This is the keynote speech structure that works for me and my clients: For me, the keynote speech is the ultimate in speechwriting. Creating these elements is complex and intuitive. A great result comes from extended experience. It is the most creative part of the speechwriting that I do – and I love it.

A powerful question needs to be followed with a pause. A powerful statement is emphasised with a pause. Just about every key moment in a speech is best followed by a pause. A silent pause. The more pauses there are, the more impactful the speech. People feel a need to fill silence. Many aren’t uncomfortable … Read more

It’s hard to keep a level of perspective when you’re stressed. Public Speaking is a stressful task for many people, and speaking to an audience feels stressful because the sense of perspective is lost. The event in front of you can look bigger and uglier than it is. Here are some ways to turn that … Read more

Well-designed magazine layouts use white space to draw the eye to the main message. Great web pages do the same. Look at Google’s home page. Uncluttered, clean, and easily digestible. Plenty of white space. The same with well-crafted speeches. By creating pauses of silence, a speaker can draw the audience to focus on the critical … Read more

🦋 Everybody is nervous before they go on stage. 🦋 “There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” – Mark Twain If a speaker is not ever so slightly anxious before they start to speak, then they probably aren’t going to be that great to listen to. Good … Read more

I bet you think I’m referring to some sort of poetry athletics. Not this time. ‘Verse jumping is when you move between universes. The speechwriting I do often asks me to immerse myself in someone else’s universe to get a feel of their nuances, their view of the world, their tendencies. Because I work as … Read more