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5 Steps to impact Speech Writing

 

 

 

5 Steps to Impact!
Powerful Speech Writing Quick and Easy.

By Craig Senior, CTM. 
Thanks, Craig! 

View a SPEECH (Step over the Pebbles)  see the METHOD behind the theory.


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  Many people struggle with speech structure. Writing their speeches is painful. Often their ideas bear little resemblance to their original intent. They sound confusing as they drift from muddled idea to muddled idea. The audience tunes out and the speech fails to communicate.

 You can make your presentations simple, memorable and valuable if you use the "5 Steps to Impact" process with, you guessed it, five steps. If you clearly identify your (1)Thesis (main idea), identify the (2)Body Headings, fill in the Body Details, write the (3) Introduction and (4)Conclusion, and give the speech a simple, catchy  (5)Title, you will consistently deliver simple, powerful presentations that provide value and impact to your audiences.


#1 Thesis (Main Idea)
The first step is to write one sentence that presents the thesis (outcome, premise, or main idea) of your speech. What is the one idea you want the audience to take home with them? What one sentence expresses the action you want the audience to take when they leave the room? If they tuned out and ignored everything else what one idea do you want them to hear and remember? The thesis for the article you are now reading is, You can make your presentations simple, easy to follow and have greater impact if you follow a 5-step process called, "5 Steps to Impact" 
 
The thesis is driven not only by your idea but also your audience's interest in that idea. For example, a speech on how to address the problems with our educational system would differ dramatically when given to a group of students than when given to the school board and different again if to a group of parents. Always tailor your thesis to the audience's interests.
  
#2 The Body - Headings
With the thesis clearly identified, build a structure for its delivery. Start by writing points, or headings, related to the thesis. These ideas should add to the thesis, not conflict with it. They should support it, not let it down. They should relate to the thesis and not meander in different directions.

Organize these headings in a sequence such as problem-cause-solution, past-present-future, step-by-step, they-me-you, far-closer-near. There are many sequences. Pick the one that makes sense for your thesis.

You will find it far easier to think about, and sort, a few words as headings than many words as speech details. Details without structure will tend to meander, visibly lacking purpose. Details with structure will have impact.
 

 The Body - Details

With your headings in place, next write the body details. With a clear thesis and useful headings, writing the details is relatively straight forward, almost like filling in the blanks. Within a body section below each heading, you can use different structures. A basic structure works well for most speeches:
  

  • Give the premise of the section
     
  • Substantiate or support the premise with examples, stories, statistics, etc.
     
  • Tie-in the section premise to the speech thesis
     
  • Transition to the next point.

Draw on your past experiences, research, or collection of stories to support the thesis.

Transition between each point to provide continuity. For example the words, "With your headings in place," transitioned us into "writing body details", above.

This structure doesn't hold well for storytelling, where the whole speech is one story and the main idea may remain unclear until the end.

Sometimes, you will save the thesis until after the story such as when telling a story with a moral. The challenge is to ensure the audience stays with you throughout the story.
  
                                

#3 Introduction and Conclusion

Once the body details are written, package the material between the Introduction and Conclusion


The Introduction supports the thesis in that it warms up the audience to you, presents the thesis, and tells the audience where you are taking them. The Introduction should:
  

  • insight curiosity and audience interest

  • clearly introduce your thesis, and

  • paint a road map for the audience to follow. Avoid triteness while doing it.

Some say you should write the conclusion first because its what the audience remembers. I agree it's what the audience remembers but I disagree with writing it first. What they really mean is write the one idea you want the audience to take home with them. That sounds a lot like the thesis, doesn't it?

The Conclusion supports the thesis in that it drives it home and packages the speech to make it memorable. The Conclusion should

  • Wrap up the entire presentation

  • Repaint the road map to confirm what you covered

  • Reinforce the thesis by restating it in different words.

  • Encourage or inspire the audience. give the audience an action

By writing the Introduction and Conclusion after writing the thesis and body, you will ensure a well-packaged speech product. 
                              

#4 Title

The title may occur to you at anytime while writing your speech and it may change several times before you settle on one. Make it short, creative and catchy, insighting audience curiosity. It should point to the thesis without giving it away. Consider a subtitle. I could have called this speech "5 Steps to Impact - Powerful Speech Writing Made Quick and Easy". Try to sprinkle the title throughout your speech no more than once in the introduction, once in the conclusion and once during each body section unless using it in a play on words where the repetition is humorous.
 
                              

#5 Conclusion

Writing speeches with impact is simple, quick and easy (okay, easier) if you use a procedure, a repeatable method. The 5-Steps to Impact process will help you to add impact to your speeches and to write them more quickly. On a couple of occasions, I was called upon to deliver a 5-7 minute speech with 15 minutes notice. I wrote a thesis statement and the headings then ad-libbed the introduction and conclusion from those notes. Obviously, more preparation is preferred but we are often called upon to "say a few words" on short notice. This technique will help you do that more successfully.

If you identify your Thesis, identify the Body Headings, fill in the Body Details, write the Introduction and Conclusion, and give the speech a Title, you will have mastered a technique many struggle with for years. You will achieve the 5 Steps to Impact!

© Copyright to this article is held by Craig Senior, 1999. Distribution or republication of this article is forbidden without the express written permission of Craig Senior, e-mail seniorjc@aol.com.