The worst thing is to start speaking in front of a large number of people. There are several tricks to get you off to an intriguing start.

Tell an interesting, exciting story. As a rule, if the talk starts with such a narrative and the audience is interested in the first 60 seconds, it will be easier to maintain attention. Perhaps you need to talk about some interesting historical event or remember ancient wisdom related to the topic of your report. A short introduction in the form of a story should last no more than 90 seconds.

Ask a rhetorical question. It helps convince the bulk of the public. For example, “To be or not to be, that is the question,” “Rus, where are you rushing?” etc. However, the questions need to be thought through and presented in a form in which they will reflect the essence of the report.

Start your report with statistics. As a rule, statistical data attracts listeners.

Come up with a catchy title, thanks to which the audience will become interested in the topic from the first seconds.

Start your report with a wise quote or statement from a famous person. to add attractiveness and special style to the presentation. However, all wise words should relate exclusively to the topic of the report.

Show an illustration or short presentation. This approach will add understanding, and listeners will probably remember the report only with positive side. When showing slides, you need to remember that for one illustration there should be one thought, put into two, maximum three sentences. Large font looks better on slides, and animation effects should be in moderation.

Add a short video to your report which will cause an emotional reaction. Plus, this way the essence of the topic is conveyed faster.

Don't spend too much time performing. It's best to try to keep it to 20 minutes. During this time, listeners will not get tired and will actively discuss this report.

Don't drawl or speak too quickly. Imagine that you are telling your audience an interesting story.

Answer questions quickly. This way, you will emphasize your professionalism in this topic.

Do you want to be listened to and heard? Then you need to constantly be in sight, maintain visual contact with the audience and speak clearly and intelligibly. Also, watch your gestures, that is, do not wave your arms too much, but also do not hide them in your pockets.

Answer yourself the questions: “why am I speaking?”, “what target audience is listening to me?” After the answers, you will clearly make a plan for yourself and you will understand which style of presentation is more acceptable.

Don't know how to give a good presentation? This is not difficult to do, the main thing is not to be afraid to speak in front of an audience. Therefore, you need to first overcome fear, and then perform. Minimize fear first:

Be the first to speak in front of the audience. As a rule, the longer you wait in line, the worse it gets. It may be worth performing in the front row so that after 20 minutes you can breathe freely.

Imagine that you are reading a report to your friends and family. Then it will be easier for you to focus on your topic.

Before the performance, be positive. Enter the room with a smile and start with an interesting phrase that will hook the listeners. You will see that the audience is not scary, but friendly, and as soon as you say a few words (sentences), the fear will go away on its own.

Before speaking, read the report to your colleagues or classmates. This way you will overcome your fear faster and it will be easier to speak in front of an audience.

Be confident. Confidence is the key to success. If you know the topic well and understand it, then you shouldn’t be afraid. You can prepare yourself a cheat sheet where you can see what’s next on your plan.

Before speaking, think about the consequences. After all, you need to earn a high rating.

Important! Listeners ordinary people, who understand your fear, and they, for their part, try to cheer you up. Think about this and everything will be fine.

What mistakes are made most often during a presentation?

Now you know how to give a presentation correctly. However, it is worth considering that mistakes may also occur during the presentation. To prevent this from happening, read what not to do.

Error 1. Give a presentation without preparation. Many outgoing students believe that they can present a topic well without reading the paper first. And this is one of the big mistakes. After all, a person who speaks without preparation will begin to stutter and say a lot of empty and florid phrases.

Error 3. Answer questions during the presentation. Of course, it’s good when listeners are interested in the topic, but it’s better to warn the audience in advance that questions should be asked after the report. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting lost and confused, which may affect the time and quality of the performance.

Error 4. Read quickly or slowly. Speed ​​is not always good, especially during a performance. If listeners do not understand the topic, then it is difficult for them to understand the speaker's train of thought. Too slow a pace leads to monotony, making the report boring and uninteresting.

Error 5. Use too long sentences (more than 13 words). This kind of presentation is hard to understand.

In this article, we figured out how to give a report in order to interest listeners, what techniques to use and what mistakes should not be made. These tips will help you perform well, overcome fear and become more confident.

