Writing That Works, 3e_ How to Communicate Effectively in Business - Kenneth Roman [34]
Your title should reflect your point of view. A tip-off to the lack of a point of view in a speech is a lazy title or no title at all. “Remarks Before the Seventh Annual Conference.”
Speech titles are different from movie or book titles, which are designed to sell tickets or books. You already have your audience there — to hear your speech as a professional duty. The less it feels like a duty and the more it can be anticipated with pleasure, the more likely you are to get full attention and to register what you want to say. An interesting title can create that sense of pleasurable anticipation.
Here are some good titles:
The Tree That Grows to the Sky (on Wall Street)
Nonprofits: Five Additions to the Ten Commandments
How to Keep Your Ads Out of Court
Web Sites I Have Known
When Will the Bubble Burst?
Ideas that you believe in make good speeches. Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence, advises not to accept any topic that you don’t feel strongly about: “Stick to topics you care deeply about, and don’t keep your passion buttoned inside your vest. An audience’s biggest turn-on is the speaker’s obvious enthusiasm.”
2. Start fast
It may be “an honor and a privilege” to have been invited to speak, but that is not what people came to hear. Plunge into what you want to say. The occasion may require some pro forma opening courtesies, but keep them as short as possible.
Adlai Stevenson lost his presidential race against Eisenhower, but gained a reputation as one of the most graceful public speakers. His first appearance after being nominated (and endorsed by then-president Harry Truman) started on this note:
I accept your nomination — and your program.
I should have preferred to hear those words uttered by a stronger, a wiser, a better man than myself. But after listening to the President’s speech, I even feel better about myself.
None of you, my friends, can wholly appreciate what is in my heart. I can only hope that you understand my words. They will be few.
You don’t have to tell jokes. Are you funny? In small groups, do you make people laugh? If not, forget it. If you do tell a joke or anecdote, don’t build up to it (“On the way here tonight …”). Tell the joke. Make sure your jokes are relevant to your point. Make sure they’re funny — by trying them out ahead of time.
Start with that single point you want your audience to take away, then conclude with a memorable way for them to do so. Don’t just repeat it (“As I said at the beginning of this talk …”) but find a vivid image to register the point.
3. Write your speech to be spoken
Don’t think of it as an oration. Think of it as a conversation with a friend. Ronald Reagan was a master at this. Here’s how he handled the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger (with help attributed to Peggy Noonan).
He started by expressing grief:
Ladies and gentlemen, I had planned to speak to you tonight on the State of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering.
Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share the pain with all the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
After paying simple tribute to the seven men and women who died and to their families, he spoke conversationally to children:
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America, who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s takeoff. I know it’s hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery; it’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted, it belongs to the brave …
A moving and emotional talk — it’s hard to call it a speech. Reagan talked to his audience.
Read aloud the draft of your speech, and edit it until it sounds like you talking naturally. Ghostwriters can help, but your speech must ultimately reflect you. Never