Mary Trafford, Senior Public Affairs Officer, Status of Women Canada
Write Out Loud: Practical Speechwriting Skills
Are you an accidental speechwriter -- in other words someone who does the job without any formal training or background? Do you contribute to or edit speeches -- even occasionally? Or, are you a simply looking to develop another valuable communications skill set? Whatever the case, join me for Write Out Loud: Practical Speechwriting Skills May 30 and come away with the confidence to take on almost any speech assignment.
Five reasons why you should attend
In the course of a fast-paced day you’ll learn how to:
- Analyze the audience and determine what they need to hear to get behind the speaker’s ideas
- Think and act strategically to develop solid arguments & clear messages
- Write the way people talk so your speech becomes a conversation that involves the audience
- Connect with listeners and keep them engaged with story elements and visual language
- Streamline your work to meet tight deadlines
managing a government speechwriting unit.
At the end of the day you’ll take away
- A manual filled with checklists, templates, how-to’s & other useful resources
- A laminated Speechwriter’s Aide Mémoire for ready reference
- A copy of the 36-minute video tutorial Write The Way People Talk
- A “beauty makeover” handout that shows weak writing transformed into powerful prose
- A certificate of achievement suitable for display
- A subscription to Pen & Podium, an e-newsletter designed to continue your development as a speechwriter
- People who write, manage, edit or contribute to speeches
- Corporate writers & freelancers who want to expand/improve their skills
- Anyone who is new to speechwriting and wants to get a solid grounding in the craft
For more than 20 years I’ve written speeches for leaders in government, business and the not-for profit sector. For more than 10 years, I’ve taught others how to write speeches through workshops, seminars and webinars. Plus, I’ve managed a speechwriting unit in government and spoken about speechwriting at international conferences. See Who We Are for a longer bio.
Even more content…
We’ll also cover how to:
- Support a speaker (if writing for someone else) and capture the speaker’s voice and personality
- End on strength so people take away a memorable message or call to action
- Analyze a speech for strengths & weaknesses and edit it in minutes
- Make abstractions concrete to help people use their mind’s eye to see as well as hear important point
- Reinforce key messages with humour, quotes & storytelling techniques
- Make announcement speeches compelling & quotable
- Get real benefit from speech planning meetings & interviews with subject matter experts & hard to see speakers
- Use speechwriting metrics, amazing new apps & script formats to support the speaker on the podium
Even more to take away…
You’ll take away a wealth of tips, tools, techniques, tactics and templates you can use to achieve great results.
- You’ll know what questions to ask of event planners, subject matter experts & the speaker you support to make sure your speech is on target
- You’ll understand why every audience is different & yet the same & how to deal with that contradiction
- You’ll be more methodical in your approach, solving problems before they become obstacles to success
- You’ll have a process & templates to follow to plan, organize & write a solid script
- You’ll be more strategic in your choices & in the advice you provide to clients
- You’ll improve your writing in other areas of your job. Guaranteed!
- You’ll probably work faster than ever,and, drumroll……
- You’ll enjoy writing speeches far more than you did before.
What people say about Wendy’s speechwriting workshops
“I would recommend this course to anyone who gives speeches, writes speeches, or assigns speeches. It'll be time and money well spent.”
Cecilia Blanchfield, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
“As someone who writes speeches regularly, I found this workshop very useful. Wendy offers a wealth of information on researching, structuring, and writing speeches that will grab audience attention and keep it right through till the end.”
Janet Kemp, Canada Revenue Agency
"Wendy manages to provide structure to the art of speechwriting. I highly recommend her course to beginning and seasoned speechwriters alike."
Ann Thacker, Canada Revenue Agency
“Great course that helps put speechwriting in perspective.”
Ben Wilson, Speech Coordinator, Health Canada
“Wendy is a whiz at what she does...If you’re serious about learning the art of speechwriting, take her course!”
Mark Buzan, Action Strategies
“A solid foundation for any wannabe speechwriter.”
Stephan Rose, Legislative Assistant, House of Commons
“I generally hate being assigned to a speech – now I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Brenda Heald, Canadian Co-operative Association