In this assignment, you will create and deliver a persuasive speech, about a collaborative tool that can improve remote work communication and teamwork. You will use your speech to present the benefits, features, and advantages of the tool, with the goal of convincing the leadership team to invest in it.

Preparation

Before delivering your speech, use the Speech Outline you created in Week 7 to organize your thoughts and structure your presentation.

Your speech must:

Be between 3-4 minutes long. Be sure to keep it under 4 minutes.
Include verbal citations of at least two credible sources that support your claims.

Scenario

Your organization recently shifted to remote work, leading to complaints from co-workers about the lack of collaboration tools and difficulty working together in a virtual environment. Your supervisor has received similar complaints and is now searching for a suitable collaboration tool to implement across the organization. As a Team Leader, you have been asked to present a solution.

Your goal is to deliver a persuasive speech that highlights the benefits, features, and advantages of one collaborative tool, convincing the leadership team to invest in it.

Instructions

Deliver an engaging introduction that captures your audience’s attention, states the purpose of the speech, and previews your main points.
Explain the 3 main points of your speech that illustrate the benefits, features, and advantages of the collaborative tool you’ve selected.
Summarize your speech with a strong closing that reviews your main points, reinforces your speech’s purpose, and includes a memorable closing statement or call to action to persuade leadership to invest in the tool.
Cite at least 2 credible sources verbally during your speech to support your claims.
Organize your speech so it flows logically, is easy to follow from start to finish, and persuasively presents your recommendation to the leadership team.
Structure your speech to fit within a 3–4-minute time limit.
Deliver your presentation with clear, consistent, uninterrupted audio (and clear video quality if you chose to record a video) while maintaining a professional and persuasive tone

Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

Step 1: Choose One Collaborative Tool and Commit to It

Select one tool only (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Asana). Your speech should persuade leadership to invest in that single solution, not compare multiple tools.

Tutor tip: Microsoft Teams works well for this assignment because it clearly demonstrates communication, collaboration, and productivity benefits.

Step 2: Structure Your Speech for a 3–4 Minute Time Limit

Use this timing guide:

Introduction: ~30–40 seconds
Three main points: ~2–2.5 minutes total
Conclusion: ~30 seconds

Practice aloud to ensure you stay under 4 minutes.

Step 3: Write for Speaking, Not Reading

Your speech should sound natural and conversational:

Use short sentences
Avoid overly technical language
Emphasize benefits leadership cares about (efficiency, cost, productivity)

Step 4: Include Verbal Citations Correctly

You must say the source aloud, not just list it on a slide or reference page.

Examples:

“According to Microsoft’s 2023 productivity report…”
“A 2022 study by Gartner found that…”

This satisfies the requirement for verbal citations.

Step 5: Focus Each Main Point on a Different Benefit

Strong persuasive speeches avoid overlap:

Communication & teamwork
Productivity & workflow efficiency
Cost, security, and long-term value

Each point should clearly answer: Why should leadership invest?

Step 6: End With a Clear Call to Action

Your conclusion should:

Restate your recommendation
Emphasize organizational benefits
Clearly ask leadership to take action

Confidence matters—sound certain, not tentative.

Step 7: Practice Delivery

Before recording or presenting:

Read aloud at least twice
Check audio clarity
Maintain a professional, confident tone

Smooth delivery supports persuasion just as much as content.

Credible Resource Links You Can Use

Microsoft Teams Productivity Research:
https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams
Gartner Research on Collaboration Tools:
https://www.gartner.com
Forbes on Remote Work Technology Trends:
https://www.forbes.com/work
Harvard Business Review on Remote Collaboration:
https://hbr.org

Persuasive Speech: Improving Remote Collaboration Through Microsoft Teams