Rhetoric - Mastering the Art of Persuasion E-Book

Horst Hanisch

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Serie: Rhetorik, Präsentation, Persönlichkeit /englisch)
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 189

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

In the beginning was the word: From the First Steps to a Perfect Presentation. Here Is all you need to know about modern rhetoric and how to hone both your verbal and non-verbal skills to ensure the success of your next talks, presentations and seminars. Featuring chapters on: - From rhetoric to presentation - From greeting to closing remarks - Structure of the presentation - Communicating with all your senses - From word to coherent sentence - Interaction with the audience - Stage fright and dealing with stress - Selected quotes

Leseprobe

Fore-words …

in lieu of a fore-word

“Man is distinguished by his relatively high intelligence, his specialized craft skills and his differentiated language.”

Dtv-Atlas Philosophie,

9th edition, 2001, page 191

In the beginning was the word

Or perhaps not? Weren’t our ancestors more likely word-less? Didn’t the first humans communicate on an unspoken level? After all, a school of fish is able to coordinate its movements without speaking a word. And don’t ants communicate non-verbally as well, through body contact? As a matter of fact, language as we know it has only been around for the last 30,000 to 100,000 years.

And even today, we still cannot express everything with words. Or are you able to explain to your neighbour how a banana tastes? Using the word ‘banana-like’ doesn’t count, because if our neighbour had never eaten a banana, this word would still not help him to imagine what one tastes like.

Some statements still demonstrate the bodily feelings language betrays. For example: “I can’t stand the smell of him”, or “I can’t put my finger on it”. Sometimes words get stuck in our throats, so to speak.

And, to make things worse, people even tell us now and again that we shouldn’t take everything so literally (but how should we take it then?)! Incidentally – some people can’t even understand their own words: “I can’t understand a thing I’m saying …”

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to us that, as Albert Mehrabian discovered, only 7% of the information conveyed through interpersonal communication comes from spoken words, while 93% comes from the way in which the words are said as well as the body language of the speaker! Following my standard work on the theme of body language, I will now turn my attention in this book primarily to the topic of the spoken word, exploring verbal communication before an audience. See also my book “Discussion - Mastering the skills of moderation”.

Out of the gigantic mass of themes that could be subsumed under the concept of ‘rhetoric’, I have decided in this book to focus on topical aspects and practical applications. Therefore, the field of ‘antique’ rhetoric is only touched on briefly as an introduction to the field. I have rounded out the theme by providing excerpts from actual speeches.

The book is divided into several large sections corresponding with the fundamentals of rhetoric, from ancient times to modern usage.

I would like to ask the reader to forgive me if I go into greater detail on some points and sometimes intersperse my comments with humour. In my opinion, it can do no harm when trying to deal with the wealth of material that accompanies us, or perhaps even relentlessly pursues us, day after day, to take out some time to have a laugh.

For example, when I hear sentences like this one: “His wife didn’t have time to go to the store, so he decided to run over himself.” Wonder if he survived the accident?

Since language obviously does not always follow the rules of logic, situations often arise that summon a smile: Has anyone ever said they wanted to have a word with you (and was it really just one word)? Or did someone once give you their word (did she have only one? - And now she doesn’t have any left? - So she is left wordless?).

Well okay, then she might as well tell you “You have my word.” (And just where do you have it?). Just recently, someone took me at my word, and I especially like people who hang on my every word, although of course not those who put words in my mouth.

Once in a while, someone offers to put in a good word for me (don’t you ever wonder how they decided which word to choose? - Is that why it’s sometimes necessary to weigh one’s words?).

Some of our peers promise to keep their word (where do they keep it? - clutched tightly in their hand?), while others ask to exchange words with us (“What will you give me for the word “carrot”?).

Others can’t get a word in edgewise (why not try it head on?), while the next guy seems to think that mum’s the word (Aha – we finally know which one it is!). It seems that a word can be either good or bad: “As good as one’s word.” (What’s so good about it?).

Did you ever hear someone wish they could eat their words? While others were busy mincing their words? Or do you wonder why some folks nod approvingly when words get out of hand, remarking that “those are fighting words”?

Sometimes we are simply at a loss for words. Which makes it seem only logical to me when one spouse says to the other: “The final word has not yet been spoken.” Even today, though, I still haven’t found out which is actually the final word.

But, wait a minute, I just remembered another neighbour telling me that his wife always has the last word (still don’t know which one it is though). “That’s my final word!” Aha.

