You have a great speech prepared, but how do you capture your audience's attention from the start? The way you begin your speech can set the tone, mood, and expectations for the rest of your presentation. Here are some creative ways to start a speech that will engage, surprise, and inspire your listeners.
One of the most powerful ways to start a speech is to tell a story. Stories are memorable, emotional, and relatable. They can illustrate your main point, connect with your audience, and create curiosity. Choose a story that is relevant, authentic, and concise. You can use a personal anecdote, a historical event, a fictional scenario, or a case study. Make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end, and that it leads to your main message.
If you begin with a story—begin with a story. No thanking the host, no complaining about your time slot, no mention of what city you’re in. Begin strong! ?? While any story needs to move your message forward, it’s absolutely essential when you begin with a story. The audience needs to know you understand what they’re going through, and that you’re worth listening to. ?? Why are you telling this story? If it’s only to make you look good—don’t tell it. ?? The longer the story, the bigger the payoff needs to be—for the audience. When you’re beginning with a story, best to keep it short.
I always open with an informal story, something that feels authentic and off the top of the head. I employ a conversational approach, sharing the story to the audience in the same way I would share it with a friend. This establishes a connection with your audience, bringing down any walls and allowing people to see you in a more familiar way. I find humor is the best approach to stick the landing. Ending the story with a punchline, and relaxing the audience engages them and makes them more receptive to what you have to say. This is similar to what stand up comedians do at the beginning of their sets. It’s an effective and fun way to start a speech!
Art of public speaking is always a impromptu thing which depends on the genre of audiences and subject matter. 1) Keep that promise of golden pot at the end of rainbow. 2) Create a realistic scene of speech in mind of audience. 3) Keep your audience engaged with activities, stories and fun facts. 4) Keep short breaks in between to increase attention spans of audience which vary with bandwidth of age group.Use pomodarian methods. 5) Keep some milestones in the form of visuals and repeat the important points. 6) Keep modulating voice tone and body language accordingly.
A story is a good way to start a talk. The best stories are personal, and share about who you are, and why you are there. Being vulnerable and showing that yes, you are the expert, but you are also human and make mistakes helps the audience connect and get comfortable with you right from the start.
A short snappy story or joke makes for a great start to get your audience engaged and have confidence in you as a speaker they'd like to pay attention to for the rest of your talk. An example of such a joke, which I've used in the past, is: They say that the best speeches are short ones. So as Elizabeth Taylor told each of her eight husbands, "I won't keep you long."
Another way to start a speech is to ask a question. Questions can stimulate your audience's interest, curiosity, and participation. They can also challenge their assumptions, provoke their emotions, or invite their opinions. You can use a rhetorical question, a factual question, a hypothetical question, or a personal question. Make sure your question is relevant, clear, and open-ended. You can also use a series of questions to build suspense or contrast.
I have found that the best way to start a speech is to tell a story by starting it with a question. I like to follow up with a startling statement or an image and get audience participation.
There are few better ways to engage your audience off the bat than to open with a thought provoking question. Try to focus on the following when formulating this question: 1. How can I subvert expectations? - By making the question come out of left field or different to what your audience predicted you would start with, you can throw them off balance and thus grab their attention. 2. What is your message? - By using a question at the start that you later answer in a callback in your speech, you can give the audience a sense of closure and satisfaction. 3. How Big is the question? - Asking something broad and sweeping can captivate the audience by promising an exciting answer to something they are struggling with.
Two Ways to Engage Your Audience from the Start: 1. Pose a Compelling Invitation: Invite the audience into a bold vision or critical thinking exercise. Sophia Wang of Mineral Carbonation International opened a pitch battle with: "Let's be ambitious when we think about a net zero 2050." 2. Start with an anecdote about what galvanized you. Founder Holly Thaggard launched Supergoop after a young friend was diagnosed with skin cancer, showing how sun protection became her mission. The power is in the details. Strong verbs, crisp phrasing, and relevance to your core message are key. Don't just tell them what you offer, show them what's possible. Transport your audience when you begin, and you'll have them for the rest of the ride.
