I attended my high school reunion earlier this month.
I had a chat with someone I didn’t know well in high school and hadn’t seen since. She told me there was one thing she remembered about me from high school:
A funny speech I gave when I was running for class president.
My first thought: it couldn’t have been that great a speech. I lost the election.
On the flip side, it made an impact. She remembered it. Something I wrote as a 17-year-old amateur still resonated after decades.
(She was not surprised to hear what I do now. At KBL Communications, I’ve written speeches for ribbon-cuttings, employee town hall scripts, and a keynote address for an event attended by nearly a thousand civic and industry leaders. Even a eulogy.)
The best speech, of course, would have been one that was well received by the audience and translated to votes. Even now, when I’m writing for clients, I’m still aiming for the same two basic things:
1. Was it good?
Did it hook you with a lead? Did it make you stop scrolling and read? Did it grab your attention or speak to you and your needs? Did it tell a compelling story or make a convincing argument? Will you remember it in 30 years?
2. Did it work?
The projects I write may be intended to educate, generate leads, grow business, improve reputation, or convince the reader to take action. Some outcomes are easier to measure than others, but there’s always a purpose to what I’m writing.
Keep those two things in mind when you’re writing. Do your best to check both boxes.
As for my high school experience, maybe I should stick to writing the speeches, not giving them.