CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – AUGUST 4, 2021
How to Write a Memorable Retirement Speech (PT.3)
Step 4: Write Out the Speech (optional)
If you are a skilled and practiced orator, you may only need to refer to your outline when giving the speech. Otherwise, take the time to write out the text of the address.
Remember, when you are giving a speech to honor another person, you shouldn’t use the word “I” very often. This will make the listeners feel as if you are talking about yourself. The emphasis shouldn’t be you. It should be the person you are honoring.
Step 5: Get Feedback
It’s always a good idea to get feedback from someone before giving the speech to a large audience of people. It would be especially prudent to have someone who knows the retiree well listen to the speech.
Getting feedback from someone else can help you streamline your speech. And it will keep you from putting your foot in your mouth.
If you’re close friends with the retiree, you will know which topics to avoid and which ones to highlight. But even if you know the person well, letting someone else hear the speech is a good idea. They can help you finalize your speech so you’re ready to share it.
Step 6: Record a Video of Your Speech Before You Give It
Have you ever seen a photo of yourself when you didn’t know the picture was being taken? Was your brow creased? Was a frown on your face?
If you are an unpracticed speech giver, it’s good to practice your speech a few times. Practicing it and recording the run-through can help you polish your presentation.
You may watch the video and learn you have some mannerisms you didn’t know about. But once you know, you can remind yourself to avoid them. That way the audience can focus on your words, rather than the big crease between your eyebrows.
Short Retirement Speech Examples
Here are some snippets of retirement speeches that you can amend for your situation. Remember, it is important to speak from the heart. Your audience will appreciate a more authentic speech rather than a stoic message.
For a friend
When Max began work at our firm, gas was $1.19 a gallon, and Ronald Reagan had just been elected president. Kramer vs. Kramer won Best Picture, and “Call Me” by Blondie was playing on the radio. All that to say, she’s been a fixture here for quite a while. To say that Max knows every aspect of this business like the back of her hand is not an understatement.
I remember the first time I walked into this office. Maxine was the first person to greet me. She gave me advice on where to park, showed me how to fill out a PTO request, and answered all my questions during lunch. She introduced me to everyone on staff. And she made sure I knew all the ins and outs of working for Brighton Industries. This wasn’t part of her job, but she did it anyway. She made every new person in the office feel welcomed.
Every office has a “go-to” person. The person who knows how to handle the difficult client. The person who knows how to hire the right person for the job. The person who knows how to load new toner in the printer. Max has been our go-to person for 25 years, and she leaves big shoes to fill.
One of Max’s best qualities is her ability to stay calm in the middle of the storm. Do you remember the great Jones Company fiasco in 2004? While the rest of us panicked about the loss of our biggest client, she went out and found us a new client. And that client brought in twice as much revenue as the client we lost!
We know that Maxine is looking forward to retirement. She told me she is planning to spend more time quilting. And she’ll be hanging out with her daughter and three adorable grandbabies. You’ve all seen pictures of her grandkids, right? Of course you have! We are all so excited to wish Maxine well as she starts checking off items from her retirement bucket list.