80. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures?

81. Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering? 82. Should Extinct Animals Be Resurrected? If So, Which Ones? 83. Are Emotional-Support Animals a Scam? 84. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? 85. Should We Be Concerned With Where We Get Our Pets? 86. Is This Exhibit Animal Cruelty or Art?

Parenting & Childhood

87. Who Should Decide Whether a Teenager Can Get a Tattoo or Piercing? 88. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past? 89. Should Parents Track Their Teenager’s Location? 90. Is Childhood Today Over-Supervised? 91. How Should Parents Talk to Their Children About Drugs? 92. What Should We Call Your Generation? 93. Do Other People Care Too Much About Your Post-High School Plans? 94. Do Parents Ever Cross a Line by Helping Too Much With Schoolwork? 95. What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children? 96. What Are Your Thoughts on ‘Snowplow Parents’? 97. Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid? 98. When Do You Become an Adult?

Ethics & Morality

99. Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger? 100. Is It Ethical to Create Genetically Edited Humans? 101. Should Reporters Ever Help the People They Are Covering? 102. Is It O.K. to Use Family Connections to Get a Job? 103. Is $1 Billion Too Much Money for Any One Person to Have? 104. Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don’t Keep Up With the News? 105. Should Prisons Offer Incarcerated People Education Opportunities? 106. Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Use DNA Data From Genealogy Websites for Criminal Investigations? 107. Should We Treat Robots Like People?

Government & Politics

108. Does the United States Owe Reparations to the Descendants of Enslaved People? 109. Do You Think It Is Important for Teenagers to Participate in Political Activism? 110. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 111. What Should Lawmakers Do About Guns and Gun Violence? 112. Should Confederate Statues Be Removed or Remain in Place? 113. Does the U.S. Constitution Need an Equal Rights Amendment? 114. Should National Monuments Be Protected by the Government? 115. Should Free Speech Protections Include Self Expression That Discriminates? 116. How Important Is Freedom of the Press? 117. Should Ex-Felons Have the Right to Vote? 118. Should Marijuana Be Legal? 119. Should the United States Abolish Daylight Saving Time? 120. Should We Abolish the Death Penalty? 121. Should the U.S. Ban Military-Style Semiautomatic Weapons? 122. Should the U.S. Get Rid of the Electoral College? 123. What Do You Think of President Trump’s Use of Twitter? 124. Should Celebrities Weigh In on Politics? 125. Why Is It Important for People With Different Political Beliefs to Talk to Each Other?

Other Questions

126. Should the Week Be Four Days Instead of Five? 127. Should Public Transit Be Free? 128. How Important Is Knowing a Foreign Language? 129. Is There a ‘Right Way’ to Be a Tourist? 130. Should Your Significant Other Be Your Best Friend?

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

613 Original Argumentative Speech Topics Ideas

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Argumentative speeches generally concern topics which are currently being debated by society , current controversial issues . These topics are often derived from political debates and issues which are commonly seen in the media. The chosen topic may be political, religious, social, or ethical in nature. The audience should be challenged to re-examine their long-held values, and will be asked to alter deeply held convictions based on new evidence or viewpoints on the issue.

Obviously, selecting a topic that is debatable is key to creating an effective speech. The topic should not be something which is generally already proven, or would require an enormous leap of faith or logic in order to convince the audience. The speaker should already possess a strong interest and have a deeply-held opinion on the subject, or else his arguments will probably not come across as believable to the audience.

Topics below are not our personal opinion, they are just samples of a topic. You can flip them to create a different topic. For example, if the topic is “Eating meat and dairy is bad for your body” and you believe the opposite, just make your topic “Eating meat and dairy is good for your body”.

Our list is updated often; huge thank you to all of you who send us topic ideas. Do you have an idea? Use “Send us your idea” form, and we will publish it. And don’t forget to take a look at our extensive list of argumentative essay topics for topics more suited to the written word.

