By R. Larry Overstreet
(1) It is not by self-reliance on oratorical skills.
(2) It should be clear and cogent.
— Words must be appropriate to the occasion.
(3) It should be in dependence on the Holy Spirit.
(4) It should emphasize the message, and not the preacher.
— A godly inner character combined with appropriate communication gains acceptance.
2. The outcomes of persuasion:
a. The means to the goals.
— "Persuasive speaking urges us to choose from among options" (Osborn and Osborn, 1994, p. 359).
(1) Be determined to accomplish the goal.
(2) Be persistent until the goal is reached.
b. The identification of the goals.
— "Persuasive speaking asks the audience for more commitment than does informative speaking" Osborn and Osborn, 1994, p. 359).
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(1) Exercising belief or trust in the Lord.
(2) Yielding to, or being obedient to, God's will and Word.
In the process of structuring persuasive messages, some specific items need to be included. To begin, a definition of persuasion is required. Most, if not all, preachers have some ideas as to what persuasion is. However, providing a precise definition of the concept is somewhat elusive.
Some definitions of persuasion are brief and general: "Persuasion is responsible communication leading to mutually desirable change or resistance to change" (Jabusch and Littlejohn, 1995, p. 107); or, persuasion is "the process of changing or reinforcing attitudes, beliefs, values, or behavior" (Beebe and Beebe, 1994, p. 340). In even greater contrast, O'Keefe seeks to de-emphasize the whole concept of definition in order to recognize the "fuzzy edges" involved in persuasion. He writes that persuasion is "a successful intentional effort at influencing another's mental state through communication in a circumstance in which the persuadee has some measure of freedom. But it should be apparent that constructing such a definition would not eliminate the fuzzy edges of the concept of persuasion. Such a definition leaves open to dispute just how much success is required, just how intentional the effort must be, and so on" (O'Keefe, 2002, p.5).
In contrast, other definitions of persuasion seek to be inclusive. For example, Woodward and Denton define "persuasion as a process composed of five dimensions. Persuasion is 1. the process of preparing and presenting 2. verbal and nonverbal messages 3. to autonomous individuals 4. in order to alter or strengthen 5. their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors" (emphasis theirs, Woodward and Denton, 2000, p. 5). Others assert that "Persuasion involves one or more persons who are engaged in the activity of creating, reinforcing, modifying, or extinguishing beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, and/or behaviors within the constraints of a given communication context" (Gass and Seiter, 2003, p. 34). Yet again, others assert that "Persuasive speaking is the process of producing oral messages that (1) increase personal commitment, (2) modify beliefs, attitudes, or values, or (3) induce action" (Gronbeck, et al, 1994, 409).