Thoughts · 12 June 2026
Why listening is half the speech.
Before I write a single word, I ask questions. About what lies between the answers – and why it’s precisely there that the speech which truly carries is born.
Most people believe a good speaker is someone who speaks well. I believe something different: a good speaker is someone who listens well. Because the words that truly carry aren’t invented at my desk – I find them in the conversations beforehand.
When I sit across from a family, it’s not the big milestones that matter to me: date of birth, profession, place of residence. What matters to me are the small things – the way someone laughed. The phrase they said again and again. The gesture everyone recognised them by. That is where the person lives, not in the key facts.
What matters lies between the answers.
That’s why I ask a lot. And then I stay silent. I allow pauses in which the most important sentence often falls – the one you don’t say in answer to the first question. For me, listening means giving space until what really matters reveals itself.
Only then do I begin to write. And if I’ve done it right, people recognise themselves in every sentence. Not because I phrased it cleverly – but because I listened well.
← Back to ThoughtsEnquire now
Let’s talk.
Do you have a moment ahead of you for which you’re seeking the right words? Write to me – no obligation.
Request a Conversation→
Listening comes before writing
Listening is more than collecting information for a speech. It is a way of making room for a person, a relationship and the meaning of a particular moment.
Before I write, I want to understand what matters to you. We talk about memories, hopes, questions and the details that might otherwise remain unspoken. Sometimes a pause says as much as an answer.
This attentive beginning shapes every part of the ceremony. The words become more personal, the structure becomes clearer and the people present can recognise themselves in what is spoken.
Whether you are planning a wedding, a funeral or another important transition, a first conversation is the best place to begin. You can also explore ceremony ideas at Hochzeit.de.