Posted by Dorothea Stuart
Phil Collins former speechwriter for Tony Blair gave some great tips on speech writing and public speaking when he spoke at an event hosted by the ASC last November. As we head into a new year of writing and giving Toastmasters speeches ourselves I thought it would be good to remind ourselves of what pearls of wisdom he imparted. Thanks to Laura Nelson who wrote this up:
Before you write – remember that every speech has something of ‘you’ in the writing. Don’t take that away when you write. Be yourself. Be comfortable in your own skin.
1. Topic – ensure there’s a central theme running through the speech. Can you summarise your theme in a few words?
2. The argument – every speech must have just one argument. Test your speech by checking that you can argue the opposite.
3. Have discipline – take the rubbish out. The quality of the speech is generally proportional to how much material you delete.
4. Read your speech out loud – this enables you to spot repetition. Repetition on paper is not as obvious as when the speech is said out loud.
5. Language – the tone of the speech needs to suit the purpose. Martin Luther King’s speech in 1963 may have been one of the greatest speeches in history, but it is difficult to have the same effect if you are talking about Council Tax Reform.
6. There’s no substitute for writing clearly and writing well.
