One of the key skills in developing ‘Flair‘ as a speechwriter and presenter, is learning to use the ‘tricks of the trades’ from all branches of the performing arts.
Poetry, drama, creative writing, music and songwriting all offer useful lessons, for even the most experienced of us.
Adding flair requires that you do 3 things rigorously-
- Remove ‘clutter’ from your message- so that ‘the point’ stands out.
- Add story structure- so the audience understands why, what and how.
- Add interest, evidence and rhetorical ‘texture’ to the words themselves.
Here’s an interesting article concentrating on 8 Speechwriting Lessons You Can Learn from Songwriters. It’s by Peter Jeff, and can be found on the ever excellent ‘6 minutes‘ website for presentation skills.
This is a part of my Fit, Focus & Flair model. To be great, a presentation must be a perfect FIT for the situation; the content must have complete FOCUS on it’s purpose and message; and it must have enough FLAIR to stand out on the day, and in our memories. Learn more about developing your Fit, Focus and Flair.
