Ten Things You Can Learn From Bill Gates' Graduation Speech

You may be asked to deliver a graduation speech this spring. One great example of a graduation speech that you should read is Bill Gates' graduation speech at Harvard. The full speech can be viewed on You-tube if you're interested.

There are ten things that any public speaker can learn from Bill Gates graduation speech that I will highlight.

A graduation speech is a formal affair. Subsequently you should use a formal introduction like Bill Gates. He introduced the President and other important people in a way that sounds almost old-English.
Bill Gates opened the speech with a bang. He made the audience laugh even though the rest of the speech was actually serious. He made fun of himself which is an effective tool because there may be some people envious of him in the audience. Thus, he brought himself down to earth by making fun of himself.
The speech had a consistent core message. The speech is largely about the gap between the rich and the poor. The disease and poverty that afflicts much of the world and what young people can do to stop it is the main message of the speech. Bill Gates does not stray from the core which creates clarity.
Bill Gates uses a conversational matter of fact style.
The speech is personal. Bill Gates talks about his life experiences, not the experiences of a faceless corporation like Microsoft. He makes himself more humane by adding so many personal vignettes.
He uses enthusiasm to inspire the audience. "Think of the thrill of saving just one person's life - then multiply that by millions...." Enthusiasm is perhaps the most important tool of a good public speaker.
He talks about his personal experiences with his foundation that is trying to rid the world of certain diseases in Africa.
The speech is not just feel good catch phrases. He uses facts to convince the audience of the problem.
The speech is forceful but not "preachy." In fact, he talks about some of his own failings.
The speech has a memorable closer with a specific call to action. The audience may be asking themselves - "so what can I do to solve inequity in the world?" He gives the audience a road map for solving the problem.

These are ten things that you can learn and use in your next graduation speech.

Alexander Thornton is a professional speechwriter. If you're looking for the full text of Bill Gates graduation speech you can find it here. Browse our speech templates and presentation tips at http://www.speeches-toasts.com

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