At some point or another in life, you're going to have to make an impromptu speech. Weddings, company awards ceremonies, heck, even business dinners: the request to say 'a few words' can be traumatic unless you're off-the-cuff eloquent which most of us aren't.
Contrast these two videos of acceptance speeches. The first is of Taylor Swift at last Sunday's Grammys. She won Best Country Album and Album of the Year.
Now here's Gwyneth Paltrow's famous acceptance speech at the 1999 Oscars, when she won Best Actress for Shakespeare in Love. (Interestingly the video is not available for embedding, but at least the link exists.)
Spotted the difference? We thought so. Some do's and don'ts that might help the next time you're put in the spotlight and urged to 'say a few words':
Make sure they're really few. A good acceptance speech is short, witty and memorable. Three minutes are plenty good. Rambling on and on for 10 minutes to thank your parents, lawyer and dog will make the audience want to slit their wrists. Get on with it and get off the stage.
Prepare if you've got even the faintest chance of speaking. Experienced speakers always have a few paragraphs or two of old material that they can churn up and customise for the occasion. If you're nominated for an Oscar like good old Gwynnie, the least you can do is rehearse a short, tasteful acceptance speech. It's so not a good look to be making it up on stage.
Don't be emotional. Blubbering doesn't only make you incoherent, it makes people in the audience cringe. I'd offer Judi Dench some serious money to know what was going through her mind as she was listening to Gwyneth's monologue -- judging by the horrified look on her face it would be worth it.
Add a personal detail or two to make your speech memorable. Kick off your speech with a personal detail and it perks up everyone's ear. People like a good story. Taylor was clever in recounting second grade singing contests and being in the Grammys one day. Experienced speakers can take a detail from the occasion and elaborate on it. The real pros can give that detail a humorous twist and elicit laughter from the audience. Take notes on a napkin if you have to.
Wit works wonders. The best impromptu speakers I've heard were not afraid to gently mock themselves, especially if they were recipients of significant honours. There's something refreshing about a person who doesn't take himself too seriously. I think of it as a formula: 95% business + 5% winking back at yourself. It's almost always irresistible. And makes your audience want you to come back and 'say a few words' next time.
Absolutely lost for words? Then make it really brief, cut to the chase and exit while the welcome mat's still rolled out. "No vocabulary can adequately express my gratitude to you all tonight. Luckily I'm a woman of few words and these two, I hope, will suffice for now: Thank you."
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