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Writing Training Articles
How to Develop
a Terrific Speech Quickly
First, here's what NOT to do:
Don't try to write out your speech or talk from
start to finish because that's the least productive
and most painful way to create your speech.
Most people take that approach but it's very
difficult to create a good speech that way because
it's too linear.
Instead, sit down with a pad of paper and a pen
or sit in front of your word processor with a
blank page, and write down the following sentences
(leave space underneath each of these sentences
because you'll write out
1. What's my purpose for making this speech?
- What's my goal and desired outcome?
2. What's the #1 most important point I want
to make?
3. Besides my #1 most important point, what are
the top 3 points I want everyone to remember and
"take home" after my speech?
Now answer each of these questions one by one,
starting with your purpose: what exactly is your
goal and your purpose for making this speech?
Is it to educate? Is it to sell? Is it to persuade?
Is it to inform? Is it to entertain?
You may have more than one desired outcome, that's
okay, just write down what your goals are.
Next answer question number 2 - yes, you have
to pick just one main point you want to make.
Pick the #1 most important thing you want people
to leave with. This may be hard for you to decide,
or it may be obvious and easy to choose. But choose
you must!
Then answer question number 3: what specifically
are the top 3 main points (besides your #1 most
important point) that you want people to remember?
Now that you've got all of that clear and in
writing - yes you must write this down, don't
just think about it! - you've got a huge head
start on creating a terrific speech.
The next thing to do is to come up with a summary
of your main points. Write a summary of your main
points that is concise and clear.
After writing it, speak it out loud and make
changes so that it flows smoothly - always keep
in mind that written words come out differently
when spoken, so adjust your summary so that it
flows when you speak it.
Make sure your summary covers all the main points
you want to cover. Think of your speech like a
sandwich: the outer layers of bread are your summary
- you're going to give that summary as an overview
near the beginning of your talk, and also restate
that summary at the end of your speech.
Now, underneath each of your main points, what
are the sub-points that comprise that main point?
Create bullets - i.e., brief sentences that are
important about that point. Now you've got a complete
outline and structure for your speech!
Give your speech a test run and see how it flows.
Smooth out the rough edges and you're done!
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