Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Public Speakers Guide to an Effective Holliday Toast


Do you know how to give a Christmas or holiday party toast?



Like many people you will be spending time with friends, family, and co workers for the holiday season. Over the years I have witnessed terrible attempts at offering a toast. A toast is meant to motivate and inspire the guests. There are different approaches to offering an effective holiday toast. You can go the funny route or decide to deliver a heartfelt toast. It is totally up to you, the circumstances and your audience.




In this post I will reveal 5 things to do when giving a holiday toast:


K.I.S.S.


Keep it simple silly! You may enjoy the spotlight or you maybe super nervous either way that can be a cue to ramble. You want to avoid giving a 15 minute toast people are at the holiday party to socialize, eat, and drink and believe me you don’t want to be the person preventing that. An effective toast should be no longer than 5 minutes and even that is pushing it. 

Be Sincere 


You were selected to give the toast for a reason so you should explain early in your toast why. Explain your relationship to the person and the reason why they deserve a toast. Also keep in mind that it is not about you. 


Tell a Story


People need to be entertained. Did you know our attention spans are shorter than a goldfish? According to Statistic Brain a humans attention span in 2012 is 8 seconds and a goldfish is 9 seconds. You feel honored to give a toast and you should know enough about that person to formulate a theme and a quick story. Share whatever will tie into your toast and make the listers listen, follow and understand the reason for the toast.

No Inside Jokes


You probably know the person being toasted very well but, you should avoid referencing any inside jokes as part of your toast. You do not want to alienate the other guests because they won’t know what you are talking about. 


Have Fun


Don’t stress too much it is only 3 - 5 minutes. If you mess up really bad remember after a few “special holiday eggnogs” it will be a thought in the wind. This time of year is about spending it with people that you love and creating memories. 

Have you thought prepping for your holiday toast?