Our brains are hardwired to ask and answer questions and asking a rhetorical question can be a very effective way to start a speech. Rhetorical questions can be used effectively to: engage the audience, enhance presentation variety, influence and persuade, subtly emphasise key points, introduce new topics and ideas and encourage critical thinking.
Very true. It makes your audience think deeply about your message as well. On the other hand, it helps the speaker to release tension should they feel anxious or butterflies in their stomach ??.
A third way to start a speech is to use a quote. Quotes can add credibility, authority, and wisdom to your speech. They can also capture your audience's attention with a surprising, humorous, or provocative statement. You can use a quote from a famous person, a book, a movie, or a song. Make sure your quote is relevant, accurate, and brief. You can also explain why you chose the quote and how it relates to your topic.
I like to use quotes throughout the presentation. They are great at the start, and at the end. Just make sure that if you do use someone else's quote that you properly attribute it to them and that they really did say it.
I love quotes or poems. Quotes makes you sound like an authority in your area. And poems are educative yet entertaining. Tap into your strengths and use what will work for you.
I encourage my clients to use quotes in their speeches, but I’m not usually a fan of starting with a quote—I find that it usually isn’t as strong as you hope it would be. I like using quotes in the middle to push home certain points.
Quotes are usually a way people think they can get away with being lazy in their speech. Let someone else open for me. However, for a quote to have the impact you want it to, you're actually going to have to do a lot of mental work. Your quote has to be: Relevant to your topic- off topic quotes no matter how good, throw your audience and make you look less credible. Relevant to your audience- If you're quoting shakespere to your CEOs, something has gone terribly wrong. You want your quote to be relevant to the audience at hand. Think about the demographics of those who you are speaking to. Short- If your quote is more than a paragraph long, you've lost your audience. Doesn't matter how well matched it is for them.
Love using quotes and sayings when they help support or reinforce the information I am trying to share. They are a succinct way to summarize or introduce an idea or theory.
A fourth way to start a speech is to use a statistic. Statistics can provide evidence, data, and facts to support your speech. They can also shock, impress, or intrigue your audience with a surprising, alarming, or fascinating number. You can use a statistic from a reputable source, such as a research report, a survey, or a news article. Make sure your statistic is relevant, recent, and simple. You can also compare or contrast your statistic with another one to create impact.
Although I love to start with a good story, stats are my second favorite go to. It can shock or connect the audience and cause them to want to learn more about the topic.
Statistics are good to use to assist with explaining the situation and how you plan to change it. However, you must be careful not to use too many in your presentation. Using too many stats can cause your audience to get bored and lose sight of the mission. I tend to share the percentage of Americans who serve and the number who are living homeless.
It's common for people to start a speech with a number or fact. This gets the audience's attention and helps make a strong argument. I would be interested to know exactly how many speakers do -could not find data on this. Using statistics in a speech can make it more persuasive, especially when you're trying to convince people to agree with your point of view on something. Amazon Prime and Spotify use data not only in promo campaigns but in their business too.
Reel folx in with a HOOK! Story, monologue, quotes, Media, exercise, game, laughter. Something that taps into their serotonin and reels them in. People don't want to be talked AT, they wanted to be talked TO!
I tell my clients that if they are wanting to start with a stat, it better be worthy of gasps and double-takes. It needs to be a number that is staggering or overwhelming.
A fifth way to start a speech is to use a joke. Jokes can lighten the mood, break the ice, and make your audience laugh. They can also show your personality, humor, and confidence. You can use a joke that is relevant, appropriate, and funny. Make sure your joke is not offensive, controversial, or cliché. You can also use a joke that relates to your topic, your audience, or yourself.
Starting with a joke can be great if you really know your audience, but it's also a risk, especially if you're speaking to an audience with whom you don't share a culture, or if you're speaking through an interpreter. More than stories, questions, statistics, etc., humor is difficult to translate and highly dependent on shared cultural knowledge.
