persuasive essay call to action definition

Persuasive Essay

Definition of persuasive essay.

The term “persuasive” is an adjective derived from verb “persuade,” which means “to convince somebody.” A persuasive essay is full of all the convincing techniques a writer can employ. It presents a situation, and takes a stand – either in its favor, or against it – to prove to readers whether it is beneficial or harmful for them.

Why Persuasion?

The question arises why persuasion if the people are already aware of everything. Its answer is that each person’s ability of seeing and understanding things depend on his vision. He believes only what he sees or is told about. If another side of the coin is shown, the people do not believe so easily. That is why they are presented with arguments supported with evidences , statistics and facts. Persuasion is done for these reasons:

• A Better World : To ask the people that if they accept your argument , it will be good for them to take action and make the world a better place.
• A Worse World : It means that if readers do not do what they are asked to do, the world will become a worse place.
• Call to Action : It means to persuade or tempt readers to do what the writer wants them to do.

Difference Between a Persuasive Essay and an Argumentative Essay

A persuasive essay is intended to persuade readers to do certain things, or not to do certain things. It is the sole aim of the writer to coax or tempt readers, and force them to do certain things or take actions. However, an argumentative essay intends to make readers see both sides of the coin. It is up to them to select any of the two. In other words, an argumentative essay presents both arguments; both for and against a thing, and leaves the readers to decide. On the other hand, a persuasive essay intends to make readers do certain things. Therefore, it presents arguments only about one aspect of the issue.

Examples of Persuasive Essay in Literature

Example #1: our unhealthy obsession and sickness (by frank furedi).

“Governments today do two things that I object to in particular. First they encourage introspection, telling us that unless men examine their testicles, unless we keep a check on our cholesterol level, then we are not being responsible citizens. You are letting down yourself, your wife, your kids, everybody. We are encouraged continually to worry about our health. As a consequence, public health initiatives have become, as far as I can tell, a threat to public health. Secondly, governments promote the value of health seeking. We are meant always to be seeking health for this or that condition. The primary effect of this, I believe, is to make us all feel more ill.”

This is an excerpt from a persuasive essay of Frank Furedi. It encourages people to think about how the government is helping public health. Both the arguments of persuasion start with “First” in the first line and with “Secondly” in the second last line.

Example #2: We Are Training Our Kids to Kill (by Dave Grossman)

“Our society needs to be informed about these crimes, but when the images of the young killers are broadcast on television, they become role models. The average preschooler in America watches 27 hours of television a week. The average child gets more one-on-one communication from TV than from all her parents and teachers combined. The ultimate achievement for our children is to get their picture on TV. The solution is simple, and it comes straight out of the sociology literature: The media have every right and responsibility to tell the story , but they must be persuaded not to glorify the killers by presenting their images on TV.”

This is an excerpt from Grossman’s essay. He is clearly convincing the public about the violent television programs and their impacts on the kids. See how strong his arguments are in favor of his topic.

Example #3: The Real Skinny (by Belinda Luscombe)

“And what do we the people say? Do we rise up and say, ‘I categorically refuse to buy any article of clothing unless the person promoting it weighs more than she did when she wore knee socks?’ Or at least, ‘Where do I send the check for the chicken nuggets?’ Actually, not so much. Mostly, our responses range from ‘I wonder if that would look good on me?’ to ‘I don’t know who that skinny-ass cow is, but I hate her already.’

Just check the strength of the argument of Belinda Luscombe about purchasing things. The beauty of her writing is that she has made her readers think by asking rhetorical questions and answering them.

Function of a Persuasive Essay

The major function of a persuasive essay is to convince readers that, if they take a certain action, the world will be a better place for them. It could be otherwise or it could be a call to an action. The arguments given are either in the favor of the topic or against it. It cannot combine both at once. That is why readers feel it easy to be convinced.

Related posts:

• Elements of an Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Definition Essay
• Descriptive Essay
• Types of Essay
• Analytical Essay
• Argumentative Essay
• Cause and Effect Essay
• Critical Essay
• Expository Essay
• Process Essay
• Explicatory Essay
• An Essay on Man: Epistle I
• Comparison and Contrast Essay

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• Rhetorical Patterns - Persuasion and Argument
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• Rhetorical Patterns

The Rhetorical Patterns -  Organizing Essays for Different Rhetorical Situations

The following pages will provide you with several effective ways of organizing information in your essays. Oftentimes, when you know who your audience is and what your purpose is for writing (which is called your rhetorical situation), you can begin to consider the organization of what is going to be in your paper, how you will introduce your paper, and what to write for your conclusion. The following rhetorical patterns will help you answer these questions.   

Narration   |   Description   |   Process   |   Exemplification   |   Classification   |   Comparison and Contrast Cause and Effect   |   Persuasion and Argument

Persuasion and Argument

What is persuasion and argument? Traditionally, people have called argument any attempt that uses logic to incite a person to take action or to change an opinion or belief. Persuasion is considered to be the same call to action or to change an opinion or belief; but persuasion is a call to action that is based on appealing to emotion and feeling. So the difference between argument and persuasion is the difference between using logic and using emotion. Since most debates involve subjects that are conducive to logic and emotion, most real-life debates contain elements of both logic and emotion.

