The origins of rhetoric can be traced back to ancient Greece. Famous Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato and Isocrates devoted themselves extensively to the study of oratory and published the first writings on this discipline. Rhetoric was thus understood as a technique or theory on the basis of which expressive monologues were formulated and delivered. Other great thinkers and politicians as well as educated citizens also made use of rhetoric to argue convincingly in popular assemblies, to win over the majority and thus to achieve their social or political goals. In ancient Rome, the art of oratory was also a central educational component of the citizens of the upper classes. Speakers such as Quintilian or Cicero devoted themselves to the study of rhetoric in depth, developed the concept further and ultimately influenced the way of public speaking enormously. In so-called rhetoric schools, they taught the art of speaking and enabled their students to apply oratory skills to monologue speeches in court hearings, in the Senate or before the people. In this way, rhetoric was consciously learned theoretically and applied in practice.

In the Middle Ages, the importance of rhetoric changed considerably. The theory continued to be taught in schools, but it was practically applied almost exclusively in a religious context. Priests made use of the discipline to persuade the faithful in sermons and to argue their own point of view in theological discussions, and rhetoric was now also used in writing.

Until modern times, theoretical rhetoric became less and less important. Even though today we still make use of the systematics of rhetoric - partly subconsciously - both in presentations and now also in dialogues - and learn early on how best to present, learning the theory of "rhetoric" is limited to the use of stylistic devices.

While in the past rhetoric was mainly used consciously by speakers, today it is used in almost every area of life. It is already an integral part of speech education at school. How do I present the contents of the speech as appealingly and competently as possible? How do I best capture the attention of the addressees? All this is taught in secondary school at the latest. Especially for professional life, mastering the ability to speak is indispensable. Communication is of great importance in our highly networked world and is required by employers in most professions as an essential soft skill. This includes not only being able to sell yourself well in a job interview, but also to manage conversations with customers and business partners in a professional manner. For specialists and managers, rhetoric is therefore a crucial skill for professional prospects. But rhetoric also plays a role in private life outside of professional life. Namely, when we are on the move in social media, where we create and publish posts and videos and thus express ourselves to others.

There are many theories and models in the field of rhetoric. Over the centuries, scholars and scientists have dealt with concepts of the art of oratory and have constantly developed them further. Even if today one only encounters the methods of Aristotle and other ancient Greek academics in the context of special courses of study and further training, they still show the way in practice. For example, the 5-pillar model, which focuses on the voice, the body, the triggering of emotions, the speaking style and one's own effect on the audience, is also used in practice. From all studies, the following criteria have proven to be particularly important:

Message & conversational content as the basis of oratory.

The basis for convincing the listener in conversations is still what is said. If one's arguments are illogical or boring, it is very unlikely that the addressee will respond to the topic, let alone agree with the point of view. Convincing arguments are therefore of great importance. For the development of these, the "rhetorical triangle" consisting of the points ethos, pathos and logos is still used today. According to this, arguments must have the following characteristics:

• Ethos (credibility): Arguments must be authentic.
• Pathos (emotionality): Arguments must trigger emotions.
• Logos (logic): Arguments must be coherently justified.

Pitch, volume & speed of speech

The tone makes the music. This also applies when you are not speaking to people but in front of them. In a professional context, for example, you want to appear serious and confident in order to be taken seriously and considered competent. A strong, confident voice emphasises what is being said, while a soft, trembling voice tends to convey insecurity. Also, someone who sounds either too bored or over-motivated will be less successful than someone who speaks in a friendly but firm manner. With the right pitch, an appropriate speaking volume and a pleasant speaking tempo, you will not only be understood, but you will also radiate self-confidence. The audience will be able to follow your speech and ideally will literally hang on your every word.

Rhetorical stylistic devices: convince with metaphors, comparisons and hyperboles

Expressing your arguments is an essential part of rhetoric. Choosing the right words plays a major role in presenting arguments convincingly to the audience. The use of stylistic devices is particularly helpful. Rhetorical devices such as metaphors, hyperbole and antithesis can be used to effectively embellish statements.

Use pauses to make statements effective

Speech is silver, silence is gold. In rhetoric, a healthy mixture of both applies. In order to be convincing, it is important that the person opposite can follow what is being said. To avoid losing the thread during the oral presentation because too much information is delivered at once, speakers should include meaningful pauses for discussion in their presentations. In addition to a logical division of the speech into introduction, main part and conclusion, care should be taken during preparation to ensure that space for pauses is considered.

Gestures, facial expressions and posture: body language

While rhetoric mainly refers to linguistic factors, it also includes body language. As a speaker, you are not only convincing with your content and voice, but also with your posture, gestures and facial expressions. Give your statements more emphasis and yourself a more confident and professional appearance by adopting an open posture and standing upright and calm. Also pay attention to your facial features and maintain eye contact. In this way you will find closeness to your listeners and underline your sovereignty.

If you have mastered rhetoric, you will be able to appear more confident in both private and professional conversations and better represent your concerns or point of view:

• Avoid misunderstandings: Those who can express their ideas and thoughts clearly and unambiguously avoid the listeners taking the content the wrong way.
• Convince: With a logical and emotional presentation of one's own arguments and points of view, other people can be influenced and convinced.
• Boosting self-confidence: People often perceive eloquence as a characteristic of self-confidence. Those who present themselves convincingly are directly perceived as more professional by their counterparts, which in turn can increase their own self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Improve career opportunities: Especially in sales, persuasiveness is of great importance. If you have the ability to speak and are able to inspire other people, it opens doors for exciting professional challenges.
• Personal development: If you work intensively on your own eloquence, you not only train your communication skills, but also practise critical thinking and the ability to reflect. In this way, possible weaknesses can be transformed into strengths.

The concept of rhetoric is firmly rooted in history and has endured for centuries. Based on the insights of Aristotle, Quintilian and other well-known figures of Greek and Roman antiquity, as well as scholars of later eras, we still make use of oratory skills today. People who have enjoyed good speech training and have mastered the art of oratory can present themselves confidently and with aplomb convince the addressees of their speeches of their intentions in a well thought-out manner. Thus, the ability to speak can be of advantage to you in both private and professional contexts and allow you to achieve your goals efficiently. In addition to the content and linguistic form of your own statements, aspects such as tone of voice, body language and the inclusion of pauses in conversation also play an important role. In the theoretical art of oratory, the 5 stages of a speech are still used today to guide users on the way to a successful speech. In our rhetoric seminar, we support you in developing your oratory skills and prepare you for professional challenges.