Tips for Writing Speeches
Anyone can write a speech. However, the most effective speeches are those that contain carefully chosen and expressed words that convey the intended message. Because speech writing can be an intricate process, many officials who are required to make speeches hire speechwriters. You can write your own speech, but effective speech writing is the key to persuading your audience.
-
Planning
-
Before writing your speech, make a plan. Although you may be tempted to write your speech without prior thinking, delay the writing process and take the necessary time to think about what you want to say before writing it. In planning your speech you will gain the necessary confidence to deliver your message properly. It's easy to forget to thank important people or fumble for words if you do not record events and people that are crucial to your speech. For example, you forget to thank your wife's aunt for planning your wedding, yet you remembered to thank your mom and dad. Without planning, details easily can get lost.
Speech Writing
-
While writing your speech, you may get nervous about the reaction of your audience or you may not have a clue what to write. The first step is to develop a structure for your writing, a beginning, middle and end. Generally, you have 30 seconds to hook your listener, so make your opening compelling. To achieve this, you can pose a provocative question, recall a joke or make a debatable statement.
The middle of your speech will have the most information. Focus on all the points you want to raise and use bullet points to highlight them in a coherent manner. For example, in a eulogy, when speaking of the deceased's character, do not sporadically go off-subject then spontaneously return to the topic; this disconnects the listener from your speech. Use simple, concise sentences to avoid verbosity.
When closing your speech use it as an opportunity to summarize the focal points of your speech and make it memorable so it resonates with your audience after the speech is over.
Preparation
-
Speaking before an audience can be a nerve-wracking experience. For this reason, it is important that you prepare for making the speech. To avoid sounding rehearsed and mechanical, familiarize yourself with your speech. If you do not believe what you are saying, chances are your audience will not believe you either. Write your speech so it targets your audience. If you are familiar with your audience, refer to a few members by name to build a sense of closeness as you deliver your speech. Follow these tips and your speech will have a powerful impact on your audience.
-
