I am hopelessly bad at this. I get tongue tied, lose my train of thought, and forget something I wanted to say.

Someone shared this with me, and I thought it was great. Even more, I witnessed him make a fantastic toast: it was heartfelt, touching, and wonderful. The secret?

Something the author calls “the rhythmic build”. As per the author, “Rhythmic builds are repetitions—groups of phrases that incorporate parallel structure to emphasize key points.”

Here’s what Anett Grant says:

1. Talk About Your Audience

An example of the first part of the formula:

Some of you have been with us for many years, and I’m so impressed with your dedication.
Some of you have been with us for just a few months, and I’m so impressed with how quickly you’ve become a part of the team.
And some of you have been with us for just a few weeks, and I’m so impressed with your enthusiasm.

2. Explain Why You’re Together

This part is the core of your toast; remind everyone why you’ve come together. Here’s how it could look:

So today, let’s celebrate how far we’ve come on our journey together.
Let’s celebrate not just the company’s success, but our individual successes.
And let’s celebrate the fact that we have nothing but a bright future to look forward to.

3. Focus On The Future

To close, you end with one last build. Here is one way you could end, with an aspirational look to the future:

So raise your glasses and join me as we look forward
to new challenges,
to new successes,
and to new friends!

Isn’t this great and simple? I’m looking forward to trying this.

So next time, remember this. And practice until it just falls off your tongue.