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Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech - A Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

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Introduction speeches are all around us. Whenever we meet a new group of people in formal settings, we have to introduce ourselves. That’s what an introduction speech is all about.

When you're facing a formal audience, your ability to deliver a compelling introductory speech can make a lot of difference. With the correct approach, you can build credibility and connections.

In this blog, we'll take you through the steps to craft an impactful introduction speech. You’ll also get examples and valuable tips to ensure you leave a lasting impression.

So, let's dive in!

• 1. What is an Introduction Speech? 
• 2. How to Write an Introduction Speech?
• 3. Introduction Speech Outline
• 4. 7 Ways to Open an Introduction Speech
• 5. Introduction Speech Example
• 6. Introduction Speech Ideas
• 7. Tips for Delivering the Best Introduction Speech

What is an Introduction Speech? 

An introduction speech, or introductory address, is a brief presentation at the beginning of an event or public speaking engagement. Its primary purpose is to establish a connection with the audience and to introduce yourself or the main speaker.

This type of speech is commonly used in a variety of situations, including:

• Public Speaking: When you step onto a stage to address a large crowd, you start with an introduction to establish your presence and engage the audience.
• Networking Events: When meeting new people in professional or social settings, an effective introduction speech can help you make a memorable first impression.
• Formal Gatherings: From weddings to conferences, introductions set the tone for the event and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

In other words, an introduction speech is simply a way to introduce yourself to a crowd of people. 

How to Write an Introduction Speech?

Before you can just go and deliver your speech, you need to prepare for it. Writing a speech helps you organize your ideas and prepare your speech effectively. 

Here is how to introduce yourself in a speech.

• Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial. Consider their interests, backgrounds, and expectations to tailor your introduction accordingly.

For instance, the audience members could be your colleagues, new classmates, or various guests depending on the occasion. Understanding your audience will help you decide what they are expecting from you as a speaker.

• Start with a Hook

Begin with a captivating opening line that grabs your audience's attention. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking question about yourself or the occasion.

• Introduce Yourself

Introduce yourself to the audience. State your name, occupation, or other details relevant to the occasion. You should mention the reason for your speech clearly. It will build your credibility and give the readers reasons to stay with you and read your speech.

• Keep It Concise

So how long is an introduction speech?

Introduction speeches should be brief and to the point. Aim for around 1-2 minutes in most cases. Avoid overloading the introduction with excessive details.

• Highlight Key Points

Mention the most important information that establishes the speaker's credibility or your own qualifications. Write down any relevant achievements, expertise, or credentials to include in your speech. Encourage the audience to connect with you using relatable anecdotes or common interests.

• Rehearse and Edit

Practice your introduction speech to ensure it flows smoothly and stays within the time frame. Edit out any unnecessary information, ensuring it's concise and impactful.

• Tailor for the Occasion

Adjust the tone and content of your introduction speech to match the formality and purpose of the event. What works for a business conference may not be suitable for a casual gathering.

Introduction Speech Outline

To assist you in creating a structured and effective introduction speech, here's a simple outline that you can follow:

Here is an example outline for a self-introduction speech.

Outline for Self-Introduction Speech

7 Ways to Open an Introduction Speech

You can start your introduction speech as most people do:

“Hello everyone, my name is _____. I will talk about _____. Thank you so much for having me. So first of all _______”

However, this is the fastest way to make your audience lose interest. Instead, you should start by captivating your audience’s interest. Here are 7 ways to do that:

• Quote  

Start with a thought-provoking quote that relates to your topic or the occasion. E.g. "Mahatma Gandhi once said, 'You must be the change you want to see in the world."

• Anecdote or Story

Begin with a brief, relevant anecdote or story that draws the audience in. It could be a story about yourself or any catchy anecdote to begin the flow of your speech.

Pose a rhetorical question to engage the audience's curiosity and involvement. For example, "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel back in time, to experience a moment in history?”

• Statistic or Fact

Share a surprising statistic or interesting fact that underscores the significance of your speech. E.g. “Did you know that as of today, over 60% of the world's population has access to the internet?”

