Communications
Textbooks
Boundless Communications
Persuasive Speaking
Introduction to Persuasive Speaking
Communications Textbooks Boundless Communications Persuasive Speaking Introduction to Persuasive Speaking
Communications Textbooks Boundless Communications Persuasive Speaking
Communications Textbooks Boundless Communications
Communications Textbooks
Communications
Concept Version 6
Created by Boundless

Persuasive vs. Informative Speaking

Informative and persuasive speeches differ in what they want the audience to walk away with: facts or an opinion.

Learning Objective

  • Differentiate between informative and persuasive speeches


Key Points

    • Informative speeches (or informational speeches) seek to provide facts, statistics, or general evidence. They are primarily concerned with the transmission of knowledge to the audience.
    • Persuasive speeches are designed to convince the audience that a certain viewpoint is correct. In doing so, the speaker may utilize information.
    • Informative and persuasive speeches are exemplified by academic lectures and sales pitches, respectively.

Term

  • informative

    Providing knowledge, especially useful or interesting information.


Full Text

Informative (or informational) and persuasive speaking are related, but distinct, types of speeches. The difference between the two lies in the speaker's end goal and what the speaker wants the audience to leave with.

Informative speeches are probably the most prevalent variety of speech. The goal is always to supply information and facts to the audience. This information can come in the form of statistics, facts, or other forms of evidence. Informational speeches do not tell people what to do with the information; their goal is for the audience to have and understand the information. Academic lectures are often informational speeches, because the professor is attempting to present facts so the students can understand them.

Walter Cronkite

Journalists, like Walter Cronkite, generally use informational speeches to inform their viewers of news events.

Informational speeches may have a tendency to become overdrawn and boring. Their goal is not to excite the audience members, but rather to provide them with knowledge they did not have before the speech.

Like informational speeches, persuasive speeches use information. However, persuasive speeches are designed for the audience to not only hear and understand the information, but to use it to be convinced of a viewpoint. The end goal of a persuasive speech is not for the audience to have information, but rather for them to have a certain view. Persuasive speeches may use some of the same techniques as informational speeches, but can also use emotions to convince the audience. A sales pitch is one example of a persuasive speech.

A common cry against certain persuasive speeches is that they rely too much on emotion and not enough on facts. A persuasive speech that succeeds in convincing the audience to accept a view but is based on faulty or misleading information is unethical.

[ edit ]
Edit this content
Prev Concept
The Goals of a Persuasive Speech: Convincing, Actuation, and Stimulation
The Psychology of Persuasion
Next Concept
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.