You have won an award and will be honored at a gathering of industry and community leaders. Congratulations! How do you craft and deliver a heartfelt award-acceptance speech that people will remember? As veteran Public Relations executive Rosemary Ravinal shares in this Media Information Bureau column, for most occasions it should be intentional, humble, emotional, gracious, and truly short.
By Rosemary Ravinal
Every good speech you give must have a purpose. What do you want to accomplish, what emotion or sentiment do you want to convey? Who needs to be acknowledged and thanked?
You should be humble and sincere–because that is what is expected of an honoree—anything different will be seen as pompous boasting. Displaying genuine emotion will spark a meaningful connection with the audience gathered to celebrate your achievement.
Graceful and gracious come into play in your choice of words, your cadence and delivery, your smile and gestures, and handshake or embrace of the person handing you the award. Keep it short because it’s simply better to get to the point in a minute or less and delight people with your charm and brevity.
Even a one-minute speech requires planning and preparation. The 150 words you say in those 60 seconds can add to the halo effect of your award or leave the audience wondering why you were honored in the first place.
Whether you are accepting on behalf of your company or you alone, you want to be relevant, show excitement and inspire action. Start by asking these three questions:
- Why does it matter?
- What do you want to achieve with your speech?
- What feeling do you want to convey?
Begin with an outline and flesh it out afterwards. Write down your speech to practice but do not read when you are on stage. People who bring multiple sheets of letter paper to the podium will trigger massive eye rolling. Bullet points on a notecard or two should suffice.
Here are five steps to help you create a good award-acceptance speech that strikes the right balance of heart and substance.
1. Express genuine gratitude and emotion
Express your gratitude for the organization that has given you the award. This is an opportunity to show how happy and honored you are for the recognition and how much it means to you. You can also thank the board of directors, selection committee, judges and others who determined you should be the winner. Refrain from opening with a joke or self-deprecating humor even if it is intended to mask your nervousness.
2. Acknowledge why it is important
Refer to the work of the organization bestowing the award. What is unique about the group, its mission, and its contributions to a cause? Highlight some of their achievements and milestones. Include quotes from previous recipients, founders, and icons; and anecdotes that underscore the reason you are being honored by that organization, e.g., teamwork, fundraising, sales, innovation, creativity, valor, etc.
3. Share the glory
Thank the people who made your work possible. Mention just a few supportive teammates, colleagues, and mentors—and important people in your personal life. It is particularly gracious to mention other brilliant nominees, past recipients of the award, and role models who inspired your achievements. Make it more about them than you because you know you could not have done it alone.
Contact Rosemary Ravinal for details on public speaking training programs or one-on-one coaching services in any of the following areas, in both English and Spanish:
- Public Speaking
- Media Readiness
- Presentation Skills