• “What If” Scenario

Paint a vivid "What if" scenario that relates to your topic, sparking the audience's imagination and curiosity. For example, "What if I told you that a single decision today could change the course of your life forever?"

• Ignite Imagination  

Encourage the audience to envision a scenario related to your topic. For instance, "Imagine a world where clean energy powers everything around us, reducing our carbon footprint to almost zero."

Start your introduction speech with a moment of silence, allowing the audience to focus and anticipate your message. This can be especially powerful in creating a sense of suspense and intrigue.

Introduction Speech Example

To help you understand how to put these ideas into practice, here are the introduction speech examples for different scenarios.

Introduction Speech Writing Sample

Short Introduction Speech Sample

Self Introduction Speech for College Students

Introduction Speech about Yourself

Student Presentation Introduction Speech Script

Teacher Introduction Speech

New Employee Self Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech for Chief Guest

Moreover, here is a video example of a self introduction. Watch it to understand how you should deliver your speech:

Want to read examples for other kinds of speeches? Find the best speeches at our blog about speech examples !

Introduction Speech Ideas

So now that you’ve understood what an introduction speech is, you may want to write one of your own. So what should you talk about?

The following are some ideas to start an introduction speech for a presentation, meeting, or social gathering in an engaging way. 

• Personal Story: Share a brief personal story or an experience that has shaped you, introducing yourself on a deeper level.
• Professional Background: Introduce yourself by highlighting your professional background, including your career achievements and expertise.
• Hobby or Passion: Discuss a hobby or passion that you're enthusiastic about, offering insights into your interests and what drives you.
• Volunteer Work: Introduce yourself by discussing your involvement in volunteer work or community service, demonstrating your commitment to making a difference.
• Travel Adventures: Share anecdotes from your travel adventures, giving the audience a glimpse into your love for exploring new places and cultures.
• Books or Literature: Provide an introduction related to a favorite book, author, or literary work, revealing your literary interests.
• Achievements and Milestones: Highlight significant achievements and milestones in your life or career to introduce yourself with an impressive track record.
• Cultural Heritage: Explore your cultural heritage and its influence on your identity, fostering a sense of cultural understanding.
• Social or Environmental Cause: Discuss your dedication to a particular social or environmental cause, inviting the audience to join you in your mission.
• Future Aspirations: Share your future goals and aspirations, offering a glimpse into what you hope to achieve in your personal or professional life.

You can deliver engaging speeches on all kinds of topics. Here is a list of entertaining speech topics to get inspiration.

Tips for Delivering the Best Introduction Speech

Here are some tips for you to write a perfect introduction speech in no time. 

Now that you know how to write an effective introduction speech, let's focus on the delivery. The way you present your introduction is just as important as the content itself. 

Here are some valuable tips to ensure you deliver a better introduction speech:

• Maintain Eye Contact 

Make eye contact with the audience to establish a connection. This shows confidence and engages your listeners.

• Use Appropriate Body Language 

Your body language should convey confidence and warmth. Stand or sit up straight, use open gestures, and avoid fidgeting.

• Mind Your Pace

Speak at a moderate pace, avoiding rapid speech. A well-paced speech is easier to follow and more engaging.

• Avoid Filler Words

Minimize the use of filler words such as "um," "uh," and "like." They can be distracting and detract from your message.

• Be Enthusiastic

Convey enthusiasm about the topic or the speaker. Your energy can be contagious and inspire the audience's interest.

• Practice, Practice, Practice

Rehearse your speech multiple times. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself, or seek feedback from others.

• Be Mindful of Time

Stay within the allocated time for your introduction. Going too long can make your speech too boring for the audience.

• Engage the Audience

Encourage the audience's participation. You could do that by asking rhetorical questions, involving them in a brief activity, or sharing relatable anecdotes.

Mistakes to Avoid in an Introduction Speech

While crafting and delivering an introduction speech, it's important to be aware of common pitfalls that can diminish its effectiveness. Avoiding these mistakes will help you create a more engaging and memorable introduction. 

