The opening and closing are the two most important elements of a speech. He should spend most of his time writing and rehearsing these two components.

There are three main goals for any opening. First of all, you need to grab the attention of the audience. The second goal is to give the audience an idea of ​​what you’ll be talking about. Finally, the opening also sets the tone of the speech.

Here are some secrets to brainstorming a memorable opening:

1. Some speakers like to start by posting an interesting question for the audience. The reason this type of opening works is that it forces audience members to come up with an answer. E.g. – “What is the leading cause of death among adolescents?

2. Another tactic to use is an outrageous or defiant statement to get attention. An example might be: “Your grandchildren may never see an elephant due to poachers threatening extinction, all in the name of ivory chores.”

3. You can also try to connect the opening of your speech by relating something personal to the event. Short personal stories work best.

4. Arouse curiosity in the audience. Here’s an example of Steve Jobs (founder of Apple) during a commencement speech he gave in 2005: “I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then I was dateless for another 18 months or so before I actually quit.” So why did I quit? This introduction makes you curious to know “why did you drop out of college?”

5. Quotations are often used for keynote speeches. It is not important that the quote is famous but that the quote used is relevant. I remember an example when a presenter discussing labor arbitration opened with this quote from Benjamin Franklin: “A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.”

How NOT to open a speech

1. Do not tell a story or a joke that has nothing to do with the topic of the speech.

2. Don’t try to be funny. There are a dozen easier ways to get noticed.

3. Do not apologize, for example. “I’m not much of a public speaker, but I’ll try anyway…”