List of Argumentative Speech Topics

Constitutional issues, environment, food and drink, international politics, relationships.

• How poor accounting methods cause businesses to lose money.

See this page for a full list of  Speech Topics for Business .

Can We Write Your Speech?

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• Does the government have the right to tax its citizens?
• Torture is an acceptable measure to prevent terrorism.
• Banning some books and movies can help society.
• Guns should be made illegal.
• The legal drinking age should be changed to 18 for hard liquor and spirits, and to 16 for beer and wine.
• Should the government be able to access cell phone data?
• Paying waiters a hourly rate below minimum wage is unfair.
• Illegal immigrants are good for the economy.
• Decreasing the wealth tax is good for the economy.
• What caused the recession in the USA?
• Rich people should have tax breaks.
• Should students sometimes teach the class about a subject they are an expert on?
• Should schools offer sign language in addition to foreign languages?
• Any student caught cheating on an examination should be automatically dismissed from college.
• Should there be a dress code to prevent students from wearing revealing clothes?
• Government aid for students should be based purely on academic performance.
• Mobiles phones should be banned in schools for both students and teachers.
• How No Child Left Behind has not been implemented correctly.
• Foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten.
• College students should have the freedom to choose their own courses.
• Should schools have single sex education?

See this page for a full list of Education Argumentative Speech Topics .

• How the USA can use renewable energy, and what role oil companies can play.
• How renewable energy technologies became economically and politically viable in the late 1990s.
• Destruction of the world’s forest is justified by human need for land and food.
• The racing industry should be forced to use environmentally-friendly fuel.
• The government should support and subsidize alternative energy sources.
• Alternative energy and hybrid vehicles can help save our planet.
• Penalties for crimes against the environment should be tougher.
• Vegetarianism is an ecologically thoughtful lifestyle.
• Has marine engineering increased pollution?
• Working from home is good for the environment.
• Rainforest logging should be banned.
• Hunting is good for the environment.
• The advantages of recycling water.

See this page for a full list of Environmental Argumentative Speech Topics .

• Should celebrities be held to a higher moral standard since they are often viewed as role models by children and teens?
• Convicted prisoners should not have better living conditions than those not in prison.
• Clothing and other items produced using child labor should not be imported and sold in the USA.
• Denying health insurance because of pre-existing conditions violates human rights.
• Using animals for scientific research is inhumane.
• DNA experiments on human embryos are unethical and should not be allowed.
• Zoos, aquariums, and circuses violate animal rights and should be shut down.
• Are beauty pageants exploitive?
• Should scientists bring back extinct species through cloning?
• People should not be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets.
• Should there be world population control?
• Stand up for what is right, even if you stand alone.
• Hunting is unethical and should not be allowed.
• Everyone in the world should have civil rights!
• Do you agree that honesty is the best policy?
• Assassination can never be justified.
• The sale of human organs should be legal.
• Euthanasia is not morally acceptable.
• Euthanasia should be legalized.
• Is human cloning ethical?
• Wearing fur is unethical.
• We shouldn’t eat meat.
• Every family with children filing for divorce must go through a mandatory ‘cooling off’ period.
• Adoptive parents should be legally bound to allow biological parents access to their children.
• Should babies younger than one get their ears pierced?
• Those who want children should take parenting classes and pass tests before having a child.
• Both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a child.
• Strict parenting raises strong-hearted, resilient kids.
• Why both parents should be a part of their child’s life.
• Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
• Why children should be respected.
• Should we have to pay to adopt a child?
• Teenagers should have more freedom than younger kids.
• Should kids under 13 be allowed on social media sites?
• Should children get to choose their living environment at age 13?
• Should parents be held responsible for actions of their children?

See this page for a full list of Family Argumentative Speech Topics . We also have a page with Speech Topics for Kids .

• The only difference between normal and organic food is the cost.

See this page for a full list of Speech Topic Ideas On Food, Drink, and Cooking .

