Four useful questions to ask before writing your speech.

There's a lot that goes on in the background when writing a speech.

Things that are important but you probably haven't even considered.

I have four questions which I ask my clients to consider when they start writing speeches.

Up until that point it can often feel like being adrift at sea.  Moving but not necessarily in a useful direction.

Often people will start with things they feel are most important:

Slides.

Props.

Perhaps even what they're going to wear.

All of that is important yet there are better places to start.

The four questions I offer my clients are like part of the speaking GPS.

Not only do they ground you where you are and give you a starting point, but they also give you a clear idea of where you're going and what you would like the experience to be at the end of the journey.

So what are those four questions?

They are simply these:

• What do you want people to think?

• What do you want people to feel?

• What do you want people to say?

• What do you want people to do?

Each of these questions adds a different layer to your delivery.

And while there's quite a lot which you can't control when you're writing and delivering a speech, there are things which you can definitely influence.

When I ask my clients to answer these questions, it's normally with the invitation to do it in a comfy chair with your favourite drink and a nice pen and notebook.

The answers can be quite interesting.

Either in what shows up unexpectedly, or perhaps because there's an absence of a clear answer.

But those answers are gold because they will help guide what and how you deliver.

It will help you to create a structure that is in service of your audience, and helps them to get the most out of what you share.

You don't need to have perfect answers to these questions.

They are simply a great place to start.