The Art of Giving a Toast
Today one of my clients is throwing one of her good friends a 40th birthday party. She actually used to date him and now they're good friends. She has the perfect dress, has supplied the beautiful country club for the party and now she was considering whether or not she should also give a host! My answer to her? ALWAYS give a toast if you can!!! First of all, whoever is throwing the party has a responsibility of welcoming people to the event. It's nice to publicly introduce yourself and welcome everyone. It also establishes your credibility when you speak in front of people Next, it's an opportunity to show off! When people see you completely composed in a somewhat stressful situation, they're impressed. Little do they know how much preparation when on behind the scenes. You can make it look like you pulled the toast out of thin air! When writing a toast, there are a few things to do that will make your job easier. How do you want to come across? Do you want the toast to be fun, lighthearted and funny or do you want it serious? This will help you determine the "story" that you share during the toast. How do you feel about the person? What do they mean to other people? How do people respond to them as individuals? Are they funny, articulate, smart, a great dresser or a terrific story teller? Be specific and write down all of the adjectives that you can to describe this person. What is a funny story or a really great story that you can tell about this person? Is there some secret passion that this person has that causes them to spend excessive time on something? Was there a time that the two of you were together that impressed you or made you laugh? What story can you think of that EXPLAINS what this person is to you? This can be lighthearted or serious, depending upon the tone that you want to create in the room and with the toast. Lastly, what does this person mean to YOU? Do you want to honor them? Do you love them? Do you admire them? After you've put together your toast it should look something like this: "Welcome to the 40th Birthday party for our friend Clyde. It's great to see everyone here. For those who know Clyde, you'll know that he is a determined, fun and successful individual. But there is something that you might NOT know about Clyde!! Tell funny or poignant story here?. And when the laughter dies down.. "So tonight, we wish to honor you Clyde, for who you are to all of us. We appreciate you, we love you and we wish for you many more happy and healthy years to come." The story that you tell is extremely important. But even MORE important is how often you practice this speech! Practice it in front of the mirror dozens of times until the words role off your tongue gracefully. Tape yourself as you practice and rewrite it as you go along. Practice visualizing yourself in the room beforehand, and practice looking at people in the eyes so during your speech you'll be able to do that with ease. During the last part, when you're bringing honor to the person, look at that person RIGHT in the eyeballs with as much sincerity as you can muster up, to let them know that you genuinely do care. If you do all of these things, you'll blow the people away. The response you'll get is "wow, I wish I could just pull something like this out of my hat" and "that was such a great toast? good job". No one has to know that you practiced over and over until it felt right. No one has to know that you changed the toast dozens of times until you got the story right. But what you and everyone else WILL know is that after you've given the speech and knocked it out of the park, your status will be elevated. By presenting an incredible toast you will have created a great memory for the person you are honoring. And THAT is who its all about, after all! Mary Gardner, The Charisma Coach! is an Executive Communications Consultant and Trainer. She works with, coaches and trains individuals, sales teams, executives, and celebrities. She owned and operated one of the first coaching institutions on the east coast, CCI, in NYC, Philly and NJ. Mary has appeared on ABC's 20/20 and has self published a book on public speaking. Mary is married to Sway and is mommy to Jeremy 5, and lives in Orlando, FL.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Valentine?s Day - Online Worship
Gazing the wide stretched blue carpet, with blows of zephyrs whispering and blowing leaves away, is the best way to rest your mind from the day-to-day hassle. It's the time when every living thing seems to grow and is nourished by the augmentation of spring. The basic demand of existence is to get inner contentment, which can be obtained by the internal & external stability of an entity. In my two optically active balls the stability desire for man & women fluctuate in many ways. Man & woman made for each other may have different attitudes for gaining inner contention but share parallel ideas for gaining eternal and sentimental contentment. This doesn't differentiate between any cast creed and race; all same one in for all. And the best way to articulate your feelings is to blast the mind-set on lovers' day so called "Valentine's Day".
Easy Costumes Kids Can Make
The kindergarten class I was teaching was scheduled to perform a dramatic recitation. We needed several flower and bumblebee costumes. Since I have found that kids love making their own costumes, I wanted the class to be able to participate as much as possible in the process. Therefore, I came up with an easy costume idea and had the grade 7 class come in and assist, one student per kindergarten child. In about 1 hour all of the costumes were complete and the kindergarten class looked adorable. It was a great experience for everyone.
Christmas Matters
Every year I vow to make Christmas easier, simpler - less stressful.
