I’ve just come across a fabulous Channel on YouTube.

THNKR posts original videos in four sub-categories: on books, prodigies, thought leaders and public speaking. The public speaking channel (called PODIUM) is described as

Embracing oration & those with something to say. From historic political speeches, to contemporary commencement addresses, to wedding toasts, the series explores various genres of speechmaking and provides inspiring insightful analysis including “how-to” content. New episodes premiere ever other week, and run about seven minutes.

Here’s an example of the well-produced content – four tips on overcoming fear of public speaking.

I also enjoyed the analysis of Obama’s 2004 Convention speech which launched his career and features commentary by American University professor Robert Lehrman and other experts.

Brian Jenner runs the European Speechwriters Network, an association that brings together international communicators to promote the craft and profession of speechwriting. The Network hosts conferences and organizes training; supporting like-minded individuals, working as freelancers, or within international organizations, to share expertise, exchange ideas and make new contacts. This is a transcript of a talk Brian gave to Toastmasters International on Wednesday 11 April 2012.

My name is Brian Jenner and I’ve brought a photograph to show you today. It’s me, with the tool of my trade.

It cost me £600 and it stands in my study.

It’s a lectern.

When I finish writing a speech, I print it off, go to the lectern and read it out. The lectern doubles up as a desk and I can make amendments in the margin as I go along.

Woody Allen said that 90% of being a success was turning up.

I’d say that you’re 50% on the way to becoming a professional speechwriter if you read out every speech you write.

You’d be surprised how many people don’t.

I spend quite a lot of time searching for the text of speeches on the internet. They publish the ones made by corporate CEO’s in banks, international organizations and insurance companies.

You soon realize that no-one could possibly have tried to read them out before they’re delivered – they’re so verbose and dreary.

I had quite a struggle before I decided it was my vocation to become a speechwriter. We all have natural abilities. Things that come easily to us. Ideally we need a job that uses all our talents to the maximum.

I’ve given it careful thought and I’ve come to the conclusion that I play five different roles as a speechwriter.

The first is that of a JOURNALIST

I trained as a journalist. I worked on The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph.

The most important skill of a journalist is to be able to research a story. My clients don’t usually have the time to spend five hours looking deeply into a subject.

A newspaper has the resources to support a journalist.

I have reference books – and the equivalent of a cuttings library – a large collection of jokes and stories, which work well in speeches.

It means experience counts for something.

Most jobs require a little bit of madness, and a speechwriter needs to be a FANTASIST

I’m always puzzled by the number of people who accept reality as it is.

The Italian sociologist Pareto said you could divide the world into two types, people who are routine, steady going, unimaginative and conservative and those who are constantly preoccupied with the possibilities of new combinations.

My local councillors worry about pavements and parking.

When I moved down to Bournemouth in 2004, I thought I’d moved to a backwater for senior citizens. Then I realised the area’s potential.

If it linked up together with Poole and Christchurch, I see how it could become a great city like San Francisco on the South Coast.

It’s the job of the speechwriter, with a brooding and creative temperament, to manipulate the steady going, because we’re in the business of reconstructing the world with ideas.

The third skill you need is HUMORIST

I studied French at university. One of my favorite quotations comes from the French writer Rabelais.

Mieux est de ris que de larmes escrire
Pour ce que rire est le propre de l’homme.

It’s better to write laughs than tears because laughter is what being human is all about.

What’s the point of being boring?

What’s the point of complaining?

If you want to persuade people to do something new, it helps if you can make them laugh.

The fourth skillset is PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Speechwriting is a very intimate process.

You’ve got to get under your client’s skin.

When we speak in public we reveal a lot more about ourselves than we realize.

When a best man wants to go to a wedding and tell obscene jokes. That tells you something about his psychological problems. I help him conceal them.

However, when a father of the bride says he hasn’t got a clue what to say, it’s my job to probe, and encourage him to express feelings that he may have been too shy to admit to, but will give great significance to the day.

Lastly, a speechwriter is a FUNAMBULIST

For many the prospect of giving a speech is like a wire walk.

It fills them with dread.

The speechwriter has to walk their walk for them.

We can’t deviate from the path they set.

One of my heroes is Philippe Petit, the French funambulist.

He was inspired to begin his great project when he saw something in a magazine in the dentists in 1968 – a picture of the Twin Towers which were going to be built in New York.

Then he decided he was going to put a wire across the gap between the towers and do the tightrope walk.

The story of how he did it, which made a great book and film, epitomizes for me how an idea becomes a vision and a vision a reality.

If you want an image to express how the speechwriter supports the speaker, we’re like the balancing pole to the wire walker.

We’re there to add stability and improve co-ordination.

So I’m lucky. I don’t get to do just one job, I do five.

Journalist, fantasist, humorist, psychotherapist and funambulist.

I was recently interviewed by Vancouver-based social media and organizational strategy expert Rob Cottingham. Rob’s Social Signal blog is a rich source of information on social media and public speaking and speechwriting. He’s added a podcast series and you can click through and hear our conversation on the ways speechwriters can take advantage of social media.

10 Steps to Writing a Vital Speech: The Definitive Guide to Professional Speechwriting, by Fletcher Dean

Fletcher Dean is a working speechwriter at the Dow Chemical Company where he is Director of Leadership Communications. He’s also a regular presenter at the Ragan Speechwriters Conference and delivered a half-day workshop at the 2012 event on How to make an audience listen: rewriting with the audience in mind. Dean mentions fellow Ragan presenters Mike Long and Pete Weissman in his book and the forward is by Vital Speeches of the Day editor David Murray, who is also the books’ publisher.

