>> HOW TO OPEN A SPEECH :
The best way to start a speech is
to jump right in to the topic and
say something that grabs the
audience’s attention, something
compelling, humorous,
shocking, or imaginative. Try
one of the following devices:
Quotation
A quotation from a well-known
person can be a very effective
opening. A quote from an
obscure source isn’t as
successful; part of the impact
comes from the name
recognition itself. For a speech
that discusses effective time
management: “Mark Twain once
said, ‘Never put off till tomorrow
what you can do the day after
tomorrow.’ Well, that may be
what Twain believed, but I’m
here to show you how you can
get the most out of today!” Or
for a presentation on workplace
civility: “’You can get much
farther with a kind word and a
gun than you can with a kind
word alone.’ That’s what Al
Capone said, but it’s funny that
nowadays we can’t even get a
kind word.”
Rhetorical Question
This is my favorite way to open
a speech. Asking a question
immediately engages the minds
of the audience members as
they attempt to answer it in their
heads. “How many of you have
ever considered plastic surgery?”
“What is the most embarrassing
thing your kids have ever said
out loud?” “Where were you on
September 11th?” Keep in mind
that you’re not looking for people
to actually answer you; you
simply want to get their brains
working. Accompany your
questions with one hand raised
in the air and the audience will be
cued that you’re interested in a
showing of hands, not verbal
responses.
Declarative Statement
Opening with a bold, powerful
statement is another good way
to grab the audience’s attention.
A startling statistic or bold claim
can jolt them and set the stage
for an educational or
informational talk. “In the time it
takes for me to speak to you
tonight twenty men will be
diagnosed with colon cancer.”
“The desegregation of American
schools in the 1960’s was a bad
idea then and still is today.” A
shocking statement like this is
often followed by a pause and
then a disclaimer, such as
“according to so-and-so in his
book,…” or “or so I thought
when I was growing up in the
South.”
Scenario
This type of opening usually
begins with “Imagine…” and the
goal is to create a scene for
audience members to visualize in
their minds. “Imagine yourself in
Tahiti, sitting on a beautiful,
secluded beach, a gentle breeze
blowing…”. Remember that
audiences rarely remember the
words you say; they remember
the pictures you paint for them.
Anecdote
You’ve probably already heard
somewhere that you should
never open a speech with a joke.
That’s true, but it is okay to open
with a short, amusing story, as
long as it is both short and
amusing. Find the funny,
personal stories in your life and
use them as your opening,
making sure they relate to the
theme of your speech. This
device is a favorite of the
minister at my church. He often
starts his Sunday sermon with a
humorous story from his
childhood or of raising his 4-
year-old twins. Most of us
instantly relate to the anecdote
and our minds are then open to
the broader message he has to
share.
Tip #1: The best humor comes
out of real life experiences,
situations you’ve been involved
in yourself or witness to. Any
funny lines you say should have
been actually said by someone.
Don’t fall into the trap of trying to
tell jokes. Tell humorous,
personal stories instead.
Tip #2: As you begin writing
your presentation, do not start
with the opening. Write your
objective, key points, outline and
body of the speech first and then
write the opening. You can’t
write an opening before you’ve
clarified the content of the
presentation. Don’t put the cart
before the horse.
Think through these ideas as you
develop your next presentation.
Keep your eyes and ears open
for interesting quotations,
statistics and personal anecdotes;
they’re all around you. And take
time to review your old
speeches. A fresh opening can
breathe new life into an old
presentation.
>> How to propose idea
Knowing how to express your
ideas clearly can vastly improve
how you view yourself, and
how others view you. Clear self-
expression not only is a self-
confidence booster, but also sets
you apart from the crowd.
Having this skill will make you
feel comfortable in social
situations, and with public
speaking. With a few simple tips
and techniques you can improve
the way that you articulate
yourself, and reap the benefits.
Self-edit: This tip is useful on
several levels. First, think about
what you are going to say
before you blurt out your
thoughts in a fumbling, jumbling
mess. Gathering your thoughts
only takes seconds, and in turn,
when you present your ideas
they will be much more concise.
Second, consider your
environment and the conditions
under which you are expressing
your ideas. Don ’t talk down and
patronize a casual group of
friends, and don ’t use slang
terms and informal language
when talking to a professional
group.
Know your subject matter:
Being familiar with a particular
topic is useful in all scenarios, but
especially useful in situations like
job interviews, presentations,
etc. If you are a novice at
whatever subject you are
discussing you will be outed in a
matter of moments. How are
others supposed to know what
you are talking about if you don ’t
know yourself? Read up on your
subject matter. It is also a plus to
be well-read and well-versed in a
variety of topics. Doing a bit of
research before conveying your
ideas will save you a great deal
of awkward glances and
embarrassment, you know,
unless you enjoy the sound of
crickets.
Write it down: Making notes
and outlines is a great way to
organize your thoughts and be
able to express them clearly. This
tip allows you to become more
focused and direct in your
thought processes. Writing can
be used casually to help you
form an opinion, or it can be
used formally for presentations
and essays.
Writing can also be very useful
when trying to express ideas
about issues that are more
personal and emotional in
nature. Conveying your
thoughts about a break-up, or
about someone who has died
can be especially difficult to do
verbally. Being able to express
your ideas on paper is a great
alternative to speaking about
tough situations.
Work your brain: Ideas are
formed in the mind, so having a
strong mind is essential to being
able to clearly express your
ideas. Learn a new word per day
and use that word in as many
conversations as you can. Also,
doing crossword puzzles and
other word games is a great
way to make yourself familiar
with more words and topics.
Being able to clearly express
your ideas is a skill that will never
go unused. It will make you feel
better about yourself, and make
others stand up and take notice
of you. No matter what situation
you are in, whether it be casual
or professional, you should
always be confident in the way
that you express your thoughts
and ideas. By following these tips
and tricks you will be on your
way to better self-expression.
