Ceremonial speech should be boring

Ceremonies are commonly identified as acts that are highly formal. This leads to the erroneous belief that they should be boring, tedious, lengthy and uninteresting; however, a speech, no matter how formal or solemn it may be, must be attractive to its audience.

In no case does the speaker wish to keep his audience waiting anxiously for him to finish speaking or paying attention to other things instead of the presentation. It is understood that crafting an entertaining presentation that can be adapted to this type of event can be a complex task to execute.

Having said this, we believe it is important that we address a series of recommendations to elaborate our ceremonial speech effectively, without neglecting that it is of general interest for all those who have attended the presentation.

Identify the general interest of the audience

When preparing a speech, we seek to convey a message that is attractive and captures the attention of the audience. To do this, it is important to know who will be attending the event, what their interests are and how we can balance a presentation that maintains the required formality while remaining attractive.

Depending on the type of ceremony, making it entertaining will be more or less complex. A political-cultural act or a wedding ceremony are events where the public comes with a favorable state of mind. An optimal emotional state on the part of our audience is a considerable advantage when it comes to retaining their attention.

It does not happen in the same way when we have to face ceremonies such as funerals. In these cases we will be facing an audience that is emotionally unstable, where negative emotions such as sadness and grief prevail.

This does not mean that the fact that the ceremony is approached for a sad or unwanted reason, we should carry out a speech that is not interesting or striking. Even in these cases, knowing your audience will allow you to approach your presentation with elements that they will enjoy.

Focus on your audience finding a message in your speech that is useful to them. In the example of funeral ceremonies, such a message can be the search to overcome and repair the pain caused by the death of a loved one.

Maintain a connection with the audience

Many speakers focus on addressing a speech that is able to complement the ceremony and fill certain spaces in the ceremony. In this dynamic, we sometimes forget to maintain a stable connection with those who have come to listen to us.

The audience is the natural thermometer we have to measure whether our words are having a real impact. Forgetting to maintain a good degree of interaction with the audience can lead to a presentation of little general interest. The ceremonial speech should not be boring and the best way to avoid this is to capture and retain the audience's attention for as long as possible.

A recommendation to connect efficiently with the audience is to interact by asking questions or including phrases that allude to some of those present. This resource can be applied to any ceremonial speech, regardless of the subject matter. Everything we do to create a strong communicative bond with those present will result in a better reception of the message we wish to convey.

Think carefully about each word so that they generate the greatest possible impact. If what you say does not appeal to the audience watching you, your work will have no value beyond filling in the gaps during the ceremony.