One of the highlights of my career has been speechwriting. Executives, politicians and brand ambassadors often have access to the most fascinating information and this, together with their expert insights, can result in a rich public address.
However, if you mismanage the speech writing process, what can be a powerful opportunity becomes a tiresome chore.
These are the guidelines I give clients requesting speech writing services.
- You can include marketing campaign slogans but do remember that campaign slogans are brand identities. Speakers must have their own identities to be authentic.
- Speeches should tick 3 boxes – is it informative, why is it relevant and what will make it memorable? So, a good practice is to answer those questions in the brief.
- Yes, it is a good idea to include thank you messages if relevant. However, these must be concise and detail specific. Broad thank you messages sound obligatory and disingenuous.
- Create guidelines for who can input into the speech and why. Fact-checking and aligning to legal and policy requirements is vital. But too many cooks and it will be half-baked.
- Heart will win you what logic won’t. People want to feel and speakers who make them feel (optimistic, calm, thoughtful) are the ones who often succeed. Don’t be scared of emotion.
