Public Speaking Tips - Good ways to open a speech

"10 seconds is all you have to get the audience's attention. If you haven't got them by then it is much harder to get their attention back."

That's exactly how I opened an educational speech on how to open a speech. If you grab the audience's attention from the beginning they will be more likely to listen to the rest of your speech.

"What is the best thing I can say at the beginning to make the audience listen to me?" is good question to ask yourself if you want to have a grate opening in your speech.

A good speech opening may include these 3 elements:

1) Topic introduction - In the same way a book has a contents so can your speech. Here you tell the audience what you are going to tell them. This gives your speech structure and grabs the audience's attention.

2) A question that startles - "Who would like to make $100,000 in 90 days?" That questions grabs the audience's attention immediately because they will want to know the answer.

3) A quotation from history - "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" - John F Kennedy. Using a quote from history can stir up your audience's emotions because they have heard the quote before and it takes them back to when they first heard the quote.

Think of a speech opening like the headline of a newspaper article. If they don't like the headline they wont read the article. If the don't like your speech's opening they will not listen to the rest of your speech, whether they are in the room or not.

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