How to Give a Great Toast

 

How can you profit from proposing a Toast?

You can get at least three things out of giving a Toast

  1. Give a mini speech
  2. Learn to coax the audience into action
  3. Learn to pay well chosen and descriptive compliments

 

Why does one give a Toast?

The toast is an elegant, established social custom to focus an audiencces attention, to guide conversation or to remind the attendees of the purpose of a meeting. It is a perfect moment to pay compliments and inspire an audience.

 

How To

Each Toast consists of at least five parts. An introduction, a small inspirational main body, a call for action (“please raise your glasses”), the chorus beeing proposed to the audience and it being repeated by the audience. If executed well, it is a splendid affair – even if it is not done with Champagne. Actually a toast does not need any beverage at all. It is all about the audience joining into the proposed chorus.

Be careful – a toast is not the right moment to be political – a toast can only be proposed about things we can all universally agree on.

 

Whom or What can a Toast be done about?

A toast is a celebration of an individual, an organisation, or an even an idea. Be creative. Surprise us. Just make sure that what you choice dose not need too much explanation. Let me give you some examples for toasts:

  • Dear X. Those who know you well, know that you are …. Not only do you…. you also… When I got to know you, you scared the hell out of me. But I did not feel reprimanded when you eplained my mistake to me. You posess the unequalled ability to deliver critique in a way that lets one want to improve and to show you that one can to better. You are a great teacher and a trusted friend. Ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses to X, the examplatory teacher. May you continue to guide and inspire us.
  • Today it has been three years that Khushi founded Center Berlin Toastmasters. It has since been going strong and been a place of quality speaking and examplatory mentoring. Thanks to Khushi and Center Berlin the Toastmasters in Berlin are a lot stonger today than they were ever before. I therefore ask you to rise. Please repeat after me: To Khushi and Center Berlin Toastmasters. May they see may happy returns of this date.
  • When Eichendorf said “Und die Welt fängt an zu singen, triffst Du nur das Zauberwort” he must have been thinking of tonight. How could he know that words could be the sole reason to make us bond together in this wonderful group, I ask myself. “Und die Welt fängt an zu singen, triffst Du nur das Zauberwort” is to me what Splendid Speakers is all about. It is what we work and strive for at every meeting and what we will be trying to achieve again tonight. Please stand and repeat after me: To enchanting words and magical evenings.

 

Technicalities

Please make sure that you do not need too much time for your toast. 45 seconds are all you have got. Do not forget that you have to get the audience to act. Their reaction will take time too.

You will be called to the stage to propose your toast.

Now that you know how to do it, put the plan into action, or pick another role: