175. Mastering Toasts and Tributes: Making Your Words Count
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Dec 24, 2024
Discover effective strategies for crafting memorable toasts and tributes. Learn a four-part formula that keeps the focus on honorees, making speeches feel like gifts. Get tips on how to be brief and impactful, and prepare for emotional moments with confidence. With stories from real-life experiences, you'll find ways to enhance your public speaking skills for weddings and professional events alike. Transform your words into heartfelt expressions that leave a lasting impression on your audience!
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Toasts as Gifts
Structure toasts like gifts, considering what the recipient wants or needs.
This helps create a focused and memorable experience for everyone.
insights INSIGHT
The Power of Celebration
Celebratory speeches are more than just obligations; they build connections and set the tone for events.
They demonstrate respect, caring, and understanding for the person or group being honored.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
The WHAT Structure
Use the WHAT structure (Why, How, Anecdotes/Learnings, Thank) to craft impactful toasts.
This framework keeps the focus on the honoree and ensures a clear, concise message.
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In 'Think Faster, Talk Smarter', Matt Abrahams offers tangible, actionable skills to help even the most anxious speakers succeed in spontaneous communication. The book provides strategies for managing anxiety, responding to the mood of the room, and making content concise, relevant, compelling, and memorable. Drawing on stories from his clients and students, Abrahams offers best practices for navigating Q&A sessions, job interviews, providing effective feedback, making small talk, fixing faux pas, persuading others, and handling other impromptu speaking tasks.
Crafting impactful toasts for every occasion.
"Almost reflexively, most of us focus in the moment on how others are perceiving us, yet these situations aren't about us at all." Matt Abrahams, host of Think Fast, Talk Smart, shares an excerpt from his book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot, on the art of delivering effective toasts and tributes. With a focus on public speaking in celebratory contexts, he offers a structured approach to crafting meaningful remarks. Matt introduces the WHAT structure—a four-part formula designed to guide speakers through the process. This method helps ensure that the focus remains on the honorees, transforming speeches into gifts for the audience. He further shares tips for refining remarks, including the importance of brevity and the need to prepare for emotional moments. Matt advises, "Be brief and to the point. Long toasts, tributes, or introductions are usually bad ones." He also highlights the significance of setting others up for success, ensuring a smooth flow for subsequent speakers. With insights from his book and practical examples, Matt equips listeners with the tools to deliver impactful toasts and tributes, making these moments memorable for all involved.
Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from THINK FASTER, TALK SMARTER by Matt Abrahams, read by the author. Copyright 2023 by Matthew Abrahams LLC. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques 