Write My Speech Hacks: 6 Ways to Avoid the Worst Oration Pitfalls.

It will always end up badly when you think that the speech you will be writing about is all about you and the words you’ll be using revolve around what you think. Why I’m I saying this?  It's because a proper speech should focus on the end user who is the ultimate person who will decide if your speech deserves attention and time or it’s a waste of time altogether. A speech which is well prepared will always leave the audience more informed and be wishing that the speech could have lasted longer, but 85% of speeches based on research are second-rate speeches which ensure the audience is stuck to their smartphones and unending giggling.

The most important aspect of a speech is to ensure that you have left the audience with something worth remembering and also to ensure that you have conveyed your points in a way that is entertaining and not boring whatsoever. Even though speeches are meant to be informative, they should not be the source of tension and a black cloud in the audience hall but rather the speech should ensure that its main aim is to entertain, inform or even persuade the audience regarding a specific point of discussion.

How Do I Write My Speech?

1) Ensure that you are striking

Ensure that you leave something memorable when your speech comes to an end. Don’t base your speech on empty words which don’t evoke emotions or surprise, The correct use of idioms, metaphors, and the element of surprise all do wonders when it comes to building blocks of a speech. In the past, many leaders have used these aspects to come up with legendary speeches which are remembered and referred to up to date. For example, Nelson Mandela, John F Kennedy, and even John Regan when he said and I quote

"You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness."

A memorable quote from his speech can be seen to utilize aspects of inclusion. That's where the speech specifies that the audience is part of what is being discussed by the use of “You and me” and it ends with the usage of a metaphor where he says “or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.” This quote was a memorable one, and it was well used as per the speech at that time, but it has left a mark until now in History.

2) Have a Proper Structure

A proper speech has a definite path; meaning, the speech must have a specific plan that the audience can easily follow and understand what is going on. For instance, when you want to persuade your audience as a speaker, then it’s easier to use a problem-solution structure which starts by discussing the problem within 5 minutes or less and by discussing the problem at length. Then, follow up with providing a solution including the advantages of the solution to the audience which will be followed by a call to action meaning something the audience can do with regards to the problem. The same applies to when you want to discuss a contentious area of discussion-you will need to use the residues method which means discussing the solutions presented by partisan parties in depth than at the end giving your solution to the problem without necessarily taking sides. I won’t discuss all the structures here, but as a speaker or being the one giving the speech, you need to provide a clear path to your audience and do not drift from the main topic especially when giving examples since that is the point which most speakers drift and confuse the audience. Drifting when giving a speech will always kill the speech.

3) Don’t Waste the Opening

Your time to read that speech is here, and you walk on the stage with your confidence right and everything check. It’s that time of the hour you have been waiting for and not only you, but the audience also is ready, and everyone is clapping as you hold on to that microphone. Immediately after you are done with the first welcoming message then you suddenly realize that three people have walked out, there is a bit of murmuring, and people have started fiddling with their phones. The audience is doing everything but also closely paying attention to you. The way you will open your speech has a lot to do with the way the audience will react as you move forward with your speech and you can do this the right way by starting with a striking quote, acute silence for    seconds or less, a question, facts and statistics, just anything that will steal your audience attention for the time you will be on stage. Enjoy as you move on from the high note and smoothly engaging the audience.

4) Capture the Right Tone

Adopting the right tone for your speech is one of the right things to do even before you determine what you are going to put forward to your listeners. Therefore, before you even start typing; get the right tone for your audience depending on their age, social status and other factors that align with the audience since it’s all about your listeners. 

5) End Strong

Your ending determines a lot. In fact, this is what people will talk about immediately they leave that hall door. Therefore your ending should call people to action, and this can be done by ensuring that you end with a memorable quote, recapping your main point and ensuring you have repeated it over and over again. By making sure you have stressed your point or the idea to your audience and making sure that your audience understands how important the main point is then you will ensure that your message is well delivered and you have put a smile on your listeners. That’s when you know that your speech was a success and your audience has a sense of hope and purpose.

6)  Keep it Short

This is self-explanatory, and as you understand, no one wants to spend time listening to a particular person for 5 hours, and if I can remember well if a lecturer decided to extend the lecture, then all the students ended up switching off and pulled out their smartphones. There is nothing worse than prolonging something especially a speech. Therefore, ensure that you have a schedule and do not extend your speech. Be concise and to-the-point and avoid drifting from the main point and don’t forget that the time is limited and it’s not your time but your listeners.

Just a recap 

1.                  Be Memorable

2.                  Have a Structure:

3.                  Don’t Waste the Opening

4.                  Strike the Right Tone

5.                  End Strong

6.                  Keep it Short