Simply Said

CHAPTER 15 Raise Your Glass Giving Toasts

You’ve been asked to give a toast to honor Pat at her retirement. Public speaking is scary enough, but now you have to say nice things, reference inside jokes, be careful not to offend anyone, and, oh yeah, be funny, too. You’re sweating bullets just thinking about it. Relax. Consider the following.

A toast is a unique setting.

You are speaking in front of a crowd, but the real audience is only one person. You are telling everyone in the room the value Pat has brought to the team, but you’re also talking only to Pat to share how much she is valued. In that regard, it’s a private conversation delivered publicly. As a result, it should be a very personal statement. It’s not only okay to be a bit corny, but it’s expected. This isn’t a professional moment. It’s a personal moment that happens to be delivered in a professional setting.

I once helped a young client prepare the comments he planned to deliver to his bride and her family at their wedding reception. He came ready with a great draft filled with stories about how they met and how he had fallen in love with her as they got to know each other. He was off to a good start, but he was having trouble getting some of the language right. I suggested a few twists in the language and added a few schmaltzy lines guaranteed to get a few “aaww”s from the audience. He hesitated about incorporating some of the lines because he felt they were too flowery. I emphasized to him: “It’s a toast to your ...