Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Write your speech
• Method 2 of 3: Practice your speech
• Method 3 of 3: Give your speech
• Tips
• Warnings

If you have won a prize or are being honored in public, you may be asked to give a speech of thanks. This gives you an opportunity to express that you are genuinely grateful to the people who helped you. In addition, you can tell some funny anecdotes to make the audience laugh. If you want to find out how to write a good thank you speech and say it sincerely, go to Step 1.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Write your speech

1. Start your speech by saying thank you for the award. At the beginning of your speech, thank you without further ado for the prize or award you receive. The most natural way to start is to acknowledge why you are giving the speech. This acceptance speech will set the tone for the rest of your speech. When deciding exactly what to say, consider the following factors:
   • The type of prize you receive. To thank you for an award or business award, say something like "I am honored to be here tonight and I am truly grateful to receive this award."
   • How formal the occasion is. If it's a more casual occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary party that your friends or family have organized for you, you can make your acceptance speech a little more hearty. For example, you could say, "I can't express in words how grateful I am that you all joined us tonight."
2. Explain how much you value the people who give you the prize. This gives you the chance to dig a little deeper into the topic and make the people responsible for the award feel good. Whether you are being honored by your employer, another organization, or people you know well, take a few minutes to show that you truly value them.
   • If you get a prize from your employer, talk about the great work the organization is doing and how great it is to work there.
   • If you are presented with an award by an outside party, such as a cultural organization that gives you an award for a film you have directed, please state how much you appreciate your work being recognized by such an important organization.
   • If you are giving a speech to thank friends and family for their honor, briefly express how lucky you are to have such a special group of people in your life.
3. Tell a funny or poignant story. It is nice to share one or two anecdotes during a speech of thanks about something that happened in the run-up to the award ceremony. Since thanksgiving are often held at dinner parties and other festive occasions, it will be appreciated if you say something to keep the mood light and put a smile on people's faces.
   • You could tell a story about a funny accident during a big project you worked on, or an obstacle you had to overcome in order to achieve your goals.
   • Try to include other people in the story as well instead of just talking about yourself. Tell a story that includes your co-workers, your boss, your children, or other people in the audience.
   • If you wish, you can start your speech with this story and end with your thanks.
4. List the names of the people who helped you. It is nice to give credit to the people whose help you have made a commendable achievement. Make a short list of colleagues, friends and family members without whose help you could not have received this award.
   • Before starting the list, say something like "I am extremely grateful to some wonderful people for their help. I wouldn't have been here without them." Then mention the list of people who have helped you.
   • Also consider the audience. If you know your boss will be in the front row, you'll want to make sure you thank him or her.
   • This part of a speech of thanks can often get long-winded. Don't omit important people, but don't include everyone you know on the list. Limit the list to the people who actually helped you.
   • Watch speeches from awards ceremonies such as the Oscars or Emmys for inspiration on how to gracefully thank multiple people.
5. End positive. When you are done with the list of people you want to thank, you are also almost done with your speech. Finish your speech by once again thanking the organization for the award and reiterate how sincerely grateful you are. If you want to make an unforgettable impression with your speech, consider adding something extra. Some examples are:
   • End with an inspiring message. If you receive an award for the accomplishments you have done for the nonprofit you work for, you could say something like, "We are far from done with our work, but what we have accomplished together so far has been made a difference in hundreds of lives Let's roll up our sleeves and get even more involved in our work If we've been able to make so much progress in just one year, think about what we could do in three to do."
   • Dedicate the prize to someone. You can express your special appreciation for a loved one or mentor by dedicating the prize to that person. Say something like, "After all, I want to dedicate this prize to my mother. When my teachers told her they thought my dyslexia would never allow me to learn to read, she rejected that idea and told them that I would ever have a fantastic would become a writer. Because she has always believed in me, I am here today to receive my first AKO Literature Prize. I love you, Mom. "

