Speaking to actuate is a higher level of persuasive speaking. Here, the speaker goes a step beyond persuasion and convincing. The aim is to motivate people enough to take a specific step—to act. This is a powerful level of speaking. Very few people have achieved this level of mastery of the art of persuasion where they could so deeply convince people that they move into action.
This type of speech is common in conflict (war) situations. It is also seen in action whenever a speaker not only tries to garner support for some cause or reason but wants the people he’s speaking to join him in actualising it through concrete action. It is characterised by a show of charisma, very strong words, and great emotional involvement.
A speech of this type typically does not rely on facts and figures, though they may be offered. The speaker’s aim is to get his listeners so emotionally enthralled that they wholesomely adopt his idea, his principles, his reasoning, as theirs and literally take up the cross and share his burden. Sometimes, listeners may be so deeply moved that they take up the cause more seriously than even the person who’s invited them into it! This sometimes happens among militia groups where members of a mob overthrow their leader accusing him of not being “aggressive enough” in the fight for their common cause. They go on to introduce tougher measures to the dismay of their deposed leader. This is the pinnacle of persuasive speaking and, indeed, of public speaking.