How to Write a Great Speech

In business and in ordinary life, we are often required to engage in public speaking. Whether you're opening a meeting on the job, giving a toast at a wedding, or participating in a competition, you need to know how to write a quality speech. While there are numerous resources to help you tackle the often frightening task of public speaking, what do you do when it comes to actually penning the words you must pronounce? Learn how to use humor, anecdotes, quotations, and rhetorical devices to make your speech captivating. 

Open with a Joke or an Anecdote You can grab your audience's attention by opening your speech with some humor or an interesting story. Which is more appropriate will depends upon your audience. In a solemn setting, you will of course want to avoid levity, or, if your comic delivery is not renowned, you may also want to rely on an attention-grabbing story instead.

Whether you choose a joke or an anecdote, it must tie in to the main purpose of your speech. If you can't find a moment of levity in a real life situation or recall an appropriate story on your own, you can turn to various books that offer such ideas. 2400 Jokes to Brighten Your Speeches by Robert Orben (Wilshire Book Company, 1989, ISBN 0879804254), Winning With One Liners by Pat Williams (HCI, 2002, 075730057X), and The Friar's Club Encyclopedia of Jokes compiled by H. Aaron Cohl (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 1997, ISBN 1884822630) are but three of many print sources for jokes. Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes by Andre Bernard and Clifton Fadiman (Little, Brown, 2000, ISBN 0316082678) provides anecdotes featuring more than 2,000 people from around the world. The anecdotes span a variety of fields, from science to the arts, and include both the comical and the tragic.

If you do choose to employ humor, be certain to avoid offending your audience. Always choose a joke that is appropriate for your audience, and be aware that jokes can occasionally fall flat. While successful jokes may earn you more accolades than anecdotes, often an anecdote is the safer course.