Speeches
Write It to Say It Rather Than Read It
19/03/12 14:51
Has the written speech had its day? That question, posed at the UK Speechwriters’ Guild Conference in February, is getting a lot of attention. The debate started when Russian presentation specialist Alexei Kepterev argued that impromptu communication is more authentic and preferable to safe, dull written speeches. His remarks sparked a spirited response from other speechwriters in their blogs and even the Huffington Post. Follow the links to read posts by the always interesting Martin Shovel, Max Atkinson, Charles Crawford and Kepterev himself.
Now, I don’t agree that authenticity and written out speeches are mutually exclusive ideas. However, Alexei Kepterev’s observation that formal speech texts are often dull is spot on. And the reason why is simple: they’ve been written for the page, rather than the stage.
One of the keys to crafting a good speech is to write it to be spoken, not read. Here are three techniques for using a script to engage in conversation with your audience as opposed to merely reading them your speech.
Write the way you speak - Spoken English follows a simple model: subject, verb, object. “I have a plan.” We naturally speak in the active voice. So, keep sentences simple, direct and active. Oh, and don’t get hung up on the rules of grammar. People often speak in sentence fragments; and they split their infinitives, misplace their modifiers and leave their participles dangling too.
Set up the page to help your delivery - Long paragraphs and speech texts don’t mix. It’s hard to keep track of your place when the page is filled with dense chunks of text. Instead, start every sentence (or fragment) on a new line. Or, do as Churchill did, and set up the page so that each line ends where you want to pause or take a breath.
Rehearse - Read your speech aloud and amend it until the words flow off your tongue. Then practise your lines until you just have to glance at the script from time to time to stay on track. It helps if you let go of the notion that you must say every word exactly as it’s written.
To learn more speechwriting techniques join me for the workshops Write Out Loud: Practical Speechwriting Skills and Deliver Value Beyond Words: Advanced Speechwriting Skills scheduled in Ottawa October 18 and 19, 2012.
Now, I don’t agree that authenticity and written out speeches are mutually exclusive ideas. However, Alexei Kepterev’s observation that formal speech texts are often dull is spot on. And the reason why is simple: they’ve been written for the page, rather than the stage.
One of the keys to crafting a good speech is to write it to be spoken, not read. Here are three techniques for using a script to engage in conversation with your audience as opposed to merely reading them your speech.
Write the way you speak - Spoken English follows a simple model: subject, verb, object. “I have a plan.” We naturally speak in the active voice. So, keep sentences simple, direct and active. Oh, and don’t get hung up on the rules of grammar. People often speak in sentence fragments; and they split their infinitives, misplace their modifiers and leave their participles dangling too.
Set up the page to help your delivery - Long paragraphs and speech texts don’t mix. It’s hard to keep track of your place when the page is filled with dense chunks of text. Instead, start every sentence (or fragment) on a new line. Or, do as Churchill did, and set up the page so that each line ends where you want to pause or take a breath.
Rehearse - Read your speech aloud and amend it until the words flow off your tongue. Then practise your lines until you just have to glance at the script from time to time to stay on track. It helps if you let go of the notion that you must say every word exactly as it’s written.
To learn more speechwriting techniques join me for the workshops Write Out Loud: Practical Speechwriting Skills and Deliver Value Beyond Words: Advanced Speechwriting Skills scheduled in Ottawa October 18 and 19, 2012.
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Keep attention by mixing questions with answers
08/01/12 16:51
Where’s the beef?
Even if you’re too young to remember actress Clara Peller asking that question in an eighties-era TV ad, the catchphrase probably sounds familiar. “Where’s the beef?” quickly became shorthand for expressing skepticism, and as such soon graced more than a few speeches and presentations. While Clara’s line might be considered a bit hackneyed today, injecting rhetorical questions into your scripts is still a good idea.
In the book POP! Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything, business communicator Sam Horn writes: “Declarative sentences sit on the page. Questions engage.” The same is true when language is spoken. Audiences like to hear questions. See below for three reasons why you should ask questions and how to use them to engage, intrigue and move listeners through a speech or presentation.
Questions provide vocal variety. A steady stream of declarative sentences can be boring to the ear. Popping a question every once in a while forces the speaker to moderate his or her tone of voice. That change is enticing; so much so that it can even lure back listeners who have drifted off into their own thoughts.
Questions create two-way communication. Posing rhetorical questions turns a monologue into a dialogue. Listeners welcome the invitation to reflect on what they’ve heard. Just remember to pause briefly after asking the question to give the audience some time to answer back in their heads. (If you’re writing for someone else, write the instruction [Pause] into the script.)
Questions work well as transitions. Finding ways to move from topic to topic in a way that listeners can easily follow is always a challenge. An effective segue is to end a discussion with a question that leads into a new discussion.
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To learn more techniques for writing terrific speeches and presentations, register for one of these workshops:
• Make An Impact: Presentation Design for Non-Designers - May 21, 2012
• Write Out Loud: Practical Speechwriting Skills - Oct 18, 2012
• Deliver Value Beyond Words: Advanced Speechwriting Skills - Oct 19, 2012
• Click on the links above, or visit www.echeloncomm.ca for more info
Inflight refuelling & other secrets: 5 top scribes spill
02/10/11 21:58
What happens when speechwriters from the U.K., Europe, the U.S. and Canada gather to talk shop? A lot of cross pollination of ideas, that’s for certain. In mid-September the third annual U.K. Speechwriters’ Guild Conference took place in Bournemouth, England. I was honoured to be a speaker and lucky enough to sit in on sessions lead by some mighty impressive wordsmiths. Read the ideas shared by five keynoters below.