Here are some key mistakes to steer clear of:

• Rambling On

One of the most common mistakes is making the introduction too long. Keep it concise and to the point. The purpose is to set the stage, not steal the spotlight.

• Lack of Preparation

Failing to prepare adequately can lead to stumbling, awkward pauses, or losing your train of thought. Rehearse your introduction to build confidence.

• Using Jargon or Complex Language

Avoid using technical jargon or complex language that may confuse the audience. Your introduction should be easily understood by everyone.

• Being Too Generic

A generic or uninspiring introduction can set a lackluster tone. Ensure your introduction is tailored to the event and speaker, making it more engaging.

• Using Inappropriate Humor

Be cautious with humor, as it can easily backfire. Avoid inappropriate or potentially offensive jokes that could alienate the audience.

• Not Tailoring to the Occasion

An introduction should be tailored to the specific event's formality and purpose. A one-size-fits-all approach may not work in all situations.

To Conclude,

An introduction speech is more than just a formality. It's an opportunity to engage, inspire, and connect with your audience in a meaningful way. 

With the help of this blog, you're well-equipped to shine in various contexts. So, step onto that stage, speak confidently, and captivate your audience from the very first word.

Moreover, you’re not alone in your journey to becoming a confident introducer. If you ever need assistance in preparing your speech, let the experts help you out.

MyPerfectWords.com offers a reputable essay writing service with experienced professionals who can craft tailored introductions, ensuring your speech makes a lasting impact.

Don't hesitate; hire our professional speech writing service to deliver top-quality speeches at your deadline!

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Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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Self-Introduction Speech Ideas, Topics And Outline

One of the most difficult things to do in life is to introduce yourself. In any social situation, whether it’s a job interview or a first date, you only have one chance to make a good first impression.

And yet, so often, people freeze up when it comes time to say something about themselves. Part of the reason is that most of us don’t want to say the wrong thing and be judged. But another reason is that we simply don’t know what to say about ourselves.

But there’s no need to worry. With a little bit of planning, composure, and balance you can introduce yourself in a way that will make people want to know more about you. You’ll also learn how to over the fear of public speaking when introducing yourself.

What is a self-introduction speech?

A self-introduction speech is an act of introducing yourself to a large group of people. This could be during an event or a function, such as a conference, seminar, or meet-and-greet. It can also be for a more personal purpose, such as giving a speech at your wedding.

A self-introduction speech is also a type of one-point speech. This means that it has one purpose or goal: to give the audience a brief overview of who you are, what you do, and what you’re interested in.

What are the purposes of a self-introduction speech?

The primary purpose of a self-introduction speech is to give the audience a quick overview of who you are and what you do.

However, there are other purposes as well. For example, a self-introduction speech can also be used to:

• Build rapport with the audience : By introducing yourself and sharing a little bit about your background, you can build a rapport with the audience. This is especially important if you’re giving a presentation or working with them in some capacity.
• Establish credibility : If you’re going to be asking the audience to do something or believe what you’re saying, it’s important to first establish your credibility. A self-introduction speech can be a good way to do this.
• Get the audience’s attention : If you’re going to be giving a longer presentation, it’s important to get the attention of the audience from the start. A self-introduction speech can help you do this by getting people interested in what you have to say.

Characteristics of a self-introduction speech

The key to giving a successful self-introduction speech is to be natural, sincere, and positive. You want to sound like yourself and not like you’re reciting a script.

There are four main characteristics of a self-introduction speech. These are:

• Concise : A self-introduction speech should be short and to the point. You want to give the audience a quick overview of who you are and what you do, without going into too much detail. You don’t want to bore the audience or take up too much of their time.
• Focused : A self-introduction speech should have a clear purpose. This could be to introduce yourself, build rapport, establish credibility, or get the attention of the audience. You should avoid talking about topics that are not relevant to them.
• Prepared : It’s always a good idea to plan, prepare and rehearse your self-introduction speech. This will help you to stay focused and avoid rambling. It doesn’t mean that you need to memorize your speech, but you should have a general idea of what you’re going to say.
• Confident : A self-introduction speech should be delivered with confidence. This doesn’t mean that you need to be overly confident or cocky, but you should believe in what you’re saying and project a sense of assurance.