How do I consider problems with logic?  Some people use faulty logic when they argue. Others will use fairly effective logic, but will ignore the implications of their logic, or they will exclude from consideration certain logical conclusions. Other people may create arguments that seem almost perfect. No matter how an argument is constructed logically or illogically, by understanding the following problems with logic, which are called fallacies, you often will be able to see how people arrive at their proposition, which is the logical conclusion of their argument.

Before we consider the terms of a debate, let’s consider the logical problems, or fallacies, that might be involved in an argument.

Ad hominem: “To the person”: this means that someone ignores the argument itself and verbally attacks the person personally who is making the argument. For example, if someone disagreed with the president’s decision to raise tuition because of a state budget cut, and said, “She’s only raising tuition because she is not smart enough to think of an alternative,” then that person is using an ad hominem attack. Many politicians and commentators on politics favor this kind of fallacy, because it is easier to attack a persona’s credibility than to contend with a person’s ideas.

Ad misericordiam: This fallacy means that someone makes an argument that offers two scenarios, and one of them is inconceivably bad. For example, if someone said that, “Everyone should agree with the idea of war because otherwise this country will fall apart,” then that person is offering a proposition that seems to have as its opposite something that almost everyone would want to avoid. But the idea of the country falling apart is only one alternative to disagreeing with going to war. Weak arguments often use ad misericordiam fallacies because the arguments are hastily constructed of conceived of with an excess of emotions.

Ad populem: This fallacy assumes that if you like a person you will agree with the person’s logic. For example, if someone told you that he had always been a good friend and that was why you should lend him your new car for the weekend, then this person is relying on the relationship, rather than the logic, for you to offer him your car. If he said that he had always taken good care of your car before and you should lend it to him now, he would not be making an ad populem fallacy, though. This fallacy is also closely related to the often-heard parents’ cliché: “Just because everyone jumped off a cliff, you would too, right?”

Argument of the beard: This fallacy is used when a division between two conditions can be ignored or a division between two states is difficult to establish. It’s called the argument of the beard because you could conceivably pluck one hair after another from a beard and never arrive at a specific, perfect point when the beard stopped being a beard, by definition. For example, if someone told you that since even one glass of beer will impair your thinking, you might as well drink a case, then the person would be making an argument of the beard. Since there is no exact point for every single person being impaired by alcohol, and since we have not defined impairment, per se, the point of impairment could be one beer or it could be three beers or it could be a case of beer. The fallacy is here because clearly a case of beer would cause impairment, no matter how it was defined.

Begging the question: This fallacy occurs when evidence supporting the logic of the argument or the proposition creates alternatives to the proposition. For example, if someone tells you that she has a great deal for you, which could make you a two hundred percent return on your investment, and that because the return on your investment is so high you should not even question making the investment, she would be begging the question what risks there were to your investment. Just because the deal she is offering sounds so good, this does not mean that your decision to participate in the deal should be based on the possible two hundred percent return. What she is asking you to do and why she is saying that you should do it are literally begging the question of why you should go along with her. The proposition (that you should go along with her) is not premised on how safe the investment is or how many times she has returned a two hundred percent return to investors; instead the proposition (that you should invest) is premised on what might happen.

A similar fallacy is called ignoring the question , which is slightly different from begging the question by the degree of information offered. If a person tells you that you should make an investment that will probably return two hundred percent profit, then the person is ignoring the question of what other kinds of returns on the investment (or profits) other investments have made, and the person is ignoring what other kinds of profit or loss scenarios exist in the deal.

Circular argument: This fallacy happens when the proposition is based on the premise and/or vice versa. For example, if you are told that the Toyota Corolla is the most popular car in America because so many Americans drive it, then you are not being given any reason or evidence, aside from the proposition (that the Corolla is popular because people drive it) that goes along with the proposition. This fallacy is often easy to locate because everything seems logical enough, but there is no relationship to any external factors.

Generalizations : This fallacy happens often enough because the evidence for an element of the argument is vague, weak, or superficial. For example, the proposition that “It’s a well known fact that democrats cannot be trusted,” is not based on any more evidence than “the well known fact.” Similarly, “He won’t eat it because he hates everything” is a proposition (i.e., he won’t eat it) premised on a vague assertion (i.e., just because he hates everything), which is as likely to be true as it is likely to be false.

New things are always better: This fallacy happens when someone says that something should be done differently because a new idea exists. For example, if a person tells you that he has found a new short cut and you should commute to school by way of his new short cut, then he is making this fallacy. Just because it is a new short-cut does not mean that it is faster than the old short-cut. There is no logical reason or other evidence offered that makes the fact that it is new any reason to change what you are already doing. If the person says that his new short-cut is two miles less than the old short-cut, then he is not making the fallacy. You can spot these fallacies fairly easily (but not all the time: sometimes the new idea seems seductive) because the evidence to do something is because the something is new.

