8 Powerful Opening Techniques & Strategies To Connect With and Capture Your Audience
Friday, June 4th, 2010On my journey to pursuing my passion…professional speaking; I’ve learned some of the most effective communication techniques and strategies ever developed in public speaking. Some through trial and error, but mostly from studying and listening to some of the best communicators in the world; past and present. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker, or working on your first icebreaker in Toastmasters, the fundamentals for becoming an excellent communicator remain the same; first we have to master the basics which are too often taken for granted.
In today’s fast paced, competitive and challenging environment; your ability to communicate well and get your ideas and points across to your audience, is crucial to your continued career advancement. As a matter of a fact, your success in business depends upon it. Most careers and leadership positions, require an adequate ability to give effective presentations and to speak in a coherently persuasive manner. Again, this is a vital must-have skill, if one is to compete successfully, in a demanding, economically challenged society.
However; all too often some of the most competent individuals are held back because of their lack of mastering the basics of great communication. The three basic components of an excellent speech or presentation are: the opening, the body and the closing. For the purpose of this article, I’d like to concentrate on the opening. Your opening has to be the catalyst, that draws your audience in and captivates them. Otherwise, within the first few seconds, you run the risk of losing them for your entire presentation. You have to have what I call the “Jerry Maguire” concept. In the movie there was a line that said, “You had me at hello.” You have to have your audience at “Hello.” In other words, capture their attention immediately.
So, how do we accomplish this? I’d like to suggest eight of the most powerful ways of opening a speech, connecting with and captivating any audience. These techniques and strategies are used religiously by professional speakers, trainers and presenters on a daily basis; because they continue to be so effective.
- Tell A Story – Or better yet…tell your own story if possible. Telling a story can provide a strong opening and captivate your audience’s attention immediately, however; make sure that the story transitions smoothly into your theme, or the objective of your speech. This prepares your audience to be more receptive to your broader message.
- Use A Quote – Quoting someone notable and relating it to the objective of your speech is a very effective technique for opening a presentation. I used this approach in opening my Toastmasters championship speech, “Afraid of the Dog.” I quoted Mark Twain who said, “Do that which you fear most, and the death of fear is certain.”
- Ask A Question – Asking a question evokes an instant response from your audience. “By a show of hands, how many of you remember exactly where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001?” Immediately, they become engaged, as they attempt to answer the question in their minds, and this serves to spark their interest and get them involved right away.
- Make A Starling Statement – Opening with a bold and powerful statement, is a sure-fire way to capture the attention of your audience. Here’s an excellent example, used by one of my mentors. “Of 100 people starting work today, at the end of their working lifetimes: 1 will be rich, 5 will be financially independent, 15 will have some money and 80% will be dead, broke or depending on relatives. Which group are you going to be in? Let me show you how you can be part of the 5% by the time you finish working.”
- Give An Eye-Opening Statistic – Citing an interesting statistic, that leads back to the core of your message, is another effective opening technique. I remember reading the opening lines of a politician who said, “If you were born today, you would already owe $186,000 to pay off your share of the national debt. As you can imagine, he had their full and undivided attention.
- Sing A Portion of A Song – Singing a verse or two of a song really mesmerizes your audience and most often catches them off guard; in a pleasant sort of a way…they never expect a song at the beginning of your talk. This also adds great entertainment value to your speech. I often use this strategy to open various presentations.
- Engage Your Audience In An Activity- Such as a quiz; “Whoever solves the riddle first, will receive this crisp $20 dollar bill.”
- Suspense / Surprise – Start with a suspense-building sentence that takes them one way, then hits them with surprise. “They finally posted the picture of the mega lottery winner – it was my estranged brother!”
Determine which of these you’re most comfortable with, apply them, and you’ll engage & captivate your audiences; and be well on your way to becoming a great communicator.
