Delivering an acceptance speech can be quite a daunting task if you're feeling too humble, especially if you've worked hard to earn an award but haven't mastered public speaking skills yet! Fortunately, with proper planning and execution, acceptance speeches can be an opportunity for you to shine rather than a pain you have to go through. By following some basic rules of thumb for writing and perfecting speeches and knowing the rules and etiquette of giving speeches in advance, you can make your acceptance speech as easy as possible - even with a lot of fun!
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Part 1 of 3: Writing a Great Speech
Step 1. Don't plan a speech without preparation
Planning and preparation is the key to any event related to public speaking skills. Even though you are only asked to give a speech for one minute, but with the preparation and organization of ideas, you will give a different response between an ordinary response and a warm response from the audience. “Always” take time to practice before you go on stage. Don't rely on your natural charm or quick thinking ability; Once you look into the dozens or hundreds of expectant faces of the audience, you'll find your ability to be interesting and insightful to be less natural than you think.
Step 2. Know who your audience is
Like a gifted writer, a good speechwriter knows how to compose speech content that fits the needs of his audience. Formal speech is used at formal events attended by important guests, while at informal events you can give a speech in a more relaxed style. If you have doubts or make mistakes on the formality side - it's better to speak in formal language at a casual event as this will reduce your shyness than speaking in a relaxed style at a formal event.
Generally, the smaller the audience and the more you get to know them, the more casual your speech will be
Step 3. Begin your speech by introducing yourself
If you don't think the audience knows you well enough at the event, it's a good idea to start your speech by giving a brief description of yourself. You can also describe your job title, some important work you have done, and your relationship to any honors or awards you have received. Keep it short and simple - your goal is not to brag but to introduce yourself to people who don't know you. In addition, if the presenter has described yourself long enough, then you can skip part of the opening of your speech.
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For example, if you receive an award as "Employee of the Year" at a technology company you work for, assuming some of that audience doesn't know you, then you might start an opening like this:
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- "Hello. Thank you for honoring me tonight. As you know, I'm Jane Smith. I joined the company in 2009, and since then I have worked in marketing, content and analytics. in various fields. Earlier this year, I had the honor of working with my chairman, Mr. John Q. Public, on a new data processing system, which is why we are here today."
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Step 4. State clearly, state your purpose at the beginning of the speech
Speech must have a purpose or “core” - If not, why make it so hard for people to listen to you? After you introduce yourself, don't beat around the bush, get right to the point of your speech. Tell the audience "why" they should listen to you and "what" you hope they get from your speech. You can direct them from the beginning of your speech so that they will be ready to listen to you carefully.
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Since you are about to receive some kind of award or honor, a suitable theme for the body of your speech is something around “gratitude”. Concentrate your speech at least by thanking the people who helped you so that you were able to earn the award rather than being arrogant or conceited. In addition, you can also give suggestions to the audience or get them to do something positive after hearing your speech. Whatever you choose, make sure the content of your speech is clear enough from start to finish. For example, you want to convey:
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- "Today I am here to express my infinite gratitude to the people who have always supported me because without you I would not be where I am today. I would also like to briefly mention that the idea of “work hard” is the rule. from this company is different from other companies."
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Step 5. Explain how the award you received means a lot to you
As you express your gratitude and suggestions to the audience, try to explain how important the award you receive is to you. For example, you want to mention that this award is very important to you because it is a symbol that you are getting honor from the most important people in your life. This shows your sincerity and appreciation to the audience. It's not just a trophy or a plaque - it's a symbol that's more important than that.
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One good way is to draw the audience's attention to the fact that the awards you receive, even though they are important to you, will be less meaningful than the honor you always get from doing the things you love. This kind of greeting will make you look humble, passionate, and very deserving of the award. For example, if you received a lifetime award after serving decades as a teacher, you might make a speech like this:
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- “Although I really appreciate and appreciate this award, I would like to express that the greatest gift ever given to me is the opportunity to help the nation's next generation of children to think critically in dealing with the world around them.”
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Step 6. Pack it succinctly, with a meaningful cover
The closing of a speech is one part that must be perfect, this part is also the most important part because this is the part that is most easily remembered by the audience. Try giving them a memorable ending or a call to action - you'll want to do something extraordinary, not something ordinary. Try using touching words and images. For your last sentence, try ending it smartly or with a statement of fact.
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For example, in the teacher example above, we could end it like this:
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- After we leave this place, I would like to invite the audience to briefly reflect on the importance of education for the nation's future children. We want a bright future, for that everyone must work hard to make it happen, and the only way to create such an individual is by united as a community to support our school, our teachers, and the countless people out there who rely on our common strengths.”