• Why veterans should have more government support.
• Should the president have served in the military?
• Is the American criminal justice system racist?
• Democracy is the best form of government.
• Women make better presidents.
• Is our election process fair?
• Tap water is safer than bottled water in countries where the quality of tap water is regulated.
• Breastfeeding is one of the most important things a mother can do for a child.
• Should children born with birth defects have surgery?
• Lapses in food safety result from a complex interplay of factors.
• Should fast food restaurants stop adding chemicals to their food?
• Taxes should be imposed on unhealthy foods to combat obesity.
• GMOs are bad for health and should be avoided at any cost.
• Advertising of prescription drugs should not be allowed.
• Fast food advertisements and promotions should be banned.
• Terminally ill patients should be allowed to use heroin.
• Why people should smile when they’re happy, and pretend they are happy when feeling sad.
• Our identity is shaped by how others view us.
• The benefits of having friends.

See this page for a full list of  Argumentative Speech Topics on Health and Fitness . We also have a page with Medical Topics and Psychology topics.

• Was Mao Zedong a great leader?
• Adolf Hitler was a great leader.
• The negative effects of Ronald Reagan’s “War on Drugs.”

See this page for a full list of History Speech Topics .

• Is inequality in South Africa a suitable topic to use for public speaking?
• Should the world become one nation and have a council for leadership?
• The war in Iraq was justified.
• Terrorism is a major issue in the world because innocent people are affected.
• Cultural treasures should be returned to their countries of origin.
• Invading other countries, as long as for a good cause, is justified.
• The New Zealand flag should not be changed.
• War is an instrument of foreign policy.
• Driving speed limits should be lifted in areas with a low accident risk.
• People who use file-sharing sites to download content illegally should be found and prosecuted.
• Should the government give tax exemptions to those who drive electric or hybrid vehicles?
• Elderly drivers should be required to take a driving test each year after a certain age.
• Should colleges be allowed to use affirmative action to create a more diverse campus?
• Garbage disposal should not be free to encourage recycling (example: Switzerland).
• Salaries of actors, professional athletes and CEOs should be regulated and capped.
• Any products that are believed to cause cancer should have a warning label.
• Fast food, soda, chips and other unhealthy food should be heavily taxed.
• Making drugs illegal creates an environment for crime and violence.
• Should it be harder to get a divorce?
• Should the death penalty exist?
• Laws to protect the victims of domestic abuse should be enforced.
• Pitbulls and other aggressive dog breeds should not be allowed.
• Gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples.
• Should the EPA make it illegal to modify your car for racing?
• DUI offenders should lose their license for a year.
• Should you have to take a training class to purchase fireworks?
• Workers should get four weeks paid vacation each year.
• Plastic surgery should be illegal for anyone under 18.
• Retirement should be made compulsory at the age of 60.
• Abortions should be legal in cases of rape and incest.
• The cost of prescription drugs should be regulated.
• Couples should be banned from adopting overseas.
• Banning smoking in public places is undemocratic.
• Spaying and neutering pets should be mandatory.
• Minors should be tried for murder at any age.
• Voting should be compulsory for all citizens.
• Illegal immigrants should receive asylum.
• Organ donation should be mandatory.
• Vaccinations should be compulsory.
• Prostitution should be legalized.
• Should abortion be made illegal?
• The smoking age should be lowered.
• The voting age should be lowered.
• Why smoking should be banned.
• Talking on the phone while driving should be banned.
• There should be equal pay for equal work.
• Does Shakespeare romanticize youth suicide in the tragic play Romeo and Juliet?
• Edgar Allen Poe’s career as an author benefitted from his difficult, grief-filled life.
• Popular literature is not as valuable as classical literature.
• Why books are better than their movies.
• Reality television makes people stupid and should be regulated.
• Does media violence lead to behavioral problems?
• TV cop shows are too intense for children.
• Watching television makes people smarter.
• Are kids having too much screen time?
• Is watching TV good or bad for children?
• Has the television become obsolete?
• Reality TV is not reality.
• Vulgar scenes in films should be reduced.
• Can anyone play an instrument with the right materials and instruction?
• The beneficial physiological effects of music.
• Americans should not get involved in conflicts that don’t concern the national interest.
• Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid reform are non-negotiable ways out of the debt crisis.
• Famous people (actors, athletes) should not be allowed to become politicians.
• Is the government doing justice to the taxpayers?
• Does age matter in relationships?
• Social networks are killing sincere relationships.
• Polygamy creates healthy relationships.
• If nothing happens without a cause, then the big bang must have been caused by God.
• Why it is better to have many religions.
• Banning burkhas or other religious clothing is against human rights.
• The world would be more peaceful without religions.
• Churches should be required to pay taxes.
• Are there any alternatives to evolution?
• Religion is a force for evil.

