Accepting an award is like walking a tightrope. You need to be gracious, grateful, and humble, yet not so humble or self-deprecating that the audience thinks you are trivializing the honor. In general, Academy Award speeches are not the best examples of great acceptance speeches. There are, however, many unforgettable moments. A few of my […]
Be Gracious; Be Modest; Be Prepared! Tips on How to Give an Acceptance Speech
Tips on How to Give an Acceptance Speech Accepting an award is like walking a tightrope. You need to be gracious, grateful, and humble, yet not so humble or self-deprecating that the audience thinks you are trivializing the honor. In May of 2022, Dan Maddux, my best long-time client and Executive Director of the American […]
Last summer, I was honored to deliver the opening keynote at the annual Toastmasters International Convention in Las Vegas. In case you aren’t already familiar with Toastmasters International, Toastmasters is a non-profit educational organization teaching public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network. I share Toastmasters’ roundup of the most buzzworthy speeches of 2015. […]
A Great Acceptance Speech Example from Bruce Phipps, American Payroll Association 2011 Man of the Year. Every year I help the American Payroll Association’s Man and Woman of the Year prepare their speech to be delivered at the APA national convention called Congress. The Man and Woman of the Year deliver an eight-minute speech the […]
7 Questions to Ask Yourself
Who nominated you?
Who invited you to join this group or encouraged you to get involved in this project or event?
What is your connection to this group?
How do you feel about the people and the organization’s goals?
Why are they giving you this award?
When was the first time you attended a meeting and what were your experiences?
Have you seen someone else accept this same award?
The audience will not remember all the details of what you say, but they will remember the stories you tell. Include a memorable vignette or incident, something entertaining or touching about your connection.
Honor the Audience
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