How To Write An Entertaining After Dinner Speech

So everyone has had a great evening, they are satiated after an amazing dinner and now it’s that time which might cause some people to get jittery! Public speaking is an acquired talent, the more you practice the better you get and after dinner speeches are a great way to connect and entertain your audience.

After dinner speeches can be formal or informal depending on the type of event you would be giving a speech at. A charity event would definitely require a bit more thought and planning to go in your speech as compared to say, speaking at a friend’s wedding or a birthday party. So here’s how to write an entertaining after dinner speech:

• Know your audience: The golden rule for an after dinner speech or speaking at any public event or gathering is to know and understand your audience. Depending on the event understand the type of audience expected. Prepare your speech keeping in mind the crowd, that is, if it’s a friend’s event then you can afford to be a bit informal while speaking as compared to an official after dinner speech. So your speech should be in accordance with the event and the audience expected in that event.

• Choose a topic: After you have understood the audience you would be speaking to and the type of event you would be speaking at, choose a topic for your after dinner speech in accordance with the event. Say, if you are asked to give a speech at a charity event, then it’s best to speak about that specific charity organization. So choose your topic wisely, and keep it a bit entertaining by only including the positives because usually for after dinner speeches, having just had their drinks and dinner, the mood of the audience is light and always keep speaking on controversial topics at bay.

• Keep it short: An after dinner speech should not normally exceed more than 15-20 minutes because most people after having a few drinks would want to get up, meet and get to know other people. So keep it short, simple and sweet.

• Be passionate and interactive: Another golden rule while giving an after dinner speech is to be passionate about what you are speaking and to always be interactive with your audience. Interacting with the crowd gives them a feeling of being a part of the speech, so always ask questions, ask them for their opinion and get them thinking that they are in that conversation!

An entertaining after dinner speech might seem like a harrowing task, after all it’s not easy to get people’s attention but with the right approach you can give a mind blowing speech. Just choose your topic wisely, be interactive and always stay sober till after your speech!