Rhetoric is the art of persuasion through speaking or writing. Rhetoric is divided into five canons: Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory and Delivery. Studying and practicing each element will allow you to communicate persuasively with greater clarity, eloquence and self-confidence and can also enable you to decode other people's attempts to persuade you.
Invention. Define the topic that you want to discuss, use reliable sources to research about it and identify the best arguments and approaches to persuade your audience.
Questions:
Questions of fact. What is the subject matter? What facts support or undermine your opinion?
Questions of definition. Define the topic, and analyze its various elements. Ask yourself if any terms are ambiguous or open to misinterpretation. Avoid unnecessary jargon.
Questions of quality. Consider the ethics or quality of your views. What values influence your argument? Are they aligned with your personal values, and those of your organization? And how reliable are your conclusions?
Questions of jurisdiction. This refers to the channel of communication. Have you chosen the best one for your message, for example, email, speech or social media?
Questions of audience. What is its level of understanding of your topic? What questions does it want you to answer? What is its cultural makeup?
Tips:
Don't be tempted to embellish facts or massage statistics in order to advance your agenda. These are surefire ways to destroy your credibility.
If you are communicating with a diverse audience, use segmentation to understand the needs of each group. You need to know both your subject and your audience for your message to be convincing.
Arrangement. Organize your information into the most persuasive and logical order. You can do this in a variety of ways. A common format is as follows:
- Introduction.
- Statement of facts (background information).
- Division (a summary of your arguments).
- Proof (your logical argument/the main body of your speech or writing).
- Refutation (highlighting the objections to your argument and then dealing with them).
- Conclusion.
Tips:
Use the 7 Cs of Communication to ensure that it's clear, concise and complete.
The Five Canons of Rhetoric is a useful framework for organizing and preparing your communications. You can also use the Rhetorical Triangle to formulate your thoughts and present your position clearly.
Take care to avoid fallacies. In other words, statements that seem to be true, but that are based on false reasoning. They are sometimes used to present flawed arguments as fact. So, if you use one by mistake, it may make you seem dishonest.
Style. This is how well you express your ideas. Use simple, powerful sentences and project genuine believe in what you say. Style will depend on your platform and your audience, and it can include your use of metaphors, storytelling and visual aids.
Tips:
Use short, clear and compelling sentences. Make your speech or writing as elegant as possible, and use positive and inspiring words. Avoid anything that appeals to negative emotions such as fear, anger or shame.
Memory. Rehearse your speech thoroughly, or get familiar enough with your topic so that you feel confident communicating it to others. Use mnemonics, review strategies and checklists to commit your ideas to memory. Your message should also be memorable for your audience.
Questions:
How can you ensure that your audience members won't forget your message as soon as they finish reading or listening? And how can you make a deep impact, and reach them on an emotional level?
Delivery. Pay attention to your body language, tone of voice and diction. You want your audience to trust you. It needs to believe that you're authentic, credible and knowledgeable about your topic – and the best way to achieve this is to be authentic, credible and knowledgeable!
Tip:
You can explore strategies for improving your delivery in our articles on making a great first impression, thinking on your feet, assertiveness, and building self-confidence.