Martha Leyton & Martin Shovel: Speaking to The Mind's Eye
The words speakers use have a huge effect on the ability of listeners to connect with and remember ideas. Abstract terms such as globalization and new world order are cold and remote. In contrast, language that conjures up pictures in our mind's eye engages our senses, stimulates an emotional reaction and helps to make material memorable. The key is to find the right words to describe images that link to the audience's experience. For example, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suffered a deep political wound when an opponent described him as someone who had morphed from Stalin to Mr. Bean.
Professor Max Atkinson: In Praise of PowerPoint?
The shift from chalk & talk sessions to slide presentations means presenters often dump too much visual information on the audience at one time. People prefer the presenter to lead them through the material gradually (e.g. by building slides) rather than packing each slide full of content and expecting viewers to absorb it all in one fell swoop.
Conor Burns MP: Political Speechwriting
In Burns’ view, speechwriting is a process rather than an event. As a result he is constantly gathering information, jokes and stories. He also recommends using quotations because someone at some point has said what you want to say, only better. When speaking in the House of Commons he tries to work from a few notes rather than a full script. If he loses his train of thought he relies on prompts from colleagues; a practice that is known among British parliamentarians as inflight refuelling.
David Murray: Write For Your Life: How to Transform Impossible Speechwriting Assignments Into Improbable Communication Victories
When dealing with a crisis, mention the problem, but put the emphasis on what is being done to address it. And make sure it's the leader who steps up to the microphone. People want to know that the person in charge is doing the right thing. Audiences also listen for certainty. That's what they heard in 1974 when Jimmy Carter, then Governor of Georgia, gave an impassioned speech about the importance of politics as a means of social justice. Carter’s speech so impressed journalist Hunter S. Thompson that he wrote an article about it in Rolling Stone Magazine.
Stuart Mole: The Power of The Spoken Word
Effective speeches are the bedrock of the ability of a leader to actually lead. For that reason Mole is perplexed by the tendency he witnessed in the business world to treat speech assignments casually in comparison to the focus and resources devoted to advertising and marketing. He also questions the practice of dreaming up soundbites and asking the speechwriter to put them in the speech. The process, he says, should work the other way around.
For more information about the conference and the speakers click here.
Martha Leyton & Martin Shovel: Speaking to The Mind's Eye
The words speakers use have a huge effect on the ability of listeners to connect with and remember ideas. Abstract terms such as globalization and new world order are cold and remote. In contrast, language that conjures up pictures in our mind's eye engages our senses, stimulates an emotional reaction and helps to make material memorable. The key is to find the right words to describe images that link to the audience's experience. For example, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suffered a deep political wound when an opponent described him as someone who had morphed from Stalin to Mr. Bean.
Professor Max Atkinson: In Praise of PowerPoint?
The shift from chalk & talk sessions to slide presentations means presenters often dump too much visual information on the audience at one time. People prefer the presenter to lead them through the material gradually (e.g. by building slides) rather than packing each slide full of content and expecting viewers to absorb it all in one fell swoop.
Conor Burns MP: Political Speechwriting
In Burns’ view, speechwriting is a process rather than an event. As a result he is constantly gathering information, jokes and stories. He also recommends using quotations because someone at some point has said what you want to say, only better. When speaking in the House of Commons he tries to work from a few notes rather than a full script. If he loses his train of thought he relies on prompts from colleagues; a practice that is known among British parliamentarians as inflight refuelling.
David Murray: Write For Your Life: How to Transform Impossible Speechwriting Assignments Into Improbable Communication Victories
When dealing with a crisis, mention the problem, but put the emphasis on what is being done to address it. And make sure it's the leader who steps up to the microphone. People want to know that the person in charge is doing the right thing. Audiences also listen for certainty. That's what they heard in 1974 when Jimmy Carter, then Governor of Georgia, gave an impassioned speech about the importance of politics as a means of social justice. Carter’s speech so impressed journalist Hunter S. Thompson that he wrote an article about it in Rolling Stone Magazine.
Stuart Mole: The Power of The Spoken Word
Effective speeches are the bedrock of the ability of a leader to actually lead. For that reason Mole is perplexed by the tendency he witnessed in the business world to treat speech assignments casually in comparison to the focus and resources devoted to advertising and marketing. He also questions the practice of dreaming up soundbites and asking the speechwriter to put them in the speech. The process, he says, should work the other way around.
For more information about the conference and the speakers click here.
Tips to make your talking points fly high
25/07/11 22:30
Not every assignment calls for a full blown speech. Sometimes the only thing a speaker needs is a set of talking points.
What's the difference? Well, generally the script for a speech is composed of narrative i.e. full sentences, punctuation and even directions to pause. In contrast, talking points most often consist of headings, bulleted text and, in some cases, a backgrounder that contains more detail.
