You’re asked to draft a five-minute speech the boss wants to deliver a week from today. Or, you’re assigned to write the executive director’s welcome message for your organization’s annual report.

In each case, you find yourself staring at a blank screen, trying to figure out how to begin. Does this sound familiar?

“Talk like a human. We think it makes us sound smarter and more informed when we use buzzwords and jargon,” advises Terry Szuplat, a former speechwriter for President Obama and author of Say It Well; Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience.

Szuplat shared this suggestion and other compelling tips on crafting speeches during a live podcast, Chief Influencer, hosted  by The George Washington University College of Professional Studies, School of Political Management, and Social Driver, a Washington, D.C.-based digital marketing and communications agency.

“I call it the barbeque rule,” said Szuplat, the founder of Global Voices Communications, a speechwriting and strategic communications firm who also teaches speechwriting at his alma mater, American University. “Imagine you’re with friends and family at a backyard barbeque. Someone asks what you do for a living. You don’t engage in all this jargon. You engage like you’re a human being. That way, even nieces and nephews will be able to understand you.”

Anthony Shop, co-founder and chief strategy officer with Social Driver, moderated the conversation at the National Churchill Leadership Center on the GW campus. The packed audience consisted largely of students, faculty, and communications professionals.

The 50-25-25 Rule

Szuplat pointed out the importance of planning and thinking about what you’d like to say while collecting stories on a given topic—before any writing takes place. He strongly encouraged the writer to budget time to edit afterward. In Say It Well, he calls it the “50-25-25” rule:

I spend roughly 50 percent of my time thinking, researching, and organizing my thoughts, 25 percent of my time writing, and the final 25 percent of my time editing and practicing. It works, no matter how much time you have.

“The most important predictor about being a communicator is not what you do at the podium but the hard work you put in before you get to the podium,” said Szuplat during his interview with Shop.

About AI

Despite the explosion of artificial intelligence in today’s landscape, Szuplat cautions AI has limitations, particularly in speechwriting.

“If I find you’re using AI to write a speech, you’ll get an automatic ‘F’,” he said. “As a researcher, I use it all the time. But your audience wants humanity. They want to hear what’s in your heart. They don’t want something regurgitated by a machine. People want a human connection now more than ever. Stories resonate so powerfully. That’s what the audience wants.”

An Obama speechwriter from 2009 to 2017, Szuplat helped craft nearly 500 speeches on global security, international economics, U.S. foreign and defense policy, entrepreneurship, development, and human rights. As a special assistant to the President and senior director of speechwriting at the National Security Council staff, he joined Obama on visits to more than 40 countries.

“Kudos to Terry for distilling years of high-stakes communication experience into this invaluable resource,” said Shop. “His advice takes away some of the intimidation factor in sitting down and preparing to write a speech, which can be daunting. We were fortunate to feature him on our program.”

About the Chief Influencer Podcast

Washington is the center of influence—in our country and, arguably, the world. The Chief Influencer podcast asks some of the most influential and inspiring people around for their secrets to success.

• Swiss Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud talks about how he influenced through diplomacy and then used those skills to go viral on social media.
• Filmmaker Peggy Rajski discusses how she used the power of storytelling to win an Oscar and launch The Trevor Project.
• Congressman Andy Kim, a GW grad, provides hope that politics can be civil and public servants can act with humility and integrity.
• Ben’s Chili Bowl cofounder Virginia Ali discusses how a 66-year-old small business has made a monumental impact in our Nation’s Capital.

Chief Influencer featured Szuplat not only because he is influential in his own right but also because he has helped the most powerful person in the world—the President of the United States—maximize the influence of the bully pulpit.

PHOTOS: James Minichello