What to talk about in a self-introduction speech

A self-introduction speech should not be more than 1-2 minutes long. This is enough time to give the audience a quick overview of who you are and what you do.

Here are a few things you can include in a self-introduction speech:

• Your name and background : Share your name and tell the audience a little bit about your background. Where are you from? What do you do? What are your interests?
• Your experience : If you have relevant experience, such as in the field you’re speaking about, be sure to mention it. This will help to establish credibility.
• Your achievements : Share any relevant achievements or awards that you have received. This will show that you’re an expert and recognized in your field.
• Your goals : Share any goals or ambitions that you have. This will give the audience a sense of your drive and motivation.

Outline for a self-introduction speech

Some people tend to overthink the process of introducing themselves. They believe that they need to say something witty or impressive in order to make a good impression. But the truth is, being yourself is usually the best policy.

Here is a basic outline for a self-introduction speech:

• Introduction : Start with a brief introduction, such as your name and background.
• Main body : In the main body of the speech, share more information about who you are and what you do.
• Conclusion : End with a brief conclusion, such as your current goals or an ongoing project.

Self-introduction speech topics

If you’re giving a self-introduction speech for a class or work, you may be given a specific topic to talk about. If you’re giving a self-introduction speech for a meeting or event, you can choose your own topic.

1. Your Name, Background, Experience, and Achievements

Introduce yourself by sharing your name followed by a brief overview of your background. Mention your upbringing, education, and career. Highlight key experiences and accomplishments that have been significant in your journey so far.

2. What You Currently Do and Your Goal in Life

Describe your current professional or personal engagements and articulate your overarching goal in life. Offer insights into how your current work aligns with or is a stepping stone towards achieving this goal.

3. How You Got Started in Your Field/Career

Share the story of how you embarked on your current career or field of interest. Mention initial inspirations, challenges faced, and what propelled you to continue pursuing this path.

4. An Upcoming Project or Goal You Are Working Towards

Share about a project or goal that you are currently focusing on. Explain its importance in your personal or professional growth and what you hope to achieve through it.

5. A Recent Success or Failure that Has Taught You a Valuable Lesson in Life

Discuss a recent event or experience, whether it was a success or failure, and share the valuable lessons you learned from it. Emphasize how this experience has equipped you to handle similar situations in the future.

6. A Hobby You’re Passionate About

Talk about a hobby you are particularly fond of, and share how you developed an interest in it. Mention how this hobby helps you unwind, learn, or grow as a person and add value to your life.

7. How Did You Get to Where You Are Today?

Detail your journey to your current position, highlighting significant moments, decisions, and experiences that played a crucial role in shaping who you are today.

8. What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge in Life?

Discuss a major challenge you have faced in your life, explaining how you approached the situation and what strategies you utilized to overcome it. Share how this experience has contributed to your personal growth.

9. What Are Some of the Things that Make You Happy?

Share about the simple pleasures or activities that bring joy to your life. Elucidate why these aspects are significant and how they contribute to your overall well-being.

10. Do You Have Any Advice for Others Who May Be Going Through a Tough Time?

Offer a piece of advice or encouragement for individuals who might be experiencing difficulties, drawing from your own experiences and learnings to provide a comforting and uplifting message.

11. How Do You Like to Spend Your Time?

Describe how you generally prefer to spend your time, during work or leisure. Share insights into your daily routine, favorite pastimes, and activities that help you recharge and stay productive.

12. What Are Some of Your Pet Peeves?

Discuss a few of your pet peeves, explaining why these particular things bother you and how you manage to deal with them or avoid them daily.

13. Do You Have Any Special Skills that You’re Proud Of?

Highlight any special skills or talents you possess. Share how you acquired them and why they are a source of your pride. Mention how these skills have benefitted you in personal or professional spheres.

14. What Are Some of Your Favorite Things to Do?

Share the activities you enjoy during your free time. Provide details about your preferences and personality. Explain how these activities help you relax, learn, or connect with others.