See this page for a full list of  Topics on Religion and Spirituality .

• Mobile phones shouldn’t be allowed at school.
• There is no place for religion in school.
• Technology is a distraction.
• Homework should be scrapped.
• High Schools need armed guards.
• Test scores reflect how good the teacher is.
• Refrain from dating in high school.
• Student ID cards should have tracking devices.
• Random drug tests need to be done in high schools.
• Teachers should also be graded.

See this page for a full list of  School Speech Topics  (Elementary, Middle School, High School).

• Genetically modified food should be the answer to the world’s hunger problem.
• Is Mars the next planet for human habitation?
• The NASA moon landing was a hoax.
• Space exploration is a waste of money.

See this page for a full list of  Science Speech Topics .

• Permits should not be needed to build small, permanent structures in the city of Baldwin.
• Technological progress signifies the decline of human moral, spiritual, and traditional values.
• Men and women face unequal pressure to change their bodies to look good.
• Sexual immorality in our society is a result of the influence of foreign films.
• People are not satisfied with what they have.
• Compulsory military service is good for society and the country.
• Christmas is just a way for businesses to increase sales.
• Billboards should not be allowed on interstate highways.
• Men should be forced to take paternity leave from work.
• Violent video games and toys should not be allowed.

See this page for a full list of Argumentative Society Speech Topics .

• Athletes caught using steroids should be banned from professional sports for life.
• Why cheerleading should be part of the Olympics.
• Why hockey should allow fights.
• Is marching band a sport?
• Is cheerleading a sport?
• Sports should be obligatory at school.

See this page for a full list of  Sports Speech Topics .

• Students should not have to learn cursive because technology is making it irrelevant.
• Social media has changed us for the worse.
• Modern technology has increased material wealth but not happiness.
• Has the internet made research easier and more convenient?
• How nuclear power shaped 21st century electrical generation.
• Technology makes us lose most of our traditions and culture.
• Life was better when technology was more simple.
• Human beings are becoming slaves of modern technology.
• Is the internet a good or a bad thing?
• Technology is making people less creative.
• The positive effects of technology on society.
• Are phones essential?
• Nuclear power is better than solar power.
• New technologies create problems.
• The impact of technology on society.
• How electronics affect our body.
• The pros and cons of Facebook.
• The pros and cons of plastic.
• Are children smarter or more socialized because of the internet?
• Modern offices should have facilities for an afternoon nap.
• Should tattoos be in the workplace?

