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Tailored to Fit                               Return to Views Directory Page
It's true.    I have, as my resume says, "put words in the mouths of business, association and political leaders, including Fortune 500 CEOs, a U.S. ambassador to Japan, and a President of the United States."  What I wrote for these men and women did not change the world much, but it certainly ratcheted my career up a few notches, and I am grateful for the opportunities.  I am most grateful for what those opportunities taught me, not the least of which is that a speechwriter has to be a good tailor.

I admire good tailoring.  My father’s father was a tailor. He was born in Lithuania in the last century and learned his craft through long apprenticeship.  My father learned tailoring from him in the late 1920s and 1930s, the Golden Age of Style, and though he did not pursue it as a career, the basic rules of quality, fit and taste became a part of him. (Note: Dad, I have new slacks that need cuffs. Wool. Please email me.)

Speechwriting is like tailoring.  In a time of off-the-rack, mass-produced sound bites, a good speech is a custom-made suit.  It drapes the speaker.  It is comfortable.  It attracts attention with its classic look and feel.  It is worth the price.  Many speakers I write for usually write their own speeches.  They come to me when they want something different for an important event: a designer original, a statement, impact.

To give them what they want, I need a few basics:

• Face-to-Face Meeting.   A "fitting" session with the speaker lets me learn firsthand his natural vocabulary, body language and style, all of which are essential for giving the speech a personal, intimate feel.
  
• Ample Time.  Two weeks may be enough to stitch words together, but to design something unique takes twice as long or longer.
  
• Clear Objectives.   What the speech must do and how the audience should react determine whether to go with single-breasted or double-breasted, wide lapels or narrow, pocket flaps or not.
  
• Clean Content. The cloth should be whole, simple and of best quality.  Avoid cluttered patterns (too much detail) and featureless solids (not enough detail).  Choose material that is interesting on its own, instead of relying entirely on accessories (jokes and anecdotes) to add color and flair.
  
• Specific Setting.   Are we talking morning wear or evening wear?  Formal or informal?   Classic or avant garde?  Explanation, motivation or celebration?
  
• Audience Profile.   Who will be there, and why?  What do they want to hear?  What do they need to hear?  What "look" will get them to react the way the speaker wants them to?
  
• Informed Feedback.   Revising a speech based on how it looks on the page is like altering a tuxedo based on how it looks on the hanger.  A speakers should try the first draft on for size—practice it in front of few colleagues or family members—before recommending changes.

Like a favorite suit or a comfortable leather jacket, a good speech is more than what it is made of.  It is a statement about the wearer.   A speech does not make a man or a woman any more than clothes do, but it sure does make a lasting impression.  My job is to make that impression a perfect fit.

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