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc (After something, because of something): This fallacy confuses the actual cause or causes for something in favor of a cause or causes that are more readily visible or evident. For example, suppose you came home one evening to find that your apartment or residence hall room had been vandalized and you saw your neighbor outside your door holding one of your possessions. Your neighbor may have well just come along after the vandalism and seen something of yours dropped on the floor outside your doorway and then walked over and found your apartment or residence hall door broken open. Just because something has happened does not mean that something that happened before it caused it, or is even related to it.

Reduce to a binary: This fallacy happens when an argument is offered and there are many options and alternatives available, but the argument is framed as having the proposition and one alternative, generally a really bad alternative. For example, if you say that marijuana should be legalized and your friend Paula counters by saying, “If you legalize marijuana, you might as well legalize heroin and crack,” then Paula is framing the argument as only having two alternatives: leave the law alone or risk chaos by going along with your alternative. When you can counter the alternative with something, generally more moderate, then you have spotted this fallacy.

Weak analogy: This fallacy happens when two things are said to be similar enough to merit their comparison; but the two things are not similar enough for the comparison. For example, if Will tells you that the cafeteria food is garbage, Will’s analogy, no matter how much you both might want to agree, is faulty: food becomes garbage when it is discarded. Food cannot be garbage, by definition. Even if Will says that the cafeteria food smells like garbage, Will is using a weak analogy: anyone who has been close to garbage knows that it smells a lot worse than virtually any cafeteria food. Saying that the cafeteria food smells like garbage, on the other hand, is logical, if the food smells like garbage.

What are some language problems when using arguments and persuasion?

The following problems with words language may help you to identify some kinds of language use in arguments:

• Abstractions are words or terms that have meanings that are created by multiple concepts. For example, the word “honor” is an abstraction created by other words like respect, loyal, devotion, moral/ethical and, depending on its use, other words and terms. When an argument is premised on an abstraction, the argument is built on a term that carries too many possible meanings. Nice, polite, support the troops, protect the family, cut taxes, appeasers, and so on are all abstractions; they carry multiple meanings. Unless abstractions are firmly and clearly defined, their use supporting evidence or the logic of an argument is questionable.
• Biased language consists of words or terms that are used to invalidate another person’s position, proposition, identity, or argument. For example, if someone tells you that young people who hang around somewhere in a group belong to a “gang,” then the biased language (i.e., gang) is likely to cause you to think pejoratively of the young people. Similarly, if someone tells you that students are “kids,” then the biased language reveals the speaker’s belief that students are not really adults, but are closer to children, since “kid” is a term used to indicate an age range between infancy and adulthood. Biased language is often used in conjunction with faulty logic, so as to cover the weaknesses of the logic. Biased language is also very much like ad hominem, ad misericordiam, and ad populem logical problems. All four ignore the argument’s proposition or logic and focus on attacking or weakening an element through dismissal, scorn, or elitism. 
• Terms of art are phrases and words that have been used in so many different contexts that their core meanings have been shattered and the phrase or word means essentially whatever the speaker or writer wants it to mean. Listeners and readers, however, may interpret the term of art by the use of the term in their familiar context. Viable is a word that means many different things in different rhetorical environments—a fetus can be viable, a candidate can have a viable chance to win, and cable is a viable option to satellite television. Similarly, terms of art have similar problems as generalizations, except that terms of art actually have very precise meanings; it’s just that there are too many competing meanings.
• Opinions are fairly easy for most people to define. An opinion is an interpretation that can be rendered by an individual or a group. The problem for opinions in arguments is that occasionally opinions are presented as facts. Opinions sometimes arrive cloaked in certainties. For example, someone can say, “Everyone knows that killing is wrong,” when, in fact, killing during wartime is widely regarded as an essential component of warfare and is not considered to be wrong. Be cautious of truths and facts if they arrive with statements like, “Everyone knows…,” “It is an established fact…,” “Nobody would argue with the fact…” There are appropriate places for opinions in arguments; but only when they are presented as opinions or conjecture.
• Terms with no opposites or undesirable opposites are often common words, like patriotism, community, family, democracy. These words do not normally operate within a system of binaries. These words and terms tend to exclude opposing voices from the debate. Were you to propose that “Family values” creates “community,” you would be invoking two terms that are difficult to oppose. If someone were so inclined, that person could ask the question about people opposed to your proposition: “What kind of person is against family values and communities?” The implication that you could make (by using words that have no opposites or have undesirable opposites) is that this kind of person is immoral, monstrous, and barbaric. Terms such as democracy, freedom, rights, liberty, security are terms without any legitimate opposites or with opposites that are difficult to defend. Clearly, using terms like these as a basis for any argument is using language to exploit weak argument logic.
• Conflations of truths are uses of language that take liberties with the language. While you may think that someone who gave you the wrong change at a restaurant made a mistake, it would be a conflation of the truth to claim that the person who gave me the wrong change was the most ignorant person to ever breathe air. Although most conflations of the truth will be made with far less bombast than my example, be cautious of comparisons that cite everyday trivia and banality and compare them with outrageous events and things.
• Scientific facts would seem to be a safe use of language, one removed from the possible problems of language. However, there are many scientific facts that are contested, even when they seem to be obviously true. Scientists have used different models to predict what would happen in the event of a nuclear tragedy. One model definitively states that the survivors would have to contend with global warming on a massive scale; while another model just as equally proves that survivors would live in a frigid nuclear winter, which would span several decades. Without all the pertinent data, some scientific facts are simply assertions presented as science.

