Whatever the length of the speech, the speaker would surely want his or her audience to not only “tune in” but listen to the whole speech. And that’s where the speech needs to grab the audience’s attention right from the start.
It is important because a good introduction provides a first impression, establish credibility with your audience, and more importantly, prepare the audience for the speech's content.
Do remember that if you bore your audience right from the start, there is zilch chance that your message will effectively get across. And that defeats the whole purpose of your speech.
So, here are 7 proven methods to open a speech (or presentation):
1. Quote. Opening with a relevant quote can help set the tone for the rest of your speech. And if you can't think of a quote, make up one!
2. “What If” Scenario. Immediately drawing your audience into your speech works wonders. Asking a “what if” question invites the audience to follow your thought process. E.g. “What if we were all brutally honest? What would happen if we said what was on our minds, all day every day?”
3. “Imagine” Scenario. A similar method, but more relevant for sensational examples. It puts your audience members directly into the presentation by allowing each member to visualize an extraordinary scenario. E.g. “Imagine jumping out of a skydiving plane and discovering your parachute doesn’t work. What memories would flash before you? Now imagine the parachute opened. How differently would you act when you landed?”
4. Question. Ask a rhetorical or literal question. When someone is posed with a question, whether an answer is called for or not, that person intuitively answers. E.g. “Who wouldn’t want to receive a million ringgit?”
5. Silence. A pause, whether two seconds or 10 seconds, allows your audience to sit and quiet down. Most audiences expect a speaker to begin immediately. An extra pause brings all the attention right where you should want it – on you.
6. Statistic. Use a surprising, powerful, personalized statistic that will resonate with the audience to get your message across right away. It has the potential to trigger the audiences’ emotional appeal. E.g. “In this room, over 90 percent of us are going to _________”.
7. Powerful Statement/Phrase. A statement or phrase can catch the audience’s attention by keeping them guessing as to what you’re about to say next. Implementing the silence technique afterwards also adds to the effect. E.g. “We can not win. We can’t win…” (Pause) “… That’s what every newspaper in the country is saying”.
So the next time you’re delivering a WSD speech, pick one of these seven opening salvos!
And update #14 is shown below:
- Sanjanaa Kanthan – 2836 views (2662)
- Karyn Yadlyn – 2102 views (1337)
- Velleny Jivel Jinau – 1975 views (1833)
- Christal Wong – 1539 views (1327)
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- Smyra Z’ryn – 723 views ( – )
- Chin Hui Ling – 652 views (487)
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- Haari Shamundiswary – 551 views (477)
- Thanuja Kunasekaran – 538 views (452)
- Annie Tsen – 529 views (527)
- Rohijas Md Sharif – 507 views (369)
- Chong Kai Zhen – 496 views (471)
- Vashnavy Ragupathy – 478 views (463)
- Ahmad Fakhri – 447 views ( – )
- Chester Liam – 438 views ( – )
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