Chapter 6: Introductions and Conclusions
- Capture the audience’s attention
- Establish your credibility/ethos
- Reveal the topic of the speech and relate it to the audience
- Preview the body of the speech
Capture the Audience’s Attention
Audience members do not attend a presentation with the intention of losing their interest or being bored to tears. Truth be told, audience members do not give a speaker a terribly long time to win them over either. You may only have several sentences and, possibly, a chance to actually introduce the topic of the speech before the audience mentally votes “Yes, I want to listen further ” or “No, I’m tuning out and thinking about lunch. ”
Depending on the overall time limit of a presentation, an ideal introduction should last no more than around one or two minutes -and this includes your thesis and preview of your main points. This seems like a long time, but in truth, it is not. Hence, you have a short, yet precious window, to lure your audience and hope to keep them there. Here are top attention-gaining strategies to try in your upcoming speeches:
Ask a question
Ask insightful, meaningful questions. Better yet, ask a series of questions designed to draw the audience further and further into your speech.
When you ask your audience a question, they have to think. In the process of thinking, they are paying attention. Even if your question does not call for an oral reply, they will be thinking what they would answer if called upon.
“How many of you would categorize yourselves as ‘givers’? How many of you search for the perfect Christmas or birthday gift each year for your best friend or perhaps your Mom? You go all out, right? Then, how many of you have signed up to be an organ donor? Isn’t that the ultimate gift? The gift of life?
“How many of you have ever had a couple of glasses of wine while dining with friends, then driven yourself home? Did you ever consider that you might not be “okay ” to make it home? ” Is it possible that you were over the legal limit?
Find a quotation
It could be a historical quote, a humorous one, even a song lyric. Ensure you credit the originator of the quote. Ensure the quote is relevant to your topic.
“Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening. “
– Dnorothy Sarnoff
“Courage is being scared to death- but saddling up anyway. “
– John Wayne
Shock the audience
Use a startling statistic or a shocking statement. Share a personal revelation.
“
“Statistics show that one in every four women will be assaulted in her lifetime. “
“Today, I want to talk to you about a recent loss I’ve had. I lost my best friend, my consoler, my buddy who could always be counted on to party all night. I lost all of that when I finally accepted that I am an alcoholic. Six months ago, I gave up alcohol. “
Find a direct connection to the audience:
Reference a local event, place, or activity. Use a recent news story, tragedy, or occurrence that your audience would be sure to re