How Speechwriting Will Save your Bacon

Several years ago, when I wanted to get out of the broadcasting industry, a speechwriting unit provided my entree into corporate communications. Since that time, speechwriting has often been my primary role and it has always been a big part of my work.

There have been times when my position was tenuous due to circumstances beyond my control, such as changes in governments or departmental restructuring. There have also been times when I was the one who wanted out of a particular situation. In every instance, speechwriting has saved my bacon.

This is because there are a lot of very good writers who can’t write a speech to save their lives (or their bacon). In other words, good speechwriters are hard to find.

The good news is, speechwriters are made as much as they are born. Many people who don’t think they have a knack for speeches just haven’t figured out how to do them.

There are numerous articles and books about speechwriting, and many training providers will teach you the rudiments. I’m going to try to add a little bit extra from my own experiences.

The first leg on the journey toward really good speechwriting is reading and listening to really good speeches. Don’t concern yourself with whether you agree with the speaker’s thesis or politics. Just think about the elements that make it a good speech. Learn what makes a word or a phrase sound good out loud. Some people have a better feel for this than others, but it comes down to listening, reading out loud and practicing.

Don’t give your speaker long sentences. She needs to breathe between sentences, not in the middle of them. Don’t give your speaker words with which he himself is not familiar. They will sound unnatural and will be prone to mispronunciation.

Don’t shy away from literary devices like alliteration; in fact, you should embrace anything that will make your words come to life and stick in people’s minds. Pay attention to rhythm and pacing too.

Read Shakespeare - this is good advice for any writer in any genre, but speechwriters should read him out loud.

Know what you want the speech to accomplish and state the purpose of your speech clearly at the outset. Otherwise your audience will be distracted by wondering why they are there.

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, and one that comes to mind immediately is Ronald Reagan’s 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate in a divided Berlin. He started out speaking about the history of Berlin and its dual status during the Cold War as a beacon of freedom and a symbol of oppression.

As he went on, Reagan talked about the failures of Communism - no new ground here. Then he came out with the most audacious demand imaginable in its time: “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate; Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! There was no hint during the speech of what Reagan was leading up to. But since the speech up to then was short and to the point, people were still listening when he got there.

This brings me to something else that’s important - be sure to include just a few short, simple, key messages that people will easily remember and take home with them. Generally, if people remember just two or three lines that a speaker delivered during the course of a speech, then the speech has accomplished its purpose. Think of lines like, “I have a dream;” “blood, toil, tears and sweat;” “a day which will live in infamy.”

The moment doesn’t have to be one of great gravity either. Here’s a line that one of my colleagues wrote for an internal event at work for World Oceans Day:
"Oceans that are cleaner, safer, better understood and better protected for generations to come."

You should also know something of the history and stucture of the language in which you write (see my previous blog post on this topic). This will help you to determine word choice, which is an important factor in setting the right tone for your speech.

Don’t fret over what you can’t control. In a perfect world you have regular access to your speaker. When I was working for the Mounties, I had a monthly meeting with the Commissioner to discuss all of his upcoming engagements. This is not the way the real world normally operates. You probably won’t have access to your speaker, so try to listen to recordings of her previous speeches to get a feel for how she likes to talk and phrases she likes to use. Whenever possible, go listen to the speeches in person.

Don’t write jokes into a speech. If your speaker wants to tell a joke, it’s better that she tell one of her own. she’s not a professional comedian and you’re not a gag writer. Both are specialized skills and there’s a reason these people do what they do and not what you do.

Finally, remember that it’s not your speech. Once the podium copy is the hands of the CEO, it’s HIS speech. He has to deliver it and he may alter it any which way to suit his mood or his audience.

These tips have all worked for me. Other writers might have other gems of information that will help you learn this specialized skill. In the end it comes down to knowing yourself and using what you think will work for you.

Good luck.