10 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a day for remembering those who have laid their lives in the nation's service. Memorial Day has also become a popular time for Family Reunions and Get Togethers as it is preceded by a weekend. Here are some ways to celebrate the patriotic spirit of this day:
Top Ten Things To Do The Day After Valentines Day
Why should February 14th get all of the attention?
Holiday Dieting: A Sweet Way To Cheat!
If your diet is making you a humbug this season, there's some good news. Turns out dark chocolate, that decadent confection, may actually be good for you!
A Christmas Tradition - Vintage Ornaments
Traditional hand-blown glass Christmas ornaments never seem to go out of style. There is something special about them: pulling them out year after year and smiling at the memories they bring back. Putting up familiar Christmas ornaments is one of the rituals that make the holidays special. This month we'll talk about vintage Christmas ornaments.
Going Solo on Valentines Day: Advice For Singles
The stores are decorated in candy hearts, flowers and bears. Every TV or radio commercial reminds you that it's time to remember your sweetheart on this special day for lovers. Your feelings range from sadness, to revulsion to anger. What's a single person to do? The following suggestions are designed to both answer that question and to help you have a good day after all, while working to make it your last solo one.
Marching Towards Mothers Day
"Mother: the most beautiful word on the lips of mankind." -Kahil Gibran
How to Overcome the Overwhelm of the Holiday Season (And Reduce Holiday Stress)
The Holiday Season can be a wonderful time of year, filled with lovely decorations, gift exchanges, visits with friends and family and delicious meals. But for many of us, the Holiday Season can also be quite overwhelming with all the added activities such as decorating our homes, selecting, buying, wrapping and exchanging gifts and hosting friends and family while we prepare multi-course elaborate meals! The question is, "What can we do to Overcome Overwhelm during the Holidays?"
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas
Now that the biggest shopping season of the year is in full swing it might be a good time to create a holiday budget. I'm sure there are lots of names on your list, but hopefully you can find gifts that won't put a big dent in your pocketbook. I've come up with a few good ideas that might help.
Camping And The Right Kind Of Tent
Campers all over the globe prefer to use tents in their camping trips. With so many different kinds of tents available in the market, it becomes very difficult to choose the type of tent which is suitable for your needs. This article describes the essential criteria that you should look in a tent when going in for your next camping trip.
Mommy...Daddy...Is There Really A Santa Claus?
Is there really a Santa Claus? Any parent who hasn't been faced with this question most likely will at some point. But how do you answer this? No one wants to crush a child's dreams of Santa and holiday magic.
Make a Golden Christmas Tree
Several Years ago while I was shopping for Christmas I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the holiday arrangements at the department store I was in.
Gods Gift to You... Mom
Have you ever thought what you would have done without your Mother? Then why is it Mom's are usually the low woman on the totem pole? God thought enough of us to give us an earthly Guardian Angel and so many times, more than we could truthfully
count this is the person we lash out at the most with the excuse it's OK it's only Mom. Thinking of the old cliché "we always hurt the one we the love the most" truly believing
that all is forgiven... Mom's tough she can handle it... Mom knows deep down that I really don't mean it... well, Mom's don't know that.
Maybe This Christmas Will Be Different....
Have you always dreamed of a Norman Rockwell Christmas - where everyone is singing Christmas carols and there is joy in the house? Alas, your Christmas memories are often filled with Uncle Joe getting drunk and your parents ending up in a fight. By the end of Christmas day family members are mad and no one is talking to one another.
Patience
Ever since my girls were little, I've tried to teach them patience. I well remember getting them to count to ten when we had to wait for something. I would tell them, "Count real slow." If they counted "too fast" because I knew they would be finished before whatever we were waiting for was, I would say, "No, that's too fast. You have to start over."
5 Ways to Having the Happiest Valentines Day Ever (even if youre alone)
The thought of Valentine's Day conjures up romantic evenings, a candlelight dinner, and long walks with your loved one. It is, without a doubt the most romantic day of the year. So how could you possibly be expected to enjoy Valentine's Day when you're alone? Well, while it might not be all hearts and flowers, you can still spread the message of Valentine's Day: Love.
How to Make a Gift Basket
Gift Baskets are an ideal gift for nearly any occasion. Gift baskets provide a convenient way to find a gift for practically any occasion, but they also provide an avenue for creative and personalized gift giving. Making gift baskets is fun and easy, and homemade gift baskets generally prove to be superior, personalized gifts to their pre packaged counterparts.
Mothers Day: 5 Gift Ideas Guaranteed To Make Any New Mom Happy
Sure, you can call it a Hallmark holiday. But don't
be fooled: Mother's Day is serious business. A big
deal. Especially for new moms.
|