In this book, Dean shares his insight on how to be a successful speechwriter, quoting Ron Kirpatrick, a veteran executive communications pro at Toyota: “Most writers and PR people would rather do anything than write a speech. It frightens them.” If you are new to speechwriting, this book will go a long way to removing any fears you might have about the challenges involved.

It’s a quick read at just over 100 pages and is filled with nuggets of condensed wisdom, told in an unassuming, practical manner by a speechwriter who has been there and done that.

The 10 steps to writing a speech, according the Dean:

1. Know the audience
2. Target the words
3. Find the right material
4. Tell a story
5. How to say it: show or tell?
6. Structure the speech
7. Write the material
8. Rewrite for clarity
9. Using PowerPoint
10. Coaching the speaker

Some of the most enjoyable, and insightful, parts of the book are the analysis of icons of American rhetoric including General Douglas McArthur’s 1962 speech to West Point cadets and Robert Kennedy’s 1968 speech in Indianapolis on the night Martin Luther King was assassinated.

Each chapter lists “Insider Tips”. These are nuggets of wisdom such as:

Always write a second close to your talk, one that comes after any Question/Answer period if there is one. When the questions are over, hit the audience again with a second close of about one minute. It should include three items: a thank you for the opportunity to speak, a thank you for their interest, a quick summary of the key message.

An added bonus are the Last Word and the Appendix which list practical tips that are worth the price of the book.

Dean claims that

Speechwriters have to be so much more than just good tacticians and excellent writers. In fact, you might do best to avoid being called a speechwriter altogether.

He advises taking a more holistic view of the executive communications function, using your skills as a communicator to achieve the organizations’ goals.

This book is a good overall introduction to the craft of speechwriting. Recommended.

I caught up with Fletcher at the Speechwriters Conference and asked him about the background to the book and what future plans he has to author more books. As you can see from the picture, Fletcher makes sure he color-coordinates his tie with the cover of his book!

To hear what he said, click on the podcast icon below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:50 — 1.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

This is one of the longest blog postings I’ve done on a single presentation. I believe that there was sufficient content in Justina Chen’s keynote to justify the cost of attending the entire 2012 Ragan Speechwriters Conference.

In a spectacular closing keynote at the 2012 Ragan Speechwriters Conference, Justina Chen celebrated The Heart of Storytelling. A former speechwriter for the head of the Entertainment division at Microsoft, Chen is now an award-winning author of young adult fiction books such as North of Beautiful which has been praised for “lively, artful prose.”

Her command of language and the stage was on display throughout the hour-long talk that celebrated the many ways to effectively bring the essence and power of the story into the corporation – to empower the spokespeople of the organization with the ability to change hearts and minds through storytelling.

She quoted with relish Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes who notes in Women Who Run With The Wolves that stoytellers are:

“… direct descendants of an immense and ancient community of holy people, troubadours, bards, griots, cantadoras, cantors, traveling poets, bums, hags, and crazy people.”

Chen noted that something about stories lift our spirit. This is something all children are in tune with. The question is, how to convince hard-bitten executives and harassed middle-managers that their speech should be built around stories when all they want is the facts and nothing but?

Brain Rules

To convince executives who don’t want to use stories, Chen finds it useful to quote the neuroscience research outlined in Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina which proves:

1. People remember stories
2. Audiences need to re-engage every ten minutes via a story
3. We learn through metaphor which are deep and rich with meaning

Medina writes:

As you no doubt have noticed if you’ve ever sat through a typical PowerPoint presentation, people don’t pay attention to boring things (Brain Rule #4). You’ve got seconds to grab someone’s attention, and only 10 minutes to keep it. At 9 minutes and 59 seconds, something must be done quickly—something emotional and relevant. Also, the brain needs a break. That’s why I use stories in this book to make many of my points.

Here’s a useful illustration of Medina’s 12 Brain Rules.

Given this evidence, Chen proves to her clients that corporate stories matter. The right story told in right way can inspire change people’s minds and hearts.

A Story is not a Vignette

A story is not a vignette. A vignette is defined as a short descriptive literary sketch or a brief incident or scene. A story, on the other hand, involves conflict and transformation, a call to adventure, crossing a threshold, succeeding in tests, surviving a crisis and reaping a reward.

The core of Chen’s presentation detailed three types of stories she has used in her speechwriting. There are stories of corporate mythology, of personal narrative, and product stories. These three powerful templates will connect with the audience.

(I would add that writers can explore a wider variety of stories by reading The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker. This tome outlines multiple frameworks for stories embedded in an audience’s unconscious, using archetypes such as Rags to Riches, Rebirth, Overcoming the Monster, the Voyage and Return and so on.)

Stories of Corporate Mythology

Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth talks about the eternal truth of myth. One that is celebrated in Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and other classic stories where good overcomes evil.

As in Middle Earth … so in middle management.

The corporate world needs to recognize the importance of mythology. To figure out:

• What is our corporate mythology?
• What are the stories that encapsulate our organization truth, our values, our DNA?
• Who are we?
• What do we stand for?
• If the company were a hero, what has been its quest?
• Where have we failed?
• What have we learned?
• How have we overcome?
• What our strengths?
• What are our weaknesses?
• Why is it important for us to be here right now?