15. Inspirational Figures in Your Life

Discuss the individuals who have been a guiding force in your life, highlighting their positive traits and how they have influenced your outlook or decisions. Share stories or instances that showcase their impact on your personal or professional journey.

16. Community Engagement

Talk about your active involvement in community or group activities. Share projects or initiatives you have participated in. Emphasize how these engagements have helped foster a sense of connection and contribution towards the community and what you have learned from these experiences.

17. Personal Growth Journey

Detail your path of self-improvement or personal development. Focus on the strategies and habits you have adopted over time. Share how this journey has aided in your personal growth, enhanced your understanding of yourself, and improved your interactions with others.

18. Work-Life Balance

Discuss your approach to maintaining a healthy balance between work responsibilities and personal life. Share tips or strategies that have worked for you and contributed positively to your overall well-being and happiness.

19. Cultural Influences

Narrate how your cultural background has played a significant role in shaping your beliefs, values, and personality. Share anecdotes or instances where your culture has notably influenced your decisions or perspectives.

20. Future Aspirations

Talk about your aspirations for the coming years. Outline the goals you have set for yourself both personally and professionally. Discuss the steps or plans you intend to implement to reach these goals and how you envision these aspirations for your growth and fulfillment.

Remember that a self-introduction speech should be short, and you should be able to give the audience a general idea of who you are and what you do within a minute or two.

Choose a topic that is relevant and interesting for your self-introduction speech. Make sure you appear confident and avoid rambling to leave a great first impression.

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15 Ways to Start a Speech + Bonus Tips

You have heard the saying “First impressions are lasting; you never get a second chance to create a good first impression.”

The same is true when talking about how to start a speech…

The truth is, when you start your speech, you must focus everything on making a positive first impression on your audience members (especially if you are doing the presentation virtually ). The introduction is basically the formal greetings for speeches, so let’s be sure to get this right to really hook the audience.

Here are 15 different ways to start a speech as well as 2 extra BONUS tips at the end.

1) Thank the Organizers and Audience

You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak.

Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience.

This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and connects you to the audience like an electrical plug in a socket.

2) Start With a Positive Statement

A presentation tip at the start is to tell the audience members how much they will like and enjoy what you have to say.

For example, you might say:

“You’re really going to enjoy the time we spend together this evening. I’m going to share with you some of the most important ideas that have ever been discovered in this area.”

Remember that  speaking is an art,  so be an artist and take complete control of your performance,

3) Compliment the Audience

You can begin by complimenting the audience members sincerely and with great respect.

Smile as if you are really glad to see them as if they are all old friends of yours that you have not seen for quite a while.

You can tell them that it is a great honor for you to be here, that they are some of the most important people in this business or industry, and that you are looking forward to sharing some key ideas with them.

You could say something like:

“It is an honor to be here with you today. You are the elite, the top 10 percent of people in this industry. Only the very best people in any field will take the time and make the sacrifice to come so far for a conference like this.”

4) Start Your Speech By Referring to Current Events

Use a current event front-page news story to transition into your subject and to illustrate or prove your point. You can bring a copy of the newspaper and hold it up as you refer to it in your introduction.

This visual image of you holding the paper and reciting or reading a key point rivets the audience’s attention and causes people to lean forward to hear what you have to say.

5) Refer to a Historical Event

For many years, I studied military history…

Especially the lives and campaigns of the great generals and the decisive battles they won. One of my favorites was Alexander the Great.

One day, I was asked to give a talk on leadership principles to a roomful of managers for a Fortune 500 company.

I decided that the campaign of Alexander the Great against Darius of Persia would make an excellent story that would illustrate the leadership qualities of one of the great commanders in history.

I opened my talk with these words:

“Once upon a time there was a young man named Alex who grew up in a poor country. But Alex was a little bit ambitious. From an early age, he decided that he wanted to conquer the entire known world. But there was a small problem. Most of the known world was under the control of a huge multinational called the Persian Empire, headed by King Darius II. To fulfill his ambition, Alex was going to have to take the market share away from the market leader, who was very determined to hold on to it.