How do I develop a working thesis?

As you consider your argument so far, insure that you keep your focus on the rhetorical situation

A problematic working thesis normally does not take into account either of the previous elements. For example, let’s speculate that you were considering a call for lower tuition. A weak working thesis might look like this:

College tuition just doesn’t seem to get cheaper. 

This working thesis does not contain the call to action, and its language is so imprecise and vague that decisions about what kinds of evidence to use will be difficult to make.

A more focused working thesis might look like this:

Although a college education is a valuable commodity in our society, rising costs are making it difficult for some families to afford to send their kids to college. 

This working thesis would allow you to consider both how a college education is valuable (for example, gathering evidence of what it allows someone to do that another person without a college education might not be able to do), while you focus on the effects of rising tuition for working class and/or middle class families, who can be most effected by rising costs.

How do I narrow my working thesis?

Once you have gathered evidence and support for your working thesis and you have made decisions about how you will present the evidence and support for your intended audience, you will want to sharpen the focus of your working thesis, so that you have a specific thesis or clear main point.

How do I draft an argument thesis?

Remember that you are presenting your subject, your position, and what you want you audience to do in your thesis. While you probably will not articulate each of these three elements in detail, you will certainly want to provide an overview for each of these, since these are the major considerations of your argument.

What kinds of problems are there with an argument thesis?

Insure that your thesis does not:

• Just presents facts and/or analysis
• Neglect to get involved in the debate or argument
• Forget to cause some explicit action >

For example, an ineffective thesis would sound like this:

A college education is one of the most valuable commodities in our society, and, unfortunately, the costs of college keep rising and this harms some families.

This is a not an argument thesis statement, but is rather an expository thesis statement. A better thesis would sound like this:

Since a college education is a valuable commodity in our society and rising costs are making it difficult for some families to afford to send their kids to college, college tuition should be a deductible expense for working and middle class families. 

This thesis now presents two premises—the value of college in society and the risks for society presented by the rising tuition prices—plus, the thesis ends with a call for action (make college tuition a deductible expense for certain taxpayer groups).

How do I organize my evidence and support?

This is a good opportunity to write down the actual steps, or the logic of your argument, so that you can literally see where you are starting your argument and where you are taking your readers. Show how one point leads to the next point. By seeing the logic of the argument, you can also anticipate problems with the logic (see fallacies) and problems with the language (see language problems). Are there implications that you have not considered or terms that need clarification?

Persuasion/Argument Structures: Induction, Deduction, Toulmin, Rogerian

What is an induction argument?

Induction offers information and evidence in such a way that your audience is drawn almost “naturally” and logically” to your proposition. Vital to the success of the induction argument is the strength of the logical connections between the points and premises and between the points and premises and the proposition. Normally an induction pattern uses the following organization:

• An introduction that provides enough information about the subject so that the audience understands where the debate is currently at
• A presentation of evidence that begins with the most easily understood and/or least objectionable points and moves toward the more contentious points and premises, conceding and refuting as necessary
• A conclusion that is the inevitable conclusion given your points and premises (Often the argument thesis, or proposition, is stated for the first time in the conclusion.)

What is a deduction argument?

Deduction relies on a logical statement, called a syllogism, to form its organization. A syllogism is a three-part statement that begins with a generalization, qualifies that generalization for a specific purpose, and reaches a conclusion by comparing the information given in the first two parts. Essentially, a syllogism uses valid statements from one scenario and uses them in other cases. An example of a syllogism would be:

• Generalization: Friends should not gossip about each other. 
• Qualifier: You are my friend.
• Conclusion: Therefore, you should not gossip about me.

While the names of the three parts of the syllogism, and the word syllogism itself, may seem foreign to you; the use of syllogism to make decisions and arrive at conclusions is an everyday practice. You might say, I don’t like bananas, and that yogurt has bananas in it; therefore, I won’t like that yogurt. The main weakness of syllogisms can be found in the generalization. Let’s say that you actually tasted the banana yogurt and found that you enjoyed it. The problem with the syllogism, then, would be the problem with your not liking bananas. Because you are enjoying banana yogurt, you do, in fact, like bananas to a certain extent, and you cannot say definitively that you do not like bananas. Now this is a rather banal and mundane syllogism; but it can be made much more political and socially-relevant.