List of Argumentative Essay Topics

• Dieting makes people fat.
• Romantic love is a poor basis for marriage.
• The war on terror has contributed to the growing abuse of human rights.
• High school graduates should take a year off before entering college.
• All citizens should be required by law to vote.
• All forms of government welfare should be abolished.
• Americans should have more holidays and longer vacation.
• Participating in team sports helps to develop good character.
• The production and sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.
• People have become overly dependent on technology.
• Censorship is sometimes justified.
• Privacy is not the most important right.
• Drunk drivers should be imprisoned on the first offence.
• The lost art of letter-writing deserves to be revived.
• Government and military personnel should have the right to strike.
• Most study-abroad programs should be renamed “party abroad”: they are a waste of time and money.
• The continuing decline of CD sales along with the rapid growth of music downloads signals a new era of innovation in popular music.
• College students should have complete freedom to choose their own courses.
• The solution to the impending crisis in Social Security is the immediate elimination of this anachronistic government program.
• The primary mission of colleges and universities should be preparing students for the workforce.
• Financial incentives should be offered to high school students who perform well on standardizing tests.
• All students in high school and college should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language.
• College students in the U.S. should be offered financial incentives to graduate in three years rather than four.
• College athletes should be exempted from regular class-attendance policies.
• To encourage healthy eating, higher taxes should be imposed on soft drinks and junk food.
• Students should not be required to take physical education courses.
• To conserve fuel and save lives, the 55 miles-per-hour national speed limit should be restored.
• All citizens under the age of 21 should be required to pass a driving education course before receiving a license to drive.
• Freshmen should not be required to purchase a meal plan from the college.
• Zoos are internment camps for animals and should be shut down.
• University students should not be penalized for illegally downloading music, movies, or other protected content.
• Government financial aid for students should be based solely on merit.
• Nontraditional students should be exempted from regular class-attendance policies.
• At the end of each term, student evaluations of faculty should be posted online.
• A student organization should be formed to rescue and care for the feral cats on campus.
• People who contribute to Social Security should have the right to choose how their money is invested.
• Professional baseball players convicted of using performance-enhancing drugs should not be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame.
• Any citizen who does not have a criminal record should be permitted to carry a concealed weapon.
• Is global climate change man-made?
• Do colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores?
• Is torture ever acceptable?
• Should men get paternity leave from work?
• Is a lottery a good idea?
• Do we have a fair taxation system?
• Is cheating out of control?
• Are parents clueless about child predators on the Internet?
• Are cell phones dangerous?
• Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy?
• Are test scores a good indication of a school’s competency?
• Do we have a throw-away society?
• Is child behavior better or worse than it was years ago?
• Should companies market to children?
• Should the government have a say in our diets?
• Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
• Does access to condoms lead to irresponsible, dangerous, or bad behavior?
• Are actors and professional athletes paid too much?
• Are CEOs paid too much?
• Do violent video games cause behavior problems?
• Should creationism be taught in public schools?
• Should the racing industry be forced to use biofuels?
• When should parents let teens make their own decisions?
• Should the military be allowed to recruit at high schools?
• Should the alcohol drinking age be increased or decreased?
• What age is appropriate for dating?
• Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school?
• Does boredom lead to trouble?
• Does participation in sports keep teens out of trouble?
• Is competition good?
• Does religion cause war?
• Should the government provide health care?
• Should girls ask boys out?
• Is fashion important?
• Are girls too mean to each other?
• Is homework harmful or helpful?
• Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
• Is college admission too competitive?
• There is no such thing as a superfood!
• American football is better than rugby.
• Abused children grow up to be abusers
• Women priests have further weakened the influence of the church today
• Britain should exit the EU and concentrate on its special relationship with America
• Most asylum seekers are simply seeking a better life
• Who was the better wartime Prime Minister – Churchill or Thatcher?