This is the same situation that exists between you and your major competitors in the market today. You are going to have to use all your leadership skills to win the great marketing battles of the future.”

6) Refer to a Well Known Person

You can start by quoting a well-known person or publication that recently made an important statement.

One of the subjects I touch upon regularly is the importance of continual personal development.

I will say something like:

“In the twenty-first century, knowledge and know-how are the keys to success. As basketball coach Pat Riley said, ‘If you are not getting better, you are getting worse.’”

7) Refer to a Recent Conversation

Start by telling a story about a recent conversation with someone in attendance.

For instance, I might say:

“A few minutes ago, I was talking with Tom Robinson in the lobby. He told me that this is one of the very best times to be working in this industry, and I agree.”

8) Make a Shocking Statement

You can start your talk by making a shocking statement of some kind.

For example, you might say something like:

“According to a recent study, there will be more change, more competition, and more opportunities in this industry in the next year than ever before. And 72 percent of the people in this room will be doing something different within two years if they do not rapidly adapt top these changes.”

Click here If you want to learn more techniques to wow your audience.

9) Quote From Recent Research

You can start by quoting a recent research report.

One example is:

“According to a story in a recent issue of Businessweek, there were almost 11 million millionaires in America in 2018, most of them self-made.”

10) Start Your Speech By Giving Them Hope

The French philosopher Gustav Le Bon once wrote, “The only religion of mankind is, and always has been hope.”

When you speak effectively, you give people hope of some kind.

Remember, the ultimate purpose of speaking is to inspire people to do things that they would not have done in the absence of your comments.

Everything you say should relate to the actions you want people to take and the reasons that they should take those actions.

11) Be Entertaining

Bill Gove used to walk onto the stage after his introduction if he had just finished talking to someone on the side and was breaking off to give his talk to the group.

The audience got the feeling that his entire talk was one continuous conversation, devoid of meaningless filler words .

Bill would often go to the edge of the stage and then drop his voice in a conspiratorial way, open his arms, and beckon the audience members to come a little closer.

He would say, “Come here, let me tell you something,” and then he would wave them forward as though he was about to tell a secret to the entire room.

The amazing thing was that everyone in the room would lean forward to hear this “secret” that he was about to share. People would all suddenly realize what they were doing and break out in laughter. It was a wonderful device to get the audience into the palm of his hands.

12) Ask a Question

You can open by making a positive statement and then ask a question requiring a show of hands.

Try something like this:

“This is a great time to be alive and in business in America. By the way how many people here are self-employed?”

Raise your hand to indicate what you want people to do. I have used this line, and after a number of hands go up, I then say to someone who raised their hand in the front, “How many people here are really self-employed?”

Invariably, someone will say, “We all are!”

I then compliment and affirm the answer:  “You’re right! We are all self-employed, from the time we take our first jobs to the day that we retire; we all work for ourselves, no matter who signs our paychecks.”

13) Open With a Problem

You can start with a problem that must be solved. If it is a problem that almost everyone has in common, you will immediately have the audience’s complete and undivided attention.

For example, you could say:

“Fully 63 percent of baby boomers are moving toward retirement without enough money put aside to provide for themselves for as long as they are going to live. We must address this problem and take action immediately to ensure that each person who retires will be able to live comfortably for the rest of his or her natural life.”

14) Make a Strong Statement, Then Ask a Question

You can start by making a strong statement and then ask a question. You then follow with an answer and ask another question. This gets people immediately involved and listening to your every word.

Here’s an example:

“Twenty percent of the people in our society make 80 percent of the money. Are you a member of the top 20 percent? If not, would you like to join the top 20 percent or even the top 10 percent? Well, in the next few minutes, I am going to give you some ideas to help you become some of the highest-paid people in our society. Would that be a good goal for our time together today?”

15) Tell a Story

You can start your talk with a story. Some of the most powerful words grab the complete attention of the audience are, “Once upon a time…”

From infancy and early childhood, people love stories of any kind. When you start off with the words, “Once upon a time…” you tell the audience that a story is coming. People immediately settle down, become quiet, and lean forward like kids around a campfire.