Method 2 of 3: Practice your speech

1. Work out your notes. A speech of thanks should be fairly short and you may be able to memorize your text. A note-taking card or a piece of paper with a general outline of your speech will help you remember all the important points, as well as any names you want to list.
   • Do not write out your speech completely. If you do this, you will be looking down at your paper all the time during your speech instead of at the audience. You will appear nervous and stiff instead of genuinely grateful.
   • Alternatively, if there is a phrase or sentiment that you want to make sure you are absolutely right about, write it down in full. Practice it until you can say it without any problems.
   • Only write the first line of each paragraph of your text. That first line will refresh your memory when you take a look at your ticket.
2. Record the time as you practice your speech. If you are giving the speech at an official award ceremony, you may be allocated a certain amount of time for a speech of thanks. Ask the organization responsible for the awards ceremony if there are any guidelines you should adhere to. If there are no limits on speaking time, see if you can find out how long other people who received an award from this organization spent their talks.
   • Thanks speeches are generally very short. For example, a word of thanks at an Oscar ceremony should not exceed 45 seconds. A speech that lasts longer than two or three minutes will bore people. Whatever you do, keep your speech concise.
   • When practicing your speech, take time to see how long it takes you. You could also record yourself so that you can listen back to your speech and determine which parts to leave out if your speech is too long. Expressing your gratitude is the most important part of your speech. You can omit the rest if necessary.
3. Practice your speech in front of someone who makes you nervous. If you don't mind public speaking, try practicing your speech in front of someone or a group of people who make you very nervous. Practice your speech four or five times, or as many times as it takes, before you can deliver your speech without your heart racing and your breathing speeding up. This way, you are less likely to experience stage fright when it comes time to deliver your speech to a real audience.
   • Ask for feedback from the people who are listening to your talk. Ask them which parts are long-winded or if there are any things that are not in your talk that should be said.
   • Make sure to give your speech to at least one person who you know will be completely honest with you.
4. Replace stop words with pauses. Most people naturally fill awkward silences with words like "uhm," "uh" or "say." Train yourself not to say these words anymore. Instead of using a stop word, you pause for a moment and quiet for a moment. Your speech will then sound poignant and well-practiced instead of appearing as if you were just doing something.
   • To help yourself avoid the stop words, you can listen to a recording of your own speech.Try to identify the times when you tend to fill a silence with "uhm" or "uh." Practice saying these sentences without any stop words until you are able to deliver the entire speech without any stop words.
5. Make sure you come across as natural. The very purpose of a speech of thanks is to help your audience see how grateful you are. It's very hard for that to happen when you come off as stiff, or worse, arrogant or ungrateful. Practice doing the things you would normally do during a conversation: gesturing with your hands, smiling, pausing, and laughing. Make sure that the way you emphasize your words conveys the emotion you are feeling.

Method 3 of 3: Give your speech

1. Calm yourself just before the speech. If you always get nervous shortly before you need to speak in public, take the time to calm yourself down in advance. No matter how often they have to speak in public, some people are always nervous. Fortunately, there are some tried and true methods you can use to prepare yourself for the speech so that you can speak clearly and calmly:
   • Try to visualize that you are giving the speech without making mistakes. Keep the whole speech in your head without encountering any problems. This technique can help you feel less nervous during the actual speech.
   • For some people, it helps to laugh out loud before giving a speech. This relaxes you.
   • Having the opportunity to exercise vigorously before your speech is also a great way to get rid of your nervous energy.
2. Make eye contact with the people in the audience. Don't forget not to look down too much on your notes. Take a cursory glance at it now and then so you know what to say. Choose two or three different people from the audience who are seated in different places in the room and take turns making eye contact with these people as you talk.
   • By making eye contact you can put more feeling into your speech. You can pretend that you are giving your speech to a friend, rather than to a group of anonymous people.
   • It's important to make eye contact with more than one person and switch between them. If you look at more than one place in the audience, the whole group of people will feel more involved in what you are saying.
3. While speaking, don't forget to express your gratitude. You may be so concerned that you forget part of your speech that you forget the reason why you are standing there and giving this speech. When speaking your text, think of the underlying meaning of the words. Also speak your text with feeling and try to feel the real emotions you have with the prize you receive. Think about the hard work you put in to earn this award and all the people who helped you do it. Doing this will make your speech appear sincere.
   • If you have the option of looking at the people you are thanking as you say their names, try doing this. For example, if you thank a coworker who is sitting in the front row, your gratitude will come across more clearly if you can focus on them while speaking.
   • Don't be embarrassed if you shed some tears. That happens very often during a speech of thanks.
4. Say a few words that can make people emotional and feel like you are thoughtful and sweet. Be yourself and try to express yourself honestly. When you do, it sounds genuine.
5. Leave the platform when the signal is given. After you finish your speech, smile at the audience and leave the stage when you have to. While giving a word of thanks, it often happens that someone stays on stage longer so that he or she has more time. However, it often bores the audience and gives the next person to receive a prize less time. After your allotted speaking time is over, leave the stage and return to your seat.

Tips

• Practice giving your speech until you can speak your text fluently. Then ask a close friend to watch and listen to you as you practice your speech. Ask for feedback on the following: whether the content and your intonation are appropriate, the transitions between the different parts and your speaking skills: voice, body language, sincerity and timing.
• If possible, use notes with notes instead of a fully written speech. Using tickets makes you appear more spontaneous to the audience.
• Divide your speech into three parts, as is done by default. You need an introduction to introduce yourself and what your topic is, a middle section where you go deeper into your topic, and a conclusion where you summarize your story and conclude your speech.
• Write down what the award means to you, citing the values, goals, and aspirations that the award-giving organization stands for. Explain how they inspire you.
• Thank the audience who came to watch the award or ceremony.

Warnings

• Be careful with humor in your speech of thanks. If you mock or undermine yourself too much, you will also mock the organization that gives you the prize. They thought you were worth this price. You don't want to insult them by saying they aren't and question their judgment.