How to give a presentation correctly - 10 tips for success updated: February 15, 2019 by: Scientific Articles.Ru

Introducing yourself is more than just saying your name. This is a whole way to make a new acquaintance with a person, start a conversation and make physical contact. Introducing yourself to strangers is not always as easy as it seems, because everything completely depends on how others understand you. You can introduce yourself different ways(depending on the audience you are addressing). For example, this could be a performance before giving a speech, before strangers at some event, in front of a girl or guy at a party. It is important to introduce yourself in a way that is appropriate to the situation in order to please and be remembered by people.

Steps

How to introduce yourself at a social event

Make eye contact. Eye contact means that your attention is directed to the other person. Looking into the eyes is one of the ways to interact with a person. This is how you show him your interest. By making eye contact, you become more open to your interlocutor.

• If you feel very awkward looking into someone's eyes, try looking between the other person's eyebrows - they may not notice the difference.
• If you are at a meeting or meeting, periodically look into the eyes of everyone present.

1. Be mindful of body language. Your body language should show your interlocutor that you are confident and at ease. Stand straight, raise your head and straighten your back, try not to slouch. Try to repeat the movements of your interlocutor from time to time. Also, try to speak in the same tone and style as the other person to establish non-verbal rapport.

How to introduce yourself to a stranger

Tell each other your names. If the greeting needs to be formal, you can say: “Hello, I’m [first name] [last name].” If the introduction is informal, simply say, “Hi, I'm [name]. Immediately after you have said your name, find out the name of your new friend, say: “What is your name?” Speak in a friendly tone. Once you know your new friend's name, repeat it by saying, "It's very nice to meet you, [his name]" or "It's nice to meet you, [her name]."

• It is important to repeat the name of your friend in order to remember him better, and besides, this will give your acquaintance a certain intimacy.

1. Be prepared to shake hands or greet someone you know in some other way. In most cultures, it is customary to greet a person with physical contact. In many countries and cultures, this is a common handshake. Make sure that your hand is moderately firm; it should not hang like a rag, and should not break your friend’s bones when shaking hands.

   Ask questions. It is very important to show interest in the life of your interlocutor. Ask where he or she is from, what they do, start a conversation about some joint business or interest. Find out what the person likes, what his hobbies and interests are. Show that you are listening carefully and are interested in the conversation.

   Know how to end the conversation. If you are meeting someone for the first time, you should end the conversation by saying that it was nice to meet you and talk. If the conversation was formal, you should end the conversation with the phrase: “[name] [patronymic], I am very glad to meet you. I hope we will see each other again." If the conversation was informal, you could say, “It was great meeting you, [name]. I hope to see you again"

How to introduce yourself before a performance

Greet the audience and state your name. If you are giving a speech, it is important to state your first and last name. When you greet everyone and introduce yourself, be sure to speak clearly and confidently.

• Say: “Good afternoon, I’m [first name] [last name].” Or: “How are you doing today? My name is [first name] [last name].”

1. Share something about yourself. After you say your first and last name, tell what speech you are going to give and why, try to present yourself correctly. What you need to say to your audience depends on the nature of your speech and the event you are speaking about. If you are going to give a lecture on the importance proper nutrition, be sure to tell me how you feel about this. For example, say whether you are a scientist, a chef, or an environmentalist. If you are talking about the upbringing and development of a child, say that you are a child psychologist.

   • You can provide your audience with any useful information about yourself that is relevant to your performance. You can briefly list some of your professional achievements. For example, you could say, “My name is [first name] [last name], and I am a professor of environmental science. I did research in tropical forests Amazon and after that I realized how important it is to look for new ways to protect our planet.”

2. Move. When giving a speech, stand up straight with good posture, but move around from time to time. Straighten your back, pull your shoulders back, don't slouch, keep your hands free, you can even gesture if necessary. If you don't have to stand behind the podium, you can sometimes walk slowly from side to side to show the audience how confident and comfortable you feel.

How to introduce yourself at a business meeting

Please state your full name. Say it clearly so that the other person understands and remembers it. You can say, “Hi, my name is [first name] [last name].” Or: “Hi, I’m [first name] [last name].” People are more likely to remember your name if you pronounce it clearly.

