A unique, individualized speech written specifically for your needs.
Butterflies in your stomach? Read our guide for tips and tricks – free with your speech.
A unique, individualized speech written specifically for your needs.
Overview
Time and again, we need – or want – express our gratitude in personal, business, and club settings. And often enough, we want to or need to address a whole group of people at once.
Sometimes a speech can be for a professional reason, such as successfully completing a project that succeeded only due to the cooperation of everyone involved. But it could also be a way to set the tone for a private event such as an anniversary, wedding, or birthday.
When gratitude or acceptance is the reason for the speech, finding the right words can be particularly challenging, as a speech needs to not only focus on your addressee, but also entertain the rest of your audience. Even if the French writer Jean de La Bruyère once wrote that, "There is no excess in the world so commendable as excessive gratitude," too much exuberance in your choice of language could be perceived as inappropriate.
It's important to be prepared. From research to first draft to the mental preparation of actually making your speech, there is much to do. But the effort is worth it when you win over your audience.
Keep reading for some tips and tricks to make your speech a success. And, to make things a bit easier for yourself, order your personalized speech from MySpeechwriter today. With over 25 years' experience, trust us to find you the right words for your special moment.
Preparation
It's always important to prepare for a speech, and showing your gratitude is no exception. Afterall, it's a fine line between something coming across as sincere gratitude and mockery or sarcasm.
The relationship between the speaker and the addressee must be considered. A speech made by a director to their staff will be structured very differently than if the power dynamic is reversed or between colleagues. Then, it's about the audience: is the speech be given within the department only, or is it a larger event with other teams or even customers present? What can or should be said, and what should be avoided?
Sometimes a thank you speech is also a farewell speech, when a talented colleague leaves the company for new pastures or retirement. In cases such as this, the speech can highlight and appreciate their longer-term contributions. But how do you summarize an entire professional biography in five minutes while keeping it interesting? What's omitted can be just as important as what's included. Don't overload your speech with data, facts, or anecdotes – there's a limit to what will work.
Sometimes, though, we struggle to find enough to say. And then? Including the right information is just as important. Maybe a quick conversation with the person being addressed, or asking them for a written summary of their key memories while with the company? Worded well, they'll feel flattered – and the final speech will really leave them feeling appreciated.
Checklist for your speech
| Points to Consider: |
Possible Outcome: |
Alternative Outcome: |
| Relationship to Speaker |
Supervisor |
Employee |
| Audience |
Internal; friends & family |
External; acquaintances |
| Setting |
Small gathering |
Large event |
| Contents |
Brief summary |
Full address |
| Format |
Casual; thank you |
Formal |
Collaborating with MySpeechwriter
Our experienced writers will convey your gratitude effectively and with style. Help us personalize it by telling us a bit more information – who's speaking and why, a rough overview of the organization, who will be in the audience. A few notes and a link to the organization's website is usually enough to give us a place to start.
What about a quote? Are you prone to referencing politicians or Shakespeare? Have something particular already in mind? Just let us know.
Anecdotes and themes are handy – so again, remember to mention anything relevant. Are you celebrating someone's retirement? What would you title the address? Is there a particular skill or characteristic you want to highlight, their commitment or problem-solving skills? What's their relationship with their colleagues?
Suggested Details
- Timeline
- Character traits
- Life events
- Relationship to audience
- Anecdotes
- Overarching themes
- Quotes for framing
- Other ideas (e.g. song titles)
Tips for the Speech
Your speech is written, and now it's time to speak! Again, preparation is key, especially for larger events. Visit the location and room beforehand to get familiar with it. Is there a podium? Does the microphone work? How about the lighting? Don't wait until you start your speech to discover that a spotlight is blinding you or that there's microphone feedback.
Even in an informal setting, preparation will make it go smoother. Meanwhile, an appreciation speech from a higher-up in the organization will make it a more formal event, even for the smallest team. Make sure you feel comfortable in speaking, but also with your audience and, above all, the addressee. Choose the time and place so that things aren't hectic or drawn out, whether it's a private setting or large wedding.
Before you start your speech, take advantage of the speakers' notes we'll send you along with your personally-written speech. Think about how to integrate the speech into the larger program of events. If there's a buffet or drinks, keep these in mind, too, for timing.
At a larger event you may even be announced by an MC. Discuss content and transitions with them beforehand. And, if you're giving a gift to the addressee at the end of the speech, make sure it's appropriate, and know where it will be so that you're ready to present it!
Finally, after you're done speaking, remember to stay up there for a bit longer to enjoy the moment with your colleagues. A quick departure will raise some eyebrows, so keep up that friendly and authentic demeanour. A successful acceptance speech will be a great motivational boost for the entire team.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Personal Speech of Appreciation
Saying thank you isn't usually so difficult. After all, something happened to spark the gratitude: a gift, a favor, special attention. Thanks should come naturally – so why not do it with a speech?
Have MySpeechwriter write your speech!
