Civil Service Live

The write stuff for a winning speech

This content is written by the Civil Service News Team

It was US comedian Jerry Seinfeld who claimed people are more afraid of speaking in public than they are of death: “This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the coffin than doing the eulogy!“

So while public speaking is not for the timid, speeches and everything that goes into creating memorable and persuasive ones are what keeps plenty of people in government awake at night.

“Speeches remain the essential tool of the democratic process – a tool we need to get to grips with as it shapes what we do,“ according to Dr Susan Jones, from the National School of Government, at her packed Civil Service Live session for people who make speeches and those who write them.

“A great speech has three vital ingredients – 'head, heart and guts in the right proportion,'“ said Dr Jones, a former Cabinet speechwriter and the author of Speechmaking, a book on public oration techniques.

For speakers success is all about empathy with your audience, making a personal connection with what you are talking about and sharing stories that reinforce your message.

Dr Jones has a number of tools of rhetoric – simple techniques in speeches to help gain attention and ensure people remember what you say. These range from using imagery to asking questions and making contrasts. An example she gave for the latter is astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous line: “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.“

It's also important to use wit wisely. Making a speech should not be an audition for a stand-up comedy routine. One-liners are better than set piece jokes, and self-effacing humour wins hands down.

For speechwriters the simple truth is that you have to get close to your speaker. You cannot write a speech for someone if you don't really know what they are thinking or feeling – it will lack authenticity.

People warm to speakers who “provoke in them a sense of community, excitement and significance.“

For more details on learning effective speechwriting, check out the various courses on www.nationalschool.gsi.gov.uk