06 Mar 9 Tips for Writing an Awards Night Speech

Congratulations! You are about to be presented with a prestigious award in front of colleagues and important people within your industry at a big corporate awards night. With all of this also comes the acceptance speech. Depending on what type of event it is, this speech should range anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Regardless of this, there are some basic principles you should stick to when preparing your keynotes:

Consider the Demographics:

Think about who you are doing the speech for and why. There’s no point in making a reference to Justin Bieber’s hair if you are talking to a crowd of over 60′s.

Choice of words:

Be friendly but professional. Avoid using the word ‘like’ too much and saying ‘um.’ Remember, it’s not a school presentation so it can be a little more relaxed and conversational.

Keep It Short:

Short and to the point is always preferred over long and drawn out. List out a few important points you want to make. They could be things like:

• The reason why you received the award.
• Why the award is so important and what it means to you.
• The people that helped you make it possible.

Blowing Your Own Horn:

You are up there receiving a very prestigious award. There’s no need to blow your own horn. Be careful not to talk too much about yourself. Humility works much better when speaking with co-workers or even competitors.

Something Inspirational to Finish:

If you have someone who has inspired you along the way, or you have a special quote from an important historical figure that has inspired you in your work, then finish off on that note.

Thank Everyone:

You probably will have a few people in the crowd that will be expecting a thank you. This is where it’s very important that if you feel you might forget due to nerves, write down each person you want to mention.

Keeping Notes:

Even if you are confident that you have memorised most of the speech, it’s a good idea that you create some prompts on a piece of paper to help guide you throughout your address. Nerves can play havoc on our memory and a few keywords letting you know what to talk about next can be just what you need to not let sweaty palms get the better of you.

Are You Funny?

If you are funny, then you may want to open with a joke. If you aren’t known for your great sense of humour, then perhaps leave this out. There’s nothing more off putting when your opening hardly gets a chuckle from the audience.

Be Yourself

People often feel a sense of formality coming over them when they do a speech. The important thing is that this doesn’t happen to you. Be yourself, be candid, it will be appreciated.

Receiving trophies and other types of awards can make people feel a little giddy and that’s why it’s so important to prepare your speech well in advance if you will be required to make one. I hope our list of tips has given you some helpful advice to ensure that your speech receives a strong round of applause or better still, a standing ovation.