HOW WRITE A POWERFUL SPEECH (PART 1)
Word Power, which I covered in my last article, must be applied in both spoken and written forms of communication. We may be eloquent speakers, but the script, the written part, must excel in its structure and content for the delivery to be effective.
The key to a powerful speech is to:
Here are some useful tips in the Planning Stage.
1. Decide on your theme or core message.
2. Audience profile, needs, expectations.
What is it you are going to offer your audience? What is your “take-away?” are you going to make an urgent call to action?
Remember it is not about you. It is about the audience. Always have their interests foremost. They are there because they want something from you. Your task is to deliver!
This will give you an idea of how much time you will need for preparation. As a general rule it should be two hours of preparation for every minute of speaking.
3. Time given.
Use stories, interesting facts, analogies, quotations.
4. How to make it interesting?
5. Will audio visuals help?
Generally, 60% of an audience responds to audio visual stimulus. The rest of them are contented with just listening.
6. How do I start and finish with impact?
This is all important. Think of something to “Wow” them, something to capture their attention from the very beginning. End with a very clear message, a ‘take-away’ or a call to action.
A closing thought:
“Speech is the representation of the mind, and writing is the representation of speech.” Aristotle.