Lawyers, accountants... speechwriters?

During a recent meeting, a client said something in passing which has been living in my head ever since. People like me, he said (referring to himself), have regular lawyers and accountants. But we don’t have speechwriters. And I think that’s a mistake.

I can hardly claim to be a disinterested observer here. But I think he’s right! I’ll use today’s post to explain why.

This client is a leader in his industry. I’m sure he has resources to hire people which aren’t available to most of us. But it’s increasingly common, even for members of the middle class, to hire a specialist to help with important services like their taxes or their legal questions. That is partly a function of the increasing complexity and specialty of such tasks, and also because the downside risks of getting things wrong can be very high – no one wants a visit from the taxman or a visit to see the inside of a prison cell! (Extend this a little further and it still holds: many of us have regular doctors, cleaners, tradespeople, pharmacists and more.)

But it’s also because, increasingly, people are finding fulfilment in the world of work away from big organisations. Of course, there is no shortage of behemoth employers across the private and public sectors. But, enabled by the rapid improvements in the accessibility and quality of technology, the normalisation of remote working brought on by the pandemic, and a greater willingness to reconsider what we actually want from work, more and more people are striking out on their own. Often, they’re called creators. They produce YouTube videos where they explain their passion to a growing audience or show off their comedic chops on TikTok. They’ll pursue freelance writing (*cough*) or start selling the clothes they make at home on Etsy or Shopify. They’ll even take out a small loan or perhaps dip into their savings to start that internet company they’ve been thinking about for a while.

Don’t get me wrong – the average creator doesn’t have the spare cash to engage a full-time speechwriter. But my point isn’t that they should make a reckless financial choice. It’s that, increasingly, people have a message they want to share and a story they want to tell. And people like me get up every day to help people tell their story.

On the other end of the spectrum are leaders within organisations. One of the things which motivated me to invest my time and resources into SimpleSpeaker was because I knew that there was lots of demand out there for services like my own. But it isn’t being efficiently allocated.

Put it this way. I can only think of a handful of organisations, at least in Australia, which employ full-time speechwriters: political offices, some (but by no means all) government agencies, and financial institutions. It’s likely that I’ve missed some, but I honestly believe that this accounts for more than half of all full-time speechwriters working in the country. 

But that’s only a small fraction of the total demand for speechwriting that must exist. Because, if you’re a leader, even if you don’t require a full-time speechwriter, it’s highly likely that you will need one more often than you think. Increasingly, leaders are expected to be able to tell their own story, articulate their vision for their organisation, or express a point of view about a delicate social issue. You’ll be invited to speak at company-wide meetings, go to industry-wide conferences, and present to prospective investors. It’s an honour, but also a burden – especially when your board members, shareholders, donors and employees are riding on almost every word.

If you’ve made it to the top of your industry, then you’re a deep thinker and (probably!) a clear writer. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need an expert. After all, no matter how many legal dramas you’ve seen, you still have your own lawyer. Heck, even lawyers have their own lawyers – and accountants have their own accountants.

Something similar is true for creators. Maybe you’ve got great ideas for your YouTube channel, but you’d appreciate some help with the scripts. Or you know that the clothes you have spent hours making belong on people’s bodies but aren’t sure how to get them there. Or you know how to write the code for that killer app, but not the story that will make it stand out.

Clearly, a world where more people need speechwriters would be a better world for me. But so would a world where the idea of having your own videographer, or photographer, or programmer is more normal than it is today. Every single person has a story worth telling or an idea worth exploring. But many of us, especially if we have no experience expressing ourselves, need help finding it.

Again, I want to stress that I don’t want the conclusion you take from this to be that you need a full-time speechwriter (although perhaps this will help you realise that you do!). It’s that no matter if you are an independent creator or a leader in your industry, it is more important than ever to effectively tell your story. It’ll help you grow your audience, sell your products, and sell your vision.

So the next time you’re puzzling over a blank page, or not quite satisfied with what your marketing manager has produced, or are keen for a fresh perspective from an expert – consider engaging a speechwriter.