Ideas For A
Retirement Speech

If you're looking for ideas for a retirement speech then the key point to remember is the importance of time.

The person who is retiring, whether it's you or a colleague, will have been with the organization for some time - quite possibly several years. So you can use your speech to look back at a number of key events during those years.

This should work particularly well if most of your audience have also been at the organization for a long time. Listeners are always interested when you talk about events which have meaning for them.

To take this further, when gathering ideas for a retirement speech you can speak to your colleagues to see what it is that they remember. What interesting stories might be included in the speech? You can also go back through old letters, photo albums, and journals.

Another way of using time is to contrast the world when someone started at the organization compared to today. "Back when Bill started here, we worked out of a wooden shack. Today we enjoy the comforts of a modern office."

Possible phrases to include could be "It wasn't until..." or "As I look back..." or "It seemed a good idea at the time...".

It's helpful to break the tension at the start of a retirement speech by saying something humorous - see our web page Jokes For Retirement Speeches. This puts the speaker at ease and makes the listeners more comfortable as well. Then the toast should include a few sincere, heart-felt words about the retiree's career.

If you are short of ideas for a retirement speech, or if you just want to give yourself some peace of mind that your words will be appropriate, you might consider buying a speech written by a professional. The cost is normally only about US$25 and should save you the time and worry of starting from scratch on your own speech.

If your speech is due to take place in just 20 minutes time - no problem!

For example, speech sale web sites will often email a retirement speech to you within 60 seconds of receiving your order. You generally receive a selection of suitable speeches/toasts any one of which may be used individually. Alternatively, you can choose selected pieces from your speeches.

For more information on buying a retirement speech please go to our Instant Speeches page.

Or you can visit our Free Retirement Speeches page

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