Since the dawn of man, humans have used speeches to convince huge groups of people. It has been used to present and bring forth new ideas or solutions to problems that attack society day by day. In today’s world, speeches are essential to get your point across to others. Writing a great speech opens many opportunities in life, and knowing how to write one will be a useful skill to have in your arsenal. A great speech requires planning, knowledge, and dedication to write and with this guide, anyone who puts the work will improve greatly.

The first step to writing a speech is getting to know your topic. It is very important that your topic be entertaining and important to your audience, because that way, they will be interested in what you have to say. “The first thing to consider is your audience, not only WHO they are, but HOW they are likely to think,” said EF (Education First) in their guide: Tips for a Perfect Speech. As previously stated, choosing an interesting topic is key, since it will keep the audience attentive and into it.

“I based my speech on a perspective on something moral like empathy,” Andrea Ochoa, winner of the EF Speech Competition at TCS, said. Ochoa based her speech on a general topic that her audience could relate to and it led to people feeling like what she said was very interesting. By doing this you can make the audience feel closer to the topic and make them feel like your topic could affect them. Despite all this, it is still important to choose a topic you feel passionate about, it is YOUR speech after all.

When actually writing your speech there are some things that need to be kept in mind. You need to be very careful in linking or transitioning your arguments. “Each piece of a puzzle should slot together smoothly to create a complete picture. The same idea applies to speeches,” EF speech guide, said. When writing your speech you need to make sure that all your points are related and are transitioned in a fluid manner. Abruptly changing ideas can lead to confusion or disinterest in your audience.

“You need to get their attention” Ochoa said. As previously mentioned it is important to get your reader’s attention. If you have a good topic, you’re kicking things off right, however, the audience will start to lose interest in what you’re saying, and your job is to prevent that. Adding concrete evidence and facts that both prove your point but also grabs your listeners attention can be done by giving them data they are interested in; bonus points if it is shocking. Finally avoid being redundant, repeating you point over and over may make your speech seem long, and your audience will lose interest quickly.

Your speech is finished, yet you are missing one crucial thing, presenting. Whether you will record your speech, or read it in front of an audience you will require extensive preparation. “What got me most prepared was that I was really interested in my writing” Sofia Nuñez, winner of the EF Speech Competition at TCS, said. Being interested in what you are writing is one of the best ways to prepare for a performance, as you are more likely to show emotion towards it.

A colossal part of how you present your speech is with your tone. Using a loud, scared tone, will work if you are trying to convey fear, or incoming doom, while slower, and softer speech will be better to convey peace and tranquility. This can be combined with body language, if you portray your speech upon yourself, the audience will be more likely to take your point seriously. Dramatize your gestures and tone, and the audience will feel more involved in your topic. Nonetheless remember to be calm and confident in your speech. “Make eye contact, smile, relax” said EF in their guide. By doing this, you show confidence in yourself and your speech, which will both get your point across, but also inspire certainty and credibility in your audience.

After reading this how-to guide, you will surely be capable of creating a more powerful speech to convey your ideas. By combining a good topic, with great writing and a lot of preparation, you speech will grow from a bland text, to an intriguing and convincing argument. Even making a simple school assignment, or your homework, it would be able to convey an amazing iea able to convince professionals.

“If you write about something you are not interested in, you won’t do your best effort to write it,” Nuñez, said. Indeed, the most important thing is to feel confident about your speech, and write it with love and passion. Only then, will you truly be capable of writing the best speech you can write.