Don’t be afraid of discussing failures, the crucible moments in the company history is where we see character emerge. Speechwriters can research the times the company has failed and show the lessons, the backbone, and the spine of the organization:

Only then do triumphs feel well earned, only then does success become so much more meaningful, only then so our hero’s, our leaders, our companies, become that much more beloved.

Chen quoted Leonard Cohen from Anthem

There’s a crack in everything / That’s how the light comes in.

(She omitted the preceding line which speechwriters on a tight deadline might pin above their desks:

Forget your perfect offering.)

Personal Stories

Today’s leaders must understand the power of telling their own story. It’s important that a leader be a good storyteller, but equally important that the leader embody that story.

Harvard’s Dr Howard Garnder writes in Leading Minds: An Anatomy Of Leadership that “the artful creation and articulation of stories constitutes a fundamental part of the leader’s vocation”, and these well-crafted stories constitute “the single most powerful weapon in the leader’s literary arsenal.” Whether consciously or unconsciously, inspirational leaders always fashion and tell stories of identity. Gardner goes on to state that a political leader, when dealing with a diverse group, must tell stories that are sufficiently elemental to be understood by the “unschooled” mind.

(More on this topic can be found in Professor John Sadowsky’s blog:

Leaders actively craft and tell authentic personal stories of identity that bring their values to life. And, they use their stories to teach their followers, their teams, and their organizations. It is through their personal stories that leaders reveal who they are, and it is by revealing their true nature that they inspire others to action.)

Leaders need to develop a communications platform that explains

• What makes them the right leader for this time in the corporations history?
• What are the three major elements of their leadership that will bring them to success?
• What are the stories they can tell, strategically deployed at the right time, to demonstrate that they are the right leaders?

Creating Executive Platforms for Effective Storytelling

Here’s where Chen delivered the goods, big time.

She spoke of her personal experience, at Microsoft, researching story content and weaving it into presentations. Her tips are a recipe for success for any speechwriter in a corporate environment who wants to put storytelling into practice.

Her tips include:

• Work with your HR counterpoint. Ask for their assessment of the executives’ strengths and weaknesses. How do people perceive that leader? What would HR want that leader to change to make them more effective?
• Contact a PR agency or your internal PR team and get their assessment of everyone in industry at the same level as your leader. How are they perceived? What are they good at and what are their weaknesses and how does my leader stack up? What kind of messaging are they using?
• Then ask for at least 90 minutes with leader. Meet offsite over lunch where they are relaxed. Dig into their personal narrative. Ask: Who are you? Why are you at this company? What have been some of your successes and, more importantly, what have been some of your most devastating failures? How did you overcome challenges in both your personal life, then in business? What do you wish you’d known as you started out your career? Where do you want to go?

With this background you can build a foundation of trusted communication with your leader. Establish an agreement that every week you can email three questions, one of which will be personal. Ask: Who have you met this week? What’s your favorite book? What kind of music do you like to listen to? What do you like to eat?

All of this detail infuses speeches. If you learn they are reading about Harry Truman, include a quote from Harry Truman in a speech.

The biggest compliment you’ll get from a speaker is for them to look at the speech and say “This sounds like me, this feels like me.”

And when they can own the content they can own the stage.

Product Stories

Marketing and PR can give you background that allows you to tell the story in manner of a “Director’s Cut” version of how a product was made. Tell the story of the individuals.

(I totally agree. I’m a big fan of NPR Planet Money and the way they use stories to explain some of the most complex and abstract financial concepts. Host Chana Joffe-Walt has described in detail the ways they take dry content and make it come alive with magic of stories:

When I am beginning to research an Idea Story I try to lay out the mechanics in my mind. “OK so we buy Chinese stuff. Dollars go from here to China. Then they pile up there in the banks. Then they get used to buy US treasury bonds.” At some point early on I always ask who is the guy who does that? Someone has to put that money into the Chinese bank, someone at the bank manages it and sees it piling up, someone sits at a computer and buys US treasury bonds … who is that guy?)

Weaving the Story Together

Weave story content together so the speech is as rich, as interesting and as evocative as possible.

As well as telling stories in an individual speech you can weave stories into longer events. Volunteer to be the storyteller for your next big company meeting. Figure out the emotional arc of the day. Play with the full eight hours and see where individual speakers fit. What do you want audience to feel? When do you want them to feel inspired, refreshed, challenged? The three types of stories listed can come alive over the whole day.

The Creative Process

Whether writing a book or a speech, Chan employs the same step-by-step creative process.

1. Determining the intention
2. Researching the data
3. Collecting the information
4. Collaborating with other creative’s on slides and videos
5. Creating the content
6. Rehearsing the speaker
7. Delivering on the podium
8. Repurposing and sharing with others in organization
9. Improving for future use

While this process seems very logical, it is actually a deliciously messy affair. She urged us to lean into the process and enjoy the anti-corporate nature of discovery that is involved. Read books and magazines. Find ideas to incorporate into your speeches. Get out into world and play. Keep your creative energy fresh.

The Search for the Story

Your search for a story involves meeting the right people. Ask executives for time to “conduct an interview” and they’ll clear a busy calendar. Just “asking for a meeting” won’t have same effect.

