Wording A Speech
- Oct 9, 2016
- 1 min read
Every great speech has different content, yet connects deeply with its listeners. That connection between the words used and the listeners is what separates good speeches from great speeches.
Make the words you use easy to understand and avoid jargon. Do not say “Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs had a 7.4 Wins Above Replacement in 2016” instead say “Kris Bryant had a great year.”
Contractions are easier to comprehend as a listener because we speak with them in everyday life. Do not say two words when you only need to say don’t. Make verbs bold, use elevate instead of lift or persuade opposed to push.
People like to feel included so use words like “we” and “you.” Often people refer to the Cubs as their team even though they have nothing to do with daily operations. Stay away from numbers when possible but round them if needed. “There are about 1500 professional baseball players” instead of 1548.
Quotes and Questions keep the audience active and feel more involved. “Does anyone know who lead the Cubs in stolen bases?” This gives the audience a feeling of needing to develop an answer. If Jason Heyward said “I enjoy going fishing in the off season because it is relaxing.” That information will be better received in a quote than from the speakers paraphrasing.
Chapter 14, Giving Speeches and Presentations from the textbook Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques by Dennis L. Wilcox was consulted while writing this blog post.
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