I’ve been a speechwriter for almost two decades. A bunch of those years were with Hillary Clinton, and a bunch have been with Fortune 100 C-Suite execs. This means two things. No. 1, I’m old. No. 2, I have some thoughts.
There’s one thing every single speech has in common: they’re communal events. So think hard about language that speaks to the whole community.
Sometimes, it’s technical language and inside jokes. But more likely, it’s relatable language. Like metaphor, humor, anecdotes, and phrasing that’s simple enough to be understood and remembered.
The vast majority of audiences, even technical ones, tune out the jargon. Nobody wants to hear from a robot. The problem is, most speakers are experts on something, and they really want to nerd out. They really want to be robots.
Whether you’re the expert or the speechwriter telling the expert’s story, I’ve got some pointers for finding that balance. And simplifying complex messaging into language that moves an audience.
Speak to your audience, not your ego. The best content blends expert-level insight with audience-level clarity. That can be tricky with a speech, where an executive wants to default to jargon to prove their expertise. Instead, push them to establish connection, with straightforward phrasing, smart insights, and relatable use cases. That’s how an executive presents as a leader onstage.
Be memorable. What’s the point of speaking to a group of people if they don’t remember it, act on it, and share it with their friends? That’s called message pull-through, and it’s 90% of the speechwriting game. Brevity. Always. Wins. (TED Talks are capped at 18 minutes for a reason.) Use vibrant, specific language to move, engage, or even provoke while you have an audience’s limited attention span. Every word counts.
Listen to Monroe. When in doubt, use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence:
- Hook: Grab the audience’s attention right away.
- Stakes: Define the problem.
- Solution: Contrast the problem with your solution.
- Paint a picture: Show the audience what the future looks like.
- CTA: Tell the audience what they need to do.
Most of all, remember that speakers and listeners are people. Write as a human talking to humans. The audience will thank you.
If you need some speechwriting magic, my team and I are here to help—just drop us a line.