Complete Guide For Writing A Speech
Do you want to start your journey of public speaking, but don’t know how to start writing your masterpiece ?
Or maybe you have responsibilities and you need to give an introduction speech for work, school or any upcoming events ?
If you don’t know how to start and you’re here then let me tell you.
You’re in right goddamn place !
My name is Szymon and welcome to guide of how to write a speech for any event or special occasion.
1. Choosing the Right Topic
First step, some people say the most crucial and it’s choosing the right topic for your speech.
How do you find the topic ideal for you and your audience ?
Ask yourself this if you struggle with that.
- What do you want to share with your audience ?
- What topic is important to you ?
- What topic brings you excitment and enthusiasm ?
- What action you want your audience to take after hearing your speech ?
Of course for every exceptional speech this question will change overtime.
Select different questions for different speeches.
For example for political speech I have to pick a topic which answers I can find in questions on dot 2 and 4.
But for school speech I have to pick a topic which answers I can find in question on dot 1 and 3.
You have to get experimental and sometimes a little bit risky to find the outcome you’re expecting from your audience.
2. Understanding the Audience
Before starting to write your speech, it’s important who’s gonna be there during your lecture.
To understand correctly your audience aks yourself and answer this questions.
- What are their expectations ?
- What are they here ?
- What is the demographic profice of the audience ( age,gender, etc.)
- Are there any cultural or social factors that might influence their perspective ? (Cultural background, beliefs, values, etc.)
Learning about your audience is definitelly important, thanks to that you can convey your message more effectively with clear view.
3. Crafting a Strong Opening
First impressions matter, so creating a strong opening that captures the audience’s attention from the very beginning.
You can start with following examples:
- Anecdote [What is it ? — → CLICK ME ]
- Interesting Fact [ For example some intrusive statistic ]
- Rhetorical question [question asked for effect without expecting a response]
The biggest mistake that I saw is not connecting your opening with future plans for your speech.
The main point is to capture the attention of the crowd ,but still you have to remember your opening and get back to it sometimes even in further speech.
4. Structuring the Speech
Effective speeches have a well-defined structures which are not easy to break.
We call these structures introduction, body and conclusion.
Every single one consist of different aspects which are crucial in terms of psychology and mostly human behaviours.
The introduction
This part consist of around 10%–15% of the whole text.
The introduction should intrigue.
The body
This part consist of around 70%-80% of the whole text.
The body should consist of main points and arguments.
The conclusion
This part consist of around 10%-15% of the whole text.
The conclusion should summarize the key ideas and encourage action.
The best skill that I saw in speakers is the transitions between these parts. They are so smooth that is nearly undetectable, which amazes me till these days.
One of the simplest solutions that I found is using a powerful quote at the end and repeating it again but this time in other structure.
5. Using Specific Examples and Stories
To make your speeches more persuasive and engaging, use specific examples, stories, or cases that illustrate your points.
Here we are going back to the anecdotes it self, but not only to it.
Storytelling for me is one of the strongest weapon to persuade in speeches and not only, but why ?
Because your only limit here is your imagination that’s why it is so powerful.
To be honest with you while writing this article, I’m actually reading book written by Kindra Hall “Stories That Stick”.
If you want to elaborate this point more, I highly encourage you to read it.
Overall, storytelling is powerful, and not using it is a big mistake.
It can help to better understand and see the practical application of your statements.
Remember to narrate stories in an engaging and emotional manner to capture the crowd’s attention.
6. Mastering Body Language and Voice
Your body language and delivery style are crucal during a public speech.
If you’re a newbie it might be difficult to master all of the body language or oratory aspects, but don’t worry here’s a few easy to follow.
Body Language:
- Maintain eye contact with the audience
- Gesture naturally
- Avoid excessive frowning or long pauses
Tone Voice:
- Adjust the tone to the content of your speech
- Learn to control your diction
Remember reading this will not make you better, but practice will.
In order to practice, go in front of a mirror and just speak, look for mistakes and correct them each time.
If you are not feeling comfortable watching yourself in the mirror, while giving a speech, you can record yourself with your phone.
Watch it, look for mistake and correct them each time.
7. Practice and Rehearsal
Here is the hard part and hard truth of the art of public speaking.
You can’t learn public speaking by theory.
Here, theory I’d say is around 5 to 10% maximum.
Practice and rehearlas makes perfect.
Regardless of how well-prepared your speech is on paper, it’s essential to rehearse and practice it before delivering it to a live audience.
How so ?
Try imagine yourself delivering the speech to a real audience and practice in conditions close to the actual situation.
Practice, find mistakes, correct them and repeat until you definition of perfection.
By the way, repeating the speech will master the content, pace and self-confidence.
Conclusion
Public speeches are challenging, I know from experience.
However, with proper preparation and practice everyone (even you) can become an excellent public speaker.
Try to stay with the points above, and you’ll do great I promise you that.
Thanks for the reading,
I hope you’ve enjoyed and learned something new.
Have a great day ❤
