Writing a Speech Message Objective
Writing a speech is not an easy thing to do because it is not just about getting up in front of an audience and saying a few words. Any good speech is an art form which involves some basic elements, one similar to telling a story. It must have a beginning, a middle and an end, and each section serves a different purpose.
At the heart of any speech writing is the message and your purpose. That important message should run continuously throughout those three sections using repetition, in particular, to emphasise it. What do you want to say and to whom? What will you be saying in the opening or introduction? What will be driven home in the middle? And how will you end it so that the audience will be moved to remember it and ponder upon it afterwards? Why are you sending that message? What response do you expect?
Many people who give long speeches forget that the average person has an attention span of just one and a half minutes! It has to be good to keep them attentive for much longer than that. So, to get that crucial message across, and have the response you desire, you have to set out to engage them from the very beginning with an unusual, funny or informative opening, keep them hooked and hanging on to your every word with an interesting or thought-provoking middle, and finish off with punchlines that really make them think.
Another mistake is to give speeches to mixed audiences that focus on only one section of that audience and exclude the rest, like relating it to the men and excluding the women, and vice versa. Or targeting the majority and unintentionally excluding minorities. So a speech can be either memorable or forgettable not just because of its delivery but according to how it is perceived as relevant to them by each member of the audience, a very important point to bear in mind.
Introduction or Opening
This part usually sets the scene by giving a background to why you are making your speech, and the main message is involved. It should be tailored with your audience in mind such that, if you are speaking to a group of Spanish students, beginning with "Buenos dias, mis amigos", instead of "Good Day, my friends", would immediately make them feel more included in what you are about to say and more valued. If it is a group of doctors, for example, starting with a quote from a well known physician, or some unusual statistic from their profession which draws their attention, makes you immediately more in tune with what is of value to them and is likely to make them more attentive at the outset. Crucial to the opening is a kind of hook that will keep reverberating throughout the speech, a phrase or sentence that cements the message, like the simple "Yes, we can", for example. It's presence will always be a reminder of that message.
The Middle
This should focus on the actual message, in particular three things relating to it: the reasons for the message, the importance of that message and the benefits to the listeners of the message. That last part is often forgotten when one is trying to get a message across. Speakers tend to see the issue from only their point of view but forget the benefits for those listening. It doesn't matter what one is talking about, there should be something that an audience can really feel is of value and relevance, that they can perhaps apply to themselves at some future point, or something new they hadn't known before. The more we can enhance the experience of listening, to make it enjoyable, relevant and useful, is the more we will keep that audience hanging on to our every word and indirectly taking in the message.
The End
This is a crucial section which should always aim to leave the audience wanting more. Again, one could use unusual statistics at this point to drive home the message, or thought provoking questions or personal aims the audience could have to bring that message alive. It all depends on one's purpose in giving that speech. That will dictate the ending. Better still, to end it with a joke, particularly one that is inclusive, leaves listeners feeling good and refreshed and helps to cement the message in a lighthearted form.
In a nutshell, the art of writing a speech is to bear the message, its objective and the audience in mind from the very beginning. Then fuse them seamlessly together throughout with an engaging, informative and upbeat style right until the end.