1. Describe what you do in one sentence. If you're at a business meeting, chances are you'll tell a few people about what you do. So what do you do when a new acquaintance asks you, “What do you do?” You'll probably start talking about your career for 5-10 minutes. Do you feel like reading a list of your achievements? Most likely no. If you are not planning a serious conversation, you can simply describe the essence of your professional activity, conveying the following information to the interlocutor:

   • What is your occupation? Teacher, manager, health worker?
   • Who do you work with? With kids, international organizations, small business?
   • What are you doing? Do you help children acquire and develop new skills, do you organize various international meetings and negotiations, monitor budgets, help organizations expand their market base in developing countries?
   • Don't look away and don't be distracted by foreign objects, otherwise your interlocutor will understand that you're bored.
   • Don't talk with your mouth full.
   • Focus on positive attitude. When you first meet, this is not the time to say something bad about yourself or someone else.
   • To defuse the situation, start with a compliment or a harmless joke.
   • If your hands tend to sweat, dry them with a tissue before introducing yourself to someone.

Sooner or later, every person has to speak in front of an audience. And since the latter is very selfish, this activity can cause a lot of trouble. But as Mark Twain said: “The public expects nothing from you in the first place,” so don’t be nervous, but it’s a good idea to take advantage of a few useful tips and review examples of public speaking.

Where to begin?

Any example of public speaking begins with proper speech preparation. No matter how wonderful the speaker’s text may seem, you need to understand that behind it lies remarkable work and long hours of practice.

Every successful example of public speaking begins with preparing the speech. It was not for nothing that Mark Twain once said that it takes about three weeks to prepare an impromptu. Any performance, regardless of its type and intended purpose, must be prepared in advance. First you need to make the so-called “skeleton” of the performance. To do this, you need to decide on the following positions:

• Understand the motivation of the people who came to listen to the speech.
• Determine the main idea of ​​the speech.
• Divide this idea into several components(subheadings).
• Designate keywords. They will need to be repeated several times in the speech so that the listeners better remember what is actually being discussed.
• Every speech should have a clear plan and structure. The speech should consist of an introduction, main part and conclusions.

Muscles

Once the speaker has decided on the basic structure of his speech, it is necessary to build muscle on this “skeleton”. What could they consist of?

• You can use vivid examples from life or literature, the main thing is that they correspond to the main topic.
• To help the listener visually consolidate the information received, it is worth preparing graphs, slides, pictures, videos, etc.
• You can ask the audience a question during the speech, this will help keep the audience's attention on the main topic.

Introductory part

Particular attention should be paid to the beginning and end of the speech. They play the main role in communication between the speaker and the listener. The introduction helps to form a first impression of the speaker, and the summary allows the audience to consolidate the information received.

While preparing your speech, many questions may arise. For example, how to start public speaking? The main thing here is to interest the audience from the very beginning. The first impression of the speaker will accompany him throughout the entire speech, and if you make a mistake, it will be difficult to correct it later.

For example, the introduction to a public speech could be a witty joke or some kind of interesting fact. You can puzzle the audience with a question or intrigue with a pause. The main thing is to attract attention. Just don’t start apologizing for the fact that your voice is hoarse, this is your first speech, etc. The speaker should always be confident in himself, and turn every trouble to his aid. For example, if the speaker is really sick, you should not apologize, but say that due to such and such circumstances, I ask everyone to sit closer so that I can be heard.

End of speech

As for the ending, it is important to summarize the entire speech, highlight the main ideas and recall the issues raised. The last phrases must have a certain emotional message and be expressive, only in this way the listener can not only reward the speaker with applause, but also become an adherent of his ideas. Although, no matter how much you talk about the correct construction of a speech, it will be easier to consider examples of public speaking.

Types of public speaking

Examples of public speaking are divided into several types:

• Information. For the most part, these are reports, lectures, and oral responses.
• Protocol and etiquette. Such speeches are used when welcoming important guests, making toasts, a funeral speech, or opening a new establishment.
• Entertaining. They are usually used for a good time, they have an entertaining context, but at the same time convey information. As an example, we can cite the performances of Russian pop comedians E. Petrosyan, E. Stepanenko, M. Zadornov and others.
• Persuasive speech. Such a report must have indisputable facts and evidence that will win the audience over to your side. Examples include speeches by famous politicians. For example, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863, where he assured citizens that not a single soldier died in vain, and this is a necessary sacrifice on the path to freedom.

