Public Speaking Tips – Opening Your Speech
“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 exactly how I opened an educational speech on how to open a speech. If you grab the audience’s attention from the beginning they will be more likely to listen to the rest of your speech.
“What is the best thing I can say at the beginning to make the audience listen to me?” is good question to ask yourself if you want to have a grate opening in your speech.
Here is a list of things you may want to include in your opening:
1) Introduction of the Topic – This is similar to the way a books has a contents section. You tell the audience what your going to say in the speech. This will give your speech good structure and make the audience listen to you.
2) A question that startles – “Who would like to make $100,000 in 90 days?” That questions grabs the audience’s attention immediately because they will want to know the answer.
3) Quote from history – “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” – John F Kennedy. Your audience will hear a quote they have heard before which will help stir up old emotions which makes your audience listen.
Think of a speech opening like the headline of a newspaper article. If they don’t like the headline they wont read the article. If the don’t like your speech’s opening they will not listen to the rest of your speech, whether they are in the room or not.
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