Don't Be So Generic!

“Mr. President, Vice-President, Chancellor, Assistant Chancellor, Dean, Associate Dean, Head of Events, Members of Council, esteemed Representatives of the College of Business and fellow Graduates....”

*rest of introduction and body of speech*

“I want to thank my parents for teaching me, my brother for being there, my friends for motivating me, my Aunt Jemima for helping me, my boyfriend/girlfriend for inspiring me and I also want to thank....”

Aside from the mistress of syrups being my aunt, how generic was that? Yes, sometimes one has to preface one’s speech with exactly the list I’ve given above, but even in required acknowledgements, aim to be different, for your sake and the enjoyment of your audience. We have all heard speeches with long introductions thanking everyone from parents to dogs to third-grade teachers. There’s no better way to welcome someone to Snoozeville than to give a speech they’ve heard a million times before. Do your best to avoid the corny clichés and overused methods.