Get there in three minutes

In general, the audience's attention lasts only 15-20 minutes, this is due to psychophysiological reasons. Depending on the variety, oral presentations can last from a few minutes to 1-2 hours. However, there are also speeches that need to be delivered in 3 minutes. In most cases, these speeches are wedding toasts or press conferences. In total, the length of the speech should be between 200 and 405 words. Here is an example of a public speech for 3 minutes:

“Today the Dalai Lama gave a unique interview to a Russian blogger for the first time. For his YouTube channel, business blogger Dmitry Portnyagin was the first in the CIS to interview the Dalai Lama. Communication with the famous Buddhist took place in a Delhi hotel, where the monk often stays with his followers. Before communion began, the premises were checked twice: first by the Indian security, led by a Sikh, and then by His Holiness’s personal security.

The interview lasted only an hour. During this time, the conversation participants were able to discuss political problems, including questions of the competence of Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin. Predict the future of Russia, talk about material and spiritual values, mutual understanding between people and the secrets of success. Each question received a detailed answer. The Dalai Lama spoke openly and with humor. At the end, he gave some advice for entrepreneurs and talked about personal safety.

Dmitry Portnyagin did not remain indifferent during the conversation. He showed the Dalai Lama a photograph of his grandfather and said that a photograph of the Supreme Head of Tibet always hung in his office, so he also became interested in this topic. Saying goodbye to His Holiness, Dmitry gave the Dalai Lama a hat with earflaps as a souvenir. The monk immediately put on his new clothes and appeared in this form in front of the camera lenses. The full version of the interview can be viewed on the Transformer channel.

Suitable or not?

This sample public speaking text follows all the rules. Such a short speech fully reveals the topic of the video presentation on the YouTube channel. It tells about the participants, the location of the interview, the questions that were raised and the general mood that was present during the conversation.

At the end of the press release, the speaker invites listeners to watch the full version of the video. Although the ending can be supplemented with one more sentence or two, saying that the interview turned out to be successful and informative for everyone.

Alexander I

To be effective, speech must be precise and expressive. And these may not always be large amounts of text. You can get your point across with a few strong sentences and vivid comparisons. For example, Alexander I’s public speech to the French ambassadors even before the start of the war sounded as follows:

“Here is little Europe, and this Greater Russia(he shows all this on the map). In case of failure, you can retreat only to Paris, and I can run to the edge of Kamchatka! But at the same time, every meter of this land will be hostile to you, even the women will not stop fighting. Russia may lose some battles, but it will never be defeated.”

To say that the ambassadors left under the impression is an understatement. An example of the text of a public speech by Tsar Alexander I amazes readers today. There is not a drop of arrogance here, just facts served with the right “sauce.”

Steve Jobs

A striking example of modern oratory are the speeches of Steve Jobs. Public speaking was definitely not his strong point - it was just a hobby, but he began every presentation of a new product with his own speech. Examples in its execution look like this:

These are just small fragments of one of his speeches. But how does a person motivate?

Correct solution

You can give a speech on any topic. Examples of public speaking are easy to find in print and other media. Usually speakers touch on important social, political and economic problems. IN Lately It has become fashionable to give training on ways to make money on the Internet, present various training programs or draw attention to advertising campaigns. Sometimes speakers conduct psychological trainings, discuss religion or philosophy. But no matter what the speaker talks about, his main goal is to captivate the audience.

A speaker is not a person who professionally manipulates pathetic speeches, but one who is able to conduct a simultaneous dialogue with thousands of listeners. He must speak the language of the people who listen to him, understand their problems, find common ground and skillfully lead them to making the right decision.

Business communication

It may seem that it is varied and has no clear boundaries, this public speech. The examples of speeches presented above give the false impression that the speakers' texts have nothing in common. In fact, they all have the same goal: the listener must agree with the speaker's point of view. And this can be done using completely different methods, including provocation. Although this method is used mainly in court proceedings.

The founder of the Russian legal profession, A.F. Koni, once defended a disabled hunchback. For for long years a neighbor mocked him, and then one day, unable to bear it, the hunchback grabbed a stone and threw it at him, thereby causing serious bodily injury. In his public speech, A.F. Koni was original like no one else. He, as expected, addressed the jury: “Gentlemen of the jury!” Then he paused and repeated this phrase four more times, making minute stops after each address. After the fourth appeal, one of the jurors could not stand it and furiously blurted out: “Are you kidding me?!” A.F. Koni was not taken aback, this is exactly the reaction he expected: “I addressed you politely and only 4 times, and you were already starting to get nervous. My client listened to insults directed at him for many years. How was he supposed to feel?

