If you’re already familiar with the essential skills of speechwriting, take your expertise to another level by attending Value Beyond Words. During this course you’ll put some of the speechwriter’s most powerful tools and techniques under the microscope. For example, you’ll explore how to best to use AI, deploy persuasive arguments, incorporate compelling stories and act as a trusted advisor to your speaker.

You’ll also draw on the knowledge of brain researchers, marketers and movie makers to better connect with and influence listeners. Plus, you’ll participate in hands-on exercises, discussions and brainstorming sessions with your fellow participants.

You’ll give your critical thinking skills a work-out as you review real life examples of speeches written to move mountains. Plus, you’ll engage in discussions, get answers to your speechwriting questions and join in brainstorming challenges specific to speechwriters.

Here's what the course covers in more detail.

Prepare to play many roles beyond wordsmith

• Become a trusted advisor
• Provide support in a crisis
• Be flexible in choosing the right medium for the message

Make the most of persuasion

• Connect leadership and persuasion
• Match the level of persuasion to your communications goal
• Use rhetorical devices to heighten impact and coach listeners
• Appeal to listeners' emotions in a responsible way
• Apply persuasive argument templates

Use story elements to make speeches engaging and memorable

• Choose the right story approach
• Borrow from the screenwriters’ toolkit to keep audience engagement high
• Cast your net widely to find story material
• Shape and integrate anecdotes and stories for the speech medium

Work with humor

• Explore the elements, rules and pitfalls of humor
• Create original humor or adapt it from other sources
• Use humor to do more than entertain

Boost your creativity behind the scenes and your speaker’s creativity on-stage. We'll explore techniques to:

• Deploy AI responsibly to assist in your research and writing
• Get out of a rut when your subject seems same old, same old
• Take a page from the event planner’s notebook to make it all run smoothly