How to Write a Speech That Resonates with Your Audience

Reading a speech is easy; speech writing is the bulk of the work.

The “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. and the “I Am Prepared to Die” by Nelson Mandela are great works. But do you know what it took to get them to be so impactful?

Truthfully, we do not know if these speeches were ever written beforehand. However,  acquiring the same or greater speech writing skills to curate impactful speeches today would be lucrative!

Such speeches leave a lasting mark on everyone who listens to them. But how can you upgrade your speech writing to these levels and above?

Here, we have all the secrets for crafting a resonant speech; you are about to read through them all.

Let’s walk you through the process, starting with setting the stage.

Setting the Stage

The speaker’s tone can inspire, motivate, and influence public speaking. Unfortunately, you miss the mark if the speech writing words aren’t intentional.

A speech’s essence is in the words that paint a picture. You win when words expand a listener’s imagination, moving the characters from scene to scene.

Look at the speech writing examples from the greats; they all took you somewhere! They set the stage.

Naturally, the very beginning of a resonant speech is usually a story. These stories are deliberate as they transport the listener to the world the speaker comes from.

So, how do you harness this power to create a speech that captivates your audience?

To get there, setting the stage with speech writing, it all boils down to this:

Choosing Your Tone

We’ve already established this: the speaker’s tone can inspire, motivate, and influence!

But the problem is that you cannot read the tone but only hear it! Luckily, there are loopholes to get the right intonation through speech writing.

As a writer, the trick is to adopt the following techniques to incorporate intonation in your speech writing:

1: Punctuation

Reading certain sentences with specific punctuation marks forces you to use rising or falling intonation. For example, question marks force a rising intonation, and full stops the opposite. Ellipses signal hesitation, and commas and em dashes offer a break.

2: Sentence Structure

Short sentences sound assertive; longer ones are persuasive. Repeating sentence structures emphasize a point, and questions like rhetorical ones draw a listener’s emotion.

3: Word Choice

Using strong power words can influence how the listener hears the text. Also, using interjections, such as “ah” or “hmmm,” further helps paint the picture. Rhetorical devices like parallelism, similies, and figurative language also suffice.

Use these steps right from the beginning of your speech writing task.

Understanding Your Audience:

Who are you speaking to?

What are their demographics (age, education, profession), interests, values, and prior knowledge of your topic?

To get this information to use in your speech writing, start by:

• Researching your audience: Go through articles, reports, surveys, or social media discussions that your target audience typically resonates with. Talk to individuals within your audience to get the information firsthand.
• Defining your purpose: What is the goal you would love to achieve with your speech? Is it to inform, persuade, entertain, or inspire? Having this info will determine your detail, tone, and approach level.
• Considering the occasion: Matching the speech writing to the scene is important. So ask yourself: Where and when is your speech taking place? Is it a formal or an informal setting? Are there any time constraints? Knowing these details will influence your speech’s length, style, and delivery.

How To Structure Speech Writing

Once you have the tips on stage setting, the structure is a no-brainer.

You only require minimal credentials to draft a speech because keeping it simple is the key.

Here’s how effortless it is:

Introduction – The Hook

There are several ways to set the stage in the intro:

• Tell a story.
• Ask a rhetorical question.
• Share a surprising fact.
• Express a relatable sentiment.

These statements will make the listener eager to stay for the journey.

Body – Develop Your Narrative

For the body, you address the pain points, the implications they create, and the solution you have or propose — in that order.

Divide your speech into clear sections, each addressing a critical point.

Remember, short sentences for assertiveness and punctuation for intonation. Mixing these up will help you keep your audience hooked with a smooth-flowing speech.

Conclusion – Leave a Lasting Impression

Once you get to the end of your speech writing, aim to end your speech on a note that keeps your listeners thinking.

Here, you can review your key points, offer a memorable takeaway, or return to your opening. As a punchline, finish with a question like “What could be more important?” or a statement like “It’s all in your pitch.”

Practical Tips

Now that we’ve explored the theory of how to write a speech, the following are two practical tips to turn your speech-writing prowess into a reality.

• Edit Ruthlessly: To avoid sending out unedited speech writing, trim the unnecessary content from your speech to ensure every word serves a purpose.
• Conduct Mock Rehearsals: Be practical and run mock rehearsals with the speaker before the speech. This allows you to fine-tune the tone, pace, and gestures in a controlled environment.

Elevate Your Speech Writing with Competent Speakers!

If you do not have a speaker, you may ask for professional help.

You may require an experienced event-planning firm that organizes official and leisure events across diverse industries. Find one that partners with opinion leaders, celebrity & motivational speakers, trainers, and consultants to craft impactful events.

You also need solutions that entail offering speaker services for various sessions.

Opting for such an agency may help you enhance productivity, profitability, and vision. It may also help boost employee performance, motivate teams, and develop corporate leaders.

Connect with the best today to elevate your speech writing and speaking endeavors and leave a lasting impact. Unleash the power of collaborating your speech writing skills with the best speakers and witness its profound effect on your audience’s minds and emotions.