Talking points are a barebones treatment that call on the speaker to fill in the blanks. For that reason, they are most appropriate to speakers who are confident on the podium and who know the subject well.
The responsibility for a good delivery rests heavily on the speaker's shoulders. However, the writer can help assure success by creating talking points that are easy to expand and deliver.
Here are steps you can take to help the speaker you support wing it with panache.
1. Create a structure
Just because talking points are made up of bullets as opposed to sentences, doesn't give you licence to pull together a random list of facts and stats. Both speaker and audience need guideposts to follow. So, create a structure with a clear beginning, middle and end. Set the scene; say's what's important and why; explain what has to happen or change; than wrap things up by repeating what people should remember, or tell them what you want them to think, believe or do.
2. Make it interesting
Don’t limit your input to just the meat and potatoes of the topic or issue. Help the speaker add some spice. Take a look at the background data. Is there an analogy or comparison the speaker could make to help listeners visualize ideas? People can't hold abstract concepts in mind for a long time. So make abstractions concrete by comparing them to real things people can imagine. And never underestimate the power of surprising people or saying something funny to delight them.
3. Bring stats to life
Another challenge for listeners is making sense of numbers. Numbers are not a substitute for ideas. Tell the story first; then provide numbers to illustrate your point. Your message will be even more powerful if you also make the stats relevant to the audience. Often that means giving big numbers a human scale. Most people find it difficult to imagine a billion of anything. So, express the figure in a way that’s easier for your audience to digest. For example, a billion dollars would buy a Cadillac for each of the 16,000 people who live in the town of Riverview, New Brunswick.
Want to learn more about creating talking points and other speechwriting techniques? Reserve your seat at the workshops
Speechwriting: The Basics & Beyond Oct 20, 2011 and
Value Beyond Words: Advanced Speechwriting Techniques Oct 21, 2011.
Sign up for both sessions to get two full days of training and save money too. See details and register at www.echeloncomm.ca
What's the difference? Well, generally the script for a speech is composed of narrative i.e. full sentences, punctuation and even directions to pause. In contrast, talking points most often consist of headings, bulleted text and, in some cases, a backgrounder that contains more detail.
Talking points are a barebones treatment that call on the speaker to fill in the blanks. For that reason, they are most appropriate to speakers who are confident on the podium and who know the subject well.
The responsibility for a good delivery rests heavily on the speaker's shoulders. However, the writer can help assure success by creating talking points that are easy to expand and deliver.
Here are steps you can take to help the speaker you support wing it with panache.
1. Create a structure
Just because talking points are made up of bullets as opposed to sentences, doesn't give you licence to pull together a random list of facts and stats. Both speaker and audience need guideposts to follow. So, create a structure with a clear beginning, middle and end. Set the scene; say's what's important and why; explain what has to happen or change; than wrap things up by repeating what people should remember, or tell them what you want them to think, believe or do.
2. Make it interesting
Don’t limit your input to just the meat and potatoes of the topic or issue. Help the speaker add some spice. Take a look at the background data. Is there an analogy or comparison the speaker could make to help listeners visualize ideas? People can't hold abstract concepts in mind for a long time. So make abstractions concrete by comparing them to real things people can imagine. And never underestimate the power of surprising people or saying something funny to delight them.
3. Bring stats to life
Another challenge for listeners is making sense of numbers. Numbers are not a substitute for ideas. Tell the story first; then provide numbers to illustrate your point. Your message will be even more powerful if you also make the stats relevant to the audience. Often that means giving big numbers a human scale. Most people find it difficult to imagine a billion of anything. So, express the figure in a way that’s easier for your audience to digest. For example, a billion dollars would buy a Cadillac for each of the 16,000 people who live in the town of Riverview, New Brunswick.
Want to learn more about creating talking points and other speechwriting techniques? Reserve your seat at the workshops
Speechwriting: The Basics & Beyond Oct 20, 2011 and
Value Beyond Words: Advanced Speechwriting Techniques Oct 21, 2011.
Sign up for both sessions to get two full days of training and save money too. See details and register at www.echeloncomm.ca
Repeat words & ideas for impact
10/04/11 21:22
Want to compose a Twitter post? Express yourself in no more than 140 characters. Want to leave a voice mail? Spit out your thoughts in under a minute, or risk talking into thin air. Want people to listen to your elevator pitch? Then practise until you can cram your ideas into a 30 second sound bite.
The fast pace of 21st century life has us all communicating at Mach speed. So it’s far from surprising that the times have spawned a book entitled Talk Less Say More. In the pages of her book, communications consultant Connie Dieken urges readers to fight back against the distraction and attention-deficit affected world by learning to condense their thoughts into fewer words.
But how does her advice stack up when it comes to speeches? Is it possible to be too succinct on the podium? Yes, says longtime academic and speechwriting expert Jerry Tarver. According to Professor Tarver, it takes more words per square inch to get a point across in a speech than in writing. (He’s an American, so he doesn’t talk in metric.)
Repetition, which is considered redundant in memos, tweets and many other media, is important in speeches. Since listeners only hear the message, it often takes more than one mention for them to pick up the speaker’s important points.