It’s essential to have executive air cover since you need free range in your organization to go up, down and across. Your single purpose is to find the story.

Talk to the company super-stars, those who are making things happen. Your list of interview candidates should include the person who embodies the soul of the company. Talk to the IP Lawyers – they know everything that is going on. HR is a treasure trove of information and know who are the up and comers.

Use the first twenty minutes of your interview for personal chit-chat about their lives. This is where you’ll get the color. Look around their office for items to talk about. Have an eye for the visual. Always ask “who else should I talk to?” Then meet with these new people and expand your story sources. As your reputation as the corporate story-teller expands, people will call you.

Reward your sources by ghosting a nice email from your executive to everyone you contact who helps with a keynote or project and cc: their managers. Also, share presentation tips with people from your list of sources that will help them when they present.

Story Sourcing

The narrative tools of speechwriting include not only the basic story, but company history, product demos, industry white papers, and customer testimonials. Think of creative ways to highlight and profile a wide range of material to showcase the fruits of your research in creative ways.

Each speech should have tweet-worthy sound bites. Better than saying “We have researchers in our company” say “We sent the Neil Armstong’s of our company ten years out into the future to explore new horizons.”

Know your audience and look into social media tools like blogs and tweets for source material. Paraphrase comments from social media – especially anything you find from members of the audience – and feed these back in the speech. This pays homage to people in the audience.

Use lyrical tools. Writers need to play with supple language. Rather than telling an internal audience “We want to be seen as a creative company” say “We need to evolve from being credible to being creative. We need to go from being believable to being beloved. We need to more than trusted, we need to be treasured.”

In Conclusion

Speeches are not merely to inform, but to captivate an audience for as long as you have their attention.

No passion in the speechwriter, no passion in the speech giver. Find the soul of your organization. Put heart into your words and share those stories with the world. The world, more than ever, needs heartwarming, soul sustaining stories, needs your stories.

References

A Ragan Review on Justina’s presentation 7 ways to become a masterful storyteller from Ragan’s Role of Communications in Creating Best Places to Work Conference held at the SAS headquarters. The seven topics covered:

1. Build Myths
2. Consider your intentions
3. Find the superstars
4. Find the soul keeper of your company
5. Be a magpie
6. Be fearless
7. Embrace chaos

Justina interviewed at a past Ragan Conference:

The annual Ragan Speechwriters Conference was held March 14 – 16, 2012 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC.

Over 200 professional speechwriters met for two days and attended a series of main stage keynotes and break out sessions.

Unlike other Ragan Conferences I’ve attended, where I had to select a small number of “top tweets” from thousands, this list represents pretty much everything that was said on Twitter about #raganspeech.

What does it say about speechwriters that, while over half of the audience claimed to have a Twitter account, only a small handful were active? Why is this? Are people who are paid to deliver content for others are inhibited about expressing their own opinions? Are they so used to writing long-winded speeches that they can’t express themselves in 140 characters? Was the audience just too darn OLD to be into Twitter? What do you think?

Whatever the reason, I believe the tweets that were posted are a great source of information to anyone who wants to know about the things speechwriters are interested in. We owe a special debt of gratitude to anyone who tweeted, and especially to the four most active people:

• Howie Beigelman
• Lindsay Beth Gunter
• Beth Oliver
• Jay Robb

Here’s a fun picture that shows at a glance what topics attracted the most comments and, without a doubt, that Justina Chen was the star of the show!

Click to enlarge – Image by Wordle.

The list, like Twitter, is in reverse chronological order, with the most recent tweets at the top.

