Mar
05
2015
The pen is mightier than the sword
By Susan Croft.
I am sure you have on occasion listened spellbound to a speaker who has his/her audience on the edge of their seats. What a wonderful experience it is to listen to a riveting speech or presentation which maintains our interest, challenges our thinking and sparks our curiosity – all too rare in most workplaces.
As Socrates famously said all that matters is ‘delivery, delivery, delivery’. And he was right – up to a point. But what also matters very much is the actual written speech, the words used in the presentation – the ideas conveyed, how the messages are crafted and the entire creativity of the spoken words. This is the job of the speech writer.
Speech writers, in history and in current times, have held revered positions in seats of power such as the White House, Number Ten Downing Street and the Kremlin. They are the people who craft the compelling messages that leaders want to convey to the general public. And you can learn from their examples. Having the ability to write a great speech or develop a really good presentation is a great skill, whether you are writing it for your CEO, boss, senior partner, Chair, trustee or even yourself.
Using some of the oratory techniques used by President Obama, the late Steve Jobs, Tony Blair and others can help add drama and creativity to your writing.
Ever hear of ‘ascending anaphora’ or ‘captatio benevolentiae’ or ‘praeteritio’? Let alone knowing how to spell them!
If this blog has sparked your interest you should book a place on the Centre’s forthcoming workshop - Writing speeches: keynotes, presentations and special occasion addresses. See you there!
Susan Croft is an international public speaker, corporate trainer and PR practitioner and trains in sales, communications, marketing and management. She is a trained journalist and specialises in media and public speaking training for executives, educators and other professionals.
