A common assumption is that a speechwriter needs a speaker to the same extent that a  pregnant woman needs a doctor -- for delivery only!  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In this Oprah Winfrey world, audiences expect a personality, not self-serving  pronouncements. Audiences want to hear a real person who can express a purpose, a sense of playfulness, and, above all, a passion.

That's why you can't just order up a stock speech and expect to have any more impact than a Water Pick on a raging inferno.  That's why a clumsy speech from the heart is better than polished prose from someone else's head. 

Ideally, you should express you; write your own speech.  Realistically, you may not have the time, or training, to do it well. It takes time to evaluate all related issues...time to examine the expectations and cultural  backgrounds of each audience and venue... time to read the voluminous literature from business, history, social sciences, philosophy and religion... time to dredge up anecdotes and humor that makes the points you need...and, most importantly, time to reflect.

Yet you can save time, and be personal and profound, employing a speech writer if -and it's a big "if"- you are willing to invest time to let your writer get to know where you're coming from.

A good speaker-writer relationship, like good product engineering, is front-loaded. It begins by answering many personal questions that define you and your vision.

Getting-acquainted with a speechwriter can be put to good use. At OverViews, we often develop personality profiles to define the executive and establish his or her  persona. These written profiles are filled with personal anecdotes and life's 
experiences. They replace the traditional corporate bios with their laundry-lists of dates served and  titles held.

Of course, not all writer-speaker relationships require a profile first. OverViews 
on-line services, for example, achieves nearly the same results by asking a series of questions which define the speaker's perspective up front.

Whether you write your own speech or establish a working relationship with a  professional writer, there are seven thoughts to keep in mind:

*First, don't accept speaking engagements too readily. Unless you're in training for Toastmasters, you should be able to answer the question "what's in it for me?" by making this effort.  Remember, the advice of American poet James Russell Lowell: "Blessed are they who have nothing to say, and who cannot be persuaded to say it."

*Second, be mercifully brief.  Studies show that today's audiences' attention span is about 1,000 seconds, or about 16 and 3/4 minutes -the period between commercials on prime-time television. 

*Third, have a single concept in mind. The podium is no place for multiple messages or meandering. The spoken word is ephemeral. The more you say, the more facts you lay on them, the less they will remember.

*Fourth, a speech is a public discussion, not a legal document. Use the same style and relaxed manner as you would in a conversation with a peer. Don't speak at, or down to, your audience, but "with" them.

*Fifth, remember when you rise to speak, you don't actually have to go to the bathroom. It just seems that way.

*Sixth, Give a brief presentation (1,000 seconds), then fill in the rest of your alloted time with questions from the floor. You or your speechwriter can prepare answers to the most probable questions, so you'll be polished yet appear spontaneous. Nothing makes a speaker look better than two-way communications.

*Seventh, and most importantly, no matter who writes your speech, remember who is giving it.

The ancient Greeks were right-on when they said, "speech is the mirror of the soul."  When you step up to the podium, it's your soul that's bared -- your personal and professional image reflected in every word.