1. @jayrobb Speakers who opened and closed #raganspeech conference were the best in class. Kudos to Mark Schumman and Justina Chen. Told great stories.
2. @akowen I attended this keynote today #Raganspeech – great advice. 7 ways to become a masterful storyteller | Articles bit.ly/w9wp7s
3. @TheGregoryBell The Speechwriters Conference just ended. @JustinaYChen was spectacular as a closing speaker.
4. @howielb “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” @JustinaYChen
5. @howielb “Our responsibility is to captivate you for as long as we asked for your attention.” – Aaron Sorkin quoted by @JustinaYChen
6. @jayrobb Every speech should have 3 soundbites @JustinaYChen
7. @jayrobb Get free range to find the story in your org. Get exec air cover. Start with your superstars. Ask for interview, not a meeting @JustinaYChen
8. @howielb Lean into the messiness. @JustinaYChen
9. @jayrobb @JustinaYChen sends 3 questions a week to her leaders (business and personal). Answers worked into speeches so leaders own it.
10. @howielb when they own content, they can own the stage. @JustinaYChen
11. @howielb Biggest compliment from your speaker is: this sounds like me. @JustinaYChen
12. @jayrobb Your leader’s personal narrative needs to embody the story of your organization @JustinaYChen
13. @howielb “There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” – Leonard Cohen, Anthem, quoted by @JustinaYChen
14. @howielb True character is shown when we fail. @JustinaYChen on “yes, be out there” w ur org or leaders failures.
15. @jayrobb @JustinaYChen asks what is your organization’s mythology? Your eternal truths, values? What do you stand for? That’s your story .
16. @howielb Yes! @JustinaYChen has #harrypotter #StarWars #LoTR reference all in one.
17. @howielb What can your words do? What did you do? Not me, it was will smith my kids n the story @JustinaYChen
18. @jayrobb Right story told in the right way inspires change @JustinaYChen
19. @jayrobb Our attention wanders after 8 mins so re-engage by telling a story @JustinaYChen
20. @jayrobb Stories that evoke the biggest emotions are the stories we remember @JustinaYChen
21. @howielb Channel your inner adolescent @JustinaYChen
22. @howielb Modern storytellers descend from hags bards bums & crazy people @JustinaYChen
23. @jayrobb Questions to ask about op-ed – is it of general interest, timely, saying something unique, said in 750 words, ends with an ask says John Barnes.
24. @jayrobb Make your op-ed exclusive to one newspaper. Do not shop it around or send to anyone and everyone – John Barnes.
25. @howielb Writing opeds means writing for two people. Your principal. And the oped editor. – John Barnes.
26. @howielb This is the West, Sir. When the fact becomes legend, print the legend. #LibertyValance quoted by John Barnes.
27. @jayrobb Bad op-es have too many points, no personal voice, passive voice, jargon, pt by pt rebuttals and ignore the other side says John Barnes.
28. @howielb Ha! John Barnes on lawyers: it’s a newspaper article. It’s not going in front of judge n jury.
29. @jayrobb Good op-eds have timeliness, opinion, new facts, trustworthiness, acknowledge opposition and have call to action says John Barnes.
30. @howielb Humans are visual species. Show always beats tell. – John Barnes on #anecdotes
31. @LBGunter One takeaway & must-read from Women of Words panel: What I Saw at the Revolution by Peggy Noonan (Reagan speechwriter)
32. @howielb Tidbit: George Will reaches 50 million readers. Newspaper biz may be in trouble but opeds are doing fine. John Barnes.
33. @jayrobb Mastering the art and craft of op-eds with John Barnes. Readership of op-eds is not broad but it’s deep with influential’s.
34. @howielb Awesome! John Barnes begins #raganspeech session on opeds w Yes, #PrimeMinister video clip.
35. @LBGunter Always have pen and hunt for interesting quotes, errant thoughts, neat observations. Great for color. @meganrooney
36. @LBGunter @meganrooney says strive to figure out how speaker thinks — not talks — to craft effective speeches.
37. @LBGunter Terry Edmonds: It took a lot of speechwriters to keep up with Pres. Clinton’s 8-yr love affair w/the microphone.
38. @jayrobb Freelance speechwriters should charge flat fee not hourly rate of by word. High-stakes speeches run from $5,000 to $12,000.
39. @howielb A story is life with the dull parts out. – Alfred Hitchcock quote.
40. @jayrobb What headline do you want your speech to generate? What’s your audience’s biggest problem? What’s your unique point of view? @PeteWeissman
41. @BethOliver13 Consider rebranding as its relevant to your client or audience.
42. @BethOliver13 “shut up and listen”.
43. @BethOliver13 “Be more than just the speechwriter… Be the content strategist” – Caryn Alagno.
44. @jayrobb Michael Long says write for content 1st (what needs to be said and understood) then focus on style and voice (how to say it).
45. @BethOliver13 “on your second day of unemployment…” go to a board of trade and say you’re a “speechwriter” It will strike up conversation says Colin Moorehouse.
46. @howielb Focus on content. Style will take care of itself – Mike Long.
47. @BethOliver13 “stop writing for voice and start writing for content” – Mike Long.
48. @BethOliver13 Use technology to your advantage- have your computer read your speech to you so you can hear the errors @PeteWeissman
49. @BethOliver13 “be known for something” be different than everyone else, do something to separate yourself from the pack.
50. @BethOliver13 New Speechwriters: join like minded associations, volunteer for EVERYTHING and meet everyone you can says Colin Moorehouse.
51. @BethOliver13 #raganspeech panel on a “speech writers survival guide” pic.twitter.com/Sfyq4mlt
52. @jayrobb Greatest motivator for writing a speech is a deadline says Terry Edmonds. “Works every time.”
53. @alaskaegan1 Language and leadership are inseparable. #terryedmonds #gerstner
54. @cheshirelad Presidential Speechwriters call for more discipline by candidates at #raganspeech ow.ly/9GLoy
55. @jayrobb Curiosity, mobility key traits for speechwriters. Should be heard not seen. Don’t expect your words to be carved in granite says Terry Edmonds.
56. @jayrobb Great start to day two with Terry Edmonds, first African American presidential speechwriter .
57. @BethOliver13 Getting set-up for the last day at the #raganspeech conference! (@ The Mayflower Renaissance Hotel) [pic]: 4sq.com/AqWomw
58. @RonCulberson Panel of presidential speechwriters analyzing speeches of current candidates and Pres Obama. Amazing!
59. @musicbaum Heard this twice today: “You can’t boil the ocean.” Is that an American thing or is it just me?”
60. @williamloving Best speechwriters suggestion for Obama slogan for 2012: “bin Laden is dead, GM is alive.”
61. @howielb Chriss Winston: President is great communicator. But I say this as speechwriter. Ideas…Content matters. It’s not all style.
62. @howielb Jeff Shesol: the #Obama speech wasn’t #populist, but president firmly on #center ground.
63. @howielb Not enough [for #GOP] to offer referendum. Need to offer alternative vision. – Chriss Winston.
64. @howielb Giving a speech doesn’t mean ur inauthentic. It means u thought about ur message & respect your voters. – @JonathanDHorn
65. @howielb Senators are least disciplined speakers in public office.
66. @howielb Suggested Pres. GW Bush start speech 1 way. POTUS said “It was suggested…that’s not a good idea” @JonathanDHorn
67. @LBGunter Simple but true: Spoken sentences should be shorter than written sentences. Write for the ear. @JonathanDHorn
