Complete Guide To Write A Persuasive Speech by Frank Hamilton

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Whether you want to write a speech to inspire your colleagues or you simply want to learn a new skill, there is one thing you should remember: speech writing becomes easier the more you practice. And yet, before you do start practicing, you will first have to understand the basics of speech writing.

By understanding how speeches are structured and which techniques you can use to perfect yours, you will be able to write truly persuasive speeches. And that’s exactly what a good speech is – it persuades your audience in some way. Hence, here’s the complete guide to writing a persuasive speech even if you’ve never done it before.

#1 Start with Your Idea

The best way to start writing your speech is to first think about your idea. Every great speech has some kind of idea, a message that the person wants to send. Whether it’s a politician addressing the parliament or it’s a professor introducing themselves during the first lecture, every speech has an idea, a message, a topic, or something similar to that.

To define your idea, you should first think about the occasion. Why are you writing the speech? Where will you be saying it? Who will be your audience? What do you want the outcome to be? Should the speech inform, entertain, inspire, motivate, persuade, or something else?

Try to make your idea clear. Stating it clearly to yourself is crucial, but you can also use this statement in the speech itself to directly point out what you want your audience to get from your speech. You can state your main idea either at the beginning or at the end of your speech for the greatest effect.

#2 Structure Your Speech

Once you know what the main idea of your speech is, you will need to structure your speech. Having an outline before you start writing will allow you to organize your thoughts better. Moreover, a speech that is structured is easier to digest because it isn’t chaotic or confusing with the information it is trying to deliver to its audience.

Ben Farmer, an expert from the writing services reviews site Writing Judge, puts it this way, “You don’t need to have an extremely detailed outline, especially if you aren’t planning to make your speech very long. Write down the main points you want to make in each paragraph and ensure that these points progress in a logical way.”

#3 Write from Your Heart

Now, use your outline to write the speech itself. This is by far the most difficult part of the process, so here are some tips to help you out:

  • Write as You Talk: Remember that your speech is meant to be spoken, so don’t make it sound like a text that has been written just for reading. Likewise, don’t try to sound too official or even robotic. You are a human! Your listeners are humans too.
  • Use Storytelling: People have been telling stories for ages, so telling a story in your speech is definitely a great idea. It doesn’t even have to be your own story. You can tell a story you heard or a story that happened to a person you know. As long as it’s relevant, it can probably enrich your speech.
  • Be Authentic: Being unique and original is difficult. In fact, it is very difficult. But being authentic is much easier. As long as you are showing your true self, you can be authentic in your speech.

#4 Get Feedback from Others

When you finish your speech and edit it, it may seem like the best speech you’ve ever seen. Or, on the contrary, it may seem like the worst speech you’ve ever seen. But don’t be fooled in either case because the truth is probably somewhere in-between. And that’s exactly why you need to get feedback on your speech from others.

Melinda Tillman, an expert from the custom writing reviews site Best Writers Online, explains it this way, “Getting an outside perspective is always a great idea. Different people will have different interpretations of the same exact thing. This is why getting different opinions will give you a fuller picture and a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your speech.”

#5 Look at Speech Examples

Last but not least, you can further improve your speech by looking at other famous speeches. These examples can inspire you to use certain techniques to make your speech even better:

  • TED Talks: Right now, one of the biggest collections of speeches online is the TED Talks channel. You’ve probably heard one or two of them, but there are hundreds if not thousands of other speeches to listen to. And the best part? They cover virtually any topic you can think of.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” Speech: Probably one of the most well-known speeches in history, “I Have a Dream” is still relevant and widely discussed today thanks to its message and values.
  • Winston Churchill’s 1940 “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” Speech: Another historic speech by an equally important historical figure is “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”. It was one of the three big speeches Churchill gave at the time that were crucial for diplomacy.
  • Lou Gehrig’s 1939 “Luckiest Man” Speech: Baseball legend Lou Gehrig gave this speech before he died at the age of 37. His passing was tragic as the disease that killed him was actually named after him. “Luckiest Man” is a speech that encourages people not to mourn Gehrig’s passing but to celebrate the joy of life. It’s a truly inspiring piece that anyone will appreciate.

Ultimately, writing a good speech doesn’t only depend on talent. In fact, a lot of it depends on your skill which can, in turn, be developed through practice. If you don’t write good speeches at first, you can still become successful at speech writing the more you practice it. Utilize the practices in this article and start writing your own speeches.