AI as Your Co-Author: Speech Writing with ChatGPT

A Public Speaking Coach's Guide to Unlocking the Power of AI for Your Next Speech

As a public speaking coach, I often encounter clients curious about leveraging ChatGPT or similar AI tools to write scripts for their presentations. Here's my perspective, which, as you might anticipate, is not purely black or white.

First, it would be wise to avoid using ChatGPT to craft your entire speech directly. The reason lies in the nature of AI-generated content. While ChatGPT can produce excellent text, it doesn't inherently possess your unique style or the specific nuances of your intended message. It produces content that is too generic or somewhat random without precise and structured directives.

Nevertheless, overlooking the utility of ChatGPT would be a mistake. It's an invaluable resource for drafting your speech, provided you input detailed and well-thought-out information. Here's how I integrate ChatGPT into my speech-writing process without losing my personal touch or the depth of the original message:

1. Pin Down Your Core Message and Argument Structure

AI excels at generating coherent text, but it could be better at crafting a logical argument tailored to your specific message. This is simply because it doesn't understand your core intent.

Your initial step should be consolidating what you aim to convey and how you plan to structure your argument. This clarity allows you to leverage ChatGPT more effectively by directing it towards content that serves your purpose.

2. Outline Your Speech with Bullet Points

Continue by outlining the main points, examples, and data linked to each step of your structure in bullet points. This approach is akin to brainstorming, where the goal is to lay down a framework without worrying about crafting perfect sentences or choosing the precise words.

Once you have a robust outline articulating your argument's structure and the key points you wish to cover, you're ready to engage ChatGPT more constructively.

3. Task ChatGPT with Drafting Your Speech

At this point, you should prepare a comprehensive prompt for ChatGPT that encompasses the following:

• Your identity and your speaking style.

• The context in which you'll be delivering your speech.

• The information you're providing to ChatGPT as a base (your bullet point outline).

• Your expectations from ChatGPT (a fleshed-out speech).

For instance:

I am a conference presenter specialist on topic X. I speak in a straightforward and informative way. (or "I use short sentences with a few touches of humor").

I have been asked to speak at the conference about X called... (you can provide more details by copying information about the conference, the description of the conference that you can find on the website, and anything meaningful that the organizers provided to you.)

My speech should adhere to these guidelines... (the length of the speech, if there is any topic or theme, if there is any requirement, etc.)

I will give you a bullet point structure with key arguments that I want to include in my speech.

Write a draft speech following my draft structure and arguments. Keep my style and adhere to the guidelines.

This detailed prompt guides ChatGPT in generating a draft that aligns more closely with your requirements.

4. Refine ChatGPT's Draft

The draft produced by ChatGPT will likely need refinement to align perfectly with your tone and objectives. It might be overly verbose or meander from your intended message.

While you can ask ChatGPT for specific revisions to simplify or condense the text, the final step of personalizing and perfecting the speech should be yours. This ensures the speech not only conveys the intended message effectively but also resonates authentically with your audience.

In conclusion, while AI like ChatGPT can significantly aid in the initial drafting phase of your speech, the essence that makes the speech uniquely yours comes from your personal input and final adjustments.

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Upskill yourself or your team

Are you looking for a personal coaching for your next big speech? Do you want to equip your team with the skill of speaking with impact?

I offer group training and individual coaching. Read all about it and get in touch:

https://www.impactfulspeaking.com