3 Tricks to Start Your Speech

People often have a hard time starting a speech in an authentic and organic way. It can be difficult to transition smoothly from the opening of the talk to the main content. This transition is incredibly important, because the way you begin and continue a story should feel seamless. That’s why it’s helpful to have a few techniques to captivate an audience’s attention in a conversational and engaging way. I’ve found that the most powerful techniques can be broken down into three categories:

1. Location
Commenting on the trip to a conference, the location of an event, or the area everyone is currently in, is a great way to open a talk because it helps focus everyone’s attention on the present moment. For example someone might open their speech by saying:

“As I was sitting on the plane yesterday, I started thinking about how excited I was to meet with you all today.”

“This conference is always one of my favorite events to attend.”

“This is such a beautiful venue to be in with all of you.”

Bringing up the location helps people focus on what is currently happening so they absorb the content you are about to share.

2. Reflection
Another great way to open is through reflection. This can happen by sharing thoughts about what an event means, how you prepared for this moment, or thinking back to an earlier time in your career. For example, you could share:

“It’s wonderful being with you at orientation today. It’s interesting because I remember when I first started graduate school…”

“It’s truly an honor to welcome you all. The first time I ever attended this event was almost a decade ago.”

“As I was preparing for this keynote, I started thinking back on my career and what moments had the biggest impact on me.”

By being vulnerable and sharing something personal, the audience can easily connect with you on a deeper level.

3. Gratitude
Being grateful is a wonderful and easy way to bring positivity into the room. People can comment on what the event means, how it’s nice working with a particular group, or how fun it’s been collaborating with the team for a certain project. For example you could open with:

“I’m so glad that we get to have this yearly retreat. It’s important to get the opportunity to chat and connect with the wonderful people we have on this team.”

“This is one of my favorite groups to collaborate with. I always appreciate how creative and passionate everyone is about the work we do.”

“We are doing a lot of important work right now and the reason we’ve been able to make such a large impact is because of everyone in this room."
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Bringing appreciation into the room is an easy way to help set the tone for the rest of the speech.

Finding an organic way to open a talk or a meeting is important. Talking about the location, reflecting on the moment, or sharing some gratitude, is a great strategy to easily connect and engage with an audience.

Author: Bri McWhorter
​​© Activate to Captivate, LLC