“When you want your words to have the greatest impact, repeat them,” says Christopher Witt in his book Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint. And he calls to mind Martin Luther King’s famous speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, when he started a series of sentences with the phrase “I have a dream…” Of course, more recently, Barrack Obama used repetition to great effect in a famous concession speech that was built around the phrase (and sometimes stand-alone sentence): “Yes we can...”
Repetition of a series of words at the beginning of a sentence or clause is a rhetorical device. The ancient Greeks called it anaphora. It’s an effective way to emphasize important points. But, it’s not the only way.
Five Ways to Use Repetition in Your Speeches
1. Use anaphora - Repeat a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses. For example:
“It is no longer enough to make the sale. It’s important but not enough…It is no longer enough to follow through. It’s important, but not enough. It is no longer enough to remind the customer you’re still doing business at the same stand with new and improved products. It’s important, but not enough…Murray Raphel, Selling Rules! 52 Ways You Can Achieve Sales Success (Quoted in The Executive Speaker)
“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.” Winston Churchill (quoted in Wikipedia)
2. Tell a story or anecdote that vividly illustrates the idea.
3. Provide a statistic and then re-state it in another form. For example: Surveys show fewer than two in 10 Canadians remember taking courses in personal finance management in high school. In other words, less than 20 percent of adults in our country can recall getting instruction in how to handle their money.
4. Provide an analogy.
5. Quote someone, who virtually says the same thing. Choose someone the audience is likely to be familiar with and admire.
The fast pace of 21st century life has us all communicating at Mach speed. So it’s far from surprising that the times have spawned a book entitled Talk Less Say More. In the pages of her book, communications consultant Connie Dieken urges readers to fight back against the distraction and attention-deficit affected world by learning to condense their thoughts into fewer words.
But how does her advice stack up when it comes to speeches? Is it possible to be too succinct on the podium? Yes, says longtime academic and speechwriting expert Jerry Tarver. According to Professor Tarver, it takes more words per square inch to get a point across in a speech than in writing. (He’s an American, so he doesn’t talk in metric.)
Repetition, which is considered redundant in memos, tweets and many other media, is important in speeches. Since listeners only hear the message, it often takes more than one mention for them to pick up the speaker’s important points.
“When you want your words to have the greatest impact, repeat them,” says Christopher Witt in his book Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint. And he calls to mind Martin Luther King’s famous speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, when he started a series of sentences with the phrase “I have a dream…” Of course, more recently, Barrack Obama used repetition to great effect in a famous concession speech that was built around the phrase (and sometimes stand-alone sentence): “Yes we can...”
Repetition of a series of words at the beginning of a sentence or clause is a rhetorical device. The ancient Greeks called it anaphora. It’s an effective way to emphasize important points. But, it’s not the only way.
Five Ways to Use Repetition in Your Speeches
1. Use anaphora - Repeat a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses. For example:
“It is no longer enough to make the sale. It’s important but not enough…It is no longer enough to follow through. It’s important, but not enough. It is no longer enough to remind the customer you’re still doing business at the same stand with new and improved products. It’s important, but not enough…Murray Raphel, Selling Rules! 52 Ways You Can Achieve Sales Success (Quoted in The Executive Speaker)
“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.” Winston Churchill (quoted in Wikipedia)
2. Tell a story or anecdote that vividly illustrates the idea.
3. Provide a statistic and then re-state it in another form. For example: Surveys show fewer than two in 10 Canadians remember taking courses in personal finance management in high school. In other words, less than 20 percent of adults in our country can recall getting instruction in how to handle their money.
4. Provide an analogy.
5. Quote someone, who virtually says the same thing. Choose someone the audience is likely to be familiar with and admire.
Lessons from a movie: providing value beyond words
02/03/11 21:12
Speechwriters the world over are talking about the movie The King’s Speech and its insights into the relationship between a high profile speaker and the one person who was able to help him overcome a stutter.
According to the film, speech therapist Lionel Logue went to great lengths to support King George VI. Before important broadcasts, he created a “cosy” setting, opened the windows, and performed like a maestro, conducting his royal client through the script.
Your speaker probably doesn’t need or expect you to take those steps. However, you can provide value that goes far beyond the words you write.
Here are five things to do to help your speaker succeed.
1. Get a good sense of the lay of the land.
Whenever possible, speak with the event organizer to get a clear understanding of the speech window. Find out how long the speaker is supposed to talk as well as the time allotted for other activities such as the introduction and Q&A session. Ask who else is going to speak, in what order and for how long. Then make sure your speaker is well briefed so there are no surprises.
2. Knock down the barriers between speaker and audience.
Build a profile of the audience and use the information to choose language, imagery and examples that will help your speaker connect with his or her listeners. Also, ask yourself: what do these people need to hear to get behind the speaker’s ideas? Then make sure the answers to that question end up in the speech.
3. Provide a script that’s easy to read.
Set up the speech so that each sentence is its own paragraph. It’s too easy for a speaker to get lost in a sea of words when the text is set up in dense clumps. To help your speaker hold his or her head high, only use the top half of each page. And, just as you would never give someone a draft without reading it out loud first, read the final copy out loud again.
4. Leave time for your speaker to pause
Speakers and listeners both benefit from pauses. The speaker can use a pause to gauge the interest level of the audience. Listeners enjoy them too, as they provide a break and a chance to reflect on what is being said. Pauses can also heighten the drama of a speech. Write in a pause after a question, or, to add to the intrigue, just before the speaker says something really important.
