You have probably heard the work of many speech writers without ever knowing who they were. Most every president has used speechwriters to come up with everything from acceptance speeches to State of the Union addresses although some presidents have written their own addresses such as the famous, "Ask not what your country can do for you," speech by JFK. Churchill was famous for writing his own speeches being considered his own 'spin doctor.' When a writer writes a speech for someone they give over credit to them for the delivery. Once a speech is given the words become those of the speaker, no matter how eloquently or dismally they speak.
A speech writer can be employed to write speeches for many different events and occasions, from weddings to CEO speeches at business conferences. They can write eulogies, introductory speeches, victory speeches--any speech that needs to be given no matter the audience.
The challenge the writer of speeches has is to engage their audience and not bore them. David Ogilvy of advertising fame said, "No one ever sold anybody anything by boring them to death." Well that is exactly what a speech is doing, selling something or someone to an audience. Bore them and they will not buy into whatever you are trying to sell.
There are three simple parts to a speech that can grab a hold of people's attention. These are:
- Quotations
- Anecdotes
- Humor
Winston Churchill said, "Quotations, when engraved upon the memory give you good thoughts." He made good use of quotations in his speeches as have many other world leaders. Back to the subject of presidents, Ronald Reagan employed the three basic principles above in his speeches earning the title, "The Great Communicator." You can include proverbs in your speech writing in such a way that you can condense a whole concept into just a few lines.
Anecdotes are stories that have a moral or point to them. Since it is always good to have a point when you are speaking the use of these simple stories can help you immensely in getting your point across. Personal stories are very memorable and can make your point with a touch of humor too.
Humor doesn't have to be used in the form of jokes. Humor always needs to be appropriate and in good taste. When you can get your audience to laugh you engage them in a way that makes whatever you follow with more believable and trustworthy. Humor is a gift and if you aren't possessed of it a good writer can help you. Humor brings your audience closer to you.