Public Speaking - Getting Your Speech Started Effectively

How important are openings? An effective opening will achieve two things, it gets the audience's attention and their interest in what is to follow. A poor opening can turn the audience off and leave you playing "catch up" to get their interest during the rest of the speech.

The content of an introduction will vary from speech to speech depending on the circumstances of the speech and the speaker's personality. Because of this there are only few generalities that apply to beginnings.

Firstly avoid the following:

(a) Thanking a long list of people. The shorter your thank you list is the better. Your audience's attention will start to wander if this takes too long.

(b) Apologizing for speaking. Never apologize, and especially don't start with "unaccustomed as I am in speaking in public..." It combines an apology with an overused stock phrase. (You may get away with this, if it is used in humor).

Secondly, the beginning of the speech should contain the following characteristics:

1. It is brief. If it is too long the audience gets bored and they start to wonder how long will the speech and whether it will ever get past the beginning.

2. It is relevant. The opening should link up with the speech otherwise it may confuse or mislead the audience.

Thirdly, the steps commonly found in an introduction to a speech are:

1. The Opening Step

This first step is about getting started and to getting the audience's attention. Before you start speaking take a short pause (it will give you chance to "catch your breath"), smile genuinely and look out at the audience. Memorize the first couple of lines of your speech, as this gives you the chance to get going and time for your brain to click into gear.

There are a variety of ways that can be used to effectively open your speech e.g., begin with an interesting story, a question to get the audience thinking, an amusing anecdote and a relevant quotation etc.

2. What's In It For The Audience

The audience are always keen to understand what they will get out of listening to a speaker. By letting them know how the speech will benefit them, they will be keen to listen to the rest of the speech. Example of the benefits an audience wants are: to make more money, to have better health, to have better relationships etc.

3. What Is Coming Up

Here the speaker provides the audience with a quick preview of what to expect. This gives the audience an idea of what to expect.

An effective public speaker realises the importance of the opening plans it carefully, taking into account the circumstances of the speech and their personality. They keep it brief and to the point. They get their listener's attention and interest.