Normally, a deduction argument uses the elements of the syllogism to form an extended thesis statement at the end of the conclusion, and each of the three elements of the syllogism are then used as the paper’s topic sentences . Many writers return to the syllogism in the conclusion to emphasize its logic and relevance for the context and conditions of the writer’s argument.

What is a Toulmin argument?

The philosopher Stephen Toulmin invented an organizational system for using what he called informal or casual logic. Toulmin’s system relies on the normal uses of dialogue to create an effective argument. Toulmin’s argument structure considers what an audience is likely to accept, what emotions and feelings do to effect the argument, what that audience is likely to do if it accepts the premises and propositions of the argument, and what potential and chance and probability, as opposed to firm truth, will do to cause an audience to accept your proposition.

Normally, a Toulmin argument uses the following organization:

• A Claim for a proposition that is discussed as your belief. You will then explain why your belief is important for the particular audience to consider
• Supporting evidence for your claim
• Warrants or reasons why your audience should accept the supporting evidence, which are normally a part of each presentation of supporting evidence (i.e., the warrants are usually written after the supporting evidence is offered in the body paragraphs)
• Polite concessions and/or civil refutations that acknowledge other arguments but insist on the claim for your argument

What is a Rogerian argument?

You may have encountered debates that pit one side against another side, with little to no ground for any other position. For instance, the death penalty and abortion both have debates that are either/or debates. Other debates, such as Affirmative Action, which has many differing and conflicting aspects, values, facets, and definitions is clearly not an either/or debate. In either/or debates, resolution, victory, or progress often seem to be slowed by the fact that both sides are unwilling to yield any ground in the debate. Both sides have much at stake, whether it is social, financial, or moral, in achieving total victory. One of the problems with trying to join into these either/or debates is the lack of civility and, in some cases, humanity, that either sides practices within the debate. Sometimes the rudeness, hatefulness, and incivility problems involve debates that are not either/or debates.

Psychologist Carl Rogers created a system for joining these either/or debates, so that you can emphasize resolution, agreement, and civility. Rogers hoped that all the participants in debates could respect one another, agree on some basic issues, and all work productively toward a peaceful and harmonious resolution. Rogers was no blind optimist, though; he understood that some debates would never be solved or won, and he hoped that the two sides could live peaceably even though they fundamentally disagreed.

A Rogerian argument uses empathetic listening, which has listeners repeat back to the speakers what they just heard. Instead of disagreeing or agreeing with points or premises, the listener gets involved in a process of negotiation that searches for points and premises of agreement and disagreement; but a system of negotiation that causes no hurt feelings and no uncivil tones and attitudes. A Rogerian argument often has no obvious winner or loser in a debate. By searching for the disagreements and agreements, both parties usually gain an understanding of each other that enables them to appreciate the other party and, Rogers hoped, to negotiate a middle ground or moderate position that would be acceptable to both. At the least, Rogers hoped that even if nobody won, lost, or even negotiated a settlement in the debate, the participants would learn to value the people involved in the debate as equal human beings with the same core values of compassion and understanding.

A Rogerian argument is normally organized much like a Toulmin argument, except that when the Toulmin argument would anticipate and then concede and/or refute an opposing perspective, a Rogerian argument would acknowledge and make accommodations for these points and premises. A Rogerian argument normally is organized like this: 

• A Claim , which is often articulated as your belief but is qualified as being a claim that many other people might not agree with. Any shared points and premises are normally articulated so that your readers will accept you as someone who will respect their opinions and propositions within the debate. As you discuss other opinions and propositions within the debate, be as honest, respectful, and objective as possible, using neutral and non-emotional language. (See the Problems with Language above for further guidance in what to avoid.)
• Supporting evidence for your claim that is presented in ways that avoid language problems. If needed, explain the context or background for your claim.
• Civil concessions for the existence and value of other points and premises that do not subordinate these points and premises.
• Concluding remarks that discuss in honest and respectful ways other propositions and conclusions. You must strive to make your audience feel as if their argument has a valid right to exist, even if you disagree with it. These remarks should also validate the presence of other people in the debate, no matter your difference with their opinions and feelings.

How to Create a Powerful Call to Action in Your Speech

• The Speaker Lab
• May 29, 2024

Table of Contents

When giving a speech, it’s common to have an intended goal in mind. For instance, you may be informing your audience about a topic, entertaining them, or persuading them to see an issue from your point of view. At times, speakers give a speech with the intent to call their audience to action. A well-crafted call to action turns passive listeners into passionate doers. But how exactly do you galvanize your audience? In other words, how do you craft an effective call to action in your speech?

The key is to make it clear, specific, and emotionally compelling. You need to tap into what your audience cares about and show them how taking action will benefit them. It’s not about what you want—it’s about what they need. In this post, we’ll explore the art and science behind creating a CTA that resonates, motivates, and inspires. So buckle up, because we’re about to take your speaking game to new heights!

What is a Call to Action in a Speech?

