Here are tips for a successful speech from a professional speechwriter:
No speech should last more than 20 minutes. 36 The Sermon on the Mount, a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, for example, lasted hardly more than three minutes.
Focus on one topic. We’re human and tend to have lots of thoughts, opinions and ideas. You have to make proper selection. 37 Include and expand only those that explain and support your viewpoint(观点).
38 It’s important to remember that your words must be hearable and understandable the first time out.
Humour is important. 39 Ronald Reagan always wanted to joke at the start of a speech because he needed the quick victory of laughter. It helped him relax. It also helped the audience relax.
Don’t forget to say thanks. You should always, at the beginning of the speech, thank the person who invited you and introduced you. 40 While you’re doing it, the audience gets a chance to daydream and settle down. They’re going to daydream at some point anyway, and it may as well be before you get to the heart of your remarks.
A. Choose your words carefully.
B. And saying thanks at the beginning has a practical purpose.
C. First you have to work out what you’re going to say.
D. Every speech needs it, and you need it, too, probably at the beginning.
E. Stick to one topic－the future of the soccer club, for example.
F. Start once you begin thinking about the speech.
G. The more important the message is, the less time it requires to say it.