We Need a Speech…

Pretend for a moment that you were starting over. That you were setting up your writing or consulting business for the very first time. What would you do differently? It’s a brand new world out there. Or is it?If you are slightly fossilized like me, then perhaps when you first hung out your shingle, fax machines were so “de rigueur” that you actually charged your clients for each page you faxed to them. Not for the content, but for the cost of toner! You think I’m joking right? Not so. In the mid-80s I worked for a PR firm that did exactly that. Apparently this was quite common “back in the day” - when email and the Internet were virtually non-existent. And a corporate web site was unheard of, well, because it was unheard of. Read more…

February 5th, 2008
Comments:No Comment Category: Essential Speechwriter, The Business of...

You would think that CEOs would get it by now. That we live in an MTV-CNN’d world, where people get their news in short sound bites or from Larry King. Where rumour is taken for truth, and perception for reality. Think Nixon. Think Clinton. The two Garys - Hart and Condit. This article appeared in the March 2002 issue of the “Speechwriter’s Newsletter. [www.ragan.com] But the lesson from today’s scandals apply equally well. Read more…

February 5th, 2008
Comments:2 Comments Category: Essential Speechwriter

The following is an extract of a speech I worked on with a senior official in a government agency. She was addressing a Board of Trade, explaining the ins and outs of new government legislation.Even though she was a first rate speaker, describing the ins and outs of legislation in an engaging manner can be a challenge. The extract that follows is self-explanatory and shows how the gift of story and anecdote can make even the driest of topics more engaging. It goes thusly:

“I want to close with a story. You may think it is a little personal. But it illustrates an important point about the exchange of information.

Some years ago I was bathing my son. He must have been about four or five at the time and he asked me one of those innocent questions that children ask. The ones that always give parents cause to stop and perhaps think too much about the answer.

He said “Mom, I have a penis.” Read more…

February 5th, 2008
Comments:No Comment Category: Essential Speechwriter

Keep it simple. That’s a motto that applies in spades for speech writing. Remember you are writing for the ear, not the page. The following is a speech I wrote in about an hour. I knew the speaker was terrified of public speaking and she was going to have to stand up and talk at a memorial for her great Aunt.The only information I had was that she liked animals and playing poker. Read more…

February 5th, 2008
Comments:No Comment Category: Essential Speechwriter

I don’t know about you, but I have read a ton of marketing self-help books. You can spend so much time reading about marketing that you don’t actually do any marketing! It’s called avoidance.

Whenever I find myself in the trough between hope and despair, I turn to the following web sites or books for inspiration and “what to do next” planning.

Robert Middleton’s “InfoGuru Marketing Manual” for independent service professionals. If you are a freelance writer, that is exactly what you should be. Independent and professional. Robert’s manual and other products help get you to that happy place You can check him out here.

Speaker Net News is a free weekly email newsletter sent each Friday to more than 6000 professional speakers, consultants, trainers, and authors. It is jam packed with useful hints and tips. Click here for more information

February 5th, 2008
Comments:1 Comment Category: Resources

I have often been asked how do I write in the “voice” of my clients? The short answer is that I don’t even try. Here’s the scoop - an extract for an article I wrote dealing with that very question.

“Since I have clients across North America, there are many CEOs I never meet. In fact, some of them don’t even know I am writing for them.”

“And I am often asked the question “How do I write in their voice?” The answer to that is that I don’t even try.” Read more…

February 5th, 2008
Comments:No Comment Category: Dealing with Clients, Essential Speechwriter