Has it ever occurred to you that giving a toast is like giving a compliment? Whether it’s a wedding toast or a birthday toast or a toast to Christmas it usually comes as the ending to a short speech. Quite often that speech is very personal and, of course, that’s how it should be. After all if you have been asked to toast the couple or the birthday boy it must be assumed that you know them well.
So your speech can contain little anecdotes about their past. You can speak about their kindness or generosity or how much fun they are. Quite often speakers do all this very well but then end with a traditional, but perhaps boring toast, such as simply saying, “The Bride and groom!”
So choose or write a personal toast. Search through books of toasts or the internet for ones that would relate to the couple or to that birthday boy. Find a piece of poetry that is appropriate to the person or people you are toasting.  It’s all about making them feel special.  It’s about choosing words that have a meaning for them. It’s about giving a memory. Whatever about that proverbial ship don’t spoil a speech for a ha’pworth of tar.

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Are you afraid of giving a speech? Are you worried that you will go to pieces in front of your audience? One of the best ways to avoid this is to have a plant in the audience. Choose someone who feels sympathetic towards you. It may be a family member or it may be a friend. Be careful though, whom you choose. A friend might. For instance, decide to tease you and make faces or signs at you that will distract you when you are speaking. When you have chosen someone understanding agree a few signals with them… If you are speaking too quietly, for instance, you might ask them to point down. If you are too near the mike you might suggest that they show you two fingers closed together to indicate that. They could point upwards if you need to speak louder. Ask that friend to hear you practise your speech. There may be a word that you fall over every time you use it. If so, that friend will point this out and maybe suggest a different way of saying things. He or she will tell you if you are going too fast or too slowly. Choose someone who understands the importance of the speech to you. When the big day comes you will have the confidence of knowing that your content doesn’t include any pitfalls and that you won’t speak too loudly, too quietly or breathe too heavily into the mike. When you have finished your speech that friend will happily give you the thumbs up!

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We count all our blessings
On Thanksgiving Day
For family, friends and our food
We bow our heads and say
Thank you Lord for everything.
For sea and sun and sand
Thank you for giving us
The freedom of this land
Our ancestors came across the sea
Today we celebrate ‘cos we
Are free and fed and happy too
So on this day we give to you
Our heartfelt thanks for our lot
We’re so grateful for all we’ve got.

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Wordsworth’s poem entitled The Daffodils is probably the one that always comes to mind in spring when the countryside is festooned with glorious trumpets of yellow. In autumn we remember Keats words, “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.” Hadn’t those poets a wonderful way of describing nature and what it meant to them? They painted pictures with words. There is a timelessness about their poems that makes them firm favourites with each succeeding generation. What a wonderful gift they were given in that they could describe, so lyrically, the beauties of nature. In a world where climate change may destroy our seasons such poems may soon be the only link we have with the seasons we once knew and loved.

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The nights are getting darker
The evenings drawing in
Winter’s just upon us
Let’s take it on the chin
Because, you see, it’s party time
When we go on the town
Dressed up for the function
In an evening suit or gown.
There’ll be toasts to the ladies
Carry on that leads to Hades
Dancing the whole night through
Votes of thanks to speakers too
Forget the cold and instead
Go out and paint the town bright red.

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What are you going to wear when giving your speech? Obviously if it is a military occasion you will be wearing your uniform while at a posh wedding you will be something glamorous if you are a woman or perhaps formal wear if you are a man. Then too if you are accepting a prize as a sportsman or woman you may be waring club gear. If, however, the occasion does not call for specific clothing there are still some things you should bear in mind. Men fare better of course because, unless they are wearing a kilt, they usually wear either a suit or flannels and a jacket. They should remember though not too wear a flamboyant tie or a t-shirt with a message because they will distract your audience from what you are saying. Don’t forget too that you should button your jacket and that your shirt shouldn’t hang out. Women speakers should be sure that their clothes are classical rather than too colourful, flamboyant or eye-catching. Nor should they wear ear rings or bracelets that jangle. It’s worth remembering too that if you are up higher than your audience it is less distracting for them if your skirt is not too short, however wonderful your legs! Remember you want your audience to concentrate on your message not your clothes.

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When you give a speech you really want to make an impression. That is why it is so important to be like a boy scout and be prepared. Your speech should have a riveting opening, a compelling message and end with a bang. It’s a real challenge to get it just right. You have to know your audience and their values. You have to know your subject well. Event he most serious subjects can benefit from some light-hearted remarks during the course of the speech. If you go to an important occasion you dress up for it. Your speech is very important so put the same work into preparing it as you would shopping for that special outfit. Like your clothes it should be a good fit for you.

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Share your enthusiasm. That’s the secret of giving a good speech. If you are a committed fisherman speak about the joys of fishing on a quiet river bank. If you are passionate about food bring that fact into your speech. No matter how shy you may be you become a different person when you are talking about something you love. You light up, you may even become emotional. So forget about talking about the International Monetary fund unless that really switches you on. Talk about what you know and enjoy.

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Guinness, they say is good for you
And for two fifty years
It’s been a staple of our lives
Whether celebrating or in tears.
Now glasses will be raised on high
By British French and Tartar
And the pubs will echo to the sound
Of a toast to a man called Arthur.
‘Cos the pint of plain is your only man
And no one can make it like he can
Smooth and dark with frothy head
The water straight from the Liffey bed
And the saddest sight of all they say
Is to see it exported from Dublin Bay.

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Who are your listeners? That’s probably the most important question any public speaker must ask him or herself. The speech they will write should depend on the answer. Whatever the topic the speech must be geared to that audience. It really helps if you know their socio economic group for instance. After all there is no point in speaking about the importance of third level education to parents who cannot afford it for their children. That is unless you can gear it to them by suggesting how they should go about getting scholarships or grants towards that education. If the people in your audience can afford expensive skiing holidays every year they won’t really be interested in how to holiday on five dollars a day. Yet even within those certain groups there are ways of making your speech more specific and more interesting to them. Take those rich holidaymakers, for instance, you might choose to speak to them about undiscovered resorts or about the value they might get from buying an apartment in a certain location. If your audience is a mixed one then you have to choose a topic that affects us all such as queuing or yawning. Before you write that speech think about your audience and gear your speech accordingly.

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