It’s a personal thing, rounding up thoughts from the far corners, poking around for things hidden in the idea bins. I get lost in there sometimes. Some can dive right in and the idea organization process flows easily. I tend to let ideas foment (or is that ferment?) in my mind for days or weeks before I write them. Then I may find myself up at 4am and complete in about an hour. Sometimes I need an incremental step, and road mapping a speech is a worthwhile exercise. I differentiate this process from “drafting” a speech because it is a different goal. The intent varies in that I want to take a longer look at the trail of thoughts which will lead the audience to a new motivation. This process is especially helpful for longer formats like a keynote or a training session. It’s a map with printable directions. It also looks for places where the road needs construction by research.
A content map reminds us of the rules of the road, too. Remember that old tired, but tried-and-true rule of speech-craft: “Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em. Tell ‘em. Tell ‘em what you told ‘em.”? That may seem to be the most boring approach humanly possible toward delivering your catchy message. But, we are forced to live within the double-yellow lines, the road markers of how people process information. Follow the lines, stay focused. As individuals, we want to take side-roads which call on our unique views, stories, and funny moments. A roadmap-type draft can help think through the depth of each side-road, vignette, or technical detail required to progress the purpose. If a detail (side-road) doesn’t help us reach the speech purpose, why would we go there? That’s why a preview, or a story, and a clarification at the end are so often the plan – that model returns us to the main road.
When we take a trip, we want to arrive safely (that is, coherently) with our gifts, then sit through opening the package and then leave gracefully while the gift is front of mind. If the route is too distracting, the scenery too rich, the topics to broad or unclear, we feel lost, we arrive late, and we rush the thought. My ideas are often shaped to entice and to encourage the audience to want to open the gift, to possess the idea. I always hope to offer something of interest, and I believe that the audience must express an interest, must meet me halfway. Ah-ha moments, when the audiences realizes an internal motivation come to life, are very empowering. This requires knowing the audience somewhat, and having a defined purpose. Teasers of speech value, common in the seminar business, are offers of the journey to be taken. This is why I roadmap my speeches in concept before the first draft of the words - value and purpose first. The roadmap approach can be easily discussed with the client, too. Then, questions; What is the context and setting for the message and what will the message entail? How emotional is audience’s current position? Where is the “comfort zone” for this topic? Can I define their position and seek their confirmation through some interactive moments? Previews require placement, timing, and context… “When we finish this session, you will know how to…”. Establish guardrails that will keep the talk on track. Later, it’s on to specifics of drafting like “How will the speech open?”, “How can the message be worded in different ways (and still be clear)?”
Universal formulas don't apply. A speech map may be a mental exercise, or take the form of a hand-written flow of ideas, a (simple) flow-chart chart, it may be a list or a recording, identifying the core elements of each section, the beginning (tell), the journey (how to tell), and the arrival (the gift). A road map can pay dividends in conceptualizing, defining purpose, and providing clarity for the writing process. It can define the road ahead.
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