By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to organize your next speech. Reading time: 2:06

Set your speechwriting compass and lead your audience down a well-lit, easy-to-find and follow path of understanding, acceptance and action with the 6 W’s in organizing a speech for optimum impact.

WARM UP

Reach out and let the audience know you are just like them. Show them you care about them And they will care about you. Show them your ideas will be meaningful to them because your thinking is in tune with their thinking.

WHAT’S UP

Tell the audience what this speech is all about. Billboard the essence of your message in 10 words or less.

Write a headline that embodies the theme of your message, sets the tone and foreshadows the conclusion. Use this headline to anchor your point of view and specifically establish where you are coming from and where you are heading.

Develop this headline as a guideline the audience can follow to better understand, assimilate and act on your message.

WHIP UP

Tell the audience how important this message is to them. Get the audience as excited as you are about how your speech is going to make a meaningful difference in their lives.

Be sure to tune in to the needs of the audience and answer the question: Why should I listen to this speech? How will it make a difference in my life?

WELL UP

Use personal stories and humor to flesh out your message with an emotional appeal. Facts tell but stories sell. Sell your message by increasing its PH count — P for personal stories and H for humor.

Use stories and humor to be sure your audience FEELS your speech more than just hears it.

WRAP UP

As you conclude, restate the headline (see What’s Up) and summarize the highlights of your speech.

WIND UP

Close your speech with a strong call to action. What do you want the audience to feel, think or do?

Reference the title of your speech as you conclude. BOOKEND your speech: refer back to something you said to open your speech.

Follow what other leaders do. Set your speechwriting compass for the 6W’s of Speechwriting-Warm Up, What’s Up, Whip Up,Well Up, Wrap Up andWind Up. And take your audiences on a meaningful and memorable trip to the highest degree- all 360 degrees on their compass of communication.

Today’s ImproveMINT

Follow the 6W’s of speechwriting
to keep your leadership thinking in mint condition.

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