I started my TEDx Talk with a joke relevant to my personal story. My speaking coach helped me craft something that I enjoyed saying and resonated with the audience. My disarming personality helped put the audience at ease and allowed them to laugh when others may not have. My humor has allowed me to persuade people, and I knew it could translate to a bigger stage.
If you do use a joke, practice it first and try it on someone else. if you use a joke and no one laughs, then make a joke about that. You can get a laugh from your failure to tell a good joke.
I cut my teeth in public speaking as a wedding DJ and MC. I started a DJ business with a friend when we were in the 8th grade. Since then I have DJed over 300 weddings and events in which crowd engagement over a microphone was a key component. One of the reasons I got into it in the first place was seeing how poorly MC'd weddings were. In general, people have mixed feelings about attending a wedding. And people HATE listening to bad speeches for fun. I made it my goal when I was on the microphone, (1) to be quick in transitions, (2) to let people know what to expect next, and to keep it moving and (3) to make the room smile through playful banter or a well placed joke to keep the mood light.
Jokes are tricky. You need timing and great delivery. My advice, if you're not a naturally funny person, then telling a joke might backfire. As I learned more about the art of public speaking, I began to allow more of my personality to show. I never remember jokes, but I use wit and observational humour in a way that's comfortable for me to do and appears natural. In other words, instead of talking to the audience, I engage them and bring them into my experience. It allows me to control the flow and pace of my delivery but it also adds a natural, authentic entertainment factor. My aim is to get people to relax and to enjoy the experience. The audience then becomes more receptive of my message.
A sixth way to start a speech is to use a prop. Props can add visual interest, variety, and creativity to your speech. They can also illustrate your point, demonstrate your idea, or spark curiosity. You can use a prop that is relevant, simple, and visible. Make sure your prop is not distracting, confusing, or irrelevant. You can also use a prop that is unexpected, symbolic, or interactive.
These are some of the creative ways to start a speech that will make your audience want to hear more. Try them out and see how they can enhance your public speaking skills.
When I used Minnie Mouse ears half way through my TEDx Talk, it opened the room up to laughter, intrigue, and a bit or curiosity where the audience wondered what could come next. It tied the theme together, as well.
I love the example of dressing up. I was a guest to chat about my book and the theme of the festival was all things Dr. Suess. I remembered that a friend of mine had a Cat in the Hat costume, so I borrowed it. It was a last minute thought, but it turned out to be a hit! It tied in well with the event and it gave me the opportunity to stand out, be seen, and heard in a fun and creative way.
Here’s a sixth way to start a speech: silence. What? You heard me. (No pun intended.) A few seconds of silence is an excellent way to build suspense, control the room, and grab your audience’s attention. Just don’t make it awkward. Here’s what I do: step up to the lectern, don’t look up at the audience until you and any notes or props you brought up with you are completely situated, then look up and out, make eye contact as you scan the room smiling confidently, then begin. Anyone who’s not paying attention when you first step to the lectern will feel compelled by the silence to look up and engage. And then when everyone’s watching and waiting, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to deliver a powerful intro. Make the most of it!
Another way to start a presentation is to play an upbeat song and invite a previously selected audience member to join you in dancing your way to the front of the room. Others might also join in which would be an awesome way to garner excitement.
Here are two other unique ways to start your presentation - silence and leveraging a talent you have like singing or playing an instrument.
I start most of my speeches with a compelling visual. I let it stay on - a bit of uncomfortable silence and then I ask my audience their first thoughts on the image, gradually leading into my message. This one almost always works like magic!
One aspect that I find important when speaking with a group is to begin with brutal honesty and take a risk to be vulnerable. Don’t put on a facade, and don’t speak in a voice or tone that’s not your own. Listeners are hungry to hear from Speakers who are comfortable in their own skin. They are searching for speakers who have done the hard work of knowing them selves. So, just be brutally honest and don’t put on a mask. And then say something of worth and value that adds to their life.