5. Understand that the last reason to include humour in a speech is to make the speaker funny.
Most speakers aren’t skilled enough at handling humour to get the audience rolling in the aisles. Nor should they try. That’s what comedians work hard to do, with varying degrees of success. Audiences are more than happy with the kind of humour that elicits a smile or a few chuckles. Quips, one liners and personal anecdotes all hold the potential to warm up the atmosphere, allow the speaker to express some personality and give the audience a chance respond through smiles, laughter or even applause.
The King's Speech
03/01/11 21:59
Whoever thought that a movie that, on the surface, is about someone overcoming a stammer could rivet so much attention. But people are heading to the theatre in droves to see The King's Speech.
I intend to be among them shortly. In the meantime I'm feasting on reading what other communicators have to say.
Speechwriter Hal Gordon wrote a touching story that focused on some of the things King George VI said, rather than his difficulty in saying them. In a wartime Christmas message, the King chose to repeat some obscure lines of poetry in an effort to give the British people hope. The lines had a powerful effect on all who heard them. And when the King died, they were engraved on his tomb. Read the story here. Christmas may be passed, but it’s a story well worth the read any time of year.
Communications trainer Bert Decker blogged that his favorite line in the movie was "You must have faith in your voice!" (Decker Blog) "And that's the single most important principle that any speaking coach can tell their client," he added. [Without the help of speech therapist Lionel Logue] "the King might not have spoken to inspire England with his leadership as he did. Who knows what the world would have looked like now. Speaking is powerful."
I’ll share more thoughts once I’ve seen the movie myself.
I intend to be among them shortly. In the meantime I'm feasting on reading what other communicators have to say.
Speechwriter Hal Gordon wrote a touching story that focused on some of the things King George VI said, rather than his difficulty in saying them. In a wartime Christmas message, the King chose to repeat some obscure lines of poetry in an effort to give the British people hope. The lines had a powerful effect on all who heard them. And when the King died, they were engraved on his tomb. Read the story here. Christmas may be passed, but it’s a story well worth the read any time of year.
Communications trainer Bert Decker blogged that his favorite line in the movie was "You must have faith in your voice!" (Decker Blog) "And that's the single most important principle that any speaking coach can tell their client," he added. [Without the help of speech therapist Lionel Logue] "the King might not have spoken to inspire England with his leadership as he did. Who knows what the world would have looked like now. Speaking is powerful."
I’ll share more thoughts once I’ve seen the movie myself.
What Cirque du Soleil Can Teach Speechwriters
12/12/10 21:30
Cirque du Soleil combines drama, pageantry, acrobatics and live music into a thrilling treat for the senses. But mesmerized audiences are far less aware of the role communications plays in crafting the excitement on stage.
Take for instance Mystère, the Cirque du Soleil show in residence at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. During every performance, acrobats, comedians, singers and musicians create an out of this world experience for viewers. Yet underscoring the action is a solid foundation of communication designed to keep the audience engaged and focused on the magic rather than the technique.
Chances are, you won’t be able to convince your speaker to do a double back flip at the end of a speech. What you can do, however, is apply some lessons drawn from Mystère to write a better script.
Start charming the audience while the lights are up
At a Mystère performance, the action begins while the theatre lights are still bright. Clowns appear in the aisles where they interact with people waiting for the show to begin. The result is laughter and applause. In a matter of minutes, isolated groups of families, friends and couples come together as a single audience with a common purpose -- to have some fun. And as they do, the atmosphere in the theatre warms up.
Lesson: Reaching people through a sense of community can do a lot to set a friendly tone and open the minds of listeners to the speech giver’s ideas. So, establish common ground with the audience early in the speech. For example: mention a shared cause, affiliation, belief, purpose or experience. Or, do like the Cirque du Soleil performers: inject some gentle humour to bring the audience together through laughter.
Bring listeners back to the theme from time to time
Mystère comprises a mind-boggling array of acts and activities. Trapeze artists, wirewalkers and gymnasts bedazzle the audience with amazing physical feats. But occasionally, the pace slows. As it does, the musicians play a refrain and the master of ceremonies and other now familiar characters take centre stage. This reset re-establishes the mood and brings continuity to the show.
Lesson: Bring people back to a point where they can see the big picture from time to time. Listeners have a limited capacity to absorb detail. A steady stream of facts, statistics and lists can lead to information overload. Reminding people of the main message here and there will give them context. Artful repetition of the overarching idea will also help the audience remember the key point.
Smooth the flow
To stage Mystère, groups of performers discretely move in and out of the audience's field of vision. The skill with which they make their entries and exits distracts attention from the logistics of the show.
Lesson: Poor transitions pull the curtain back to show the audience the rough edges of your speech. In contrast, good transitions can be a credibility builder for the speaker who uses them to move seamlessly from topic to topic. Writing smooth transitions takes time and thought. So, put real effort into developing transitions that will keep the audience focused on the message rather than the mechanics of the speech.
Leave a strong impression
Mystère ends with an image that's hard to forget. (I won't spoil the surprise by telling you what it is.) But as the performers disappear into the wings and the lights come up, a wondrous sight fills the stage.
