Details make things interesting. On my first day here at school, I could barely reach my locker. I remember thinking most of the senior football players probably were at least years-old.
And sadly, I got lost trying to find Freshman English and had to ask for directions — twice. But the contents of your speech should all along be leading up to the final point of the speech — which will be the most important part. This should be the line that people remember, and that people take away from your speech. The punch can be a funny story. It can be a snappy re-cap, or a call to action. Given the COVID pandemic, many schools have either cancelled their graduation plans, or postponed them.
Others, however, have chosen to do them virtually. Whether or not that changes the rest of your speech will be up to you. Be sure your light source is in front of you or to your side. If the light is behind you it will make you look too dark. Keep the background clear of distractions.
Look at your web cam when you speak, not the screen, and finally use the same gestures and mannerisms you would when normally speaking. From a technical standpoint, be sure your microphone is turned on and, if it is at all possible, do a rehearsal to make sure your equipment is working properly.
Whether you stand or sit down is up to you. However, this is one instance where YOU get to determine the atmosphere when giving a speech, so simply do what makes you feel the most comfortable. We decided to use our Quantified Communications communication analytics platform to determine what separates a great commencement speech from the pack. We analyzed transcripts from commencement speakers cited in the press as compelling and memorable, including Oprah Winfrey, David Foster Wallace , and Maya Angelou among others.
What we learned is that all of the remarkable speeches we analyzed stood out on one measure in particular: persuasion. Why persuasion? So who was the most persuasive speaker?
Next were David Foster Wallace , Kenyon with a score of Kennedy , American University with a score of As a benchmark, the average persuasion score in our communications database is 7. Tell a story. All commencement speakers are accomplished in their fields. Soon-to-be-graduates want to know how you got to be where you are. So, tell them. Paint a picture. How did you get from that dorm room to the board room?
Make it personal, but not too personal. Talk about a triumph or a struggle.
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