The 2 Ingredients Needed to Write a Speech for Someone Else
The public speaking industry mirrors the music industry in many ways.
Look at a musician who is on tour.
What are they doing?
They are public speaking.
Or you can say, public singing.
They are presenting themselves in front of an audience.
Also, the public speaker and a musician lead very introverted lives.
Many people think a public speaker is always surrounded by people because that’s what they see when the speaker is giving the speech.
In reality, that’s not the case.
Most of the public speaking process happens solo.
- Brainstorming a talk.
- Practicing a talk.
- Refining a talk.
The speaker and musician have lonely creative journeys.
Another parallel between the speaking and music industry is the concept of writing.
The music industry has a role called “song writers.”
The public speaking industry has a role called “speech writers.”
What is a Speech Writer?
A speech writer is someone who writes speeches for someone else.
Many public speakers write and deliver their own speeches.
If that’s the case, why is this position needed?
Because many leaders have their plates full and do not have the time to create their own talk.
So, they hire the consulting services of a speech writer.
Most presidents have speech writers.
Sure, a lot of times, they speak from the heart.
But whenever they have a big talk, where certain points NEED to be conveyed, they lean on speech writers.
You may be shocked.
‘Wait, a great speaker like Barack Obama had a speech writer??’
He most certainly did.
You couldn’t tell, could you?
There is a reason why.
The 2 Ingredients Needed to Be a Great Speech Writer
The 2 ingredients of a great speech writer:
- You need to know the subject well.
- You need to know the subject well.
‘Wait Armani, you wrote the same thing twice.’
Nope, I’m using the word subject in 2 different ways.
The first ‘subject’ I’m referring to is the topic.
You need to know the topic of the potential speech very well.
Let’s say you are writing a speech for Dwayne Robertson.
Dwayne is an industry leader in the dolphin research field.
He is pushing to build a stadium that will be a safe haven for dolphins.
If you know nothing about dolphins, then you should not be accepting this speech-writing job.
You won’t be able to capture the essence of what Dwayne is trying to convey.
The next ‘subject’ I’m referring to is Dwayne, the person.
Let’s say you know tons about dolphins.
However, your talk lacks something.
Humor.
Dwayne is well-known in his field because of his humor.
Where most dolphin researchers are boring, Dwayne has a personality.
And your speech is not capturing that!!
To be a great speech writer, you need to:
- Know the topic well.
- Know the presenter well.
Cheat Code to Better Speech Writing
To be a great speech writer, be a great blog writer.
Getting someone to read a 1000-word blog out loud will come out to roughly 10 minutes if we are factoring in strategic silences.
Go ahead and try it out for yourself.
Read a 1000-word blog out loud.
[If you can’t find a 1000-word entry, read this post out loud. It’s ~1000 words.]
When you see a stunning parallel between blog writing and speech writing, then speech writing won’t seem as intimidating.
You need to crawl before you can walk.
If reading 1000-word blogs out loud is too intimidating, try 600-word blogs.
Imagine that you are giving a speech.
How does it sound when you are reading the lines out loud?
Some lines will need modification.
These lines are great for the written word, but not great for the spoken word.
Once you modify them, you’ll see how close you are to having a final draft ready.
Many people don’t see the relationship between speech writing & blog writing.
If you can, then you will skyrocket your growth.
How Much to Charge for Your Services
I can’t give an estimate on how much to charge.
To find your market rate, I recommend practicing writing blogs and then testing the waters yourself.
You can go on Fiver, market your services on social media, or initially write speeches for free and then ask clients how much they would’ve paid.
Not going to lie, I hate speech writing.
It feels like work for me and a waste of time.
I don’t ever want the ArmaniTalks brand to create talks for someone else again.
I just want to create talks for myself.
Nowadays, even if someone gives me 2000 dollars, I’d say pass.
Don’t be surprised if you’re the same way.
Because when you learn how to create talks, a part of you wants to deliver them yourself.
It feels weird when someone else is reading your words out loud.
That being said, the role of a speechwriter is built through word of mouth.
A top industry leader is not going to go on Fiver to hire a speech writer.
He’s often going to go to his inner circle and ask:
‘Do any of y’all know a good speech writer?’
That’s when you want to be recommended.
To be recommended, you need to put in the work.
Write for free if you have to before charging.
Once you begin charging, you’ll get an idea for what people are willing to pay you.
Mastering all Elements of Public Speaking
I consider a speaker deadly when they can:
- Think of their talks.
- Write them.
- Deliver them.
It’s even more deadly when this speaker is prolific.
They can do these 3 steps like brushing their teeth.
Many speakers don’t have the confidence to do all 3.
They can deliver a talk like a superstar but are scared to write one.
Many people are great writers but when the lights shine bright, they freeze.
These 2 groups need each other.
- One group will write the talk.
- The other group will deliver the talk.
A synergistic relationship is born.
For more public speaking insights, check out the Speaking Wizard eBook
