Speechwriting Questions

The following are the most-asked questions from previous clients. 

Q: I would like some ice-breaker jokes or opening jokes for my speeches. 

A: Opening a speech with canned jokes can be risky.  You need to be a really good joke-teller to pull it off. The people who do it well have lots of experience.  The safest road for most speakers is to use a humorous quote or tell a funny personal story.  These are much easier to handle.  For more information about putting humor in your speech, check out this article from the archives of Speech Tips.
 

Q: How many words per minute do people usually speak?

A: Generally, people speak at a rate of 180-200 words per minute.  You'll need to factor in time to pause and to allow the audience to take in your visuals.  With these adjustments, an average 20-minute speech will run 3,400 to 3,800 words in length. 

Q: How do I select a topic for my speech?

A: Often, the meeting host will have a topic in mind for you to discuss.  So start by asking the meeting planner or organizer what the audience expects to hear from you.  Of course, you'll want to get your own message across. So rest assured, you have considerable leverage in deciding what you will say.  If you're still at a loss for what to say in your speech, be sure to do plenty of audience research.  Knowing your audience's interests can point the way to a sure-fire speech topic.