Speechwriting

As a PR practitioner, part of your job will be to counsel your client on a speech. Most likely, you will also be the one to write the speech. It is important to keep the following factors in mind before writing a speech:

1) Know the audience
-Who is going to hear the speech?
-If you know the characteristics of the audience then you will be able to form the speech to best fit their interests

2) Know the speaker
-When writing a speech for someone else you have to take into account their personality
-If you write something that he/she is uncomfortable saying, it will show through in the speech
-Also, for example, if the speaker stutters, don’t give them long words to say in the speech

3) Be aware of all of the factors
-The time frame of the speech, what time of day it will be presented, the type of arena the speech will take place in, etc

4) Make sure there is an introduction, body and conclusion
- In the introduction you should preview your speech with important points
-The details are given in the body of the speech
-When concluding the speech make sure the speaker says how all of the points they made relate
-It is very important for the speaker to tell the audience the action they need to take
-Don’t leave it up to the audience to figure it out the action, be direct

5) Visual aids
-Visual aids, such as a powerpoint presentation, might be necessary depending on the type of speech
-You may also be responsible for these

There are many other factors you need to keep in mind when actually writing the speech, but it is important to do your research first. To write a successful speech, make sure you know the audience, the speaker and the miscellaneous factors before beginning.

*Some information taken from
Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics
D. Wilcox, G. Cameron, P. Ault, W. Agee
8th Edition 2007