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Step 7. Be sure to thank everyone who has helped you succeed
This is a must for acceptance speeches - In your speech section, you “need” to thank the people who have helped you succeed, even if you think their help was insignificant. Forgetting to thank the people who have contributed to your success can hurt someone's feelings and even embarrass you. This is easily avoided by dedicating a portion of your speech to personally thank those who have worked or supported you as much as possible (preferably at the beginning or end of your speech for easy recall).
When you're thanking people, a wise way to end it is with something like, “And finally I want to thank everyone who has supported my work - and there are many more people I can't mention one by one, but I personally thank you all.” This will help you if you forget about people who may have played little role in your success
Step 8. Look for inspiration from the experts
If you're having trouble writing a speech, try searching famous acceptance speeches for ideas on how (and how to "no") make them. In this modern era, there are many good (and bad) acceptance speech examples that you can use as inspiration. There are several examples of famous speeches, such as:
- As a good example, consider Jimmy Valvano's phenomenal acceptance speech at the 1993 ESPY awards. Eight weeks before his untimely death from cancer, the acclaimed college basketball coach delivered his evocative speech to thunderous applause from the audience.
- As an example of what you “shouldn't” do, consider Hilary Swank's Oscar acceptance speech for the film "Boys Don't Cry" in 2000. Swank accepted the award gratefully, expressing his gratitude. To all his supporters, with the exception of his “husband”, the camera was able to capture tears of joy during his speech.
- As an eccentric example, consider Joe Pesci's acceptance speech at the trophy awards. On the Oscar podium in 1991 with his work entitled "Goodfellas," Pesci simply said the simple words, "This is an honor for me, thank you." This earned Pesci scorn and praise for his five-word speech.
Part 2 of 3: Perfecting Your Speech
Step 1. Keep things simple
Unlike written texts, spoken speech cannot be “reread” - every time you say something, it continues with other words whether the audience will understand it or not. To minimize misunderstandings and keep the audience's attention, keep the words simple. Use clear language. To get the gist of your speech, don't overuse the sentence (or the whole speech). People are more interested in short, concise, but clear speeches than long, slurred, and rambling speeches.
Step 2. Memorize at least the gist of your speech
For a long speech, it can sound impossible to memorize every single word. Therefore, use a schematic or copy of your speech, but you should still master each main idea by heart and its sequence as well as the conjunctions and examples you use.
Knowing the outline of your previous speech is useful for several reasons. For example, not only will it prevent certain sloppy techniques (for example, you suddenly forget about a speech you're about to give) from slipping your speech, but it can also help you deliver your speech more confidently. The rest, if you know “basically” what you need to say beforehand, what do you have to worry about?
Step 3. Compose your own speech
Ordinary speeches are plentiful and easy to get. Make your speech memorable by making it something only “you” can deliver. Turn your speech skills into a personal product and give the audience the opportunity to remember not only the speech itself, but also the person delivering it. One easy way to do this is to include a brief, memorable personal anecdote in your speech that relates to the honor you received or the theme you addressed in your speech. Include this as you please, but don't forget to practice self-control, remembering, simple and short speeches are a blessing to the entire audience.
Step 4. Create some humor and flattery
Humor has its own place to support a speech. Funny words are a great way to warm up at the start of a speech and spice it up a bit as long as it helps keep the audience's attention. However, control the amount (and type) of humor you use. Don't rely too much on constant jokes and don't include lewd, insulting, or controversial jokes. Unless you're a professional entertainer, audiences may expect a pleasant speech, flattery, rather than lewd, snarling jokes with constant tantrums, so give it what it wants.
Also, don't forget that it's possible that viewers who are in the process of honoring you will eventually accept. Because of this, you will not belittle an organization that respects you or imply that you are a bad choice. Defend your self-respect, the organization that respects you, and the audience as you receive your self-respect
Step 5. Practice, practice, practice
Like writing, singing, or acting, delivering a speech is an art form. The more you practice, the better you will do it. While it may not be possible to repeat the experience of standing in front of an audience and delivering a speech “for real” before you actually have to, practicing alone or in front of a smaller audience can help you to remember the main points of your speech and gain experience. enough to convey it and it becomes a matter of course for you. In addition, practice can also help you reduce previous problems. For example, if there's a part of your speech that you test with an audience and it doesn't get as good a reaction as you thought, you might take this as a sign that it should be removed or edited before doing the actual speech.
