Passion is a key element of persuasive communication. The presenter exhibits a contagious amount of enthusiasm and an intense level of excitement while conveying her case. This enthusiastic approach creates an air of believability in the validity of the presenter's case. Nonchalance or passivity rarely convert doubters, but intensity in the communicator's degree of commitment to her cause presents a compelling case for accepting this point of view.
Knowledge is an important part of persuasive communication. No amount of passion can compensate for ignorance; the extent of the presenter's influence is directly related to his level of information regarding the subject matter. The ability to present a credible and convincing case hinges on comprehending the facts, understanding the pros and cons of each scenario and being able to authoritatively field questions from skeptics.
How the presenter communicates is just as important as what she communicates. Her passion and knowledge should be demonstrated in a confident and professional presentation. This includes clearly formulating thoughts before speaking, maintaining eye contact and respectfully listening to opposing views. Even though persuasive communicators are passionate, they do not engage in shouting matches or try to out-talk their opponents. Likewise, they don't refer to the opinions of others as "stupid," or with other negative terminology, as it is difficult to persuade people once they have been offended.
According to Patricia Hamm at Brown University, "Persuasive speech requires a clear understanding of the audience." Intense passion, extensive knowledge and superb communication skills are useless if the speaker can't connect with the people he is trying to sway. A persuasive communicator assesses the audience members to determine what is important to them and crafts the presentation accordingly. He also performs on-the-spot evaluations to gauge whether his methodology is successful or needs modifications to be more persuasive.