• Insurance is a waste of money
• North Korea postulates but will never go to war
• Lady Gaga is a better role model than Madonna
• Celebrities adopting multi-racial kids is merely another cog in their publicity wheel
• Sororities do nothing to enhance the cause of womanhood
• All phobias can be cured
• America is seen as a safe haven for victims of persecution from all over the world
• There are more benefits to working in a small company than a large one
• Men do not understand the term “fashionista”
• Scottish independence would be a good thing for the UK
• Seeds are not a health food. They are bird food.
• Government spying on personal communication is an infringement of civil liberty
• Payday loans are the worst financial product ever
• What is the point of massive R&D projects like the Hadron Collider and space exploration when people are starving?
• All immigrants to English speaking countries should pass a test before being allowed rights to settle and be re-tested after 10 years.
• Only the supermarkets win in price wars
• The Burkha is a lasting symbol that Islam is divisive
• Space travel should be a rich man’s plaything and government funds diverted to things that matter
• Pipe smoking is less harmful than cigarette smoking
• Politicians don’t have a “calling” – it is merely a well paid job
• Ireland would be no better if it were one country
• Global warming is just a phase in the planet’s life cycle
• Cigarettes will never be banned completely because Governments couldn’t work without the income they generate
• Beauty pageants are exploitative
• Condoms should be dispensed free in high schools
• Professional athletes are paid too much
• Most schools fail at adequate sex education
• Aids is the forgotten disease now that it affects mainly African countries
• Legalizing some drugs will not combat the scourge
• The legal limit of 21 encourages underage drinking
• Video games do not cause violent behavior: Violence comes from values
• Should creationism be taught in schools
• High school is not competitive enough and does not encourage high standards of achievement in everyone
• CEOS of public service industries are paid too much
• Britain should adopt a new voting system
• In a society that calls for equality, men should receive a decent period of paternity leave
• Torture has a place in the fight against terrorism
• Many parents have no idea of what their child is doing on the computer
• Standardized test scores are not the best indication of a student’s aptitude for a certain course.
• Should we have a national high school exam?
• Is Private school tuition (elementary, high school or college) really worth it?
• Does state wide testing like TAKS/STAAR test in Texas really increase student knowledge?
• Should colleges abolish reliance on SAT and ACT scores in admissions?
• How should our school system in America be reformed?
• Should America adopt an educational system more like Europe?
• What causes students to graduate high school without basic skills?
• How do American students compare with students from other countries?
• What Role should technology play in Education?
• What is the value of a liberal arts education?
• Should students be required to take foreign language courses (or any other type of specific course)?
• Does adding school days really improve learning?
• Should schools continue to spend money on fine arts?
• How should students whose first language is not English be taught in public schools?
• Should college athletes be paid?
• Does smoking help make acquaintances?
• Should students add their teachers as friends on Facebook?
• Is the first impression of a person always right?
• Are conflicts necessary for healthy relationships?
• Should lecture attendance be optional?
• Is business ethics an obsolete concept?
• Should companies try to copy what their competitors do?
• Can businesses learn from their customers’ complaints?
• Should all energy drinks be banned?
• Is China a new superpower?
• Should employees be allowed to use social media sites at work?
• Should companies send ‘happy birthday’ messages to clients?
• Would Shakespeare’s plays be more interesting if shortened?
• Should internet slang, like ‘LOL’ and ‘IMHO’ be included in dictionaries?
• Does the English language need to be simpler?
• Should kids be allowed to draw on walls?
• Do modern schools depend too much on technology?
• Do online students have better chances to cheat?
• Should hospitals use placebo treatments?
• Do innovations really make us lazier?
• Can college athletes be smart?
• Should students have profiles on all major social networks?
• Should people abandon cash and use plastic cards only?
• Should countries have ‘1 car per family’ policies?
• Should we preserve old buildings as historical monuments?
• Are some TV ads objects of art?
• Is music in shopping malls harmful to employees’ wellbeing?
• Can listening to favorite music heal?
• Should journalists who distort the truth to make the news more sensational be punished?
• Should all TV channels have censorship?
• Do SOPA and PIPA make pirates more skilful?
• Is negative PR the secret behind Justin Bieber’s success?
• Should Wikipedia give diplomas to their most faithful readers?
• Can diamonds be girls’ best friends?