When you practice, set your own time. You may be surprised at how long (how short) your speech is longer than you think. If you have trouble timing your speech, use the results from your practice time to edit your speech as necessary
Step 6. Check for technical errors
If you use copied notes from your speech or outlines to keep you on track, be sure to edit them both for accuracy of content and for proper grammar, spelling, and sentence flow. One of the most embarrassing things you can come across for an error in your speech is being on the podium when you deliver it, so avoid awkward situations like this by thoroughly checking your initial draft “at least” once or twice before you give your speech.
Part 3 of 3: Delivering Your Speech With Dignity
Step 1. Control your anxiety with tension fighting techniques
As you bide your time to speak on the podium, calm, serenity will probably be the last thing on your mind. However, knowing how to calm your nervousness ahead of time can allow the tension of the speech to slowly dissipate. Below are some techniques to help reduce the problems caused by overwhelming nervousness during your speech:
- Heart beating fast: Take deep, slow breaths. Concentrate on someone in the room you feel comfortable around, such as a friend or family member. Begin to convey the words of your speech; You will naturally feel relaxed when you start talking.
- Speed, panic thoughts: Take a deep breath. Look at the audience and see what is comforting in their emptiness, with expressionless faces. Alternatively, imagine that the audience is somehow unimportant or a laughing stock (e.g. they only wear their underwear, etc.)
- Dry mouth: Bring a bottle of water with you on stage so you can drink when you need to. You can also chew candy before (but not during) your speech. Imitating the process of eating can have a calming effect on emotions. In addition, it can stimulate the production of saliva, to prevent dry mouth.
- Trembling: Inhale deeply and slowly. If necessary, try to slowly stretch and release the muscles in the shaking part of your body to get the excess energy out of your adrenaline rush.
- Above all, "calm". You should be prepared, so there's no reason for you to worry about how your speech will turn out. Worrying will only make it difficult to deliver a very good speech that you can deliver perfectly.
Step 2. Know what to avoid
Even people who are not nervous or sometimes make strange behavior repeatedly when under pressure in public. The best way to relieve tension is to relax with the techniques listed above. However, in addition, making a mental list before giving a speech can catch you if you notice that it comes up when you're giving a speech. Below are some common things you might want to avoid:
- Too fast or too hasty in delivering your speech
- Mumble
- Restless or doing something with your hands
- Sway left and right
- Too often cough or cold
Step 3. Speak slowly and clearly
As noted above, one of the most common problems experienced by inexperienced speakers is that they tend to rush or mumble in their speech unintentionally. The way you speak when you give a speech is not the same as the way you talk to people close to you in ordinary circumstances; You want to speak slower, clearer, and a little louder than you normally would. This doesn't mean you have to pause at every word and take long pauses between your sentences, you just have to make an effort to make sure that even the hard of hearing audience can understand what you're saying.
Step 4. Make eye contact
When you give a welcoming speech, you're addressing it to the audience, so you'll be looking at the audience most of the time you're speaking just as you would be looking at the person you're addressing if you were talking to just one person. It's okay to take a quick glance at your notes or outlines to keep your speech on track. Try to limit your glance at notes to no more than a few seconds or very long. The rest of the time, keep your head held high and speak directly to the audience in front of you.
If you remember to do this, try a little bit to direct your gaze to the left or right of the audience. Sweeping your gaze over and over again gives the viewer the impression you make of them all individually. If this "sweeping" motion is complicated for you, try selecting a random audience member to watch him for a few seconds while you speak
Step 5. Remember that everyone in the room is human
To someone who is nervous about giving a speech, the audience can seem big, scary, imposing to deal with and appease. In reality, the audience is anything but this “but” is actually made up of many different individuals, all of whom have their own inner motivations and preoccupations (like you!) some in the audience may think about their own problems or fantasize when You are giving a speech. Others may even sleep. Some may not be smart enough to understand your speech! On the other hand, some may find your speech enjoyable or important. Some even seem to find things just as important as “you” do, so don't be intimidated by your audience! Thinking of your audience as a bunch of real, imperfect people, rather than a face, a voluminous monolithic audience is a sure thing to make it easy to relax.
Tips
- Don't forget to mention someone's name. It would be better to mention a group, or a team, and avoid talking about individuals, than doing so would unintentionally ignore someone.
- Keep every joke clean and flattering. Don't belittle yourself or others.
- When writing your speech, stay aware of the audience. Your knowledge of clothing and age groups should dictate your vocabulary.
- If there is more than one speaker, be sure to limit your speech to allow others to share.
- Be humble without showing that you don't deserve credit. Acting as if you didn't get an award is disrespectful to the person who chose you to receive it.
