Writing the Speech

Limit your scope. Don’t try to do too much in a single speech. Pick a simple idea and develop it fully.

Make an ugly outline. The outline is a tool. Don’t expect the first outline always to be the final one. Feel free to play around with different approaches. If your first outline is too neat and pretty, you may be reluctant to alter it.

Don’t jump into the subject. Most speeches require thirty seconds to three minutes of introductory material before the subject is broached directly. Most audiences are not ready to listen to the main ideas of a speech until they’ve had a minute or so to get adjusted to the speaker.

Don’t get stuck in second gear. Many times after a speaker has stated the theme of a speech and appears ready to shift into high gear we hear something like “But, first, let me give you a little background on the history of the company.” While a little history and background points may sometimes be useful, it often is little more than a stall before the speaker gets the speech moving again.