Stevie Wonder's speechwriter reveals how to move an audience
Stephen Fishbach, who has written speeches for Stevie Wonder at the UN, shares practical techniques for making speeches that stick.
Speechwriter Stephen Fishbach is in Canberra for the Writers Festival, promoting his new book Escape!. Stephen Fishbach has written corporate speeches, United Nations addresses for Stevie Wonder, and worked on the famous Survivor jury speech that shaped the show's format.
People can tell when you are lying, Fishbach says: authenticity is everything. Know your audience intimately, their childhood, their struggles, their real human experience.
Use strong metaphors that fit the moment: Reagan's 'tear down this wall' worked because the wall was both literal and symbolic. Leave your ego at the door; someone else will get the credit and that is fine.
Break a big theme into smaller, local angles that connect to people's actual lives. Understand what need is driving the person you disagree with, and speak to that need.
End every speech with a call to action: tell people what to do with the energy you have given them.
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Why it mattersWhether you are presenting at work, speaking at a wedding, or pitching an idea, these techniques turn words into something memorable.
AustraliaFishbach is speaking in Canberra, where government, politics and advocacy mean speeches shape daily life and policy.
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