Behind The Book Writing The Business Speech With Matthew Hughes

Mickey Mikkelson has reconnected me with Matthew Hughes to discuss his new release Writing The Business Speech. You can read my past interviews with Matthew by clicking these links. 

https://booknotions.com/qa-with-matthew-hughes/ https://booknotions.com/behind-the-book-yalum-with-matthew-hughes/ 

Q: Welcome back to Book Notions Matthew! Would you please give a brief description of Writing The Business Speech? 

A: It’s summed up in the subtitle: a practical guide to writing speeches for business people.  It’s a distillation of what I learned over three decades of writing speeches for CEOs of major corporations, senior executives in various industries, and heads of charities and industrial associations.

It’s a “how-to” manual for anyone who has to write a speech for a business speaker to a business-oriented audience—the kind of speaking text delivered to Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, Boards of Trade, and national and international industry conferences.

Q: How long did it take you to write Writing The Business Speech? What made now the right time to write Writing The Business Speech? 

A: Some twenty-five years ago, I had made a reputation as a top-level freelance speechwriter, earning $200 an hour in then-contemporary currency.  I was a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and fell into a discussion with some of the executive about writing a how-to book.  Ultimately, nothing came of it, but I wrote the book anyway, thinking I might find a use for it someday.

In those days, I was segueing gradually out of speechwriting into writing genre fiction.  The how-to book sat in the back pastures of my hard drive, year after year.  Recently, I noticed it and thought I should get it out into the world because it would be useful to some people, especially writers who get called upon to prepare a speaking text when they haven’t done it before.

As I recall, it didn’t take me long to write.  I put it together during idle days.

Q: What are the core lessons you want readers to learn from this book? 

A: That speechwriting is not like other forms of written communication.  It’s meant for the ear, not the eye, and it must be delivered live by a human being to other human beings.  So, the rules and the techniques are different.

The most significant lesson is this:   nobody remembers speeches.  What they remember is the impression the speaker made on them at the time, and what stuck with them afterwards.  Good speechwriting requires knowing what impression can and should be made to that audience, by that speaker, in that environment—then making it happen.

Q: Matthew would you please provide social media links so that the readers of the blog and I can follow you and your work?

A: My Facebook page is:  www.facebook.com/hapthorn

There is a substantial Wikipedia page:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Hughes_(writer)

And I have a Patreon account:  https://www.patreon.com/c/u4687520

I also contribute to a fan site for my favorite SF and fantasy author, Jack Vance:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/jackvancefans