SPEECHWRITING
Speech Structure - How to organize your speech
Most good writing, we are told, must have structure. A good speech is no exception. By providing your
speech with a beginning, a middle, and an end, you will lay the foundations for a successful speech that
fulfills all of your aspirations.
Opening
The first thirty seconds of your speech are probably the most important. In that period of time you must
grab the attention of the audience, and engage their interest in what you have to say in your speech.
This can be achieved in several ways. For example you could raise a thought-provoking question, make
an interesting or controversial statement, recite a relevant quotation or even recount a joke. Once you
have won the attention of the audience, your speech should move seamlessly to the middle of your
speech.
Body
The body of your speech will always be the largest part of your speech. At this point your audience will
have been introduced to you and the subject of your speech (as set out in your opening) and will
hopefully be ready to hear your arguments, your thoughts or even your ramblings on the subject of your
speech.
The best way to set out the body of your speech is by formulating a series of points that you would like
to raise. The points should be organized so that related points follow one another so that each point
builds upon the previous one. This will also give your speech a more logical progression, and make the
job of the listener a far easier one.
Don't try to overwhelm your audience with countless points. It is better to make a small number of
points well than to have too many points, none of which are made satisfactorily.
Closing
Like your Opening, the Closing of your speech must contain some of your strongest material. You
should view the closing of your speech as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to:
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– Summarize the main points of your speech
– Provide some further food for thought for your listeners
– Leave your audience with positive memories of your speech
– End with a final thought/emotion
Create a speech outline
Outlining is a popular pre-draft technique when writing and it is one I commonly recommend to
aspiring speechwriters.
An outline is a hierarchical representation of the content of your speech. Think of it as the skeleton
upon which you will add the flesh of your speech.
That was easy. It gets a little trickier though. The next step is try to flesh out some additional points,
using the notes you have about the occasion, the theme, the subject and other information you have
gathered.
For the first time, a speech is taking shape! Your speech will take further shape as you take each
element of your outline and, where appropriate, you add more additional outlines.
Continue to iterate through your outline until you feel you have captured the essence of your speech.
Be sure not to mistake the outline for the speech itself. That's the next step. For now, be happy to
achieve a great framework that will guide you as you write your speech.
Draft your speech
It is now time to add flesh to your outline and create a first draft of the speech. Before we start, note
that a draft is just that, a first-cut at your speech. Your first draft of a speech should never, ever be the
final draft.
The outline we created in the last step will serve as the basis for our first draft. We take each element of
the outline and apply our creative writing juices to turn that outline into a portion of a speech.
There is no right or wrong way to move from outline to draft. Be yourself, use your own voice and
remember, you can change anything and everything you write later. For now it's just important to
Once you have finished your first draft of the speech, it's time to take a rest. Put the speech down and
forget about it for a day or two. First, you need a rest. But second, your critical eyes will function much
better in the cold light of day. You will be amazed at how much your speech will improve when you go
from first to second to third draft - but only if you leave time between each draft.
There is no scientific way to know when you have reached your speech's final draft, but here is a good
indication: If you find yourself broadly happy with the speech and find yourself making minor changes
from draft to draft, it's time to stop.
Getting feedback on your speech
At this stage you have got the speech to a point where you are quite happy, possibly even very happy.
That's great. The day for your public speaking debut is fast approaching.
It's now time to do something that many people are loath to do. It's time to get some feedback on your
speech.
This is an invaluable step that will only enrich your speech and potentially save you from much
controversial. It's much better to learn of any problems with your speech now, than when you are
delivering your speech on the podium at your public speaking event.
Ideally you should seek feedback from 2-3 people, at least one of whom is not directly related to or
attending the event - an impartial critic, if you like.
Examples of feedback you should seek include:
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Inappropriate content
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Error(s) of omission
Grammatical problems
Appropriate use of humor
On the topic of grammatical problems, I'm a strong advocate of natural language when it comes to
writing non-formal (e.g. business, award ceremonies). In other words, if you're writing a best man
speech, it's much preferable that the voice is yours, rather than perfect English. This familiarity will
help your audience engage with you and put you at ease when delivering your speech.
Final version of your speech
Congratulations!
You started this process with a blank piece of paper. You now have a final version of your speech.
That's great!
Even though we label this version of your speech the final version, there is still room to change. In
particular, as you progress through the How to deliver a speech section of this course, you may find
that a part of your speech that works on paper, doesn't do so when spoken aloud. That's absolutely fine.
