Speech writing: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering speech writing
Speech clients want words that sound like them when spoken, in a room that is listening. Show that you ask about the audience and the time limit first, and that you test every draft out loud before you send it.
What customers ask
- How long will the speech take to deliver, and how do you check it?
- How do you learn my voice?
- Will you write humor, and how do you check it suits the audience?
- How many drafts do I get?
- Can you help me practice the delivery?
- What if the speech has to be shorter at the last minute?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask about the audience, the occasion, the time slot and any other speakers, then repeat the constraints back in one sentence.
- Ask the client for three stories they tell well, and show one short paragraph built from one of them, so they hear your approach.
- Put the length, the number of drafts and any rehearsal or timing session into the quote, so the client knows what is included.
- Send an outline with a timing estimate for each section, so the client sees the speech fits the slot before you write it in full.
- Read each draft aloud and state its timing in the cover message, so the client has a figure to compare with their slot.
- Mark the lines that need the client's own judgment, such as a memory or a sensitive detail, and ask them to confirm those first.
What to put on your profile
- Sample speeches or excerpts, with the occasion and length noted and permission where needed.
- Occasions you write for, such as weddings, memorials, corporate events or conferences.
- Your process: intake, outline, draft, timing and revision.
- A note on how you test a draft out loud before delivery.
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a short delivery session before the event, if the client wants help with pace and pauses.
- Suggest a shorter version of the speech for a second event, such as a toast for a rehearsal dinner and a longer version for a reception.
- Offer a short thank you note to the event's hosts, if the client wants one.
Licenses and permits
Speech writing is not commonly licensed, so you usually do not need a license to offer it. Check with your state or local licensing agency for business registration, and keep a written agreement that names the length, the number of drafts and who owns the speech.
Questions
How do I show I can write for a specific occasion?
Share speeches written for that occasion, with the length and audience noted, and explain how you timed them. The note shows your method as clearly as the text does.
Should I write speeches the client will deliver as their own?
Yes, that is the usual work. Say in the agreement that the client delivers the speech and is responsible for its content, including any facts they confirm.
How do I handle a client who wants a speech for someone else's event?
Ask who the speech is for and what the client needs it to achieve before you write. Keep the client's role and the audience's needs clear in the draft.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer speech writing remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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