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Executive Speech Writing Tips That Grab And Hold Your Audience

By Casey Demchak

The number one rule in speech writing is never be boring. Beyond that, there are several proven formulas for writing powerful corporate speeches, and over the years I’ve developed one that has worked well for business leaders for whom I’ve written. Below are essential tips for writing dynamic speeches that grab an audience, and persuade and educate them.

Plan your speech. The average speaker says about 100 words per minute. So for a 15-minute speech, plan on writing about 1,500 words. A good speech should be no more than 15 to 20 minutes. Any longer and you’d better make sure your audience has very comfortable chairs. When writing a speech, triple-space your text in 14-point type. This makes it easier to read.

Know your audience. A speech written for product engineers should probably be technical in nature. Executive speeches delivered to a sales force may be inspirational. Speeches aimed at children should be simple, clear and brief. Always be aware of who your audience will be and write your speech directly to them.

Find your voice. Always write your speech in a conversational tone. Never let yourself sound as if you’re reading an academic paper to your audience. Be aware of how fast or how slow you like to speak, how often you need to pause, and the type of words with which you feel comfortable. This will enable you to write in a tone that allows you to speak freely and clearly.

To joke or not to joke. Humor can lighten a speech and engage an audience. However, jokes that don’t go well can ruin a speech. When humor is appropriate, be subtle and sprinkle it lightly throughout your speech. Avoid going for one or two big jokes because they can result in one or two big bombs. If you’re not completely confident in your ability to mix humor into your speech—don’t do it.

Grab them at the top. Always assume you have to grab your audience in the first 30 seconds or you’ll loose them. Use this time to hook your audience and create excitement for everything else to come. Open with an enthusiastic statement that establishes your topic and offers your audience a benefit. A line like, "Tonight I’m going to talk about our new product line, and how you can increase your sales by 30% by utilizing the new marketing tools we’ve developed," can move the audience to the edge of their seats, simply because you’ve indicated you’re going to speak about something that can directly benefit them.

Set the table. Tell the audience what they can expect in the body of your speech. Think of this as the "thesis statement section" when you explain what will be proven or demonstrated during your speech. Set your theme right at the top, and don’t hesitate to include a line such as, "When you leave tonight, here’s the three things from this speech I most want you to remember…" This clearly sets the stage for what you are going to speak about.

Tell a tale. Whenever possible, tell a brief tale or antidote before moving into the main body of your speech. Doing this can further engage your audience and present you as being genuine and warm.

Don’t try to cover too much ground. Keep things simple and easy to follow. Avoid introducing complex topics that have multiple layers. Keep speeches limited to a few basic points that smoothly flow from one to the next. This makes it easier to hold your audience. Remember, to keep an audience focused on your speech, your speech must be focused.

Get specific. Strengthen your speech’s main points with specific facts. There’s always areas in a speech that can be covered with brush strokes, but the main points should be substantiated with greater detail.

Relate your claims to the audience. Assume that during your speech your audience will ask themselves, "What’s in this for me?" Make sure you answer this question by telling your audience how the information you’re presenting directly relates to them.

Close your speech. Wind down your speech by summarizing the main points you’ve presented. Transition into your closing by using phrases such as, "So now I’d like to quickly summarize the main points I’ve covered today," or "Before leaving, I want to quickly reiterate some of the main points I’d like you to remember from today."

As you finish your speech, always make the last three lines as engaging as the first three. And whenever possible, have these last three lines tie closely into the message delivered in your introduction. This "closes the loop" for your audience and enables you to end your speech in the same positive tone in which you opened it.

Casey Demchak is an independent copywriter and consultant who specializes in writing compelling B2B sales copy for the medical industry. He is also the author of the book, Essential Sales Writing Secrets. He can be reached at casey@caseydemchak.com; or at (303) 697-4793.

© Copyright 2007 Casey Demchak