How to Write a Speech: Sit Down With the Speaker, Firm Up the Content and Keep Testing the Waters
Speech content - that's what this article is about.
You know who the audience is, you know the occasion.
But what do you know about the actual content that goes into the speech? Time to sit down with the speaker and with it a very important rule: Make every effort to discuss the content of the speech with the person giving it.
Now you may say, well isn't that obvious? Certainly it is, provided you have access to the speaker, or they're not away somewhere.
Even if they are away you should be able to have a phone conversation or keep in touch by e-mail.
Too often, someone else, an assistant, or a department spokesperson with a vested interest in what the speech contains, briefs you instead.
My insistence on meeting with the actual speaker is four-fold.
The first reason is content.
What message does the speaker wish to get across? What are the key points of that message? Does the speaker have any concerns regarding the audience and the content? For example, where is this audience at right now? Is it happy? Is it content with the way things are and the way they're going? What if they're upset about something? The second reason is to find out if the speech is part of an overall presentation, such as a sales meeting, where there are several other presenters.
Does the speech you're writing have to work in tandem with a uniform theme or activity, or can it stand on its own? The third reason is to get a sense of how the speaker expresses himself or herself.
Does she speak quickly or slowly? Does he like to ramble or digress? Does she get excited and want to share that excitement with the audience? Can he tell a joke? Does she want to include humor? The fourth reason is tone.
What is the tone of the speech? Is it serious? Is it light? Does it show concern? Is there anger? Is there skepticism? The tone telegraphs to the audience whether the speaker is delighted or irritated, amused even confused.
How the audience reacts to the way the message is being delivered tells the speaker whether the message is getting across.
I want to go back to content.
Interviewing the speaker about the speech and its rationale is the foundation for what gets written.
During the interview, I'm willing to challenge the speaker on what they want to say, and I keep testing the waters to determine if there's anything else that needs to be uncovered or discussed.
In my experience, it always makes for a better product.
At the start of the interview I always ask speakers what they want to achieve with their speech.
I emphasize that an audience will only remember two or three points after the event so don't give them too much to remember.
Now here's what's really important.
I ask the same question at the end of the interview.
In my experience, the points the speaker wants the audience to remember often change as a result of the interview.
Some realization takes place, possibly about the accuracy of the content, or more likely, recognition of what the real message is.
This can not only change the message, but also how it gets set up, the tone and the way the message is delivered.
As I said at the beginning, this article is about content.
The key is to take the time to carefully interview the speaker, be prepared with questions, listen to the answers and be willing to challenge what you hear - not in a negative way, but in order to get the true essence of the speaker's thoughts and ideas down on paper.
You know who the audience is, you know the occasion.
But what do you know about the actual content that goes into the speech? Time to sit down with the speaker and with it a very important rule: Make every effort to discuss the content of the speech with the person giving it.
Now you may say, well isn't that obvious? Certainly it is, provided you have access to the speaker, or they're not away somewhere.
Even if they are away you should be able to have a phone conversation or keep in touch by e-mail.
Too often, someone else, an assistant, or a department spokesperson with a vested interest in what the speech contains, briefs you instead.
My insistence on meeting with the actual speaker is four-fold.
The first reason is content.
What message does the speaker wish to get across? What are the key points of that message? Does the speaker have any concerns regarding the audience and the content? For example, where is this audience at right now? Is it happy? Is it content with the way things are and the way they're going? What if they're upset about something? The second reason is to find out if the speech is part of an overall presentation, such as a sales meeting, where there are several other presenters.
Does the speech you're writing have to work in tandem with a uniform theme or activity, or can it stand on its own? The third reason is to get a sense of how the speaker expresses himself or herself.
Does she speak quickly or slowly? Does he like to ramble or digress? Does she get excited and want to share that excitement with the audience? Can he tell a joke? Does she want to include humor? The fourth reason is tone.
What is the tone of the speech? Is it serious? Is it light? Does it show concern? Is there anger? Is there skepticism? The tone telegraphs to the audience whether the speaker is delighted or irritated, amused even confused.
How the audience reacts to the way the message is being delivered tells the speaker whether the message is getting across.
I want to go back to content.
Interviewing the speaker about the speech and its rationale is the foundation for what gets written.
During the interview, I'm willing to challenge the speaker on what they want to say, and I keep testing the waters to determine if there's anything else that needs to be uncovered or discussed.
In my experience, it always makes for a better product.
At the start of the interview I always ask speakers what they want to achieve with their speech.
I emphasize that an audience will only remember two or three points after the event so don't give them too much to remember.
Now here's what's really important.
I ask the same question at the end of the interview.
In my experience, the points the speaker wants the audience to remember often change as a result of the interview.
Some realization takes place, possibly about the accuracy of the content, or more likely, recognition of what the real message is.
This can not only change the message, but also how it gets set up, the tone and the way the message is delivered.
As I said at the beginning, this article is about content.
The key is to take the time to carefully interview the speaker, be prepared with questions, listen to the answers and be willing to challenge what you hear - not in a negative way, but in order to get the true essence of the speaker's thoughts and ideas down on paper.