How to turn one story into a pitch, keynote and speech

Introduces the Source Talk Method, where you build one deep story and cut it into the version each room needs.

The Source Talk Method is what the course From Story to Stage teaches. You build one deep Source Talk, written for nobody, then cut it into the version the room in front of you needs. The four Room Cuts are a pitch, a keynote, a TED-style talk and a speech.

The method rests on an observation. One founder might pitch to judges, give a conference keynote, record a TED-style talk and speak at an industry dinner in the same month. Most people write each one from scratch, under pressure. In practice these talks share almost everything, including the opening scene, the single idea and the moment that proves who you are. What changes is the job, and with it the proof, the framing, the ask and the ending. A pitch exists to win a decision and ends on an ask. A speech moves a specific room on an occasion and ends on a charge or a toast. A TED-style talk spreads an idea and ends on the idea.

The method has a boundary. It works when the idea underneath the talks stays the same. When the core idea changes, you build a new source.

Key ideas.

The Source Talk Method means building one deep Source Talk, written for nobody, then cutting it into the version each room needs.
A speaker's pitch, keynote, TED-style talk and speech usually share the same opening scene, single idea and moment that proves who they are.
What changes between Room Cuts is the job, and with it the proof, the framing, the ask and the ending.
A pitch ends on an ask, a speech ends on a charge or a toast, and a TED-style talk ends on the idea itself.

Questions.

How do I adapt one presentation for different audiences?

Write one deep version of your story first, then cut it for each room. This is the Source Talk Method. A pitch, a keynote, a TED-style talk and a speech usually share the same opening scene, single idea and moment that proves who you are. What changes is the job of the room, which shapes the proof, the framing, the ask and the ending.

What is the difference between a pitch, a speech and a TED-style talk?

Each one does a different job. A pitch exists to win a decision, so it ends on an ask. A speech exists to move a specific room on an occasion, so it ends on a charge or a toast. A TED-style talk exists to spread an idea, so it ends on the idea and asks for nothing. The Source Talk Method cuts all three from one Source Talk.

When should I write a new talk from scratch?

Write a new source when the core idea changes. The Source Talk Method works when the same idea sits underneath several talks, as with a founder's pitch, keynote and TED-style talk. A best man speech usually rests on a different idea, so it needs its own source. When the idea holds, you cut from the existing Source Talk and stop rewriting from zero.

Lesson 1.4 of From Story to Stage, a free written course by Aaron C. Leaman, published by Brighter Future. The terms it uses are defined in the glossary.