68. @LBGunter CEO = Chief Explaining Officer. President = Explainer in Chief. Need 2 B able 2 explain complex issues in & out of Oval Office.
69. @jayrobb You can’t communicate big picture with Powerpoint. Wean your leaders off the slides to sound presidential.
70. @jayrobb Use small words to communicate big ideas. Everyday words connect with everyone.
71. @howielb @EdelmanPR says thought leadership not talking but changing world. @Walmart used trucks, logistics & grocery to fight hunger.
72. @jayrobb Your CEO needs to become Chief Explainer Officer.
73. @jayrobb When you control the narrative of the past, you can set the agenda for the future.
74. @jayrobb Former Bush W speechwriter Jonathan Horn calls on CEOs to not hide behind the podium but to step up to it.
75. @howielb What’s thought leadership? #GE on Green; @Starbucks on #fairtrade, @Walmart on womens issues says @EdelmanPR
76. @LBGunter Michael Field shares lesson on public presentation: Pull from ‘power of the pulpit,’ aka speech writing strategies from sermons.
77. @LBGunter Consume all news/info thru lens of “is this a good story for my org”? If yes, could be candidate for speech @benhawkins
78. @jayrobb As a leader, think like a preacher and don’t shy away from power of your bully pulpit to persuasively advocate for your agenda.
79. @jayrobb Sermon template is state, relate and substantiate.
80. @jayrobb Good talk by Michael Field on harnessing the power of the pulpit. Bible stories deeply embedded in our cultural DNA.
81. @howielb Movie ET has a #christ parable. Who knew! #raganspeech via Michael Field.
82. @howielb At #raganspeech session “harnessing power of pulpit” I’m reminded of Rabbi Lookstein’s pt “there is no sermon like no sermon.”
83. @howielb Little known fact. President James Garfield was a preacher.
84. @marcelmont Mike Long says what audiences want are little puzzles to solve. A reason to be engaged. And satisfaction when they “get it.”
85. @BethOliver13 What is the PURPOSE of the sermon- the 7 E’s of preaching… Use these in speech writing.
86. @williamloving Country music lyrics imagery as speech writing technique. Who knew?
87. @BethOliver13 I suppose my critics will call that preaching but to me I have a “bully pulpit”- Teddy Roosevelt.
88. @BethOliver13 Imagine your speaker is a pastor preaching to a church (think: foundation, cultures, scriptures, traditions).
89. @howielb I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But it doesn’t matter to me now. – MLK, the day before he’s shot.
90. @BethOliver13 You don’t have to be religious to learn from the power of preaching.
91. @BethOliver13 Preaching is an important and time honored tradition. There is a rich heritage of tips and techniques we can learn from.
92. @howielb Feelings are mentionable & manageable. – Mr Rogers to #USSen. I’m host but I also do all the puppets, write the songs.
93. @jayrobb Having lunch and watching President Carter’s Oval Office address where he badly lectured Americans’ crisis of confidence.
94. @jayrobb 70 percent of us want videos under 5 mins. 18-34 year olds will give you 50 sec to make your point. 35 sec for 35-49 group.
95. @KerryMalone AV trouble (rightly) scares people away from using video and audio in presentations. Terrifying. Not intended as key msg.
96. @jayrobb Kelly Guenther says video is reshaping our world. Most spoken language in the world.
97. @jayrobb Session on video underscores the risk of embedding in speeches — technical snafus will distract from content.
98. @howielb Mankind developing universal language: video.
99. @howielb Music is oft overlooked. Music is a storytelling device. @BenHawken
100. @howielb at one pt,one #sears catalog was in every 1.21 households in America. – @BenHawken
101. @KerryMalone Love that @BenHawken Glengarry Glen Ross reference: Always Be “Cataloging” (for material).
102. @howielb humans are storytelling creatures; sitting around fires talking. – @BenHawken
103. @jayrobb Speechwriters must find the courage to get personal stories from their senior execs. Will be most powerful part of the speech.
104. @howielb Video is a really good story on steroids – @BenHawken
105. @jayrobb 5 ways to add evidence to your speech and make it persuasive — blend of stats, quotes, analogies, examples and stories.
106. @jayrobb Another good talk at #raganspeech by Rob Friedman on using evidence to make speeches more persuasive.
107. @LBGunter Twitter advance search, HootSuite, TweetLevel, PollAnywhere, Screen.io = tools to harness social media 4 speeches @cheshirelad
108. @LBGunter Twitter allows you to “eavesdrop” on current conversations — great tool for speechwriters. @cheshirelad
109. @LBGunter Engage audience in conversation, don’t just conduct “ear test” #speeches @dmarkschumann
110. @LBGunter @dmarkschumann says PPT has yielded a world where execs rehearse speeches less (to detriment of exec & audience).
111. @howielb Don’t forget “low tech” social media: #transcripts of #speeches. @cheshirelad
112. @howielb #podcasts & videos reach audience wider & beyond after #speech. @cheshirelad
113. @marcelmont Will PollEverywhere.com put traditional audience response systems out of business? @AnnaByrd check it out.
114. @alaskaegan1 Use polleverywhere.com to get audience to give instant feedback via text. @cheshirelad.
115. @howielb #backchannel by Cliff Atkinson gets @cheshirelad shoutout @ #raganspeech to manage #socialmedia during event.
116. @JoanneDwyer Difference between traditional media and social media is traditional media has a “control room” – great point @cheshirelad
117. @alaskaegan1 Audience is checking your facts via the #backchannel
118. @marcelmont Do research for speeches at search.twitter.com Nice tip @cheshirelad!
119. @howielb Learned about new #twitter tool: TweetLevel. #raganspeech thanks @cheshirelad
120. @RonCulberson Ian Griffin explaining the value of tweeting about an event at #raganspeech. So I am!
121. @alaskaegan1 Try tweetlevel.com to find influentials.
122. @KerryMalone Listening to @cheshirelad talk about soc media as adjunct to speeches/presentations. Viewed his pres early via FB.
123. @RonCulberson At the #raganspeech speechwriters conference. Great info from talented speechwriters.
124. @howielb 11% of worlds pop has a #facebook acct. @cheshirelad
125. @howielb worldwideweb is “traditional media” in contrast to #socialmedia. it’s controlled/1 way comm – @cheshirelad
126. @jayrobb People remember the tone and not the words from your speech, insight courtesy of @dmarkschumann.
127. @marcelmont “US Politics. Best reality show every 4 years.” @dmarkschulman Great keynote!
128. @howielb Don’t boil ocean. Less is more in @dmarkschumann
129. @howielb Best way to rehearse is with your dog. B/C not about words you use, but how you say it matters @dmarkschumann
130. @howielb Speech begins w/end: what listeners should hear, believe & do when it’s over – @dmarkschumann
131. @howielb Speech is about having a conversation, not conducting @dmarkschumann
132. @AnneliesBreedve Fletcher Dean: it’s all about the audience!
133. @beachwordsmith Best wishes to #raganspeech from the UK Speechwriters’ Guild. Wish I was there. Hope Cameron pops in.
134. @musicbaum Learned the difference between “utilize” and “use” today. Worth the price of admission.
135. @cheshirelad If you call yourself a #speechwriter check out the proceedings from #raganspeech this week ow.ly/9EiOb
136. @AnneliesBreedve One of the ultimate quotes… pic.twitter.com/Pn5XYkpq
137. @AnneliesBreedve Just met the Pentagon Speechwriters! pic.twitter.com/InQaNns2
138. @cheshirelad Warm and sunny 80 degrees in DC for #raganspeech – no danger of canceling due to snow as in 2010.