Without further ado, let's move on.
SPEECH DELIVERY
Don't Underestimate the Delivery
A great speech on paper is not a great speech unless it is delivered effectively. The number one thing
that you can do to improve your delivery is to practice. Know your content. Know your transitions.
Know your timing. Stand up and deliver your speech in the bathroom before you deliver it in the
boardroom. Here are a few things to keep in mind for an effective delivery:
Eye Contact
Use it. The audience connects with you through your eyes. Avoiding eye contact can also be a red flag
to the audience that you are not confident in what you are saying or that you are hiding something.
Don’t focus your attention on one person, but instead spread your eye contact around to members of the
audience. One technique you can try is: One Person, One Thought. The means that for each though in
your speech make eye contact with one person. On the next thought, go to the next person.
Hand Gestures
Hand Gestures Can Be Effective
Using them can definitely be good, especially to emphasize a point,
but you also don’t want to overdo it and distract the audience. If you
are like most people and not sure what to do with your hands, the best
rule of thumb is to limit your hand movement and don’t put them in
your pockets.
Posture/Movement
Movement can represent confidence to the audience. Too much movement, however, is a sign of
nervousness. Try to avoid pacing or rocking back and forth. If you are speaking behind a podium, one
tip you might try is, at an appropriate time in your speech move to the side of the podium. This shows
the audience you are not “hiding” behind the podium. Finally, remember not to slouch. Standing
straight projects confidence.
Facial Expressions
Don’t be afraid to use facial expressions. If you know you are saying something funny, then smile. If
you are talking about something serious, show a look of empathy. A stony face will make you seem
aloof, while an expressive face can help you connect with the audience.
Vary Your Voice
How you say something can be just as important as what you are saying. Pay attention to your tone
and your speed. Don't talk to fast. No Yelling. And avoid the soft voice that can't be heard. Use your
pace and tone to emphasize important ideas. And always remember to vary both. Monotone and
monospeed are two common pitfalls you want to avoid.
Dress the Part
Certain speaking situations will call for more professional dress than others. Dressing well will often
make you feel and look more confident, and may even add some credibility. The just-rolled-out-of-bed
look is unlikely to impress your audience.
Get Plenty of Rest and Arrive on Time
Arrive on time and ready to go. Being tired can weaken your memory and lower your energy level. Try
to get a good night's sleep before your speech. It will help you keep the energy level high when you are
talking.
Take Your Time
Take your time and allow everyone to absorb what you are saying. A speech is not a race. Start slow
and if you see that your audience wants you to speak a little faster, then, and only then, start to pick up
the pace.
Pause for Important Ideas
Pauses are good. They let your audience think about your words. Try to pause after the most important
points in your speech.
Find a Friendly Face
When you deliver your speech, look for a friendly face. This will give you encouragement throughout
your speech. Don't stare at the person, but periodically look over for a little boost in confidence.
SPEECH MARKING SCHEDULE
DELIVERY
CONTENT
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Hesitant delivery.
Reads entire speech with minimal 10
expression.
20
May be difficult to hear
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Speech is read with limited expression.
Poor use of body language and gesture. 30
Voice is not well controlled in terms of
40
volume, pace and pitch.
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Speech is delivered with some 50
confidence and use of eye contact.
Uses some appropriate body language 60
and gesture.
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Relaxed and confident delivery with
sustained eye contact.
Uses a clear, expressive voice that is 70
well paced.
Uses appropriate body language and
80
gesture effectively.
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Delivery projects confidence and
enjoyment.
90
Maintains excellent eye contact.
Uses a range of effective delivery
techniques, including voice and body
language, with flair.
Captures audience interest throughout 100
and responds to them.
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Weak structure – may lack a clear
introduction and/or conclusion.
Short with no development of ideas.
Topic not suited or inappropriately
handled.
Shows some organization of ideas into
a
basic
structureintroduction/conclusion may be weak.
Ideas are straightforward and are not
well developed.
Speech is structured appropriately with
a relevant introduction and conclusion.
Ideas are developed in some detail.
Topic/content of interest to audience
Speech is well structured with an
effective introduction and conclusion.
Some effective use of appropriate
language techniques.
Ideas are thoughtful and very well
developed.
Shows some imagination/ originality in
approach to topic.
Speech is very well structured with an
effective introduction and conclusion.
Ideas are thoughtful and fully
developed.
Uses appropriate language techniques
with discrimination and flair.
Shows originality/imagination in
approach to topic.