How to make Christmas party speech that will be remembered

If festivities call for you to address a party, be prepared to wow guests. PHOTO | FILE 

By JOHN KAGECHE

In Summary

• This formula has been distilled from studying famous orators throughout history.

Brace yourself during the upcoming season of festivities; you may be called upon to address an audience at the end of year party, a family gathering or a congregation. How do you do it?

You detest those way-past-allocated-time convoluted speeches where the speaker blindly fires pellets from a shot-gun hoping one will hit home by magic. You find the modern day dramatic evangelists devoid of content and loathe the politician’s manner of delivery.

So, is there a formula for speech success? Yes, sadly few bother to use it, instead choosing to wing it. This formula has been distilled from studying famous orators throughout history. I share five aspects of it.

1. Determine the purpose of your speech

As simple as this sounds it is most ignored. In general, one speaks to inform, educate, entertain or persuade. Chances are slim you’ll be persuading anyone in this season of making merry. Still, one never knows, you may be persuading an audience of misers to give their mean ways a break and share in this season of giving.

2. Decide what exactly you want to accomplish

If you are informing your audience about the importance of family getting together during Christmas, then stick to this; don’t lunge from this to bring out the skeletons from Uncle Juma’s wardrobe and then lunge again to describe how a goat is slaughtered. Stick to your specific purpose.

3. Comprehensively occupy your limited time slot

Begin with an inviting opening and memorable closing. Relevant quotes, anecdotes, jokes and stories are impactful ways of opening or closing.

“The tragedy of end year parties is that there rarely is enough to drink…” is an example of an opening that will get their attention.

The opening must also immediately get to the point of the specific purpose. Then structure three points round the specific purpose supporting each with more anecdotes, examples, metaphors and stories.

The shelf life of a speech is such that creative repetition enhances recall. Stories, especially, are a delight. Everyone loves a story because it fires the imagination.

A story keeps your specific purpose long in the memory of your audience years after you have parted – like the story of how Kageche didn’t know how to use email when he joined the company and you had to cover for him by printing his emails out and typing his handwritten responses.

What next? Dance with the language stylistic devices like contrasts (Uncle Juma isn’t just a successful farmer, he is also the family patriarch); alliteration (with a poor plan, product and process in place, HR didn’t do much justice to the bar this year); or triads (we came, we danced and we, well, drunk). Many other devices exist.

4. Use vocal variety

This determines the richness of your speech. A story is a story only if well delivered with highs and lows easily felt by the speaker’s tone of voice. Squeal if you have too, scream if you must and laugh like a hyena if that’s how cousin Alice in your story does.

5. Finally, relax.

Have fun. Stay sober.

Mr Kageche is lead facilitator Lend Me Your Ears; a speech writing and sales coaching firm.