This speech achieved its goal - the defendant was acquitted.

Who, comrades judges, feeds you?

History knows many cases of such original performances. Even in literature you can find good examples of oratory speeches that can be used to teach this art. Thus, in A. M. Gorky’s novel “Mother,” the convicted Pavel Vlasov spoke at the court hearing. He was convicted under a political article and refused to carry out the escape prepared by his comrades only in order to make a speech in front of the large people who had gathered at the trial.

His speech was full of refrains, where he spoke on behalf of the people, but the main “highlight” of the speech was the climax: “How can you destroy the workers, those who feed you, comrade judges?” It costs a lot to create such a speech.

Prosperity of the country

To conclude this article, I would like to give one more option for public speaking. Example text on the topic “Theft in Japan.”

“The prosperity of a country is influenced by many human and economic factors. Among them there is one, almost insignificant fact, which will seem to us a fantastic absurdity.

They don't steal in Japan. They don't steal at all. They don't steal at all. They never steal. People don't lock their apartments and cars. Stores safely place trays of goods on the streets and happily forget about them. They know: no one will take someone else's.

In this country, you can forget anything, anywhere, and then come back for it a few days later. It will remain untouched. Every Japanese knows: if something is lost, it probably lies where it was lost, which means it will be found. Whether it’s a mobile phone or a wallet, you can still find any item.

Tipping is not accepted in Japan. The seller or waiter will run after you for several blocks to give you your change. Most residents of the capital travel on bicycles, and no one ties them up. Steal a bike?! This is funny!

Here they know: taking someone else’s is a shame. After it, the person will no longer be trusted; he will never get rid of it.

And by the way, about the economy. Officials religiously follow this rule: taking someone else’s property is taboo. Not long ago, a Japanese minister, who was suspected of free handling of finances, hanged himself. Not even theft. Because of this story, the previous prime minister also resigned.

So, what does the prosperity of a country depend on? That’s right, from theft, or more precisely, from the absence of it.”

The speaker is a kind of shooter. He either hits the mark and makes everyone bow their heads before him, or he misses, and then the despondent crowd begins to go about their business, ignoring the words of the speaker. Therefore, before speaking in public, you need to aim at a specific target. Examples of public speaking by leaders will help.

"Well said! Well Said! Presentations and conversations that get results.

At the beginning of your speech, you have only 60 seconds to capture the audience's attention, gain people's trust, orient them to the topic and get them ready to listen further. If you waste precious opening minutes on jokes, agendas, apologies, useless details, thank yous, or incoherent stuttering, your audience's attention will be lost forever. You must be creative with the introduction - the most important part of the work. This is a difficult task for any speaker, and you will have to rehearse well and master the challenging opening.

Darlene Price

1. Tell a compelling story

Storytelling is one of the most powerful and successful techniques. From birth, people love to listen and learn from . Fairy-tale heroes, villains from campfire tales or theater characters captivate us with their dialogues, conflicts and destinies. With their help, we gain everyday experience and draw parallels with our own lives, which easily holds the attention of any person.

At best, it should be a personal, first-hand story that tells the audience why you are interested in the topic of the talk. Although a story about another person whom the audience might recognize would also work. Alternatively, reveal a fable, fairy tale, wisdom or historical event. The idea is that your 60-90 second introduction will captivate the audience and provide the key message for the rest of your presentation.

What problems did you (or someone else) encounter regarding the topic of the speech? How did you (or someone else) overcome them? Who or what helped or hindered you? What conclusions were drawn? What should your audience get and feel after reading the story?

2. Ask a rhetorical question

And what Russian doesn’t like driving fast?

Who are the judges?

Dreams, dreams, where is your sweetness?

Rhetorical questions help persuade. If they are thoughtful and presented in the right form, the audience will follow the path that the speaker intended. With their help, it is easy to persuade listeners to your point of view.

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

However, the question does not always have to give a clear answer “yes” or “no”. You can pique people's curiosity and get them to think about the answer by asking something a little harder.

3. Share a shocking statistic or headline.

A bold statement or catchy headline is ideal for persuading your audience to listen to your recommendations and follow them further. The main thing is that they accurately reflect the purpose of your speech.

For example, the vice president of sales for a leading US healthcare company successfully sells hospital software in a very colorful manner. He begins with dry, but painfully poignant figures: “Medical errors leading to the death of a patient have become the third main reason deaths from heart disease and cancer. We are talking about 400 thousand cases a year. This is much more than previously thought. We are creating a world without medical errors, and we need your help."

4. Use a strong quote.

Give words of wisdom famous person, whose name will add attractiveness and social weight to your speech. But it’s important to understand that the quote must be relevant: meaningful and relevant to your audience.

Imagine that you are a conflict manager and persuade a group to reach agreement. When opening negotiations, you could quote the words of Mark Twain, who once said: “If two people agree on everything, one of them is not needed.” The next sentence should add a note of unity: “Even though not all of us see the solution to the problem the same way, the efforts of each of us are essential in reaching an agreement.”

5. Show a powerful photo

A picture is worth a thousand words. And maybe more.

Use pictures instead of text whenever possible. A high-quality photo adds aesthetic appeal, enhances comprehension, engages the audience's imagination, and makes a presentation more memorable.

Matej Kastelic/Shutterstock.com

For example, the president of an electrical equipment sales company skillfully inspired his managers to cut costs. Instead of showing them the usual charts, graphs and tables, he opened the meeting with a rather strange question: “Why did the Titanic sink?” In unison, there was a mention of a collision with an iceberg. Then the head of the company displayed an image of an iceberg on the general screen: its tip was visible above the water, but a much larger part was hidden under the surface. “The same thing awaits our company. Hidden costs are the very underwater danger that will drag us to the bottom.” This visual metaphor inspired managers, and their proposals ultimately saved millions of dollars.

6. Add creativity

Thematic props are a sure way to keep your audience's attention. Visual support will emphasize your point.

Thus, being an avid tennis fan, the head of a large insurance company began his speech with a spectacular hit with his racket. In this way, he expressed his determination, “won a point against his competitors,” rallied the team and ultimately “won the Grand Slam.”

Think about how you could use a wall clock, a colorful bag, a bunch of carrots, ball juggling, or card manipulation to captivate your audience, add humor, and get your message across.

7. Play a short video

Imagine: you start a presentation to the production department with a video in which satisfied customers give positive characterization your product. Or you open a fundraising event for endangered species with a mini-film about the Amur leopard and its offspring.

The video evokes an emotional reaction. Unlike words and slides, a short film adds drama and conveys the essence of what is happening faster.

As Walt Disney said:

I would rather entertain people and hope they learn something than educate people and hope they are entertained.

Was it bright, powerful and memorable in front of a group of people? If you are interested in the answer to this question, then we offer some tips on how to capture the attention of your audience, which can serve as an excellent help in your activities. If you follow our recommendations, you will be able to demonstrate to your listeners the best oratorical qualities, gain their trust and friendship and make the best impression, and here you are not far from leading masses of people and winning a huge number of fans.

Joke

If the situation is conducive to this, then you can start the speech with an anecdote (a good joke will also do, but only if it is really funny). However, you need to be absolutely sure that your listeners will perceive what you are saying as something comedic. For this reason, before you shoot a joke at a large group of people, test its “quality” on individual people. In addition, you can only use humor when you yourself think the story is funny and when you are confident that you have what it takes to tell it properly.

Conversation with a friend

You can retell a conversation that you recently had with someone you know or even with those present in the room. For example, you can start like this: “Literally before the start of the seminar, I talked with Kirill Petrovich. He told me that now is the moment in his life when he urgently needs to change something in his life. This is what I mean...”

Current Event

To start a speech, you can use one of the following: latest news, so that you can then move on to the main topic of your speech or characterize your position on any issue. You can take the latest issue of a news newspaper with you and show everyone the headline when you refer to the story during your introductory remarks. When you stand on stage and hold a newspaper in your hands as you begin your speech, the audience will automatically try to see what you have in your hands and hear what you are saying.

Shocking statement

An effective way to start a speech is with a statement that can cause shock. You can, for example, say something like: “The latest research conducted by our specialists has shown that big changes await us this year. As a result, it turned out that approximately 60% of those sitting in this audience today will receive a salary three times higher than what they receive now in a year and a half.”

