Global Speechwriting/Coaching
Saturday, November 29th, 2008I’ve just returned from coaching executives in Europe. A few words of advice I’d like to pass along to speechwriters:
1) Make sure you have a passport ready. If an international speechwriting assignment comes along, you don’t want to be caught with an expired passport. You need to be ready to meet your clients - whenever, wherever.
2) Brush up your foreign language skills. I used to be fluent in German. My current German skills are … well, they’re far/far less than fluent. But, I can hold a pleasant-enough conversation in German, and clients appreciate this. (Take heart: The bar is low! Americans have notoriously weak foreign language skills … so international executives will notice and value your efforts to speak their languages.)
3) Pay special attention to audience analysis. Writing a speech to be given in China … or Spain … or Germany? Within the past month, I’ve had to handle these specialized speechwriting assignments - and by taking the time to understand each audience, I was able to serve my clients well.
It’s a big world out there. Do what it takes to be ready for any assignment.