• Is the way to a man’s heart through his stomach?
• Should couples live together before marriage?
• Should parents tell their kids stories about birds and bees?
• Can virtual reality be dangerous for kids?
• Can we call any war ‘a peacemaking operation’?
• Is too much political correctness making communication more confusing?
• Are early marriages more likely to end in divorces?
• Do elderly people receive better care in retirement homes than with family members?
• Should hyperactive kids receive treatment?
• Should mind reading during poker games be banned?
• Should parents pass tests before homeschooling their kids?
• Should parents lie to their kids about Santa Claus?
• Does Beavis and Butthead  have a negative impact on youth?
• Is it fair to use the results of standardized tests to define schools’ budgets?
• Are optimism and success infectious?
• Is the Bermuda triangle a creation of our imagination?
• Advertising: Information Or Manipulation?
• Should Affirmative Action Be Abolished?
• Should Minors Be Executed For Murder?
• Should Parents Be Held Responsible For Their Minor’s Crimes?
• Should Gay Clubs Be Allowed In High Schools?
• Should High School Education Be Mandatory?
• Should Affirmative Action be abolished?
• Should schools place more emphasis on disciplining?
• To what extent has the traditional male role changed in the last 20 years?
• Dieting Does Not Help People Lose Weight
• Is gender equality a myth or a sustainable reality?
• Should divorce be harder to obtain?
• Should marijuana be legalized in the United States?
• Should the legalization of marijuana be a state law or left up to the federal government to enforce?
• Are colleges and schools just for either all girls or all boys fair or are they sexist?
• Should corporal punishment be used to punish children?
• Should the US drinking age be lowered or raised from age 21?
• How young is too young to have your own cellphone?
• Should immigrants to the US be required to learn English before being granted citizenship?
• Should those applying for Welfare be drug tested?
• Are fast food chains killing people?
• Should those receiving government assistance have a limit on the number of children they can receive help for?
• Should news reporters be required to share their sources with viewers?
• What role, if any, should the federal government take in dealing with the problem of homelessness?
• Should women also be required to sign up for the draft at age 18 in the US?
• Should those younger than 13 be allowed to have a Facebook or Myspace (or other social networking account)?
• Should public school teachers be randomly drug tested as a condition for employment?
• Is year-round school a good idea or bad?
• Should gay couples be allowed to adopt children?
• Should the families of organ donors be compensated for their loved one’s donation?
• Damage to the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standard of living.
• Are famous people treated unfairly by the media? Should they be given more privacy, or is the price of their fame an invasion into their private lives?
• Are women better parents than men?
• Are zoos necessary for education?
• Children learn best by observing the behavior of adults and copying it.
• Children should never be educated at home by their parents.
• Computers can translate all kinds of languages well. Do our children need to learn more languages in the future?
• Advantages and disadvantages of giving international aid to poor countries.
• Do the benefits of study abroad justify the difficulties?
• Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported?
• Does foreign aid helps donor countries more than the recipients?
• Does travel help to promote understanding and communication between countries?
• Education is the single most important factor in the development of a country.
• The destruction of the world’s forests is inevitable as our need for land and food grows.
• A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat.
• If children behave badly, should their parents accept responsibility and also be punished?
• In what ways has information technology changed work and working practices in the past 10 years?
• Should government intervene in the rights of the individual with regard to family planning?
• In your opinion what factors contribute to a good movie?
• Most high level jobs are done by men. Should the government encourage a certain percentage of these jobs to be reserved for women?
• News editors should decide what to broadcast on TV and what to print in newspapers.
• Should developing countries concentrate on improving industrial skills or should they promote education first?
• Should money be spent on space exploration?
• Should retirement be compulsory at 65 years of age?
• Should rich countries forgive all debts for poor countries?
• Should rich countries pay more for environmental damage?
• Should sports classes be dropped in secondary school so students can concentrate on academic subjects?
• Should the same laws which prohibit the sale and consumption of heroin be applied to tobacco?
• To what extent should universities function as training grounds for employment?
• To what extent should university courses be geared to the economic needs of society?