Supposedly, the 50 most-used words in a language account for some 45 percent of any written text. So are we instead impoverished when it comes to words?

In the face of this illogical nature of language, my own views will necessarily dictate the emphasis placed here on certain issues. And it’s easy to understand why others may not necessarily always share my priorities.

In addition, some chapters could certainly bear to be fleshed out a bit more. This is why I am always open to constructive criticism and productive suggestions.

Since actions speak louder than words (even good ones?) I don’t want to miss the opportunity here to thank all the people who offered me mental and physical support in realizing this project.

I hope you, dear readers, will not only be able to supplement your knowledge of rhetoric, but will also enjoy reading this book and playing with words.

Here’s to harnessing the power of language to make the most of your personal and professional future!

Horst Hanisch

Table of Contents

FORE-WORDS …

IN LIEU OF A FORE-WORD

In the beginning was the word

CHAPTER 1 – FROM RHETORIC TO PRESENTATION

RHETORIC FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT

Protagoras and the Sophists

The Rhetor

IS RHETORIC AN ART?

The School of Athens

The Elenctic Examination (Socratic Method)

The significance of the Sophists and the Platonic Dialog

Aristotle and logic

Tropes and linguistic ornaments – figures of speech

Stylization (elocutio)

Scholasticism

Thomas Aquinas – Friedrich Hegel and dialectics

MODERN RHETORIC

WHAT DOES MODERN RHETORIC

MEAN?

The art of speaking

Rhetorical presentation methods

CHAPTER 2 – STAGE FRIGHT AND DEALING WITH STRESS

STAGE FRIGHT

Nervous before you go on?

Dealing with Stress – My knees are shaking …

What causes stress?

How does the body react to stress?

Anti-stress test

CHAPTER 3 – FROM GREETING TO CLOSING REMARKS

BEGINNING THE PRESENTATION

Options for beginning a

presentation correctly – the introduction

Bringing in emotions

Name title and topic? … Or let the listeners guess?

The goal of the presentation

Should you put your presentation in a frame?

The Main Body – The Security of Structure

The structure of the main body

Length of time

Active Phases and Learning Units

The End of the Presentation – The summary

VISIONS

Looking toward the future?

Visionaries – From Leonardo da Vinci to Martin Luther King

Feedback

Discussion

Saying Good-Bye / Closing

CHAPTER 4 – SPEECH TRAINING AND PRESENTATION EXERCISES

SPEECH TRAINING

Practicing speaking......... Speech and presentation exercises

Speech training before a test audience

Explaining precisely

CHAPTER 5 – INTERACTION WITH THE AUDIENCE

HOW TO HANDLE LISTENERS

How to handle passive listeners

How to handle active listeners

Role Play and Other Active Components – but very respectable ones

The listener emphatically (aggressively) supports a different view..........

To reply to an objection

What is the purpose of the discussion?

CHAPTER 6 – SPEAKING WITH YOUR BODY – BODY LANGUAGE

THE BASIC VOCABULARY OF BODY LANGUAGE

Language and body language: the 7/93 rule

The ABC’s of body language with regard to …

Gestures – When speaking

Involuntary and voluntary gestures

EYE CONTACT

Look me in the eye

The Duchenne Smile – The ‘true’ smile

The biometric surveillance system

Does body language lie?

CHAPTER 7 – FROM WORD TO COHERENT SENTENCE

WORDS, WORDS, WORDS

Word style

The affective resonance of a word

‘Actually’ means ‘actually not’

The Power of Words – Two countries divided by a common language

From letters to scriptures – Forms of handwriting

Words become sentences

Clarification of verbal expressions

Generalizations – “At one time or another, everyone has …”

Tautology – doubled words

What the language describes – psyche and body

THE EFFECT OF OUR VOICE ON

LISTENERS

Influence through the voice – suprasegmental traits

Intonation as tool

–

semantic prosody

Caesura

The act of speaking –

function of language

CHAPTER 8 – COMMUNICATING WITH ALL YOUR SENSES – AND THROUGH BODY LANGUAGE

THE LISTENERS ARRIVE

The first impression

The self-fulfilling prophecy

Welcoming the participants

HOW DOES COMMUNICATION WORK?

Physical sensation.........

The effect of colours – a brief psychology of colour

The Five Senses

Subjective truth – Is there only one truth?

Requirements of interpersonal communication

The speech and body language at the podium

CHAPTER 9 – SELECTED QUOTES

QUOTES AND SAYINGS

It’s good for uneducated people to read collections of quotes

INDEX