TJ Walker breaks down Viola Davis's 2017 Oscar speech as a masterclass in acceptance speeches. He identifies what made it work: emotional control, a real story, brevity, genuine thanks, and the appearance of spontaneity despite rehearsal. His advice: rehearse, tell a story, have something worth saying.
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Hi, I'm TJ Walker, and I help people speak their best. The undisputed best acceptance speech of the 2017 Academy Awards. Viola Davis. Her speech was everything you want in an acceptance speech or any other speech. She was emotional, and yet she didn't start blubbering. She told stories. She was interesting, yet she didn't go on too long. She thanked people in a really meaningful way, not just a perfunctory reading off a list thanking her tax accountant. She touched all the right people the right way. It was emotional, it was interesting, it was clearly rehearsed. And yet she seemed totally reeled in, in the moment. This is something you can do for any speech. Maybe not quite as emotional, but rehearse, have something interesting to say, tell stories. That's what makes any speech good. In fact, hers was so good that moments later, Jimmy Kimmel announced that she just won an Emmy Award for best TV performance. That's when you know you gave a great speech. Thanks for watching. If you want more tips on how to be a better speaker, please watch this page. Come to it every day. Facebook.com tjwalkerspeaktoinfluence.