Written by Ellen Schweppe

The topic of today's workshop is "Creating High-Impact Speeches." But before you can do that, you need to choose a good speechwriter.

Finding a good speechwriter to work with you or your organization's executives is one of the best ways to assure that your key messages are delivered to your most important audiences effectively.

I'm going to talk about the top five qualities to keep in mind when choosing a speechwriter. I'm also going to tell you the top five ways to get the most out of your working relationship with the speechwriter you've chosen.

This list works both ways. It's not just for people who hire or manage speechwriters. If you are a speechwriter-or you want to be-these are qualities you can cultivate to make yourself valuable to any organization.

Choosing a Speechwriter

Let's start with choosing a speechwriter. The number one thing to look for is obvious: a good writer. But not every good writer is also a good speechwriter. Speechwriting is specialized because it requires expertise in writing for the ear.

The reason this quality is so important is simple: When you're listening to a speech, you can't go back to a section you didn't understand like you can when you're reading a document. So the speechwriter must use language, organization and other techniques that make it easy for you to follow what the speaker is saying.

Number two: Look for someone who can think strategically and develop speeches that help the organization meet its goals. Good speechwriters don't just put nice words on paper. They help organizations execute their key strategies. They write speeches that encourage audience members to think or do what the speaker wants them to think or do as a result of hearing the speech.

Number three: Look for someone who is a good researcher and synthesizer. Someone who can take a whole pile of documents and pull out the one or two scintillating examples that will make the speech memorable. Someone who can take the most complex technical information and make it accessible to non-technical audiences. This is an important skill if those non-technical listeners also happen to be the decision makers.

Number four: Look for someone who works well with executives. Good speechwriters are not intimidated by the executives they write for. They're not shy about expressing opinions or offering advice. But they know when to be diplomatic and can act accordingly.

Number five: Look for someone who is deadline oriented but flexible. A speechwriter often must pull together information from several sources and turn it into a stellar script in a limited timeframe, so you want someone who can get that done. At the same time, you want someone with the flexibility to handle those inevitable last-minute changes.

You'll notice that in my list of what to look for in a speechwriter, I did not say look for an expert in widgets or world peace or whatever your organization deals with.

It's nice if you can find one. But your organization is already filled with experts on your issues. You don't need another issue expert. You need a speechwriting expert who can talk to the issue experts and turn what they know into a speech that resonates with the audience.

Working with a Speechwriter

Now that you've found the perfect speechwriter, how can you work with that person to get the best results? What can you provide to help him do the best possible job? And if you are the speechwriter, what do you need to get from the organization or executive you're writing for to do your best work?

These are my top five tips:

Number one: Make sure the speechwriter knows the goal of the speech. What does the speaker want the audience to do or think after hearing the speech? Buy your company's services or products? Vote for your candidate? Volunteer for your cause?  This is an important question to answer because everything in the speech should lead the audience to this conclusion.

Number two: Make sure the speechwriter has access to the speaker. One-on-one time is critical so the speaker and the writer can agree on the goal and approach for the speech. It's also important for the writer to get to know the personality of the speaker and the way he expresses himself so that can be reflected in the speech. And it's the best way to pick up those anecdotes that make speeches sing.

Number three: Make sure the speechwriter knows the event details. What's the topic? What's the occasion? What time of day is the speech? How long should the speech be? Who will be in the audience? What's their attitude toward the topic? Who else is speaking and what do they plan to talk about? Will there be a question-and-answer session?

Most speechwriters like to talk directly with the event organizer, because all of these factors affect the speech and how the writer helps the speaker prepare.

Number four: Make sure the speechwriter has access to all of the information sources he needs - whether it's other people in your organization, third-party experts, Web sites, publications or reports. Do what you can to smooth the way.

Number five: Leave the speechwriter alone. You've chosen someone with outstanding qualifications and you've given him everything he needs to develop a speech that advances your strategy. Now let him do his job.

Most speechwriters like to gather information, organize the speech, and then let everything incubate for a time before they write. Even if it doesn't look like they're working, they are. And the results will be that much better.

Those are my top ten tips for choosing and working with speechwriters. They've worked for me, and I think they'll work for you.

Now I'm going to give you a bonus tip: If you are a speechwriter or public relations manager who works with executives, do everything in your power to make sure they get training in presentation skills and prepare for each speaking event.

You can write the most fabulous speech in the world. But if the speaker doesn't have the skills to deliver it well or doesn't take the time to practice, the presentation won't be the high-impact communication tool you intended.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ellen Schweppe is president of Ellen Schweppe Company, LLC, an editorial services firm that helps organizations and executives deliver their key messages to their most important audiences.

She is an award-winning writer and editor with nearly three decades of experience as a public relations executive, executive speechwriter, publication manager and journalist.

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