How speech writing works. Inspired by Argentina, 1985.
In the movie
In the movie 1985, directed by Santiago Mitre, Julio Cesar Strassera is leading the prosecution against the military leaders who committed genocide during Argentina’s Dirty War. The stakes are high, and his closing statements at the trial will be crucial in securing convictions. It’s hard to think of a case where writing a speech is more important.
To ensure his speech is as convincing as possible, Strassera runs it by several people, including his colleagues, wife, and son. Some colleagues are not happy with the first draft, just like how Strassera is not always happy with the feedback. Regardless, Strassera keeps rewriting the speech until he has the final version. This is exactly how it works. You might not enjoy the process, but the output is a better speech.
One of the most crucial changes that Strassera makes is based on feedback from his 12-year-old son. Strassera’s son points out that the speech is too long, and complicated. Thus, Strassera condenses and simplifies it. You will often receive the most impactful feedback from people outside your field.
Strassera’s closing statement is a resounding success, followed by roaring applause.
In business
I help others with their speeches, but I also get help from others for my speeches. For example, for my humorous speech final in Berlin in 2016, I worked together with a group of people. We met a few times and worked on the speech. Without them, my speech would have been a lot less impactful. Just like Strassera’s.
If you have a high-stake speech coming up or want to maximize your impact, involve others. Be it colleagues, friends, or a professional. Often, their input will make the difference between good and outstanding.
If you want me to help you, that’s also an option. Contact me here.
p.s. thank you to Urania for organizing the Latin American Film Days!