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Speechwriting must be one of the weirdest jobs in the world. No matter how carefully the words have been prepared, you're never quite sure how they're going to be delivered. Yesterday I was in London and I was watching one of my clients, who's a big Australian businessman, deliver a speech that I'd written for him, and I'd written for him this passage, kind of with Winston Churchill in mind, about how we've got to fight for our future, fight to protect our position, fight our competitors, and I'd forgotten about the Australian accent, and I watched from the back of the room with horror as I saw him go, we've got to fart for our future, fart to protect our position, and I'll tell you what folks, when I wake up every morning there's one thing I know for sure I'm going to do that day, fart! So today I'm going to share with you some speechwriter secrets, because I don't know whether you know this, but there is a secret language of leadership, a secret language of leadership that we all used to be taught at school, ancient rhetoric. This was a core part of the curriculum in ancient Rome, part of the trivium.

Let's follow Simon Lancaster...

Speechwriting / must be one of the weirdest jobs in the world. // No matter how carefully the words have been prepared, / you're never quite sure / how they're going to be delivered. / Yesterday I was in London / and I was watching one of my clients, who's a big Australian businessman, / deliver a speech that I'd written for him, and I'd written for him this passage, / kind of with Winston Churchill in mind, / about how we've got to fight for our future, / fight to protect our position, / fight our competitors, / and I'd forgotten about the Australian accent, / and I watched from the back of the room with horror / as I saw him go, / we've got to fart for our future, / fart to protect our position, / and I'll tell you what folks, when I wake up every morning there's one thing I know for sure I'm going to do that day, / fart! // So today I'm going to share with you / some speechwriter / secrets, / because I don't know whether you know this, but there is a secret / language of leadership, / a secret language of leadership that we all used to be taught at school, / ancient rhetoric. / This was a core part of the curriculum in ancient Rome, part of the trivium. /

Let's read...

In London, right the way through to the 19th century, it was possible to get a free education in rhetoric, but not in mathematics, reflecting the importance that was placed on the topic. Today teaching in rhetoric is restricted, restricted to a powerful privileged few, so what I'm going to do in my speech is revive this ancient art of rhetoric and share with you six techniques so that you can all speak like leaders. So right, okay, stop, right, stop, listen, look left, look right, look centre. How are you feeling? Distressed? Anxious? A little bit edgy? That's because I'm mimicking hyperventilating, and so this is the authentic sound of fear, and that fear transfers to you. This is an ancient Roman rhetorical device, they used to call it a syndeton, but it's one that leaders still use today, so David Cameron uses it. Broken homes, failing schools, sink estates, Tony Blair used to use it as well. Education, education, education, Barack Obama too. A world at war, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a generation. Why three? Well, three is the magic number in rhetoric. Government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Let's follow Simon Lancaster...

In London, / right the way through to the 19th century, / it was possible to get a free education in rhetoric, but not in mathematics, / reflecting the importance that was placed on the topic. // Today / teaching in rhetoric is restricted, restricted to a powerful privileged few, / so what I'm going to do in my speech is revive this ancient art of rhetoric / and share with you six techniques / so that you can all speak like leaders. // So right, okay, stop, / right, / stop, listen, / look left, / look right, / look centre. // How are you feeling? // Distressed? // Anxious? / A little bit edgy? / That's because I'm mimicking / hyperventilating, / and so this is the authentic sound / of fear, and that fear transfers to you. / This is an ancient Roman rhetorical device, they used to call it a syndeton, / but it's one that leaders still use today, so David Cameron / uses it. // Broken homes, / failing schools, / sink estates. // Tony Blair used to use it as well. // Education, / education, / education. / Barack Obama too. // A world at war, / a planet in peril, / the worst financial crisis / in a generation. / Why three? / Well, three is the magic number / in rhetoric. / Government of the people, / by the people, / for the people. //