Speechwriting:
Easier Done Than Said

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Home > Speechwriting

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Speechwriting is easier done than said...

What is it I mean by that?

Well, throughout my years of training participants in the art of public speaking, I have literally seen the progression of thousands of speeches evolve from their first draft to the actual speech given. And, let me tell you, 98% of the time there is very little resemblance between the two.

Here's why:

During our grade school and high school educational years we are learning to write based on the same format of what we are reading. For the most part, what we are reading as we are being schooled is written in a textbook, encyclopedic type of way. In turn, we begin writing to the same pattern unconsciously.

Here's the problem:

Most of us don't naturally speak that way.

So, what ends up happening is, initially, I hear these amazingly written textbook speeches. Written for a book they'd be brilliant. However, given as a speech, they're a huge failure. Pedantical and lecturelike in nature. Boring. Dry. Even with all the right, lively words, the presentation maintains a robotic taste and rhythm.

A speech written in this way doesn't have your "voice".

Here's what I mean by that:

A good speech has a conversational quality surrounding it. The only way for this attribute to be apparent is to actually give your speech in the same manner you would naturally speak to your friends, family and co-workers. Speaking to an audience in a manner that is not authentically you can be recognized in a heartbeat, even if they don't know you. As soon as that happens, you've lost your audience.

Though my courses and workshops I have proven techniques for speechwriting which gets your message across gracefully and effectively, as well as allowing you to maintain your own "voice".