When I conduct full-day seminars and I want to bring people back to their seats after a break, I will say loudly, “Once upon a time there was a man, right here in this city…”

As soon as I say these words, people hurry back to their seats and begin to listen attentively to the rest of the story.

The story technique is very effective.

In fact, its probably one of the best public speaking tips I’ve learned to this day.

Bonus Tip: Tell Them About Yourself

Very often, I will start a speech to a business, sales, or entrepreneurial group by saying:

“I started off without graduating from high school. My family had no money. Everything I accomplished in life I had to do on my own with very little help from anyone else.”

It is amazing how many people come up to me after a talk that began with those words and tells me that was their experience as well.

They tell me that they could immediately identify with me because they too had started with poor grades and limited funds, as most people do. As a result, they were open to the rest of my talk, even a full-day seminar, and felt that everything I said was more valid and authentic than if I had been a person who started off with a successful background.

Building a bridge like this is very helpful in bringing the audience onto your side.

Bonus Tip: Get Them Talking to One Another

You can ask people to turn to the person next to them to discuss a particular point.

For instance, you could say:

“Tell the person next to you what you would like to learn from this seminar.”

Whatever you ask your audience members to do, within reason, they will do it for you. Your commands and your thought leadership will easily influence them, as long as you ask them with confidence.

By following any one of these tips for starting your speech, you are sure to grab your audience’s attention every time. How do you start a speech? Let me know in the comments.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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Self Introduction Speech – How To Write With Examples

First impressions are very important. Whether it is at school, work, or organization, your introduction is an audience’s first real chance to know you. It will have a huge impact on how they perceive you.

But the good news is: You get to control that narrative.

The key to a good self-introduction speech is balance. You want to present your accomplishments but without coming off as bragging. Typically, this type of speech is known as an “icebreaker” as it aims to break the ice and let others know you. This is your chance to establish good credibility.

Fear not! We will help you craft the best introduction speech with our outline, tips, as well as self-introduction speech samples.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Self-introduction Speech Outline

Sample introduction speech topics, sample self introduction speech objectives, write the outline, including hobbies and interests, sell yourself, use short, simple sentences..

What exactly do you need to cover in your introduction speech? You might choose to include a wide variety of information but there are some things you should not miss. Some of them are as follows:

• What is your name?
• Where are you from?
• What are some of your main interests and hobbies?
• What has been your passion in life?
• Who has been your role model?
• Any fun facts that make you stand out.
• Your credibility or job title.

Tip: If possible you should definitely include a visual aid in the form of pictures to compliment your speech. Pictures of you, your travels, family, or pets are always endearing!

Writing a self-introduction speech always seems easy at first. Besides, you definitely know yourself the best. However, once you begin writing you can find yourself getting lost. What do you want to include in this speech? So, grab a pen and scan through the topics in the list below. Circle any of the ones that speak to you so that you have a better grasp of what direction you’d like to take with your speech.

• What event has played an important part in shaping your life? Tell the story and the lesson you’ve learned.
• What is your goal in life?
• Where are you from? Is there anything about your culture or traditions that you’d like to share?
• How do you like to spend your time?
• What are some of your pet peeves?
• Do you have any special skills that you’re proud of?
• What does a day in your shoes feel like?
• What have been some of the most important milestones in your life?
• Have there been any difficult times that guided your life?
• What is a topic you could talk about for hours?
• What is an object that is dearest to you?
• What quirks make you the individual you are?

Now that you have an idea on how to draft your outline, here are some objectives for you to tick off.

• First off, grab their attention. Just because it is your introduction does not mean that your opening has to be plain. Find something catchy and concise.
• Start with some background. Set up the stage and introduce who you are. Try to present it in chronological order.
• Build a story. The speech is about you but make sure you build a relatable story to keep the audience’s attention.
• Show, don’t tell. Instead of saying how reliable you are, tell a story that shows it.
• For conclusion, try to leave your audience with a takeaway. Whether from your experiences or from a relatable standpoint. Either that or you can build the story leading up to who you are right now and leave the stage on an inspirational note.

