After Valerie’s last blog post about how to create a powerful conclusion, I thought, “What about the introduction??”
One of the most challenging parts of an effective speech is the introduction. Most of the time, we forget that the audience needs to be captured before we start presenting our content. We forget that, “Hi, my name is Erin and today I will be talking to you about…” does NOT capture the attention of your audience. Why do we forget this? Because it’s easier to start out with “Hi, my name is…” than finding an appropriate attention grabber!
The best piece of advice I have gotten about this specific topic is, “We have been in class with you the entire semester… we’ve worked together… we know your name!!” Most of the time in your COMM 131 classes, you all know one another by the time you get up to give a speech. Or even if you are in an upper-level class, you know most of the people from having classes with them before. Surprise! The attention grabber at the beginning of your speech does not mean telling the audience something they already know! By starting with “Hi, my name is” you already lose the attention of your audience before you start.
So, you’re probably asking, “Okay, so how do I start my speech?” There are a ton of different ways! The most effective ways to catch your audience’s attention is through a startling statistic, a personal anecdote that leads the listener to the point you are making, a rhetorical question that gets the audience really thinking, a powerful quote, the use of humor or sarcasm (only use this if you know you will get a reaction from your audience), a progression of pictures and explanation of their story or situation, and so much more! This way, you will not only grab your audience’s attention, but you’ll make them feel like what you are going to say is important AND powerful. Try it. You’d be surprised at the reaction your peers and professor have to an introduction like this!
Check out the article: “7 Memorable Ways To Open a Speech Presentation” under our Helpful Articles and Resources for more effective attention grabbers.
Check out our Quick Tip sheet about Introductions as well for some more help on introductions.
Are you really struggling with your introduction, especially coming up with an attention grabber? Make an appointment with the PCC and we can help you craft one!!
