2 Approaches to Platform Speeches (Workshop Tonight!)

Which do you pick first? A platform speech category or a specific platform speech topic? Do you decide to write a persuasive and then look for the perfect persuasive topic or become passionate about a speech on baking long before you decide it’d make the perfect after dinner on household mishaps and management? Maybe you haven’t ever thought about this question, but it is an important step in the process of crafting an excellent platform speech. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, so how you choose to answer the question will shape the rhetoric of your speech, its momentum, and your own growth as a speaker. If you’ve decided that you want to invest in a platform speech this year, whether you have brainstormed ideas or not, this is the workshop that will help you take the next steps. We’ll review the basic categories of platform speeches and look at their goals. We’ll examine the reasoning behind choosing topics and choosing platform categories, giving special attention to the relationship between these two approaches. We’ll also spend time working through potential topics ideas you may have. Our goal is to make this workshop an energizing and interactive experience that deepens your understanding of how to craft excellent platform speeches. We hope to see you there!

For more info read on or CLICK HERE to sign up…


The intent for this workshop was taking a deeper look at an aspect of the speech world that is often taken for granted or left unexplained. If you’re new to the idea of writing a ten minute platform speech that you will then memorize and deliver before judges, this workshop is the perfect opportunity to talk about some of your topic ideas and learn how to jump into the process. Let’s take a quick look at why this subject is important and one of the ways this workshop will benefit you.

Acknowledge the Process

There are two hidden lessons in the very title of this workshop. When it states that a platform speech has a “process of development,” the title is providing two reminders. First, crafting a platform speech is a process. You’re never going to have the perfect platform script dropped into your hand. The hard work of brainstorming, outlining, and editing can be greatly streamlined with advice from coaches who have walked through this process dozens of times. Secondly, the process of development takes time. Excellent platform speeches are rarely written as a late night solution to your procrastination. Give yourself ample time by getting in the right platform-speech-writing mindset now.

Balance Flexibility and Focus

​Every platform speech’s process needs to balance both flexibility and focus. This workshop will help you to understand the difference between being indecisive about speech categories/thesis statements and allowing the speech to grow naturally within a topic or category framework you have already set. Platform speeches often take off into unexpected territory as you delve into the process of development, but they should never lose sight of the focused goals you set at the beginning of your endeavor. Discerning the proper tension between flexibility and focus is one of the most important lessons I learned from writing platform speeches!

Beginners will learn why starting with a specific topic and building a thesis statement helps remove indecision and provide focus, while advanced students can consider the appealing challenge of picking a new category to try and working towards an appropriate topic within that category. If you’re ready to begin the platform speech process, balance flexibility with focus, and discover more about picking categories and topics, this workshop is for you!

Note- Originally Kaitlyn Butts was going to do this workshop, but due to unforeseen circumstances she will be unable to attend. Therefore, Heather Neumann will be leading.

Also, there are TWO workshops tonight! Check out Isabelle Clausen’s workshop on Mars Hill…. CLICK HERE.