6 Basic Rules of Speechwriting (from Ted Sorensen, counsel to JFK)

As we prepare for Obama’s inauguration, I have been reading a great book, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History by Ted Sorensen. Ted was best known as President John F. Kennedy's special counsel, adviser and primary speech writer.

The parallels between JFK and Obama are intriguing to consider. Yet, I can't help but wonder how Sorensen's legacy will be matched by either Axelrod or Emanuel.

I’m finding the book to be very insightful, especially a section in Chapter 12 in which he shares six basic rules of speechwriting. I couldn’t help but see the parallels with principles of strong, effective brand communications. Here are Sorensen’s rules:

1. LESS IS ALMOST ALWAYS BETTER THAN MORE

2. CHOOSE EACH WORD AS A PRECISION TOOL

3. ORGANIZE THE TEXT TO SIMPLIFY, CLARIFY, EMPHASIZE

4. USE VARIETY AND LITERARY DEVICES TO REINFORCE MEMORABILITY, NOT CONFUSE OR DISTRACT

5. EMPLOY ELEVATED, BUT NOT GRANDIOSE, LANGUAGE

6. SUBSTANTIVE IDEAS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ANY SPEECH