The measure of a successful thank you speech is how personal and authentic it sounds. Our writers make sure your gratitude comes through using sincere, heartfelt language. A winning acceptance speech will express the joy you feel as you thank them.
Speech of Gratitude for a Private Gathering
Once upon a time in high school, they taught us that a good way to start a speech is with the wise words of another. So, allow me to quote Mark Twain, who once said, "A good speech has a good beginning and a good end – and both should be as close together as possible."
Well, I do need to put something between the beginning and the end of this speech, because as we celebrate my graduation today, I could not have made it without your help. Since childhood, my family and friends have given me the love and support to develop my self-confidence, and to teach me how to persevere.
You've stood by me, without fighting my fights for me. And if I misstepped, I learned how to answer for my mistakes. You taught me how to see my weaknesses as opportunities to grow and develop, rather than as excuses.
My parents had the foresight and the means to put money into a college fund for me, and I'm grateful every day that they did. That help gave me a head start in my studies, something I only appreciated more as I met others financing everything themselves.
With all this in mind, I can only thank you, for giving me the opportunity to be where I am today, and to have such a wide open future ahead of me. It has made me understand how privileged I am, and it's made me conscious of how I can pay it forward to give others the opportunities I've had. In fact, I want to tell you about a moment I had just the other week ...
Sample gratitude speech for a private gathering
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A Thank You Speech for a Professional Setting
Business relationships are as important as personal friendships in a career setting – we wouldn't always talk about "networking" if this weren't true! These relationships need to be nurtured and cared for, though, especially those with customers or suppliers.
Write a good speech
Your workforce deserves recognition, too – after all they’re a large part of your company's success. The informal thank you is good via e-mail, but there’s events and parties to celebrate them as well. A speech of gratitude must come from the heart; if it isn’t authentic, your audience will know.
You must be sincerely happy about the target that’s been met, the special achievement, or the milestone reached. Use this in your speech, praising the key people specifically. Never underestimate the importance of a simple thank you!
Speech of Gratitude for a Corporate Setting
Year after year, you as a team manage to meet expectations, with our market recognition steadily increasing every quarter. Today, however, there is special reason to celebrate: not only have you exceeded your record from last year by the typical 20 percent, no, this year you've doubled it!
The author and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once wrote, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea." I take these words to heart as I approach the world, and this company in particular – something that began as a very small operation all those years ago.
Today, with our current successes, we are a leader in our sector. There's nobody who cares more about quality, reliability, and customer service in this industry. And, a particularly important detail for me, our product quality has not only kept pace with our increasing rate of production, but has improved sustainably. Remarkable!
My task now is to give something back to the people who have made all of this possible: you, our production department team. And, as you can probably guess, our board members have not sent me today empty-handed.
Sample corporate acceptance speech
© MySpeechwriter
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A Speech of Gratitude for your Club or Association
Networking is important in club and social settings, too! So if you’re making a presentation to your organization, consider doing it through a well-considered speech.
Content is key
Your team shouldn’t be overlooked! A club or association is nothing without the full group. The informal thank you is good via e-mail, but there’s events and parties to celebrate them as well. A speech of gratitude must come from the heart; if it isn’t authentic, your audience will know.
You must be sincerely happy about the success you’re celebrating or the milestone reached. Use this in your speech, praising the key people specifically. Never underestimate the importance of a simple thank you!
Speech of Appreciation for Clubs or Associations
Friends, colleagues, and most importantly, Helen!
We're all here together because we all care. And, we all enjoy each others' company, too! Still, postering, collecting signatures, tabling at events, all of these can become onerous at times. And yet, we still manage to do it all, but I think we can all agree that we wouldn't achieve what we have this year if it weren't for certain individuals here today who seem to have been born a cheerleader. Helen, please come up here, there's a few things we'd like to say to you tonight.
Helen, you've been with us a long time now – 30 years now, isn't it! Everyone here today knows you, your smile, your cheerful hellos and, of course, your amazing brownies. In fact, I think half the room here today was convinced by you yourself to get involved, or to try a new role. Your enthusiasm, support, and encouragement has helped fuel our campaigns over the years. I honestly don't know where we'd be without you!
For those who don't know, when Helen joined us, we were just a small rag-tag collection of people with ideas, but lacking in organizing skills. The few members we had were slowly drifting apart, life was getting in the way, and the costs of continuing seemed to not be worth the hassle. But along came Helen, with her positivity and idealism, and a knack for coordinating and motivating like no other!
Pretty soon our little band of rebels was meeting more regularly, figuring out how to be seen in the community, adding to our numbers, and building solid friendships throughout! And even during the hard times, through social distancing restrictions and limited opportunity to interact, Helen has kept us strong. While others groups began to struggle through online meetings, Helen's managed to keep everyone to task, and our first in-person gathering had higher attendance than any we've ever had before! Though maybe it's just that word got out that you were bringing those brownies of yours, too. ...
Sample appreciation speech for clubs and associations
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