If you’ve ever found yourself fired up after listening to a powerful speech , ready to take on the world, you’ve likely experienced the impact of a well-crafted call to action. A call to action (CTA) is an explicit appeal to your audience to take a specific action following your speech. It’s that critical moment when you convert listeners to doers, bridging the gap between inspiration and action.

Types of Calls to Action in Speeches

Calls to action vary depending on your speech’s purpose and who you’re talking to. For instance, you might ask your audience to sign up for a newsletter, donate to a cause, or spread the word about an upcoming event.

• Signing a petition
• Volunteering time to an organization
• Contacting elected representatives about an issue
• Registering to vote
• Changing a specific behavior

The key is to choose an action that is both relevant to your message and realistic for your audience to accomplish.

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Benefits of Using a Call to Action in Your Speech

So now you understand what a call to action is, but why use one in your speech? The truth is, a well-crafted CTA can make the difference between a speech that falls flat and one that inspires real change. That makes it a crucial element in your speech, especially if you’re giving a persuasive speech . Not only does a call to action highlight your main message, but it also provides a tangible way for your audience to demonstrate that they agree with what you’ve said. Let’s take a look at some additional benefits of a call to action.

Motivating the Audience to Take Action

The most obvious benefit of a call to action is that it motivates your audience to get involved. By giving them specific, concrete steps to take, you capitalize on the energy and emotion generated by your speech and channel it into something tangible. If you have been persuasive and your audience is emotionally invested, the best time for action is now.

Creating a Lasting Impact

A speech with a strong call to action can have an impact that lasts long after the applause dies down. By turning passive listeners into active participants, you ensure that your message endures and leads to real change.

Achieving the Desired Outcome

At the end of the day, your speech’s impact boils down to one thing: does it inspire action? A powerful, persuasive call to action is what gets people to change their minds, donate resources, or rally behind your cause.

Key Elements of an Effective Call to Action

Crafting an effective call to action is both an art and a science. While there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, there are certain key elements that can help ensure your CTA hits the mark.

Clarity and Specificity

Firstly, your call to action should be crystal clear and specific. Use concrete action words and provide step-by-step instructions for your listeners. After all, the more detailed your CTA, the more likely your audience is to follow through.

Urgency and Immediacy

Secondly, create a sense of urgency with your call to action to prompt the audience to act right away. Capitalize on the momentum generated by your speech and strike while the iron is hot.

Emotional Appeal

Finally, your call to action should tap into your audience’s emotions and personal motivations. Connect the action steps to things they care about, and highlight how taking action will benefit them and the causes they believe in. When your message is relevant to your audience, they are much more likely to take action.

How to Create a Compelling Call to Action for Your Speech

Now that we know the key ingredients of an effective call to action, let’s explore some practical tips for creating your own compelling CTA.

Identifying the Desired Action

Start by clearly stating the action you want your audience to take. What is the one most important thing they can do to further your cause? In addition, make sure your CTA is specific, measurable, and realistic . For instance, if you want your audience to donate money, name a certain amount you’re hoping to raise.

Choosing the Right Words

Use clear, compelling action phrases when delivering your call to action. Start with a strong command verb and highlight the benefits of taking action. Keep it concise while creating a sense of urgency.

Delivering the Call to Action with Conviction

How you deliver your call to action is just as important as the words you choose. Convey confidence and conviction when asking your audience to take action. Use nonverbal cues like strong eye contact and a confident tone in order to drive your message home.

Measuring the Success of Your Call to Action

To really nail your speech, come up with a way to gauge the impact of your call to action. That way, if it’s not as effective as you hoped, you can make changes to future talks and achieve better outcomes.

Tracking Audience Response

To truly gauge the impact of your call to action, monitor how your audience reacts. Are they signing up, donating, or taking other measurable steps? These tangible actions are the best indicators of whether your CTA hit the mark and resonated with your target audience.

Evaluating the Impact of Your Call to Action

Go beyond the raw numbers and consider the broader impact of your call to action. How did the actions taken by your audience members advance your cause? What changed as a result of your speech?

Adjusting Your Approach for Future Speeches

To make your future speeches even more impactful, use the data you’ve gathered from tracking and evaluating your call to action. Analyze what aspects of your CTA worked well and pinpoint elements that could be tweaked. Ask yourself: Was my call to action specific enough? Did I effectively appeal to the right emotions and motivations to inspire my audience?

By continually honing your call-to-action skills, you’ll become an increasingly effective and persuasive speaker, able to inspire real change in your audience and the world. So don’t underestimate the power of a well-crafted CTA, because it just might be the most important part of your speech.

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FAQs on Calls to Action in Speeches

What is an example of call to action in a speech.

“Let’s stand together and fight for change now” pushes listeners towards immediate collective action, aiming to inspire unity and determination.

What is a call to action example?

In marketing, “Click here to learn more about our eco-friendly products” guides customers directly towards engaging with sustainable choices.

What is the speaker’s call to action?

The speaker urges the audience towards specific behavior or thinking shift, like “Vote for cleaner parks in our community.”

How do I call an audience to action?

To motivate your audience, clearly state what you want them to do next. Use powerful words that evoke emotion and urgency.

A powerful call to action is the key to turning your speech into real-world impact. By making it clear, urgent, and emotionally resonant, you can inspire your audience to take that crucial next step.

Remember, it’s not about you—it’s about them. Connect your call to action to their needs, hopes, and desires. Paint a vivid picture of the change they can create by taking action.

Developing a strong call to action requires practice, but it’s a talent that will serve you well in every speech you give. As you keep polishing your method, you’ll notice your words starting to make a difference in people’s lives and the world around them. That’s the genuine power of a well-executed call to action.

• Last Updated: May 24, 2024

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5 Keys to End Your Speech with a Great Call-to-Action

Yet many speakers miss a fantastic opportunity with a call-to-action that is wishy-washy, hypothetical, or ill-constructed. Even worse, some speakers omit the call-to-action entirely.

A poor call-to-action undermines the effectiveness of your speech; a great call-to-action stirs your audience to act enthusiastically.

In this article, we reveal the qualities of a strong speech call-to-action which will lead your audience to act.

What is a Speech Call-To-Action?

A speech call-to-action is an explicit appeal to your audience to take a specific action following your speech. A call-to-action is most often made at the conclusion of a persuasive speech.

“ If you have been persuasive and your audience is emotionally invested, the best time for action is now. ”

For example, you might call on your audience to…

• … adopt a new business process
• … sponsor an event
• … attend an event
• … fund a research initiative
• … register to vote
• … join a club
• … train for a marathon
• … read out loud to their children
• … donate money to a charity
• … travel to Saskatchewan
• … buy a fire extinguisher
• … eat more vegetables
• … use public transit

Guidelines for a Strong Speech Call-to-Action

Your call-to-action and your approach to delivering it may vary according to your audience and your speaking style. While there is no rigid formula, there are a number of  guidelines which will improve the effectiveness of your call-to-action.

• Make your call-to-action clear and direct.
• Have your audience act quickly.
• Lower barriers to action.
• Focus on benefits for your audience.
• Customize your call-to-action for each person.

1. Make your call-to-action clear and direct.

Don’t hint. Don’t imply. Don’t suggest.

It’s not a whisper-to-think-about- action; it’s a call-to -action.

Use direct language, and eliminate wishy-washy phrases.

• Instead of “Maybe you could think about joining…”, say “Join…”
• Instead of “It would be good to train for…”, say “Train for… “

Don’t assume that your audience will “figure out” what needs to be done. (I have made this mistake in the past and regretted it.) If members of your audience walk out of the room thinking “Wow, this sounds great, but I’m just not sure what to do…”, your call-to-action was not clear enough.

2. Have your audience act quickly.

If you have been persuasive and your audience is emotionally invested, the best time for action is now. The longer it takes to initiate the action, the more likely that your audience will lose motivation.

So, an ideal call-to-action is one which your audience can act on immediately, perhaps even before they leave the room. If this isn’t feasible, then aim for actions which can reasonably be completed (or at least started) within hours or a day or two.

3. Lower barriers to action.

To help your audience act quickly, eliminate as many (trivial or non-trivial) barriers as you can.

For example, ask the following questions about your audience.

• Do they need to sign up? Bring forms and pens and pass them out.
• Do they need to read additional information? Bring handouts, or copies of books, or website references.
• Do they need approval before they can act? Make the first call-to-action to organize the meeting with stakeholders.
• Do they need to pay? Accept as many forms of payment as possible.

A common psychological barrier is the perception that the suggested action is too big or too risky. This is a legitimate concern, and is often best handled by dividing the call-to-action into several small (less risky) actions.

For example, “train for a marathon” may be too large of a call-to-action for a non-runner. A better call-to-action would be to join a running club or train for a shorter race.

4. Focus on benefits for your audience.

“ A poor call-to-action undermines the effectiveness of your speech; a great call-to-action stirs your audience to act enthusiastically. ”

Always frame your call-to-action in the audience’s best interest.

For example, don’t say this:

• What I’d really like you to do is…
• It would make me so happy if you…
• My foundation has set a target of X that we can reach with your help…

Making you (the speaker) happy is (probably) not highly motivating for your audience.

Instead, say this:

• Build your financial wealth by…
• Make your community a safer place to live for yourself and your children by…
• When you volunteer, you build your skills and gain valuable experience…

Surround the call-to-action with a description of how their lives will be improved when they act. Paint a prosperous vision.

5. Customize your call-to-action for each person.

Audiences don’t act; individuals act. Rather than addressing the group as a whole, focus your call-to-action on each individual in your audience.

Suppose your goal is to have a new business process adopted. Each individual in the room may play a different role in accomplishing this.

• For the person who controls the budget, the call-to-action is to allocate the necessary funds.
• For the personnel manager, the call-to-action is to delegate staff to work on the initiative.
• For others, the call-to-action may be to attend in-depth training about the new process.

