Strategies for Speeches of Presentation

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Like a speech of introduction, the presentation of an award or a commendation precedes and facilitates what comes next for the audience. But unlike a speech of introduction, a presentation speech usually celebrates the person, organization, or cause being honored—whether it’s a service commendation for a teacher at a local PTA meeting, an award at a sports team banquet, or even a lifetime achievement award for an Emmy.

Thus, in a presentation speech, your role will be more fundamental than in a speech of introduction; you must provide your listeners with background and context for the honor to follow. This might seem unnecessary, as listeners probably already know what the honor is and why they are there to observe it. Yet your job is to highlight the significance of the award and to build excitement and even reverence for it. You can do this by describing in detail the importance of the award itself and the background and contributions of the recipient.

Handled skillfully, a presentation speech can inspire intense emotion in listeners and even move them to dedicate themselves to the award recipient’s work. Strong and enthusiastic applause after you’ve presented the award or commendation is another sure sign that you’ve nailed the speech. The following tips can help you achieve this kind of impact.

Adopt the Persona of a Presenter. In this type of speech, you’re not just announcing the conferring of an award or honor; you’re also presenting it. To demonstrate your authority as a presenter, be sure to speak respectfully and knowledgeably about your subject.

Explain the Significance and Background of the Award or Honor. Most people in your audience will understand that they are there for the presentation of an award. But they may not know why the honor or award really matters. What is its significance? Does it have an interesting history you could share? In a nutshell, a major goal of your presentation speech is to make clear why your listeners should care about the award about to be bestowed.

Connect the Recipient’s Background to the Award’s Criteria. Every award has qualifications or criteria that a potential recipient must meet and perhaps exceed. But these may not be obvious to the audience. In your speech, be sure to explain the criteria—and then point out how and why the recipient has met or surpassed them. Consider using stories and examples of the recipient’s achievements to dramatically (and perhaps humorously) show why he or she deserves this honor.

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Use Appropriate Presentation Aids. A video or a slide presentation, perhaps with a light music or audio accompaniment, can complement your speech. Consider using presentation aids to explain both the criteria for an award and how the recipient fulfilled the criteria. For example, if you’re presenting an award for a person who has helped teach literacy to children in need, you could provide a short slide show depicting the recipient performing this work, along with audio snippets of children who benefited from the person’s efforts.