Speech writing is one of the most rewarding elements in any communications job. It means you’re trusted to create a piece of work that is going to be personally delivered.
Here are my top tips for making this absorbing process yield high dividends.
- Look for unusual and interesting tie-ins. Boring information that has been repeated ad nauseam frustrates audiences. It shows a lack of creativity.
- Structure a story – a collection of facts, figures and objectives isn’t a narrative. You must lay a path that the audience can follow – it’s how songwriters do it and for good reason.
- Remember that it is not the sentences or paragraphs that make the speech. It’s the words. Build carefully.
- A transactional relationship exists between speaker and audience. In return for their time, you must provide them some value.
- Edit, edit, edit. Everything can be said better. So, write and then trim. Follow up by challenging what you’ve written and finally finesse what’s left.