Pun

The best way to start a performance is to amuse the audience. An example is American Speaker Bill Gove. Often, after his official presentation to the audience, he went on stage, as if a second ago some backstage conversation had been interrupted so that he could start a new conversation - this time with the audience. Those sitting in the hall had the feeling that he had no intention of making a speech at all, but only wanted to talk to them.

So, Bill would come closer to the audience and encourage them with gestures to move closer to him, and then barely audibly say something like: “Listen, I have something to tell you.” It seemed as if he intended to tell everyone present together some secret.

The result of all this was that people in the audience actually leaned forward to hear the “secret.” But after that, at some point they realized what they were actually doing and began to laugh. Having done this, Gove could already do whatever he wanted with the public. Think, maybe you can do something unusual and funny on stage.

A story about yourself

Often the most effective speeches begin with the presenter talking about himself. You can start your speech something like this: “I have worked very long and hard to get to where I am now. I didn't have a mentor or even an assistant. I had to achieve everything in my life myself. But this is what became the best school for me.”

Most likely, after your speech, people will begin to approach you who will claim that their situation is exactly similar to yours and express their respect for you. And here there is one psychological factor, which says that when one person talks about his life, others automatically identify with him.

That is why a speaker’s story about his life can attract the attention of the public as much as possible: they will begin to listen to him carefully, because he is most accurately able to convey the details of the situation, give some food for the mind, make them listen, reflect and then act. Essentially, the life story is a bridge between the presenter and the listeners, and it is very useful to use.

Question or survey

Among other things, you can start your speech with a short statement and a follow-up question that requires an answer with raised hands. You can try the following - say: “Currently, each of us has a great opportunity to live and earn money without going to work every day. By the way, how many of you are already working remotely?”

Experienced presenters quite often begin their speeches this way, and after someone from the audience raises their hand, they ask the one closest to the stage: “How many of you actually work remotely?”

Someone will most likely say: “We all do!” or “Yes, everyone is here!” After this, you can confirm this answer: “Yes, I agree, each of those who came here is doing work remotely, because otherwise you simply would not be here,” etc.

Positive affirmation

You can also make a positive statement to the audience, such as saying that they will enjoy today's performance. Say something like, “You're really going to like what you're about to hear. In today's conversation, I will tell you some unique secrets about...”

Story

A story is also a great way to start a speech. Indeed, perhaps, you cannot find more magical words to capture the attention of the audience than “Once upon a time a very strange story happened to me,” etc.

The fact is that even from childhood, people really like all kinds of stories. As soon as the story begins, the audience suddenly falls silent and begins to listen to every word of the speaker, like a group of children. This technique is also very convenient to use after a lunch or coffee break.

Statement or question

You can start your speech with a stunning statement, followed by asking the audience a question. Then you need to answer this question and ask a new one. This trick will instantly involve people in the discussion, and they will listen to you very carefully.

This is explained by another human one. From childhood, people are determined to give answers to questions asked of them. Every time a question is posed and there is a pause for people to process it, the presenter is able to completely control the audience. And even if people do not answer out loud, they always answer mentally.

So, we looked at ten ways to start a speech that can make your speech effective and memorable. But, no matter what method you choose, it is always important to remember one condition that unites all methods in general.

Bridge between presenter and audience

One of the most important parts of starting a speech is for the presenter to build a bridge between him and the audience, because... the result of all further performance depends on how strong it is and whether it is built at all.

You can start with something that unites you and your listeners. For example, from the fact that you were once in their place or in their situation. Perhaps you lived in their city or area; perhaps you, like them, have a son and daughter; perhaps you are involved in the same sport; Perhaps your problems and concerns at the present time are similar to the same problems and concerns as theirs, etc.

Remember: if you take a couple of minutes to create this invisible bridge between you and your audience, the audience will automatically take your side. People will understand that you belong to their “circle”, and therefore will become much more receptive to your ideas and words, and will also become more forgiving and generous towards the mistakes you may make.

It is important to be not only for your listeners, but also accessible to them. You need to let them know that you and them have a lot in common. And even if the beginning of your speech turns out to be “blurred”, the bridge that you build will nullify any shortcomings and errors.

We hope our tips will help you make your performances even better. But we still want to recommend ours, after completing which you will learn to make not only the beginning of a speech literate, but also its other components.

We wish you success!