• What are factors which are related to academic success in high-school students?
• What should a government do for a country to become successful?
• Free meals should be provided in every school.
• Citizens should be taxed a percentage to send towards medical research.
• All motor vehicles should be pushed towards electric power.
• Prisoners should be used in the workforce.
• Dieting does more harm than good.
• Chivalry has no place in modern society.
• Sexism is still a major problem in the workplace.
• Government welfare is an excuse for laziness.
• Capitalism is another name for evil.
• National security is an excuse for war.
• 9/11 was an excuse for continuous war.
• Privacy is a luxury not a right.
• The age of consent should be raised.
• The federal government should control the laws of each state.
• Average workplace hours are too long.
• Oppressive regimes shouldn’t be given any monetary aid.
• The death penalty should be reintroduced.
• All people should be allowed to strike.
• The music industry needs to get with the times.
• A college education needs to be about preparing for the world of work.
• There are too many degree options in colleges.
• All citizens should speak a second language.
• People should be encouraged to holiday abroad.
• Restrictions on fuel consumption need to be implemented.
• People should be encouraged to start their own businesses.
• All citizens should dedicate an hour a week to community service.
• Cheating on an examination should be a criminal offense.
• Pornography should be illegal.
• Brothels should be legalised.
• All states should gain equal representation in elections.
• Presidential elections should be held every five years.
• The restriction on consecutive presidential terms should be removed.
• Financial aid shouldn’t be given to people with a criminal record.
• People should have a bigger say in how the country is run.
• The military needs to see major cuts.
• An emphasis on sport in college should be removed.
• Social Security Numbers should be abolished.
• Elderly people shouldn’t drive.
• The rich should pay more tax.
• Tax avoidance should be clamped down upon.
• Essays are not an accurate reflection of a student’s ability.
• There are too many people in the U.S.
• Immigration caps should be tightened.
• Should people be able to choose to have health care or not?
• Are we too dependent on foreign oil?
• Is the education policy ‘No Child Left behind’ working?
• The media affects young children’s minds
• Does the ‘old boy network’ still exist?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• Divorced parents should always share custody of their children
• Social media is ruining relationships
• Convicted prisoners have a better life in prison than out
• Society and laws are too lenient on Child Sex offenders
• Should racial profiling be legal?
• Are Americans sexual prudes?
• Is euthanasia inhumane?
• Is Michael Jordan the best basketball player of all time?
• Should people have to take a test to become parents?
• Italians are healthier because they drink red wine
• Are humans solely responsible for GlobalWarming?
• Cheating helps children learn.
• Are vampires real or only in the novels characters?
• File-sharing programs on the Internet should/ not be banned.
• What is the relationship between illegal immigration and crime
• People who download from file sharing websites should be prosecuted.
• Rich people should be allowed to pay off their crimes.
• Corruption in society is an unstoppable force.
• Doctors should learn about religion before practicing.
• Rationing of fuel is a good idea.
• Sodomy isn’t a sin.
• Political figures are out of touch with society.
• Public figures should be struck off if they break the law.
• All men and women should complete a year of civil service.
• Community service isn’t a punishment.

509 Informative Speech Ideas and Topics

243 Easy and Simple Speech Topics

7 thoughts on “613 Original Argumentative Speech Topics Ideas”

can money buy happiness?

I like this page

I think you’re ideas are from the far left, the “topics” you have are just so one sided im yawning just reading them. COME ON!

Most of these “topics” you list aren’t original. I’ve heard these be argued on the news and in class many times before. Only about 10 of these topics even peaked my interest.

Stand up for what is right even if you stand alone

how does one have a pet?

Only 7 of these actually had me thinking. Some aren’t even original. I’ve seen the ‘Should the death penalty exist’ on almost every single site I’ve tried before this.

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Effective Persuasion Presentation

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This presentation is designed to introduce your students to a variety of factors that contribute to strong, effective, and ethical persuasion in their writing. The slides presented here are designed to aid the facilitator in an interactive presentation of the elements of persuasive writing and include examples and questions for those viewing the material. This presentation is ideal for any course in which students will be required to write a persuasive document and also helps students think in depth about audience.