A person has defining moments in their life. Events that have a long-lasting effect on how you move forward in life. For many students, their graduation ceremony is such an event. Yet for as important as the event is, often the speech, which accompanies graduation is not as remarkable as the event itself. As the year-end is upon us, we choose a valedictorian (graduation) speech to analyze. May it serve as inspiration for your next speech.
In a powerful speech, the student speaker brilliantly applied multiple public speaking techniques. He starts by creating a confident impression and he maintains it throughout his speech. He achieves this through his body language, facial expressions, and intonation. This helps a speaker earn respect and magnetically draws the attention of the audience toward them.
His speech has a clear message and its delivery is ensured in multiple ways. Although he engages many by thanking all those who helped the students, the key message is intended for a narrower slice of his audience. It is dedicated to graduating students. His message is relevant to them as they are graduating. He even weaves in his own personal story. When you craft your next speech, ensure it has a clear message, that your audience can easily relate to. This may seem obvious, but speakers still miss the mark, which leaves the audience scratching its head.
He places a cherry on the top of his speech by moving from the general to the concrete. He calls his audience to action. Sometimes speakers talk about great and important ideas, but they often do this in a theoretical way. Don’t forget to tell your audience how to take the first step. This is key.
This is a terrific speech from a young, ambitious public speaker, which could have been tweaked for greater impact. Team Speak Academy would encourage everyone to prepare a well-structured speech. But then it is also important to practice it so that you can give it by heart. If you speak without notes, you will be able to engage your body, even more. Since you aren’t tethered to your paper or iPad, you have an opportunity to be more animated. As a result, you’ll make a bigger impact on your audience.
Use this speech as a launchpad for your next speech in a classroom or the office. Engage your body language, facial expressions, and intonation. Give it a clear and relevant message. Break that message down into small, concrete steps. Now practice. Your audience will thank you by remembering your speech years from now.