Lesson: While no rule says every speech has to end with a trumpeting call to action, the close should give the audience something to think about. To create a lasting impression ask and answer a thought provoking question, make a vivid analogy, share a compelling statistic, or tell a story that illustrates the main point.
Finally, when you finish writing your speech take a bow (and don’t forget to wipe the greasepaint off your face).
Take for instance Mystère, the Cirque du Soleil show in residence at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. During every performance, acrobats, comedians, singers and musicians create an out of this world experience for viewers. Yet underscoring the action is a solid foundation of communication designed to keep the audience engaged and focused on the magic rather than the technique.
Chances are, you won’t be able to convince your speaker to do a double back flip at the end of a speech. What you can do, however, is apply some lessons drawn from Mystère to write a better script.
Start charming the audience while the lights are up
At a Mystère performance, the action begins while the theatre lights are still bright. Clowns appear in the aisles where they interact with people waiting for the show to begin. The result is laughter and applause. In a matter of minutes, isolated groups of families, friends and couples come together as a single audience with a common purpose -- to have some fun. And as they do, the atmosphere in the theatre warms up.
Lesson: Reaching people through a sense of community can do a lot to set a friendly tone and open the minds of listeners to the speech giver’s ideas. So, establish common ground with the audience early in the speech. For example: mention a shared cause, affiliation, belief, purpose or experience. Or, do like the Cirque du Soleil performers: inject some gentle humour to bring the audience together through laughter.
Bring listeners back to the theme from time to time
Mystère comprises a mind-boggling array of acts and activities. Trapeze artists, wirewalkers and gymnasts bedazzle the audience with amazing physical feats. But occasionally, the pace slows. As it does, the musicians play a refrain and the master of ceremonies and other now familiar characters take centre stage. This reset re-establishes the mood and brings continuity to the show.
Lesson: Bring people back to a point where they can see the big picture from time to time. Listeners have a limited capacity to absorb detail. A steady stream of facts, statistics and lists can lead to information overload. Reminding people of the main message here and there will give them context. Artful repetition of the overarching idea will also help the audience remember the key point.
Smooth the flow
To stage Mystère, groups of performers discretely move in and out of the audience's field of vision. The skill with which they make their entries and exits distracts attention from the logistics of the show.
Lesson: Poor transitions pull the curtain back to show the audience the rough edges of your speech. In contrast, good transitions can be a credibility builder for the speaker who uses them to move seamlessly from topic to topic. Writing smooth transitions takes time and thought. So, put real effort into developing transitions that will keep the audience focused on the message rather than the mechanics of the speech.
Leave a strong impression
Mystère ends with an image that's hard to forget. (I won't spoil the surprise by telling you what it is.) But as the performers disappear into the wings and the lights come up, a wondrous sight fills the stage.
Lesson: While no rule says every speech has to end with a trumpeting call to action, the close should give the audience something to think about. To create a lasting impression ask and answer a thought provoking question, make a vivid analogy, share a compelling statistic, or tell a story that illustrates the main point.
Finally, when you finish writing your speech take a bow (and don’t forget to wipe the greasepaint off your face).
Working With Word Clouds
29/09/10 22:02
We speechwriters don’t end up with much to show for our efforts. While the words we write may change what people think, believe or are willing to do, our only souvenir of the assignment might be a paper text, an entry on a Web site (text again), or maybe a video recording of the speaker on the podium. But have you ever asked your friends over to watch the video of a speech you wrote? Probably not…
Well there is a way to create a memento that you could hang on the wall if you were so inclined. Make a word cloud. To do that go to www.wordle.net, follow the simple instructions and congratulate yourself on your artistry.
Wordle is the brainchild of a man who thinks outside the font. His name is Jonathan Feinberg and he developed Wordle as a means of drawing pictures with words. The tool is free and anyone can use it to make word clouds for their own use or to share with the world. Users have licence to do whatever they like with their creations: publish them on paper or online, for instance, or even emblazon them on t-shirts and mugs.
Wordle applies weight to the words in the source text. The more frequently a word occurs, the larger it appears in the word cloud. (Allowances are made for words such as ‘a’ and ‘the’ to keep things manageable.)
So, pour a speech into the hopper, wait a few seconds and then gaze upon the glory of your creation. You can tweak your efforts endlessly to change the colour, font and arrangement. Once you’re happy with the results, save the word cloud as a screen shot and treat it like an image.
Keep in mind, however, that the word clouds Wordle generates are meant to be decorative. They’re not analytical tools. Take for example a word cloud made from the speech Pierre Trudeau delivered on the eve of the 1980 Quebec Referendum. While he was firmly on the ‘no’ side of the debate and said so repeatedly, the word ‘yes’ figured prominently in the word cloud. I suspect Wordle eliminated ‘no’ as a freestanding word because it’s also a common syllable.
Despite the odd glitch, some of which can be fixed with some experimentation, Wordle is a great tool for creating interesting graphics from words. It’s fun to play with too.
Ideas for Using Word Clouds
• Illustrate a Web post of a speech
• Illustrate a newsletter or magazine article about a speech
• Illustrate a cover page for a hard copy of a speech
• Decorate your office wall
• Save in a journal where you document each speech that you write
If you can think of other ways to use them, please add a comment.
