An “effective speechwriter” is …
November 05, 2010
Alex Tsigdinos runs the Blue Chair Group, an executive communication operation whose clients have included many CEOs, most prominently those at Daimler Chrysler. A client once asked Tsigdinos for a one-pager on “what to look for in a dedicated speechwriter and how the job differed from other PR jobs.”
Here’s what Tsigdinos came up with. What would you add (or subtract)? Write to [email protected] —ed.
Effective Speechwriter
1) Writing Ability
• must write “for the ear” and not for the eye
• must write in the voice of the speaker
• must be creative with what are often dull subjects
• can articulate policy
• makes the speaker better
2) Intellect
• can converse at the intellectual level of clients
• naturally “curious” about how the product, company and industry work
• keeps up with current events in industry, society, politics and culture
• willing to take risk
• likes to argue (disputation) to understand all sides of an issue
• intellectually curious
3) Chemistry
• is comfortable with senior executives and vice versa
• can become “alter ego” of clients
• gains personal confidence and becomes confidant of clients
• diplomat in all relations
• builds a strong internal network—people like to work with them
• flexible
4) Corporate and Industry Knowledge
• understands and “has a feel” for the company and industry
• understands and can identify trends and forces that influence company
• understands the “product”
• gains a superior knowledge of all facets of the company and processes
Speechwriting Job vs. PR
• individual contributor—manages “up” not down
• academic in nature
• collegial—ability to work with others often significantly senior in grade
• works in larger “chunks”—and to absolute deadlines
• independent—less supervision and teamwork
Speechwriting Support of Executives
• Priority is an “inverted pyramid” of support
o CEO—speeches, presentations, executive communications (letters, etc.)
o COO—speeches, presentations
o EC
o Significant platforms for company
o Others