How to Write (and Deliver) a Good Speech

Like writing, speechmaking can be as much science as art. What I know about making speeches I gained from growing up in a church that requires its lay members to give talks and lessons, and from joining Toastmasters. I originally joined Toastmasters in order to network for new business I had started. It was a consulting firm, and I was looking for a way to get in front of people and tell them more about myself and what I do in the hopes that they might eventually refer me business. But once I got into the club, I ended up going mostly to improve my speechmaking. And improve I did. I got more comfortable, and my speeches got better as time went on. Pretty much every time I gave a speech I won best speech (those of you in Toastmasters will know what I'm talking about).

One of the main lessons I learned in Toastmasters was also one they didn't seem overtly teach, and it was this: eighty percent of a good speech is good writing. And writing a good speech isn't hard to do once you have a few basics down. The main lessons I learned are summarized below:

The opening

It's important to open strong. When you speak, start with an attention-getter. This can be a story, some interesting facts, or a personal recollection. Starting the speech with too much mushy, mealy-mouthed talk about how you don't like to talk, how you aren't a good speaker, or how much you enjoy coming to their fair city (assuming you traveled there), weakens your speech. Start weak and your speech never has a real chance to recover.

Your opening segment of course needs to tie into your main theme. Humorous bits that get everyone laughing but have no connection to the rest of the speech tend to weaken it. If you want to start with humor, try to find a story that is both humorous and relevant. Your audience needs to take you seriously, so take them seriously by not wasting their time with idle chit chat or idiotic, pointless, or off-color humor. When you get to the podium, start speaking and start speaking strong.

The middle

The best way to give a speech is to follow this simple formula: tell a story, make a point, tell another story, make another point, tell another story, make yet another point, etc.

This format of course can be deviated from slightly when you are giving a scientific talk that summarizes the methodology and results of research. But even there I can imagine a place for a relevant story or two. No matter what the subject, there is always a story about some part of the topic or process.

With almost every other kind of speech, the 'tell a story/make a point' format can be followed with great success. Don't feel like you have enough stories? Borrow some from history, from literature, or from the lives of others around you. It takes work, but it's worth every effort.

The ending

The third important point to follow when giving a speech is to NEVER RUN OVER TIME. Never. Ever. Ever. In fact, running under time, just slightly, will endear you to your audience and leave them wanting more. The old saying "Better to leave early having your host wished you had stayed than to stay longer having them wished you had left" applies here. Nothing ruins a decent speech quicker than someone who ignores the clock and goes over their allotted time. When your time is up, wrap it up. You're not the President of the US, so nothing you have to say can be so important you need to go over time. When you want to wrap up your speech, merely summarize the main points, thank your audience for letting you speak, and end with a quote or a story, but end on time.

Delivery

I'm a professional writer, not a professional speaking coach, but I have given enough speeches to have learned a couple of things about good delivery.

First, the more you practice your speech, the better you will be delivering it. Time your delivery so that you know what to keep and what to cut. But practice, practice, practice. I can't say that enough.

The other point is to do what works for you. If you have a good memory, merely write the speech, condense it into notes, and then bring them if needed to keep you on track. If you must read every word of your speech, my first suggestion will still help your delivery seem more natural, and you may even find yourself not looking at the text. But the best way to go is to have your talk memorized. Not necessarily word for word, but point by point. Again, practice is the way most of us get better at speaking with just notes rather than reading a text.

The more speeches you give, the more comfortable you will be at giving them and the better you'll get. Giving a good speech takes work, but if you work hard and follow the basic principles of this short article, you can't help but improve.

Happy speechmaking!

Keep writing...

Questions or ideas you'd like to share? Please contact me via my website at Or Buy my Ebook from here