American Speechwriter

Got a script? Need to sound "real"? We help with dialogue. We can refine your script so that the dialogue sounds natural and powerful.

Many of us have the mistaken belief that where we grew up was non-distinct. One of the reasons we believe that, sometimes, is that everyone we grew up with was more or less like us. If you've ever lived beyond the borders of your high school world, you will have seen that the world is of course larger. The greatest high school commencement speeches delivered by a successful alum recognize two things: high school isn't the end of your life and the street you grew up on isn't the end of reality. If you have a career of any sort, have had any kind of success, and have accomplished anything, where you grew up help make you who you are. It's where you started and helped build who you are, and it's not all who you are. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller

Giving a presentation? Be persuasive, efficient, and relaxed. We can help.

It's time to start thinking about commencement addresses. Some of you are in school leadership and have been tasked to find a speaker. Others of you are leaders in your industry and you will be the one who gets the call. Some of you are celebrities. Maybe you are an author, an Olympian, or have achieved something others want to hear about. We can help you write that speech. We can train you to deliver it. We can even give that speech. Call today. #education #speeches #speechwriting #commencement #graduation

We are happy to announce our principal speechwriter, Anthony Trendl, has written a book. We invite you to take a look. https://lnkd.in/eApvSguw "The Raging Giant Blue Goldfish: 22 Short Stories" is a collection of the kinds of tales your grandfather would tell you on the porch with a twinkle in his eye. You and he both know the goldfish wasn't as big as the title story says, or that turtles really can't help drive a car. The one about the bad sportsmanship and the one about the wonderful dog could be true, but who can say?

Need a speaker for your next event? Inspiration and motivation, as well as focused talks on writing and communications. We'll help excite your audience toward action. Great for fundraising and beyond.

Your presentation doesn't need to sound like the rest. Say what you want to say, not what you think your colleagues want you to say. Lead.

Are You Speaking to Grads? You are about to speak to graduates and their families. Your college commencement speech matters. Whether it is at university or a secondary education institution, you want to shine. You were chosen because of your leadership and other accomplishments. You know giving a speech is an opportunity to share your experience, values and advice. Together, we will think through the theme and tone of your speech. I’ll learn who you are, your passions and your voice. You’ll receive everything you need to challenge today’s youth to become great humans tomorrow.

Fundraising. Those of us involved often have a love-hate relationship with it. We love when people give our organization lots of money, but we hate to ask for it. You can have a love-love relationship with fundraising. It's easy. It's just a matter of perspective. In fact, you may already have secretly that love-love perspective. Think about your organization’s mission and vision. Think about who it serves. Do you believe in it? Do you care about those people? If you do, you're already there. When you are asking for money, you are asking to help meet the needs of those you are serving. If, for example, you are help leading an organization that has the goal of reducing sex trafficking or hunger, you know who you were helping and you know what a $1,000 gift can do. Likewise, if you are the president or fundraising director of an excellent school, and you know the value of the education your school provides, you know every gift makes a direct difference. When you are asking for donations, whether a dollar or $1,000,000, if your organization is worthy, asking can be easy. It can even be joyful, because you know when that donation comes in, you are enabled to help more people more effectively. Your joy will be infectious. If you are asking for that donation in person, your smile will come through your voice. Similarly, if you are doing it through an appeal letter, there'll be more passion in what you write. Meanwhile, if you aren't feeling the joy, if you don’t believe in the mission or care about the people you are serving or you work for one of those nonprofits in which the CEOs make a huge amount of money, it's time to look for a new position. #fundraising #events #nonprofit

If your speech sounds like a speech, then it isn't worth your audience's time. To be extraordinary, be extraordinary. Don't use gimmicks, cliches, acronyms, buzzwords, so-and-so-isms, etc. That's your insecurity coming out as arrogance (or the other way around). Be better than that. Look through your script for those things, and replace them with words which haven't heard the way you are saying them, with a genuine comfort level.