I’ve made some quick from reading and thinking about speech writing this afternoon. These notes are good for reading through before you get started and assessing first drafts against. This is a first rough.
You Should:
- Reflect your personality, passion & perspective
- Establish a purpose – what would you like the audience to take away from this?
- Keep it fairly simple – try not to confuse the audience ( clear sentences & clear arguments)
Audience analysis
- Who are they? What does each member have in common?
- Why would they want to listen?
- What do they have to benefit?
- What level of detail is useful to them?
Opening:
- Thought provoking
- Ask a question, show a stat, tell an anecdote
- Establish context / motive – why is it important
- Tell your audience your what you are proposing & how it will be supported
- Tell the audience what you will cover
Middle:
- Make few points and do it well than bombard with many
- Reiterate throughout – remind audience of the main point & refer to how the information supports your argument
End:
- Recap
- Summary
- Leave food for thought… pose a question, tell an anecdote
- Call to action / where to from here / recommendation
Theme:
Choosing a theme throughout helps audience remember main points and retain the central message
Evidence:
What backs up your thoughts?
Illustrations:
Stories to convey a message in a more interesting way
Terminology / language:
Don’t use new terminology or add variety in that way, this dilutes the message. Ie, say “review” throughout rather than – “reflection”, etc.
Tone:
Be careful of content that may offend
Ensure you don’t condescend your audience or talk over their heads
Know who your talking to (see audience above)