Examples of Speech Word Clouds
The speech Pierre Trudeau gave on the eve of the Quebec Referendum 1980
The speech current Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered to the
United Nations, September 23, 2010
The speech environmentalist David Suzuki delivered in Los Angeles to the Governors’ Climate Change Summit in 2008
Finally: The description of my workshop Speechwriting: The Basics & Beyond (shameless self promotion)
Well there is a way to create a memento that you could hang on the wall if you were so inclined. Make a word cloud. To do that go to www.wordle.net, follow the simple instructions and congratulate yourself on your artistry.
Wordle is the brainchild of a man who thinks outside the font. His name is Jonathan Feinberg and he developed Wordle as a means of drawing pictures with words. The tool is free and anyone can use it to make word clouds for their own use or to share with the world. Users have licence to do whatever they like with their creations: publish them on paper or online, for instance, or even emblazon them on t-shirts and mugs.
Wordle applies weight to the words in the source text. The more frequently a word occurs, the larger it appears in the word cloud. (Allowances are made for words such as ‘a’ and ‘the’ to keep things manageable.)
So, pour a speech into the hopper, wait a few seconds and then gaze upon the glory of your creation. You can tweak your efforts endlessly to change the colour, font and arrangement. Once you’re happy with the results, save the word cloud as a screen shot and treat it like an image.
Keep in mind, however, that the word clouds Wordle generates are meant to be decorative. They’re not analytical tools. Take for example a word cloud made from the speech Pierre Trudeau delivered on the eve of the 1980 Quebec Referendum. While he was firmly on the ‘no’ side of the debate and said so repeatedly, the word ‘yes’ figured prominently in the word cloud. I suspect Wordle eliminated ‘no’ as a freestanding word because it’s also a common syllable.
Despite the odd glitch, some of which can be fixed with some experimentation, Wordle is a great tool for creating interesting graphics from words. It’s fun to play with too.
Ideas for Using Word Clouds
• Illustrate a Web post of a speech
• Illustrate a newsletter or magazine article about a speech
• Illustrate a cover page for a hard copy of a speech
• Decorate your office wall
• Save in a journal where you document each speech that you write
If you can think of other ways to use them, please add a comment.
Examples of Speech Word Clouds
The speech Pierre Trudeau gave on the eve of the Quebec Referendum 1980
The speech current Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered to the
United Nations, September 23, 2010
The speech environmentalist David Suzuki delivered in Los Angeles to the Governors’ Climate Change Summit in 2008
Finally: The description of my workshop Speechwriting: The Basics & Beyond (shameless self promotion)
Speechwriting Tips from Twitter
10/09/10 15:53
Speechwriting Tips from Twitter
Twitter is a terrific resource for speechwriters. Everyday, scribes from around the world share insights, recommend books and provide links to terrific online resources. If you want to broaden your horizons, join the conversation. An easy way to start is by following me, @wendycherwinski, or the people quoted below.
A great speech is like a pickpocket. It distracts us with its surface brilliance while working its magic in the shadows.
@martinshovel
Frame everything you say and show in terms of your audience's point of view and needs.
@Story_Jon
Being spontaneously funny is hard work http://bit.ly/bjxmpW How Joan Rivers does it.
@beachwordsmith
“Grasp the subject, the words will follow.” -- Cato The Elder
@LilyIatrides
Book Review: Boring to Bravo (Kristin Arnold) http://bit.ly/alEcaE
@6minutes
Twitter is a terrific resource for speechwriters. Everyday, scribes from around the world share insights, recommend books and provide links to terrific online resources. If you want to broaden your horizons, join the conversation. An easy way to start is by following me, @wendycherwinski, or the people quoted below.
A great speech is like a pickpocket. It distracts us with its surface brilliance while working its magic in the shadows.
@martinshovel
Frame everything you say and show in terms of your audience's point of view and needs.
@Story_Jon
Being spontaneously funny is hard work http://bit.ly/bjxmpW How Joan Rivers does it.
@beachwordsmith
“Grasp the subject, the words will follow.” -- Cato The Elder
@LilyIatrides
Book Review: Boring to Bravo (Kristin Arnold) http://bit.ly/alEcaE
@6minutes
Taking care of the ‘risky’ Business of humour
06/07/10 18:18
Adding humour to speeches and presentations is risky business. The speaker can fluff it. The audience can find it unamusing, confusing, or even worse — offensive. Whatever the negative outcome, poorly chosen or delivered humour can end up clouding the speaker’s message.
Fortunately, the opposite scenario is also highly possible. A little humour can warm up the atmosphere, make the speaker appear friendly and help listeners remember key points.
The secret of success lies in carefully choosing humour that will entertain the audience while keeping the speaker safe.
A good way to do that is to favour the kind of humour listeners like. As a rule people respond well to self deprecating humour. If the speaker can laugh at himself, he must be a good egg: or, at least that seems to be the reasoning. General Rick Hillier, Canada’s former Chief of the Defence Staff, likes to joke about growing up with five sisters. He claims he joined the army in self-defence.
Another way to keep things safe is to stick to humour that’s meant to draw a grin or a giggle rather than a belly laugh. The late John Cantu, a one-time comedy club owner, told speechwriters at the Ragan Speechwriters Conference in Washington a few years back to “aim for chuckles”. Comedians cycle hundreds of jokes through their routines in the quest for big laughs, he explained. And of course stand up comics are also trained performers. If your speaker’s idea of preparation is to read through the speech once or twice before an event, you might want to aim for the low end of the laughometer.
