If you want to set yourself up for success, then it’s vital that the first 30 seconds of your speech catches your audiences’ attention, arouses their curiosity and makes them feel that your speech is worth their time. Use these principles to get your audience hooked onto your every word right from the beginning:
Do NOT open with a standard ‘Thank-you’ introduction. You can thank your hosts and audiences later, after you’ve built a connection with them.
Avoid opening with a Joke, especially if you aren’t a gifted humorist and haven’t tested the joke before. To add humour to your speech, use a witty quote instead.
Use one of the four proven Opening Gambits to open with a bang:
o Start with a Story
o Use Questions to Create a Knowledge Gap
o Use Quotable Quotes to gain extra Credibility
o Open with an Intriguing/ Startling Statement
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