Inspirational Speech Writing

Lisa McQuerrey reports:

"To inspire people, you need to have a clear concept of what the audience needs to hear. This means that you must know your audience. Before you get started with your writing, consider who will be listening to your words and what types of ideas might catch and hold their attention. For example, if you’re speaking to students who are about to enter the workforce, you might write words of encouragement that urge them to be confident, ambitious and enthusiastic about their futures. If you’re speaking to colleagues about coping with challenging transitions in the workplace, you may choose to write about the benefits of having perseverance, and about embracing change and forging new paths to better things. Understanding your audience will help you craft your message...Telling a story can help illustrate the points you’re making -- and when it’s a story of overcoming adversity, making a difference or beating the odds -- it can play to people’s emotions and inspire them to action. The story should be applicable to your overall message and should demonstrate the challenge, the approach and the outcome...Writing an inspirational speech that draws your audience in on a personal level can be very effective. For example, in a business environment, it might mean speaking about the organization’s achievements, or the impact the audience's work has on the people the company serves. You might accomplish this by incorporating testimonials or by providing an overview of statistical information...An emotional response is a necessary precursor to inspiration. In writing your speech, use language that paints a picture and elicits a visceral reaction...End your speech on a positive note so people will come away with a feel-good sensation that will encourage them to carry forward whatever mission you encouraged them to go on during your speech. Issue a call to action, offer a word of thanks, or challenge people to personally embrace your words and to continue to make a difference."