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The act of writing a powerful and persuasive speech for any occasion may become so tasking for some individuals, that they often abandon it half way. The truth however, is that there are specific techniques which when properly deplored can aid speech writing to the maximum.

1. Avoid too much content.
Very often I have seen CEO’s and even highly placed politicians make this common mistake. They try to choke their speech with so much content, that they end up muddling the whole presentation up. When a speech becomes too lengthy and time consuming, the audience will automatically become disinterested.

2. Define who your audience is and use the most appropriate communication
channels to reach them.
Analyse how your audience likes to take in information – do they like to be visually stimulated or do they enjoy just sitting back and listening. Or do they like to get involved to touch and feel in a kinaesthetic way. Work out
the best mix of visual, audio and kinaesthetic and use this in your speech writing.

3. Research your speech using a range of sources.
Be a keen observer of the trends your audience is likely to be interested in and keep a file of interesting articles and information. You can start your speech by asking some few quick questions when meeting an audience just prior to a speech, such as “what are the issues facing your business/industry/association at the moment? This sort of approach can really help target your presentation and build rapport.

4. Use personal stories to make intangible concepts tangible.
In many cases you are trying to sell ideas and concepts in a speech. These are intangible and often difficult for the audience to grasp. Personal stories can help break the ice and make your speech very memorable. We all have wonderful stories to share, and when the audience discovers you are trying to connect to them via your personal experience, they become even more attentive.

5. Have a strong opening and closing.
People remember the opening – first impressions count! The closing is equally important as it should reinforce the key message you want the audience to go home with after the presentation. Ending with a ‘call to action’ can be a powerful way to get your audience to act on your message.

6. Add value and extra detail through a handout.
Here’s a tip: if you want to provide detail – put it in a handout! You can get far more content across in the written form than in a speech. Always refer to this in your presentation but hand it out after your speech so the audience is not distracted reading through it while you talk. There is nothing more soul destroying for a presenter to see the audience leafing through written notes rather than looking at you!

7. Evaluate and review on a regular basis.
There’s nothing more powerful than to hear back a speech you’ve written. If you are writing a speech for someone else always try and hear the speech or at least get some feedback. Recording and listening back to a presentation is the fastest way to improve your skills. I personally make use of a feedback form whenever I am handling a presentation. This will help me evaluate the entire presentation and improve on areas that need improvement.