Public Speaking Tips - Good ways to open a speech

Kamikaze News

Articles

| Print |

E-mail

Written by Paul Rigney

Friday, 06 June 2008

"You have 10 seconds to grab the audience's attention. If you don't get their attention in the first 10 seconds, it's very hard to recover."

by PaulRigney

"You have 10 seconds to grab the audience's attention. If you don't get their attention in the first 10 seconds, it's very hard to recover."

That's how I have started a speech on how to write speeches. If you want your audience to listen to you more intently get their attention at the beginning.

If you ask yourself the question "What is the best thing I can say at the beginning to make the audience listen to me?" that's a great way to write a speech opening.

Here is a list of things you may want to include in your opening:

1) Topic introduction - In the same way a book has a contents so can your speech. Here you tell the audience what you are going to tell them. This gives your speech structure and grabs the audience's attention.

2) A startling question - "What would you say if I told you how to make $100,000 in 90 days?" A question like this will grab your audience's attention right away. They will ask the questions to themselves and then want to hear your answer.

3) An historical quote - "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" - John F Kennedy. If you grab the audiences emotions you can grab their attention. When the audience hears something that once made them feel emotional hearing it again will be bring them back to that emotion.

A speech opening is a lot like a newspaper headline. Just as reader will read the headline of a newspaper to see if an article is worth reading. Your audience will listen to your opening to see if your speech is worth hearing. Just because they are in the room doesn't mean they are listening.

About the Author:

If you would like to get additional hints on great public speaking skills with video tutorials visit us at Teach Your Kids Public Speaking

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.