A Conversation on Speechwriting

I recently sat down with a communications professor, Rich Sheridan of Ohio’s Wilberforce University, for a conversation touching on all things speechwriting. Here’s a transcript of our conversation.

How do you begin the process of writing a speech?

Perhaps the most important word in any speechwriter’s vocabulary should be “access”. If you have set out to capture someone else’s voice – a very strange exercise if you aren’t in the habit of impersonating people on a regular basis – it is essential that you have as much insight as possible into how they think, how they talk, how they carry themselves before an audience.

The upside of being a full-time speechwriter for a principal is that you will ideally have a greater opportunity to develop a relationship with the person you’re writing for. During my time in the Obama-era Department of Energy, I was very fortunate; leadership in our office has made it clear that speechwriting is a priority and an important pillar of our communications strategy, not an after-thought as it can unfortunately be in many environments (often corporate).

To that end, I was granted a great deal of access to him, as demonstrated in the proximity of my office – right next to his. I was expected and encouraged to attend speaking events that I gain a greater appreciation of how he handled a room.

When I couldn’t make it to a trip for an event where he would be speaking, one of his aides makes sure to record his remarks on an iPad so that I could listen later – and gain a greater understanding of what sections of my work made the final cut.

He maintained an open door policy for me to sit in on any and all of his meetings in which issues were discussed – enabling me a better understanding of how he spoke and thought about issues away from the spotlight.

The effect was that over time, it was not necessary for me to send him a questionnaire; by trial and error, I slowly developed a good instinct for how he approached various issues and topics.

All that said, access remains a perennial issue when finding time with a busy official. You can make the point to your boss as often as possible that even the President of the United States carves out time to review his speeches – it doesn’t mean that your conversation won’t be the first thing to come off the calendar when the schedule grows hectic. I’d say that my boss and I had an “ideal state” in which we find time to discuss his goals for the speech far in advance; I would go off and do my homework, reviewing what he had said on the topic, consulting with experts (another advantage of working within an institution, as opposed to freelance engagements); and we then reviewed his comments and suggestions – all well in advance of our deadline.

For the freelance or occasional speechwriter, I would advise them to simply gain as much background material on their speaker as possible. If even a brief call or meeting with the principal isn’t possible, spend the time to watch as many clips of them as you can find (you’d be amazed what you can track down on YouTube). The more chances you have to watch your speaker at work, the more likely you’ll be able to tap into the voice they are striving for.

Are there good shortcuts to adapt the speech to the time available?

I must confess that I’m a bit old school in eschewing much in the way of software or technology (though some colleagues swear by Natural Voice, which transcribes dictation, and Evernote, which allows for an easy place to store all the fleeting thoughts you have throughout the day). A standard shortcut I do use is keeping an eye on word count – it’s estimated that the typical speaker averages about 130 words aloud a minute.

By this metric, a 15-minute speech would run to roughly 1950 words. Some novices (myself included) make the mistake of using the rule of thumb from screenwriting, which posits that one page equals one minute of screen time – this rule does not apply to public speaking! Of course, many speakers speak faster, which may be a consideration to keep in mind to stay within a reasonable length.

Did you call (or e-mail) ahead to the organizers at events?

Yes – this is huge. I’ve learned that success for my meetings often boils down to being able to answer the next five questions – all of the things that you may not be considering when you’re thinking grandiose speech thoughts, but that your principal will immediately want to know. Am I sitting or standing? Is there a computer for the PowerPoint? How big is the crowd? Who’s speaking before me  and what are they going to say?

 Setting up a call with the event organizer is the surefire method to ensure that your boss isn’t caught by surprise. This is also an excellent opportunity to probe deeper into the kinds of nuggets of information that demonstrate your worth to your speaker.  Is there anything interesting to note about the venue? Are there any topics that would be best to not mention to this crowd?

Let’s say that the event is a graduation – are there any especially inspiring stories out there among the graduates? Taking the time to delve off the beaten path into these questions will help make your remarks much richer.

What kind of training would you recommend?

Beyond throwing oneself into the mix directly, I think the best preparation is wide and rigorous reading in all disciplines. When I was in government, for example, I tried to read a range of publications on clean energy and climate to keep up with my regular duties, but make a point to read outside of the discipline just as often – not only for pleasure, but to stay fresh.

The most invaluable function of a speechwriter is often to bring an outsider’s perspective – one unencumbered by the endless acronyms and jargon that defines so much of corporate and government writing. Maintaining a diet of poetry and fiction will help ensure that you have an instinct for what the average reader would actually enjoy reading.

If you were working with a new speaker who had never worked with a speech writer before, what advice would you give them to effectively coordinate with the writer?

I would advise them to invest some time in getting to know each other and asking the type of background that can help inform your understanding of how your boss sees the world. It’s helpful to ask them about what first go them passionate about their field; what they hope to accomplish as a leader; what they like to do in their personal time to unwind. Such relationship building will go a long way toward creating trust.  

Every principal seeks a speechwriter who can “capture her voice”. Try to arrange a period in which you can shadow your principal for a day or sit in on as many of their meetings as possible. You’ll gain an authentic appreciation for how they discuss various issues and pick up on quirks of phrase they use which can be integrated into their planned remarks. This will also all you some flexibility and face time with the principal without needing to carve out additional time on their crowded schedule.

  
How can you effectively persuade an audience?

The importance of story can’t be emphasized enough. 

This one is emphasized enough to have become tiresome advice, but it is, in fact, the key. Far too many speakers retreat into blizzards of acronyms and recitations of programs under their purview – without explaining how exactly these initiatives have helped anyone.

Take a step back and think about your organization as though you had never heard of it. What examples or personal testimonials would break through to you? What name can you put on the abstract idea of the customer you serve? This is one instance in life where anecdote will almost always trump statistics (though it won’t hurt to have a few data points up your sleeve as well to support your case).