Those few commencement speeches that stick in the minds of their witnesses do so because of the ways in which they break the conventions of the boring read text. Here are three ways to make your commencement speech memorable:
1. Talk to the audience; don’t read to them.
2. Make the speech interactive.
3. Don’t give advice.
If you must read your commencement speech (why?), then here are four ways to make the speech seem more lively:
1. Use a teleprompter. That will at least keep your head up out of your notes.
2. Keep your sentences short and conversational in style.
3. Look down at the text to get the next sentence, then deliver it with your head up facing the audience. Only look down when you’re finished, to get the next line. That takes some practice, but it is possible with effort.
4. Vary your pacing, your pitch, your tone – everything. Just like in conversation.
I hope J. K.’s next commencement speech is less formal and more engaging. Given how little of a commencement speech is remembered by the audience, the speakers should just relax and talk to their audiences. They’d have a better chance of being heard.
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