How can I create an effective introduction to a speech?

How many of us, when we got up to give a talk or speech for the first time said “Today I am going to talk to you about (insert subject).”?  This is fine, but there are so many other ways of making an introduction that will make your audience pay good attention to the rest of the presentation.

Here are some ideas- Start off with..

A personal experience- should be related to the speech.  Could stress a certain principle or  idea

A surprising statistic-  Could be something like “one out of every 3 people in Nigeria contract aids”.  Tell them data that means something real to them.

An interesting image-In a presentation about Iraq, show a recent CNN picture that was taken there.

A quote-   A quote gives authority to your speech, also get’s people brains stewing.

An imaginery situation-   Requires the participation of the audience and helps them get “hooked” into the speech.

The audience will usually determine what caliber of speech you will give in the first few minutes. That is why it is key to work hard on this part.  We need to practice, practice, and practice again until the introduction shines.  The introduction should include the following

1)      Get attention-                            “Hook” your audience

2)      State Central idea-                     This is the main point of speech

3)      Give reasons to listen-               Say something pertinent to them

4)      3-5 Parallel Subpoints-             More than five is easy to forget

5)      Credentials-                               Tell them your sources

 

There really isn’t a limit on ways to make a great introduction, Be Creative!


To learn more about introductions, follow the link

Creating an effective introduction