Speech Writing Tips

 

Step 1: Preparing Your Speech

The contents of your speech, and how you deliver it, are based on three important factors:

1. The Occasion: The occasion will dictate not only the content of your speech, but also the duration, the tone, and the expectations of your audience.
2. The Audience: your speech must always be targeted at your audience. Is the audience familiar or unfamiliar with your topic?
3. The Purpose of Your Speech: set out a few clear goals before you start writing your speech

 

Step 2: Writing Your Speech

Most good writing must have structure. A good speech provides a beginning, middle, and end to your topic.

1.      The Opening: The first 30 seconds of your speech are probably the most important. In that period of time you must grab the attention of the audience, and engage their interest in what you have to say in your speech. This can be achieved in several ways. For example raise a thought-provoking question, make an interesting or controversial statement, recite a relevant quotation or even a joke.

2.      The Body of your speech will always be the largest part of your speech. The best way to set out the body of your speech is by formulating a series of points that you would like to raise. The points should be organized so that related points follow one another so that each point builds upon the previous one. This will also give your speech a more logical progression, and make the job of the listener a far easier one. Don't try to overwhelm your audience with countless points. It is better to have fewer points that you make well than to have too many points.

3.      The Closing: the Closing of your speech must contain some of your strongest material.
You should view the closing of your speech as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to:
· Summarize the main points of your speech
· Provide some further food for thought for your listeners
· Leave your audience with positive memories of your speech

Step 3: Delivering Your Speech

3.1.1 Reading From a Script
Reading your entire speech from a script may give you confidence and ensure that nothing is forgotten or omitted, however it is the least desirable option for delivering your speech.

3.1.2 Using Notes
If you are not confident enough to recited your speech from memory, then the use of notes is a much more desirable option than using a complete script. Your notes should consist of the keywords or points of your speech - a skeleton of thoughts or words around which you can build your speech.

3.1.3 Reciting From Memory
You may prefer to recite from memory. However you should only do this if you are comfortable speaking publicly, and not prone to loss of concentration (or memory!).

3.2 Speech Delivery Tips
- Make sure that your appearance is well ppresented
- Speak clearly, and adjust your voice so that everyone can hear you. Don't shout for the sake of being loud.
- It is common to speak rapidly when nervoous, so try to take your time speaking
- Effectively used, a pause in your speechh can be used to emphasize a point, or to allow the audience to react to a fact, anecdote or joke.
- Make eye contact with your audience. Buiilds trust & a relationship between the speaker and the listeners.
- Do not fidget or make other nervous gesttures with your hands. - Do not keep your hands in your pockets. Do use hand gestures effectively.
- Be yourself, allow your own personality to come across in your speech.