A third way to help your speaker in the humour department is to borrow it from others. For example: riff off a late night host: “The other night I heard Jay Leno say…”; describe a popular cartoon “Dilbert asked an interesting question the other day:…” or include a funny quote or wisdom from a bumper sticker. Just keep it short and sweet.
And one more bit of advice: Whenever possible relate the humour to an important point the speaker wants the audience to take away. Humour, like storytelling, is a great tool for reinforcing important points in the minds of listeners.
Think twice about including a joke
As for jokes, many speechwriters say avoid them. There is just too much danger in a flubbed delivery or a tepid response from listeners. Another danger with telling a joke is the audience may have heard it before.
But what if a joke perfectly encapsulates the speaker’s point? OK. There are times when telling a joke in a speech does work. If you decide to put one in, you can always acknowledge the fact that some people may be familiar with the joke by writing a preface along the lines of: “You may have heard the joke that goes something like this…”
Keep in mind that the longer the joke the funnier the pay off has to be to satisfy listeners. And today’s audiences are not known for their long attention spans. As a rule of thumb, corporate speechwriter Fletcher Deans says avoid jokes that take longer than a minute to get to the punch line.
Create your own humour
Look at the news if you want to find fodder for jokes says comedy writer Jon Macks. Macks, who is also a speechwriter, says ask yourself: “What’s stupid about this situation?” Once you identify the absurdity, see if you can use it in a sentence that begins with a phrase such as “It’s so hot that…” or “Taxes are so high that…”
Put humour to the test
When choosing humour for a speech test it. Only include it in the speech if you can answer ‘yes’ to the following three questions:
Wendy Cherwinski
words@echeloncomm.ca
Fortunately, the opposite scenario is also highly possible. A little humour can warm up the atmosphere, make the speaker appear friendly and help listeners remember key points.
The secret of success lies in carefully choosing humour that will entertain the audience while keeping the speaker safe.
A good way to do that is to favour the kind of humour listeners like. As a rule people respond well to self deprecating humour. If the speaker can laugh at himself, he must be a good egg: or, at least that seems to be the reasoning. General Rick Hillier, Canada’s former Chief of the Defence Staff, likes to joke about growing up with five sisters. He claims he joined the army in self-defence.
Another way to keep things safe is to stick to humour that’s meant to draw a grin or a giggle rather than a belly laugh. The late John Cantu, a one-time comedy club owner, told speechwriters at the Ragan Speechwriters Conference in Washington a few years back to “aim for chuckles”. Comedians cycle hundreds of jokes through their routines in the quest for big laughs, he explained. And of course stand up comics are also trained performers. If your speaker’s idea of preparation is to read through the speech once or twice before an event, you might want to aim for the low end of the laughometer.
A third way to help your speaker in the humour department is to borrow it from others. For example: riff off a late night host: “The other night I heard Jay Leno say…”; describe a popular cartoon “Dilbert asked an interesting question the other day:…” or include a funny quote or wisdom from a bumper sticker. Just keep it short and sweet.
And one more bit of advice: Whenever possible relate the humour to an important point the speaker wants the audience to take away. Humour, like storytelling, is a great tool for reinforcing important points in the minds of listeners.
Think twice about including a joke
As for jokes, many speechwriters say avoid them. There is just too much danger in a flubbed delivery or a tepid response from listeners. Another danger with telling a joke is the audience may have heard it before.
But what if a joke perfectly encapsulates the speaker’s point? OK. There are times when telling a joke in a speech does work. If you decide to put one in, you can always acknowledge the fact that some people may be familiar with the joke by writing a preface along the lines of: “You may have heard the joke that goes something like this…”
Keep in mind that the longer the joke the funnier the pay off has to be to satisfy listeners. And today’s audiences are not known for their long attention spans. As a rule of thumb, corporate speechwriter Fletcher Deans says avoid jokes that take longer than a minute to get to the punch line.
Create your own humour
Look at the news if you want to find fodder for jokes says comedy writer Jon Macks. Macks, who is also a speechwriter, says ask yourself: “What’s stupid about this situation?” Once you identify the absurdity, see if you can use it in a sentence that begins with a phrase such as “It’s so hot that…” or “Taxes are so high that…”
Put humour to the test
When choosing humour for a speech test it. Only include it in the speech if you can answer ‘yes’ to the following three questions:
- Does it suit the speaker? - Will the speaker seem natural as he or she delivers the lines?
- Does it suit the topic? - Is the link between the subject and the humour obvious and appropriate?
- Does it suit the audience? - Will the humour resonate with the people in the room?
Wendy Cherwinski
words@echeloncomm.ca
Pause & Let the Music Sink In
07/09/09 17:08
Ace Your Speech with Q&As
07/08/09 20:59
Dialogue in the Desert
08/09/08 22:41
Anyway You Slice It…
29/07/08 12:21
Expert Advice: How Not to Step in It
22/07/08 22:10
Bringing Oral History to Life
13/07/08 19:28
Interactive Speeches
10/10/07 17:09