How To Write a Speech To WOW Your Audience

Putting together a speech is somewhat similar to writing a paper, except for the fact that you will actually have to present the speech orally instead of turning it in for grading. For those of you in college or the ones having a business presentation that requires stand-up talking, it would be a great idea to learn how to write a speech so when the right time comes, you’re all set with the right speech outline and are well aware of the planning process that speech writing requires to be successful from start to finish.

Most speeches are less than 7 minutes long, and normally take 4-6 minutes to present them. Your first step in learning how to write a speech will be to determine the time frames available to you based on the subject matter in question. Remember, if this is a graded speech, you do not want to risk the embarrassment of running over the allotted time; plan according to the actual heart of the speech. The next thing you need to do is gather a general perception of your audience. If you were sitting in the audience listening to yourself, what do you think you should sound like? Learning the basis of sound, eye contact and audience participation is necessary for this speech to hit home.

During the first minute of your speech you would want to capture the audience’s attention by telling who you are, what the purpose of the speech is and giving them the general idea about the speech in an intriguing and mind-boggling manner. Take out a sheet of paper and write down a brief outline with this along with the time you'll need to complete this. In this initial introduction, throw in something relevant to a joke that can get the audience on your side and comfort your nervousness.

Now we need to work on writing the body of the speech. You'll need the greater part of 3-4 minutes to deliver this, so write down an organized account of the main points you'll be discussing about the chosen topic. In this body, you'll need to put your key facts, points, numerical data, and supported findings to pique the interest of the crowd and properly convey your point. Do not include disinteresting facts and wandering statements that could put the audience to sleep. Finally, you'll need to deliver your 'rally': the ending part of the speech that includes conclusions, opinions, reinforces the main purpose of the speech, and gives the audience something to dwell on throughout the day; this part should last about a minute and a half or less.