The Persuasive Toolbox

Easy techniques to influence people

Created byScott Kramer

Last updated 1/2020

English

What you'll learn

Select from the complete range of persuasive tools people use to change minds
Decide which persuasive techniques are best for your audience and purpose.
Make your writing and presentations more powerful and meaningful.

Course content

9 sections • 34 lectures • 43m total length

What is the Persuasive Toolbox?0:55
A quick overview of the course objectives.
Welcome to the course0:32
Discover easy to understand persuasive tools you can apply to influence others in business and personal settings, including conversation writing and presentations.

Language Lesson Intro0:14
Amazingly, there are just two types of language that we can use to convince and persuade.
Denotative Language Explained0:45
Explain the meaning of denotative language and know how to use it to strengthen your point.
Denotative Sample0:28
Take a look at these examples of Denotative Language and think about how you might use direct, clear, straightforward language to best persuade a specific audience.
Connotative Explained0:59
Describe the meaning of Connotative Language and know how to employ it to evoke emotion.
Connotative Sample0:44
Take a look at these examples of Connotative Language and think about how you might use emotional, subtle, or symbolic language to persuade your audience.

Tone Lesson Intro0:19
Formal Explained0:35
Formally written text creates distance from the audience, using third person, elevated language, and business terminology to build credibility and persuade through a serious tone.
Informal Explained1:00
Explain how informal, personal language can enhance persuasion by connecting with the audience, using first person and relatable stories, while maintaining respect and credibility.
Ironic Tone Explained0:41
Irony conveys meaning by saying one thing and meaning another, often across an entire piece and through exaggerated opposing points that educate the audience to infer the opposite stance.
Tone and Emotion Explained0:28
Explore how tone conveys emotion and guides what the listener feels through language, sentence structure, word choice, and imagery, like the melody of your argument.
Tone Samples1:18

Audience and Purpose Lesson Intro0:16
Decide who is your audience and what is the purpose of your presentation.
Audience Explained0:26
Identify the audience, assess their knowledge and stance, then tailor language, tone, and evidence to fit their perspective.
Purpose Explained0:46
Learn how to tailor language, tone, evidence, and point of view to audience needs, from sympathetic and informal to oppositional and formal, guiding persuasive, informative, or entertaining aims.

Point of View Lesson0:16
Choose your stance by deciding whether to present your argument subjectively or objectively, and determine how much of your opinion will show up in your language.
Subjective0:18
Decide when it is best to use Subjective point of view in your persuasive approach.
Objective0:39
Differentiate when it is best to use Objective point of view to be most persuasive.
Point of View Samples0:34

Types of Evidence Lesson Intro0:30
Explore two major types of evidence—logical and emotional—and learn how personal experience, facts, and credible research strengthen an argument while addressing skepticism.
Logical Evidence Explained1:50
Emotional Evidence Explained1:46
Learn how emotional evidence persuades by arousing emotions, using credible personal observations, vivid concrete descriptions, anecdotes, and personal testimonies to move listeners.
Type of Evidence Conclusion0:20
Practice identifying different types of evidence and tailor your argument to audience sympathy or opposition. Use emotional evidence for sympathetic audiences and logical evidence for oppositional audiences.

Appeals Lesson Intro0:33
Evaluate how what you're saying and the evidence you are using impacts your audience.
Emotional0:16
Think about how you will use all the other persuasive tools to connect to your audience emotionally.
Logical0:09
Think about how you will use all the other persuasive tools to connect to your audience's common sense.
Ethical0:14
Think about how you will use all the other persuasive tools to connect to your audience's sense of right and wrong.
Social0:15
Think about how you will use all the other persuasive tools to connect to different social groups and cultural norms to relate to your audience.

Combining Tools Lesson Intro0:21
Now that we understand all the tools in the toolbox, we can start to take a look at how to combine them to build an argument.
Combined Tools Emotional2:41
Explore how combined persuasive tools use emotional and ethical appeals in climate change editorial writing for a sympathetic audience. Analyze personal experiences, descriptions, informal tone to persuade and address counterarguments.
Combined Tools Logical4:09
Combine logical and ethical appeals with scientific data to persuade audiences about climate change. NASA and NOAA figures on CO2, warming, and sea level rise illustrate the case.

Martin Luther King's essay, "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?"6:17
Read this short essay and notice all the examples of how Martin Luther King uses persuasive tools. Try to identify at least five quotes that are examples of at least five different techniques that we just discussed.
Martin Luther King's essay, "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?"12:14
Here is an optional video of Martin Luther King's essay, "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?" if you prefer. Pay attention to all the persuasive tools that King uses in the essay.
Martin Luther King's essay, "Where Do We Go From Here Community or Chaos"

Requirements

Familiarity with the basics of the writing process
Have a basic sense of the structure of sentences, and paragraphs.
Understand what it means to persuade or convince in contrast to inform or entertain.

Description

This course provides a straightforward and effective way to master the art of influence and persuasion. Whether you are looking to enhance your communication skills in a professional setting or seeking to be more persuasive in your personal interactions, this course offers essential tools to help you achieve your goals.

Throughout the course, you will explore key elements that contribute to effective persuasion, including language choices, tone, audience analysis, purpose, various types of evidence, points of view, and different forms of appeals. By understanding these components, you will be able to strategically select and apply the most appropriate techniques based on your audience and specific communication goals.

Designed to be both time-efficient and impactful, this course delivers valuable insights in a manner that is easy to grasp while offering powerful, real-world applications. The skills learned here will prove beneficial in a variety of contexts, from professional negotiations and presentations to personal conversations and everyday interactions.

No matter your background or experience level, this course equips you with the knowledge and strategies needed to become a more compelling communicator. If you want to develop the ability to influence others effectively and with confidence, this course is the perfect place to start.

Who this course is for:

All people who want to learn the basics of persuasion
Business professionals who need to influence stakeholders through presenting or writing
Students who are writing persuasive essays or presenting

The Persuasive Toolbox

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction2 lectures • 1min

Language and Diction5 lectures • 3min

Tone6 lectures • 4min

The Writing Situation3 lectures • 1min

Point of View4 lectures • 2min

Types of Evidence4 lectures • 4min

Appeals5 lectures • 1min

Combining the Tools to Make an Argument3 lectures • 7min

Persuasive Essay Analysis2 lectures • 19min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: