"How many Emmy Awards have you won?" I asked my friend Ken, a television producer, as I admired the one in his home last weekend.
"Three. And as much as like winning them, I hate having to get on that stage to give an acceptance speech. I'm just not good at that kind of stuff. I never know what to say," Ken confessed.
"If you had a simple formula to put together an acceptance speech in about thirty seconds, would that reduce your anxiety?" I asked.
"Absolutely!"
I shared my simple formula with Ken. He loved it, and he suggested that I share it with my newsletter readers. You may or may not be up for an Emmy Award, but at sometime in your career, you may find yourself being recognized for a job well-done and asked to "say
a few words."
The winning formula is the same formula participants in our "Simply Speaking!" presentation skills workshop use when they receive their graduation certificates.
When accepting an award, a promotion, or recognition for some accomplishment, use the "TCUT" formula to deliver an impromptu thank you speech with style:
T = THANK YOU
"Thank you Mike for this award."
C = CREDIT (Who & Why)
"The credit really goes to the entire project team -- Jay, who helped ensure that we met our deadlines; and Sue, who kept a keen eye on our quality; and finally, Carol, who always made sure that we had the materials we needed. They worked beyond the call of duty to ensure
this project was a success."
U = USE
"I'm going to use this award to remind me that when you think something is impossible, if we work together, we can achieve the impossible."
T = "THANK YOU AGAIN"
"Thank you again."
TCUT is a winning formula. Keep it somewhere safe so when the time arises, you're ready to shine in the spotlight.
