You've decided to hire a speechwriter. Now what?
Based on a previous blog post, and conversations with colleagues, you’ve made the decision to hire a speechwriter. Congratulations – a very wise choice.
Understandably, you might be wondering just what happens between you making this decision, and having the final speech in your hands. Today, we’ll unpack that process. Every speech is unique, which means that no two speeches will have precisely the same process. But it’s worth going through the steps I usually take to turn an inquiry into a persuasive, compelling speech that helps you tell your story.
First contact
The first meeting between client and writer is vital. After all, it’s a job interview. Both parties should use the opportunity to learn about the other: the client needs to know that the speechwriter can do the job. And the writer is seeking to understand if the client has clarity about what the speech needs to achieve.
But, just like a traditional job interview, mutual recognition of competence is really only half the story. Both parties will also be weighing up if they can work with the other. Don’t underestimate the importance of liking or, at the very least, tolerating the other party! A successful speechwriting process will require unvarnished honesty from everyone: if you’re not sure you can trust the other person to be honest, or to listen carefully, then you’re better off to keep looking.
These days, of course, the first meeting may well occur over Zoom or a similar program. I have no issues with this, but will always prefer the more open and illuminating conversation that can take place in-person.
My first meeting is always free of charge, because I like to provide clients with all the information they need to make an informed decision.
Development of a plan
If the first meeting has been positive, then you’ve probably already communicated the important details of the speech to the writer. This is an absolutely vital stage in the process. The writer needs all the information they can get, in order to develop a plan. When it comes to speeches, the plan is like a blueprint: it’s a test of the writer’s understanding of your needs, and an outline for how the speech will function and achieve its objectives.
Here is a list of what the writer is likely to need before they can develop a high-quality speech plan:
Speech purpose – what should the speech achieve? Sometimes this is very straightforward. For example, you might be opening an event. In that case, you’ll want to excite and motivate your audience. Other goals – say, increasing sales – can be more tricky, but nothing a good writer can’t handle.
Audience characteristics – how many people are there likely to be? Who are they? Who should be acknowledged at the outset of the speech?
Anticipated/desired length of speech.
Approvals – this is a really important one: will the speech need to be cleared by other parts of your company or organisation? This will introduce some extra complexity, but again, it’s nothing we can’t handle.
Speech adjectives – I’m not sure if other writers ask for this. But I always like to ask a client for a few adjectives they have rolling around in their head. Should the speech be inspiring? Relaxed and easygoing? Detail-oriented? Or big picture? This helps me set the parameters for when I start writing.
Humour – some people like their speech to have jokes, but it can be a risk! Best to clarify upfront.
Anecdotes/stories – lots of speeches find their emotional power from an individual story. The right story helps the audience connect with the message that you’re trying to send much more effectively than data or statistics ever will. So if there is a story to share, this is a great time to do it.
Location – where the speech will be delivered (and other details about the location, e.g. will there be a podium?).
Other details – this might include jargon which should be avoided and/or important technical details that need to be correct (and which the writer is unlikely to know!).
Plan sign-off
The writer, grateful for the abundant detail you’ve provided them, has gone away and developed a speech plan. It takes you through, step by step, how the elements of the speech – the introduction, the body, the conclusion – interact and how, together, they form a coherent whole which helps you achieve your objective.
The plan might be perfect right away! More likely, it might need some tweaks. But if writer and client have been communicating effectively up to this point, they should only be small ones.
It’s important to note that if a fee for the speech hasn’t already been agreed, then this is the best time to do so. Professional speechwriters, aware that sometimes speeches take longer to get right (for all sorts of reasons), generally prefer to quote on a per-hour basis (or even finer, e.g. per half-hour) rather than as a flat fee. But if there is trust and goodwill between writer and client, a flat fee may prove more convenient.
If, somehow, we’ve come this far without a formal agreement to work together, then this is definitely the time!
First draft
This is fairly self-explanatory. The only details I’ll add are that, firstly, it is vital for the writer and client to be on the same page when it comes to the timeframe for delivery. How long does the writer have to turn around a draft? Secondly, depending on the length of the speech and the working relationship, a client may ask the writer to provide updates on their progress as they are drafting.
Initial feedback
If forced to choose, I would say that this is the single most important part of the speechwriting process. This is where the rubber hits the road. Before this, it is possible for writer and client to believe that they are on the same page even if, in truth, they aren’t – because most of the work to this point is just talking.
Once the writer shares a first draft with the client, both parties will quickly learn if they’ve understood each other, or if there is distance between the vision and the product. But even if the draft isn’t what you were expecting, as a client, it shouldn’t signal a crisis. Lots of great speeches that have helped the client achieve their objectives have a messy backstory.
Of course, this can also be the time where you realise that you and your writer are on exactly the same wavelength and that the speech is going just as you had hoped! In that case, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief and look ahead to a great final product.
Revisions and second draft
If the first draft reveals a gap between expectation and reality, you may need to sit down once again with the writer. Again, let me stress that, far from being a sign of impending doom, it’s very normal for there to still be work to do after the first draft. Speechwriting is, among other things, the iterative art of delivering on a vision which resides in a client’s mind.
Whether another meeting is warranted or not, the end result will be the same: the writer will take on board the feedback they’ve received and deliver a second draft.
Further revisions
Again, this is a self-explanatory step – but, if the speech still isn’t quite right, then it is a necessary one.
Final sign-off
You’re happy. The writer is satisfied with their work. The speech has been fact-checked and approved by everyone who needs to approve it. Its rhetoric is appropriately soaring, and you both believe (or perhaps hope) that the jokes will land.
As the client, you may need to do something on your end to acknowledge the speech’s completion or final approval.
Now for the hard part...
Delivery and debrief
We can’t help you with this bit – but good luck! I’ve heard that imagining the audience in funny outfits can make public speaking less daunting.
Before we part ways, I like to debrief with my clients: what went well? What didn’t go so well? What advice do writer and client have for each other for the future? This is important and, unless the relationship has totally unravelled (a very rare occurrence), generally a discussion that can be had in good spirits.
Wealth, fame, good tidings, etc.
I like to think that every time a good speech is delivered, the world looks slightly more like this:
The world after the successful delivery of a good speech