At some point in your professional career, you may find yourself with the daunting task of writing a speech. However, armed with the right information on how to write an engaging, attention-grabbing speech, you can rest assured that you’ll deliver a truly memorable one. Check out our guide below on how to write a professional speech that will successfully communicate your message and leave your audience feeling like they’ve truly learned something.
1.Understand your audience
Knowing your target audience can help guide you along the writing process. Learn as much as possible about them and the event you’re planning to speak at. Keep these key points in mind when you’re writing your speech.
● Who are they?
● Why are they here?
● What do they hope to learn?
● How much do they already know about my topic?
● What am I hoping to teach them?
● What interests them about my topic?
2. Research your topic
Perform in-depth research and analysis of your topic.
● Consider all angles and aspects.
● Think about the various ways you can discuss and debate the subject.
● Keep in mind why you’re passionate about the topic and what you’re hoping to achieve by discussing it.
● Determine how you can use the information gathered to connect the dots for your audience.
● Look for examples or statistics that will resonate with your audience.
● Sift through the research to pick out the most important points for your audience.
3. Create an opening hook
The first few minutes of your speech are paramount to its success. This is the moment when your audience truly pays attention and listens attentively.
● Start with a bold, persuasive opening statement that captures your audience’s attention.
● Ask a question to get them involved.
● Offer a shocking statistic or a powerful, well-known quote.
● Make a statement or rhetoric question and then pause for a moment, allowing them to grasp the gravity of what you’ve just said.
● Use a personal anecdote or life experience related to your topic to engage them.
4. Use an easy-to-grasp format
When you have the information you need, outline your speech in a way that your audience can easily follow.
● Start with what you plan to discuss in the speech.
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● Go deeper into the details of the subject matter.
● Repeat what you’ve already mentioned in a few brief points.
● End with a strong statement that sums up what you were trying to achieve.
A typical structure should include:
● Introduction: Outline the main talking points of your speech.
● Body: Discuss these points in more detail, offer statistics, case studies, presentation aids, and other evidence to prove your theories.
● Conclusion: Wrap up your discussion with a bold message that leaves your audience feeling empowered, hopeful, and more knowledgeable about the topic.
5. Add some personality and humor
Remember to let your personality shine through. This speech is more than just words on a page. Allow the audience to feel your passion and vigor. Force them to think about the message you’re conveying.
● Share personal stories, fears, memories, or failures to help the audience relate to you as a person.
● Include some humor, jokes, puns, or limericks to give them a brief respite from the complex discussion.
● Offer well-known, popular, resounding quotes to help them acknowledge the significance of the topic.
5. Use anaphora for emphasis
Repetition is key in speeches. Realistically, you may lose your audience’s attention at times. By repeating key messages, they’ll be able to remember these vital takeaways despite drifting off somewhere in between. Anaphora allows you to repeat certain words or phrases in a clever, unique way that emphasizes your core message.
6. Keep it short and sweet
● Say what you need to in the shortest amount of time possible.
● You can’t realistically expect your audience to actively listen if you drone on and on.
● Provide clear, concise explanations and supporting examples or evidence.
7. Adopt presentation aids
People will quickly understand your message if you show them charts, tables, graphs, photos, or even regular household items.
8. Read it aloud
● This ensures you achieve a compelling tone of voice.
● It can also help you determine if the length is appropriate.
● Reading it aloud can also help you decide if you need to add more jokes, personal anecdotes, or even dramatic pauses and rhetoric questions.
9. End on a powerful note
End with a message that makes your reader feel inspired, motivated, and informed.
10. Proofread your speech
Finally, a well-researched speech riddled with errors, inconsistencies, and an ineffective tone of voice won’t help you achieve your ultimate goal – namely, to enlighten and educate your audience and have them walk away with the topic still playing on their mind. Have a friend or colleague read through your speech to highlight areas that require correction before you’re ready to present.
If you want to learn more about how we can help you write a powerful, resounding, and well-written speech, send us a free sample today.