Audience analysis is critical . If you know who is in your audience, and understand their motivations and capabilities, you will be able to personalize the call-to-action for them.

Put it into Practice

By working on the planning and execution of the call-to-action in your speeches, you’ll become a more persuasive and effective speaker.

Look back to your last persuasive speech.

• Did you make a clear and direct call-to-action?
• Was your audience able to act quickly on it?
• Did you make an extra effort to lower barriers to action?
• Did you highlight the benefits for your audience?
• Did you address individuals rather than the group with a personal call-to-action?

If the answer to any of the above questions was “no”, then how could your call-to-action have been improved?

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11 comments.

This is a great article. I found in it very useful tactics. thanks a lot.

Brilliant!… can’t wait to put into action. thank you

I really like your tips #3 & 4 about focusing on audience benefits and lowering barriers to action.

Not sure how the tip about personalising the call-to-action should work though. Might you have (say) 3 calls to action if there are 3 decision-makers in the audience?

Very useful to my line of work. Thanks. Keep it up

What would be a good call to action for drug abuse?

Thank you, I found this very helpful in some situations. I definitely recommend this.

My teacher sent me here It really helped. Thank you for taking your precious time to make something to help others even though you didn’t have to. It is very much appreciated

Thank you soooo much it really helped me on my essay for school thank you so much .😊😊😊

I am working on reframing a call to action for a speech THANK YOU for the help ahead of time

How do you write a call-to-action about global warming?

I appreciate your six minute articles Thank you

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“A poor call-to-action undermines the effectiveness of your speech; a great call-to-action stirs your audience to a… https://t.co/VbYz3VcxvH — @ToppComm Jul 3rd, 2018

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5 Keys to End Your Speech with a Great Call-to-Action https://t.co/8E7KimKeRE by @6minutes — Mel Sherwood – Pitch & Presentation Specialist (@MelSherwood_) Sep 7th, 2018

5 Keys to End Your Speech with a Great Call-to-Action https://t.co/vkMpPLLHwK by @6minutes — Marcie Hill (@Marcie_Hill) Sep 17th, 2018

5 Keys to End Your Speech with a Great Call-to-Action https://t.co/W8ctelzMPc — @surajd_ Oct 25th, 2018

As a #publicspeaker, you want to see your listeners taking action because of you. To help your audience take action… https://t.co/d4Vf5nSgtS — @GregoryCNSmith Nov 14th, 2018

What is a Speech Call-To-Action? In this article, we reveal the qualities of a strong speech call-to-action which w… https://t.co/nrUtrhIzPS — Free You Up VA (@freeyouupva) Dec 29th, 2018

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Study guides for every class, that actually explain what's on your next test, call to action, from class:.

A call to action is a statement designed to prompt an immediate response or encourage an audience to take a specific action. This technique is often used in persuasive writing and online content to guide readers toward a desired outcome, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or sharing information. It serves as a crucial element in motivating and engaging audiences in both written and digital communication.

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5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

• A call to action can take various forms, including phrases like 'Buy Now,' 'Sign Up Today,' or 'Learn More,' which clearly tell the audience what to do next.
• Effective calls to action are often time-sensitive or include incentives, such as limited-time offers or discounts, which can increase urgency and encourage quicker responses.
• Placement of a call to action is critical; it should be strategically positioned within the content so that it is easily visible and accessible to the reader.
• Using strong verbs and clear language in a call to action can significantly enhance its effectiveness by creating excitement and clarity.
• A/B testing different calls to action can help identify which phrases or placements resonate best with an audience, ultimately improving engagement and conversion rates.

Review Questions

• A call to action enhances persuasive techniques by providing a clear direction for the audience on what to do next. It acts as the culmination of persuasive arguments and appeals made throughout the content, reinforcing the writer's message. By explicitly telling readers how they can take action, it helps convert interest into tangible outcomes, such as purchases or sign-ups, thereby fulfilling the goal of persuasive writing.
• The design of a website can greatly influence the effectiveness of calls to action by determining visibility and accessibility. Elements like color contrast, font size, and placement on the page can make calls to action stand out or blend in with the rest of the content. Additionally, an intuitive layout that guides users through their journey can lead them naturally toward the call to action, increasing the likelihood that they will respond positively.
• Cultural differences can significantly impact how calls to action are perceived and responded to in global marketing strategies. Different cultures may have unique values, communication styles, and interpretations of urgency that affect their receptiveness. For instance, in some cultures, direct requests may be seen as pushy, while others may respond favorably. Evaluating these cultural nuances allows marketers to tailor their calls to action effectively, ensuring that they resonate with diverse audiences and lead to desired actions across various regions.

Related terms

Persuasion : The act of convincing someone to believe or do something through reasoning or emotional appeal.

The level of interaction and involvement that an audience has with content, often measured by actions like clicks, shares, and comments.

Conversion Rate : The percentage of visitors to a website or readers of content who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.

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