A speaker concludes a fundraising speech with: 'I urge everyone here to think about how you can support this cause and perhaps take some steps toward making a difference.' What is the most accurate critique of this ending?
AThe appeal is too emotional — a more rational argument would be more persuasive
BThe CTA is missing — 'think about' and 'perhaps take some steps' are too vague to produce specific behavior
CThe CTA is too demanding — asking for support from a general audience is overreaching
DThe speech ended too abruptly — a longer summary should precede the CTA
'Think about it' is explicitly identified as not a call to action. An effective CTA specifies exactly what to do, when, and how — 'Text GIVE to 55555 before you leave tonight' is a CTA; 'consider making a difference' is a sentiment. The misconception in option C is that any specific ask is 'too demanding' — in reality, the problem here is the opposite: the ask is not specific enough, not that it asks too much.
Question 2 Multiple Choice
According to Monroe's Motivated Sequence, where should the call to action be placed in a persuasive speech?
AIn the introduction, to prime the audience before building the argument
BImmediately following the problem statement, while the need is most salient
CAt the peak of the visualization step, when emotional engagement is highest
DAfter the conclusion summary, as a final afterthought to close the speech
The CTA belongs at the moment of peak emotional engagement — during or immediately after the visualization step, when the audience can most vividly imagine the positive outcome of acting. If the CTA comes after a long summary or trailing wind-down, the emotional energy has dissipated and you are asking at exactly the wrong moment. Option D describes one of the most common structural mistakes: burying the CTA in an afterthought rather than making it the climactic final moment.
Question 3 True / False
The last words of an effective persuasive speech should be the action request itself — not a thank-you, a summary, or a general wish for the audience.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
The CTA should be the final note of the speech. Ending with a trailing summary, 'thank you for listening,' or vague well-wishes dissipates the emotional energy you have built and softens the ask at the worst possible moment. Delivered with confident directness at the speech's close, the CTA sends the audience out with a specific next step in mind rather than a warm but unactionable feeling.
Question 4 True / False
Asking for the highest-commitment action available (donating money, attending an event, writing a letter) is typically more effective than asking for a small action, because it signals conviction and gets maximum results from receptive audience members.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Misjudging the audience's capacity is one of the most common CTA failures. Asking for a high-commitment action from a skeptical or unprepared audience triggers psychological resistance — people reject the request entirely rather than complying partially. The foot-in-the-door principle shows that small initial commitments prime audiences for larger asks later. An achievable CTA builds micro-commitment; an overreaching one closes the door.
Question 5 Short Answer
What is the difference between a conclusion and a call to action, and why does the distinction matter for persuasive speeches?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: A conclusion closes the speech — it summarizes, reinforces the thesis, and signals that the argument is complete. A call to action opens a behavioral door — it translates the completed argument into a specific next step for the audience. A conclusion looks backward at what was said; a CTA looks forward at what should be done. The distinction matters because a speech that only concludes leaves the audience with understanding but no direction; a speech with a real CTA converts that understanding into a specific, measurable behavior change.
A speech can have both: a brief conclusion that wraps the argument, followed immediately by the CTA as the final words. What speakers must avoid is mistaking the conclusion for the CTA or letting the conclusion dilute the CTA. The conclusion serves the argument; the CTA serves the goal of behavioral change — which is the purpose of persuasive speaking.