A tribute speech can be for a variety of individuals or groups, including those that are still alive or who have passed away. A tribute speech is effective to relay thoughts and feelings to a person or group who is alive, so that they can receive that appreciation while still capable of enjoying it. Many reasons exist to offer someone a tribute speech. Maybe they were a great influence in your
. life, to the community, to the health care field or law enforcement field.Tribute speeches are like any other public speaking experience. Preparation is key in order to perform the speech correctly. This includes writing the speech. One of the first steps is to consider the goal of the speech, i.e., what is receiving tribute. The speech should have an introduction, expand upon the reasons for the tribute and offer a summary conclusion. A speech's power comes from how personal it is, so many speakers consider the impact the subject had on his or her life. Sharing personal anecdotes, gentle jokes or connecting the theme of the speech by using quotes or poetry are common devices to add a personal touch to a powerful tribute speech.Public speaking is about more than words, so rehearsal is key. Memorizing the speech allows for the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience and speak with total confidence, two important aspects to increase the speech's memorability and power.A tribute speech is only as effective as it is memorable, so examining historical tribute speeches is a good way to see exactly what works and what doesn't. Online sources exist to view samples of tribute speeches and if someone is tasked to write one that isn't a speechwriting professional, using an already existent speech to use as a template is a perfectly viable option in order to produce a quality tribute speech. More reference links: http://spinner.cofc.edu/~foxa/104files/tribute.html?referrer=webcluster& http://www.specialspeeches.com/sample-tribute.html
