Learning how to write a speech is essential for any aspiring speaker, author, or thought leader looking to connect with an audience. Whether you’re preparing for a keynote address, a wedding toast, or a business presentation, knowing how to write a speech will help you deliver a compelling and memorable message. But crafting an effective speech takes more than just stringing sentences together. It requires a well-defined structure, careful attention to language, and knowledge of your audience.
This means you’ve got to grab your audience’s attention, hold onto it, and then leave them thinking “Wow. When can I hear this person speak again?” Figuring out how to write a good speech that accomplishes these three things will give any speaker – regardless of their natural ability – a big edge when they step onstage.
Defining Your Speech’s Purpose and Audience
Before you even think about opening lines or witty transitions, it’s vital to understand the “why” behind your speech. Are you trying to inform your audience about a new product, inspire them to take action, or simply entertain them? A clear purpose will guide every other aspect of how to write a speech.
Identifying Your Target Audience
Equally crucial is identifying your target audience. This goes beyond just their age range or profession. Knowing your audience’s existing knowledge about your topic, their values, and their expectations from the event will help you tailor your message and delivery. You wouldn’t address a room full of seasoned executives the same way you would a group of college students.
Keep the “So What?” and “Now What?” in Mind
As you structure, write, practice and deliver your speech, the questions “So what?” and “Now what?” should always be at the front of your mind. This is how you keep your audience engaged. “So what?” asks why the audience member should care about what your saying. “Now what?” asks what they should do about it, and what actionable steps they can take because of what you’re telling them.
If at any point during your speech, you aren’t answering these questions for your audience, you’ve wandered off track and are risking your audience losing interest.
Structuring Your Speech
Before you get into the details of each individual part of your speech, you should start by developing a high-level structure and outline that you can fill in with phrasing and transitions later. There are several ways you can structure your talk. It can be 3 points, 5 steps, or even built around a narrative. Choose a structure that works for your topic and create a rough outline keeping the “So what?” and “Now what?” questions in mind.
Crafting a Captivating Speech Introduction
First impressions are paramount, especially when it comes to public speaking. Research has shown that audience attention wanes after about 10 minutes — that’s why nailing the first few minutes of your speech is vital if you want people to remember anything else you say. Your introduction should accomplish three key things:
1. Grabbing Attention With a Hook
Kickstart your speech with an attention-grabbing opener or “hook.” This could be a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic, a relevant anecdote, or even a touch of humor. But this doesn’t mean every speech needs to open with a knock-knock joke.
A strong opening statement is an equally valid option if it feels more authentic to your personal brand or the message at hand. Consider starting with something your audience likely believes about the topic at hand. Then use vivid, interesting language to totally upend their assumptions about that topic.
2. Establishing Context
Once you have their attention, you need to smoothly transition into introducing your topic and establishing its relevance. Why should your audience care about what you’re saying? How does it connect to their lives or the broader world? Connect your topic to bigger issues or questions, keeping your target audience in mind as you do.
3. Presenting Your Thesis Statement
After you’ve established context, succinctly state your central message or thesis. Remember, you’re not writing an essay for your 8th-grade English teacher. This is about how to write a speech, meaning directness and punch are important to maintain interest and engagement. Lay out exactly what you’ll argue, how you’ll prove that argument, and why the audience should care.
Maintaining Audience Engagement Throughout Your Speech
It’s not enough to just opening your speech well; you have to keep your audience engaged throughout your delivery. In addition to structuring the body of your speech around a numbered list, or something similar, here are some ways you can keep an audience’s attention throughout the full duration of your speech.
1. Using Storytelling and Humor
Well-placed anecdotes or a dash of humor at the right moment can create an emotional connection. Think of this like a palette cleanser between courses at a fancy restaurant. These moments let your audience mentally reset before you move to the next point. Just be sure to keep your anecdotes and jokes relevant to your speech’s overall message. Aim for humor that underscores your main point rather than distracting from it.
2. Visual Aids and Multimedia
Incorporating visual aids, such as slides, videos, or props can add variety and enhance the audience’s comprehension, particularly when dealing with complex information. Just make sure the visual aids enhance your message rather than distracting from it. The last thing you want is for people to be so busy reading a slide that they miss your key takeaway.
3. Audience Interaction
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, facilitate brief discussions, or encourage participation. Directly address the concerns your audience likely has at this point in your argument. A speaker at a product launch might address the sticker price for those in the back.
Addressing the elephant in the room is one of the most engaging tactics any speaker can deploy. A captive audience provides a perfect opportunity for a speaker to address their biggest concern about your area of expertise. Not only is this engaging and memorable for the audience, it positions the speaker as an authoritative voice in their industry.
Crafting a Speech Conclusion That Sticks
A strong conclusion is just as crucial as a strong introduction when figuring out how to write a speech. Because no matter how great a job you do with the rest of your speech, audience members might zone out for parts. Our goal here is to succinctly remind them about the most important points.
1. Summarizing Main Points
Briefly summarize your main points, hammering home those key takeaways in the process. Try not to explicitly repeat yourself from the main points. Aim instead to convey a similar sentiment or idea with fresh phrasing. This is more challenging and requires deeper thought than just reiterating your points verbatim – but also keeps the audience engaged because they’re hearing something new.
2. Restating Thesis
Reiterate your main argument or message. This reinforces your speech’s overall objective in a different light compared to those original arguments. The idea is that the audience will leave your speech remembering that original thesis, but through the lens of your supporting points.
3. Ending on a High Note
Your concluding sentences are vital because audience members are more likely to remember information at the very beginning and the very end of any presentation. It’s up to you whether this final note is humorous, thought-provoking, or a direct call to action, as in a traditional sales pitch. Think about speeches from historical figures or celebrities that resonated with you. What techniques did these public figures use in their conclusions? Reverse engineering the speeches you find moving, impactful, or otherwise memorable is a great tool for understanding how to write a speech. And a skilled speaker can even learn how to incorporate those elements into their own material.
The Power of Practice: Refining Your Delivery
A well-written speech is only as good as its delivery. One public speaking tip for professionals: make sure to practice your speech delivery.
But this doesn’t just mean reading your words out loud over breakfast. There are more intentional methods, too, if you’re really serious about public speaking.
Rehearse With Intention
Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself, and get feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors. For many professional speakers this also includes having a go-to “practice person” they run material by. But don’t limit yourself to people in the same industry or area of expertise.
Sometimes a fresh perspective outside your immediate field can point out elements or arguments you may not have thought about otherwise. If no one immediately comes to mind, try recording yourself delivering the material then giving it a listen or even a watch.
Refine Your Delivery Style
Pay close attention to your body language, tone of voice, and pace while practicing how to write a speech. Your nonverbal communication is just as critical as the words themselves. For instance, imagine someone who’s been giving educational lectures for their entire career is branching out into more inspirational, keynote speeches. They might notice while practicing that they come across a bit too detached or academic for their new target audience.
Conclusion
As we’ve explored throughout this guide, mastering how to write a speech can transform any speaker, coach, or leader looking to up their public speaking game. And remember – these elements will look a little different depending on your industry, personality, and overall objective. This is because an effective speech is one that resonates with the target audience. And accomplishing this task hinges on connecting with that audience and captivating them right from your very first sentence.
