Tag Archive for: speech writing

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This week's read – Writing great speeches

Writing Great Speeches: Professional Techniques You Can Use (Part of the Essence of Public Speaking Series) 

by Alan M. Perlman

With endorsements from two of the largest and most influential public speaking groups -- the National Speakers Association and Toastmasters International -- this book is written by an expert speechwriter whose eloquent voice leads readers through the difficult process of writing a great speech. In these pages a seasoned speechwriter reveals his trade secrets - from analyzing the needs of an audience to leaving them with a satisfying sense of closure - as he guides readers through the process of planning, writing, and honing an outstanding speech.

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Written speech to spoken presentation

The distinction between a written speech and one that is presented effectively - is that spoken language is very different from the written.

Writing tends to use far longer, more convoluted sentences, which often use voices that we would not use in speech.

Try reading out the sentence you just read and see how awkward it sounds when it is spoken.

So if you need to write your presentation first, take the time to read it out loud, and then say those same ideas as if you were telling someone face to face. If you absolutely have to have a written draft, then re-write using what you said aloud. Make sure, though, that you can make eye contact.

Organizing a Speech – The Five Steps Required

So you have to give a speech! It could be for a friend's wedding, for an eulogy, or a presentation at work. No matter what the reason if you are not used to public speaking your first thought might be "how can I get out of it." But don't panic as I can help you overcome your fears with organizing a speech.
A good speech that you are complemented on is great for your self-esteem. Good preparation and practice at least twenty times is the key to success and helps deal with nervousness.
I have been public speaking since 2006 and can help you get organized. Here is what I do when organizing a speech. => http://bit.ly/aZbSc2

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Using visualisation to prepare for your speech

Visualisation is a very useful tool in preparing for a presentation.

Visualise the feelings you have as you present. They will help you prepare for passion. They will also let you know if you are being authentic.

Visualise the audience – who they are, what they are thinking, how they are responding. Everything about your speech has to be geared to those things.

Visualise the audience members as they stand to leave. What are they thinking now? What will they do in response to you presentation? And you will know, very simply, the core message of your speech.

The answers to all of these will guide you as you work through preparing your speech.

Writing a speech? Make numbers work for you.

Speakers can use numbers to support key points. But too often, speakers use their data in place of key points, piling on number after number and, in the end, driving their audience to despair. Here are a few tips on how to use numbers to good effect.

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Blast Off to Big Results: Openings Set the Tone

When you stand up to speak, you have no guarantees that your audience will listen intently to your every word. We all know that behind those "I'm-all-ears" looks, your listeners' minds can wander. Think about how much your mind has wandered during other people's presentations!

You can't gain support, sell ideas, or push a new initiative if people aren't listening. So, it's your job to shatter that fixed facade, grab your listeners' attention, and hold on tight. You have to earn their attention right from the beginning of your talk. Here's how:

Writing a speech? Use visualisation

While writing a speech, you would think, would involve a pen and paper, or maybe a word processor. But one very vital aspect of writing a speech his visualisation. Visualisation is an incredibly useful tool. You can visualise the feelings you have as you present. Visualise your surroundings and how they work for you. Visualise the audience – who they are, what they are thinking, how they are responding. Visualise them as they stand to leave. What are they thinking now? What will they do in response to you presentation?

All of those things will provide the criteria you need when you are choosing the words to say, the structure of your speech, the language you use and the stories you tell.

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Public Speaking – One Easy Way to Present Better – Get Organized!

One of the easiest ways to be a better presenter is by organizing your content clearly and logically. It sounds so simple, yet many presenters don't organize their material; instead, they just throw everything at the audience, all jumbled together with no clear indication of how things relate to each other or to the overall message. Then the audience is stuck with the messy task of figuring it out.

As a presenter, your goal should be to make it easy for the audience to understand your content. Here are four ways for you to create a presentation that is clear and organized:

HAVE AN OVERALL MESSAGE
The message is the one thing that you want the audience to remember from your presentation. It's the point or the takeaway. Every statistic, story and slide that you use should relate to and support your message. If it doesn't, cut it out. Sure, you can have extra material in your notes or in handouts, but don't clutter your presentation with it; extraneous material distracts from your message. And if you're not clear what your message is, you're not ready to present

USE AN INTRODUCTION, BODY AND CONCLUSION
You may remember this outline form from writing essays in English class. It's an easy and effective way to ensure that your presentation has a beginning, middle and end. This outline is also known as "tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and tell them what you told them." In the introduction, capture the audience's attention, introduce your overall message and remind them how long you're going to speak. In the body or main part of your presentation, include your supporting points - examples, data, etc. In the conclusion, summarize your points, give one final reminder of your message and explain any expected follow-up actions from you or the audience.

HAVE AN OVERALL ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE
The overall organizing principle is the link which ties all your points together. For example, you might present a specific number of points: three goals the team has achieved, four major project risks or three reasons you outperform your competitors. Or, you could present a timeline of events, debunk myths about your topic or present a series of dos and don'ts. It helps you focus and sets the audience's expectations for what comes next. And sometimes, you can even include the organizing principle in the title of your presentation. For example, the title of my upcoming presentation at the National Speakers Association annual convention is "Improv Comedy Rules! Applying the Five Rules of Improv Comedy to Make Your Presentations More Powerful and Engaging."

BE THE GPS AND ROADSIGNS
When you're driving someplace unfamiliar, how do you know how far you've come or if you're going in the right direction? The road signs and your GPS (Global Positioning System) tell you how far you've traveled and how many more miles or kilometers you have to go before you reach the end of your journey.
When you're presenting, you have to be the GPS and the road signs for your audience, especially at the intersections and transitions between points where they can get lost. One sentence is all it takes to get the audience safely from one point or section of your presentation to the next. For example, you might say, "The fourth and final major project risk is..." or "Now that I've summarized the history of the company from our founding to the initial public offering in 2003, let's look at what has happened since 2003."

Following these four tips will help you create a presentation that is clear and organized. Your audience will be grateful for the clarity - and a grateful audience is more likely to understand and remember your message. If you do nothing differently other than organize your presentation, you will still be a better presenter!

To get more tips you can use immediately to improve your presentation skills, sign up for Gilda Bonanno's free twice-monthly e-newsletter by visitinghttp://gildabonanno.com/newsletter.aspx and entering your email address.
You'll also receive a FREE Special Report, "Six Mistakes to Avoid in Public Speaking, So Your Presentation Sparkles."
Gilda Bonanno is a speaker, trainer and coach who helps people from all walks of life improve their communication and presentation skills. Copyright (c) 2010
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Friday freebie – How to write a great speech

A presentation can succeed or fail depending on whether your audinece stays with you or not.

Get this free set of tips on "Writing your presentation to keep audience attention", and improve YOUR chances of success!

As always just let me know if you want to receive the tips

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Public Speaking – How to Close a speech

One of the worst mistakes you can make as a public speaker is talking too long. Not only will you send some folks to never, never land, you will make some of them downright mad. It doesn't matter if your entire speech was brilliant and the audience came away with information that will change their lives. If you talk too long, they will leave saying, "That speaker just wouldn't quit." Don't let this happen to you! Say what you have to say and sit down. Before you do, give them a well thought out closing.

... How to do it? Read on ...