The Benefits of Effectively Opening Your Speech

The opening of your speech is probably the most important part. This is your opportunity to draw your audience in a make them interested in what you have to say for the rest of the time. If you can pull them in at this point, then there is a good chance that they will stay alert and listening during your entire speech. But where do you begin? How do you know what to say to captivate your audience?

The truth is that you have many choices in front of you and you may want to choose one based on your own personality. If you are a serious person, using humor is probably not your best option and vice versa. Your opening should also flow smoothly into the body or mid section of your speech, so you have to remember that you need to relevantly tie the two together when deciding how to plan your opening. Let's go through your three main opening options.

Using Humor To Lighten The Mood

You could start by telling a joke or using your humorous side in some other way to get your audience interested. Humor is one of the best ways to make your audience feel good about your speech before it has even started because we relate laughter with having a fun time. Automatically, they will feel like they are in the presence of a public speaker who will entertain them while educating them and keeping them from being bored.

This may be especially important with a young audience or an audience that is required to attend your speech. Already this group is feeling as though they are being forced to sit through a long and lengthy seminar, which does not usually go over well. They want to find someway to keep the experience as painless as possible. With humor, you are showing them that they can have a good time while still listening to information on your subject.

Getting Your Audience To Think

You could also open your speech by asking your audience a thought provoking question. This will get them thinking and interested since the question will somehow relate to your subject. If you or your audience is serious in nature, such as if you are giving a seminar to scientists, then this may be the wisest approach for you to use. This type of audience is not looking for your speech to be boring, they are looking to come and learn new information. They want to learn and be educated by you, that is their reason for attending your speech in the first place. Raising a question that makes them think will let them know from the start that you will meet their expectations and spend your time giving them new knowledge on your subject.

Starting with an interesting or controversial statement, if it better ties into your subject than a though provoking one, will accomplish the same task. It will get your audience thinking about your opening and what it means to them. It will get their mind going and they will find themselves anticipating the rest of your speech.

Getting Help From Those Who Have Already Spoken Unforgettable Words

You can also get a little help from those who have already spoken unforgettable words that will be remembered by reciting a quotation that ties into your subject. Great quotes will always be hit, that's why they are remembered and recited for years after they were written or spoken, and they can help you get your audience into a good frame of mind to where they want to hear the rest of what you have to say. Although one of the first two options may be best at certain times, a great quote will suffice if it can be easily tied in with the subject at hand.

How you open your speech is a vital part of how your audience will respond to it. If you can draw them in from the beginning, they will find themselves wanting to hear your speech and, possibly, come back again to hear