Need to Give a Toast or Introduce a Speaker?
Have you ever had to give a toast or introduce someone? Lisa B. Marshall, aka The Public Speaker, can help you find the right words.
Lisa B. Marshall
I recently received an email from a listener who wanted advice on how to create a clever toast for a friend at her wedding. She wanted to make a play on her name (Blessing), where they met (in church as a Sunday school teacher), and certain characteristics of her personality and appearance.
This is a great skill to have, whether you’re toasting at a wedding or introducing a speaker. I’ve written about telling a story, making a toast, and creating a speech quite a bit on the podcast and my website, and below I share those posts again.
It’s always a good idea to tell a story. It’s the basis of all good communication. Especially with so much ripe material, as this reader has, to create a clever story to toast the person. Storytelling is an art, which takes a lot of practice, but it would be much more memorable to tell a story than simply to say, “My friend Blessing is such a blessing! We met at Sunday school, which is really neat, considering her name, isn’t it?” Turn it into a narrative, weaving in the person’s characteristics in as a metaphor, and you have a toast that not only honors her, but will be remembered for years by all the guests!
Here are the links to help:
All About Stories and Storytelling:
It’s extremely important that you learn about stories and storytelling:
How to Be Memorable: Crafting a Story
How Understanding Toy Story Can Help You Get Into College (don’t let the title fool you)
Storytelling Lessons from the Superbowl
How to Be Memorable: Storytelling Tricks
The Traditional Art of Storytelling
How to Learn More About Story Telling
How to Make a Toast:
In addition, here are two episodes on how to make a toast:
How to Make the Perfect Wedding Toast
Uh Oh! How Do I Toast When I Don’t Like the Groom?
How To Make a Speech:
And try these two episodes on how to make a speech:
Quick and Dirty Speech Making – Part 1
Quick and Dirty Speech Making – Part 2
So if you have a speech, an introduction, or a toast to give, use these tips to be memorable and effective.
This is Lisa B. Marshall, moving you from mediocre to memorable, from information to influence, and from worker to leader! I invite you to read my best-selling books, Smart Talk and Ace Your Interview, listen to my other podcast, Smart Talk, and invest in your professional development via my online courses Powerful Presenter, Expert Presenter, or Influence: Maximize Your Impact.
As always, your success is my business!
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.