Tips & Tricks Online

Many people are recognised for their work, industry, sporting or community achievements.

The giving of awards by associations, businesses and groups helps recognise achievers and excellence.

In many cases recipients of awards are asked to give a small acceptance speech.

But, according to the Book of Lists, the number one fear in the Western World is the fear of speaking in public.

So how can you make a great impression when you have to accept an award?

Here are my 10 tips on how to make a great acceptance speech.

1. Keep to time.

There is nothing worse than someone who goes on and on. Not only does this turn the audience off but it diminishes the impact of the award. If you have been notified beforehand, always ask how long you have and then keep to that time. If the award is a complete surprise it is best to keep it shorter than go longer.

2. Keep it relevant.

Avoid grandstanding or using the opportunity to score points or put across your own personal agenda. Make the content of your speech relevant to the audience and occasion.

3. Make it memorable.

Personal stories can make an acceptance speech very powerful and memorable. Keep the stories personal, relevant and use to highlight a point.

4. Make a link back to the organisation giving the awards.

Always try and make a connection back to the values or the goals of the organisation giving the awards. Include a memorable vignette or incident, something entertaining or touching about your involvement.

5. Thank those that have helped you.

Nothing is more powerful than thanking others who have helped you reach your goals. Mentors, coaches, supporters, friends, people who first introduced you to the organisation are appropriate people to thank.

6. Share your feelings.
Revealing your true emotions makes a great connection with the audience. If you are truly excited show it!

7. Avoid negative or apologetic statements.

Awards are about celebrating success and achievement and your comments should reflect this. Be upbeat not downbeat.

8. Avoid jokes or funny stories.

Leave this to the professional comedians and stand up comics. The risks of backfiring far outweigh the upside.

9. Avoid notes.

If you know you are going to get an award always prepare beforehand. Don’t read from notes - use keywords as memory triggers. There is always something lacking when an award recipient reads from their notes. I think the audience are let down and it minimises the impact.

10. End with a call to action.

What is it that you want the audience to do? You are the role model - inspire them to greater heights!

Tags: award acceptance speech, fear of public speaking, presentations, public speaking, speeches, tipsaward acceptance speech, fear of public speaking, presentations, public speaking, speeches, tips

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Here are a few tips you’ll want to keep handy when you’re just starting out in public speaking. These aren’t anything out of the ordinary and for the most part the points below are really common sense. The idea here is that too often we forget common sense when we’re overtaken by anxiety, social phobia and fear of public speaking. That’s a reality for a lot of people who are just starting to speak in front of an audience and it’s also a reality for more seasoned speakers who still find it challenging to overcome their fear of public speaking and stage fright.

Once again, these points are common sense, but you’ll still get a lot out of reviewing them:

1. Learn from people who have gone through the same experience.

2. Use sentences and techniques that have been tested.

Some structures are known to work better than others. Rely on what works!

3. Practice a lot!

This point can never be stressed enough.

4. Practice in front of a mirror.

Learn to integrate your own body language style to your words.

5. Record yourself and listen to your pronunciation.

This is an excellent way to speak with clarity.

6. Make sure you know your subject inside out.

Your audience will respect you if you are an expert and know what you’re talking about.

7. Let the audience know upfront that public speaking is not easy for you.

Some speakers may disagree with this, but many have embraced this idea. It might be more practical to use this technique in front of smaller audiences - this works particularly well if you have to present a wedding speech, as the audience is smaller and more forgiving. When you are drawing crowds of several thousands listeners, they expect you to be a top speaker.

8. Know your stage.

You’ll want to visit the podium (and the room) before you speak to make sure you know where to step and what to avoid. If anything is unsafe on that podium, you want to know about it before hand and not risk being embarrassed on stage.

9. Know your technology before you deliver your speech.

You should always test your visual aids and microphones before you deliver your speech.

10. Hire a specialist to take care of all technical considerations.

If you’re microphone doesn’t work, you don’t want to be caught on stage trying to fix your own technical problems. Hire experts who can do it quickly. You should only have one focus - your audience.

11. Have handouts prepared just in case your visual aid doesn’t work.

For obvious reasons, you should check your Power Point presentation many times to ensure that it works perfectly and there are no technical glitches. But sometimes, the best intentions are just not enough. Always have photocopies of the handouts that can be quickly distributed in case anything goes wrong.

12. Don’t forget to interact with the audience. This will not only make it more interesting for the audience, but it will ease the pressure off of you.

If by any wild chance you get a question or comment that you cannot answer, simply be honest about it and let the audience member in question know that if they want to contact you directly you can try to get them an answer. If that question is really important to that audience member, he/she will take you up on your offer. If the question was not that important, you won’t need to worry yourself much because the audience member will not purpose matters any further.

Tags: Christian public speaking teaching, fear of public speaking, public speaking, public speaking tipsChristian public speaking teaching, fear of public speaking, public speaking, public speaking tips

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