From first-time attendees to 10-year veterans, attendees at the 2012 Ragan Speechwriters Conference were uniformly impressed with the event.

Hear what a random baker’s dozen of the audience had to say.

The final day of the 2012 Ragan Speechwriters Conference ended with a Speechwriter’s Survival Guide Panel session:

Caryn Alagno (CA), SVP, Corporate Issues at Edleman
Mike Long (ML), Freelance Speechwriter
Colin Moorehouse (CM), Freelance Speechwriter
David Murray (DM), editor of Vital Speeches of the Day
Pete Weissman (PW), Freelance Communications Strategist and Speechwriter

Fletcher Dean, Director of Leadership Communications at The Dow Chemical Company was the moderator.

1. If you are an unemployed speechwriter, or a freelancer between assignments, join an Association of communicators like IABC or NSA, volunteer to meet everyone. Then join an Association, such as for biotechnologists, where there are no other speechwriters, pass your business card around to make contacts. (CM)
2. Be known for something, develop your expertize in a specialized niche. “People need to believe you are good at something before they’ll believe you are good at everything.” (CA)
3. Use technology to be productive: Evernote to file ideas; Dragon Naturally Speaking for transcriptions; Scrivener to organize facts; voice replay on PC or Mac to have computer read speech back for proofing; Carbonite and thumb drives for backups. (PW)
4. Stop writing for the “speakers voice”, write for content. (ML)
5. Don’t follow in footsteps of old school, cynical writers who would hammer out a speech for anyone with the bucks to hire them. Connect with what you are passionate about. Connect with your industry, connect with other speechwriters. (DM)
6. Be more than a speechwriter, become a content strategist by injecting facts and statistics into speeches. Repurpose content into Op-Ed’s, Employee newsletters and more. (CA)
7. Learn the ask the right questions: What headline do you want the speech to generate? What news can the company announce? Are there any landmines or sensitive issues to avoid? What is the audience’s biggest problem? What unique point of view does the speaker bring to the issue? (PW)
8. Freelancer’s must know what their monthly “nut” is – how much do you need to earn to pay the bills? (ML)
9. Don’t charge by the hour, or word, charge by the project. You’ll work fast and make more and the client will have the comfort of knowing the total cost up front. (ML)
10. Develop a sense of humor, all speechwriters who survive learn not to take things too seriously. (DM)
11. Once you have made contact with potential clients at the level of exchanging business cards, call for a follow-up lunch, listen to their issues, ask about their life. At the end of the meeting ask for permission to keep in touch and, finally, ask if they know anyone else you can talk to. Do this with each contact and it will lead to paying clients very quickly. (CM)
12. Term what you write as “CEO remarks”, not just a speech. Consider rebranding your role to make yourself more relevant to each client. (CA)
13. Respect your skills as a storyteller who, as Hitchcock noted, is “life with the dull parts left out”. Enjoy talking to the influential people who you meet and you have the freedom to ask them probing questions. (PW)
14. Juice your creativity with a simple, practical writing exercises. Example: Describe everything you can about a chalkboard, now list the ways these qualities are like love (both are easily erased, never quite clean, leaves some dust in the air). (ML)
15. Find other outlets for your creativity beyond speeches. If the CEO won’t take your counsel, volunteer on the board of a non-profit. Write magazine articles at the weekend. (DM)
16. Expect to charge between $5,000 – $12,000 for a high-stakes speech and if you write fast and limit the re-writes you can earn $600/hr. (ML)

The first day of the 2012 Ragan Speechwriters Conference at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC concluded with a blue-ribbon panel of former Presidential speechwriters (from both parties) calling for more discipline on the part of contenders for the USA’s highest office.

George H.W. Bush speechwriter Chriss Winston said Republican candidates are focused too much on process and the negative campaigns of their opponents instead of their vision of how to turn the country around. They need to discipline to focus their message. Reagan-era speechwriter Clark Judge agreed that the 24-hour media coverage will unseat those who practice politics as usual:

“Presidential communications begins with the discipline of thinking through what you’re saying, who you’re saying it to, how you’re saying it and whether you’re going directly through cable to the country or if you’ll be mediated by reporters picking out sound bites.”

The partisan speechwriters naturally talked up their own champions strengths and highlighted the weaknesses of the opposing party. However, moderator Lenny Steinhorn, in a clever twist, asked them to state what they’d advise if they were writing for the other side.

Here’s some of the comments that struck me.

President Obama’s strengths and weaknesses

• Gets a lot of flack for using a TelePrompter, but at least this shows he has planned his remarks and does not go off message or ramble. Some attributed this to his relatively short tenure as a senator, and those who have long senate records tend not to succeed as candidates (Kerry, Dole, McCain) who have the muscle memory of years of long-winded Senate speeches to overcome.
• There’s a danger in his expertise with rhetoric and he needs to back up his speeches with actions. Style alone, where he’s the clear leader, won’t win alone. Content matters. Tie deeply held values to policy specifics.
• His approval ratings have a “trading range” of 40-50% – if he’s at the top of that range in November he’ll probably win, if at the bottom, probably lose.
• Obama was elected because his bio and the vision he had for America came together in a compelling manner. However, his speeches while in office have often lacked this. His core message since in office has shifted from Hope/Change to the Problem I Inherited to the Car in the Ditch to Millionaires and Billionaires to Fair Play by the Rules to the War on Women.
• He’s weakest in terms of gas prices and the economy and the eventual Republican opponent needs to focus on this.
• There’s a danger that the more he speaks on the economy the lower his ratings will go. It reminds people of the things they don’t like about him. Addressing contraception was a good move.
• One suggestion from George W. Bush speechwriter Jonathan Horn is that Obama seize on the 1862 Preliminary Declaration on Emancipation as something all Americans can take pride in and refer to it in his September 2012 Convention speech.

Mitt Romney’s strengths and weaknesses

• There was general agreement that Romney was the most likely Republican candidate. Minimal mention was made of Santorum or Gingrich.
• The most frequent demand was that Romney tell his story to the American people. Bush in 1988 is seen as a role model for Romney: a decent guy who can present an alternate view of government. Yet no-one knows his story. Romney needs to tell the story of his family, going back to his Dad who was an incredible speaker, but by no means an immigrant from Mexico! Romney needs to let people know what his core values are. The Convention speech is the ideal time to reframe his story and share what he believes. (I was fascinated not one panelist mentioned that were he to tell his whole story it would have to include what took his ancestors to Mexico in the first place, and the central role the Church of Latter Day Saints plays in his life and how he must have more than a passing fluency in the French language. But, to my knowledge, neither a word of French nor mention of the Angel Moroni has ever passed his lips on the campaign trail.)
• He’s far more than the “successful businessman”. This is too clinical. There are awkward aspects to his wealth for some, but none that Bush did not face in ’88, and overcome with the “jiu-jitsu” comments about living in an ordinary home in Texas, sweeping Andover and Yale under the rug.
• Romney needs to define himself as the man of the moment.
• He must offer a clear, concise vision of where the country should go and focus on the economy to beat Obama.

In Conclusion

Overall, this was an enlivening panel discussion where current political differences in the USA were debated in a civilized manner. However, it might be a measure of how far down the divisive path America has come that some of the European attendees at the Ragan Conference were aghast at the level of partisanship. I guess they need to watch a few CNBC and Fox News shows, followed by a drive-time commute with Talk Radio, to realize how constructive the panel discussion actually was.

Congratulations to Annelies Breedveld for winning the 2012 Cicero Speechwriting Award with her wonderfully crafted speech for General Peter van Uhm, Chief of Defense for The Netherlands “Choosing the Gun”

“I do not stand here today to tell you about the glory of weapons. I do not like guns, and once you have been under fire yourself it brings home even more clearly that a gun is not some macho instrument to brag about.”

An awesome speech about a controversial topic, way more sophisticated than the simplistic Second Amendment bleating of the NRA. See for yourself.