How to write a self-introduction speech?

Are you ready to write your self-introduction speech? We’ve got just the steps for you:

The outline of your speech is simply a skeletal draft of your speech. It can initially simply take the form of bullet points. What matters is you figure out what elements are going into the speech. Similarly, figure out what order you will be presenting these elements. Typically icebreakers follow a chronological order so that you can build up to the current you.

It is common to start with your roots. Pick out some childhood traits that are relatable or that make you stand out. You can build on this with stories, talk about your education, and go on to talk about how you got to where you are currently.

If you are introducing yourself in a work setting, make sure you link your interest to your ambition. It will project you in a good light to your superiors and will also make your hobbies a lot more relevant. This is also a great idea to keep your speech concise and to the point. From a professional standpoint, you should follow your hobbies with the steps you are taking to reach the goal. For example, “I’ve always been into sketching, but now I’m taking illustrator courses to put my designing skills to use.”

Your hobbies are a great insight into who you are in your free time. If you’re into a particular niche hobby like bird-watching or pottery, you might even end up finding others in the crowd with similar interests. Similarly, it is a great way to gain credibility on a certain subject.

When people talk about their passion, there is a certain twinkle in their eyes. This is such an endearing quality that is sure to get your audience to respond. Try to give a short insight into you pursuing the hobby or how you came about to discover it in the first place. It is much more effective than simply listing out your interests. Talk about what aspects of the hobby draw you to it. It can help the audience get the bigger picture in getting to know you.

If the icebreaker is being delivered in a much more formal setting, you might want to focus more on your personal skills than your hobbies. The audience there might be more interested in your soft skills than your love of photography.

It might help to list out all your hobbies, interests, and skills along with why you are drawn to those interests. It can help you draw a parallel between them and deliver a much more well-rounded speech.

Knowing a person is an endless process. We’re sure you must have gone through your own journey with highs, lows, milestones and learnings that could be their own feature movies. It can be difficult to decide what exactly gets to make it to the speech when all of it made you who you are. But the longer you pad your introduction, the less are the chances of people actually listening to it.

This is why your self-introduction speech needs to spend a good amount of time on the cutting floor as well. Assess your audience and try to think of it from their perspective. What is relevant? Also, think of the location and if your stories are appropriate for the setting. Make sure you respect the time by picking only the most relevant information and keeping it short.

Even if your usual style is something like self-deprecating humor, for this occasion try to present yourself in a much more positive light. You want to project confidence. This is the impression that most of these people are likely to remember, so make it a good one. Pick your traits and stories well.

A self-introduction speech is almost always a great floor to pitch yourself. When else will you get this open invitation to present yourself to potential clients? Remember, the aim is to boost yourself and not boast about yourself. If you talk too much about what you can do and have done, it is easy to sound pompous and turn people off.

Try to stick to the truth. Instead of listing accomplishments by the dozens, talk about a passion you had and how you turned it into an accomplishment. Stay humble when speaking of future aspirations. And most of all, be grateful. Show appreciation to the people who have helped you so far.

How you sell yourself is not just dependent on the words you speak but also on your delivery. All the words in the world won’t be able to make up for a meek delivery. So make sure you write from your heart as that will be the easiest to deliver. Work on your build-up so that the ending is satisfying. Don’t just give an account for accomplishments by the year. For example: talk about how curious you were about animals from early on, how you got into photography because it lets you keep a moment with you forever, and eventually you got into animal photography. This way, it feels like a complete story.

In a more professional setting, you’d say, “As a freelance photographer, I used my marketing background to promote myself and stayed active in networking. I learned that creativity is wonderful but paired with due diligence, it can get you to much greater heights.” It showcases your skills, your traits, as well as shows you as an individual that is constantly reflecting, learning, and growing. This is the sweet spot you are aiming for.

While we’ve stressed the importance of relatability and humility, it is also important to create your own place on stage. You cannot be yet another person with only music and travel as their interests. Think of things that make you unique.

Put your humble hat aside for a bit. If you’ve assisted in making a big project happen, mention it. Talk about how you’ve led a team through a crisis. Discuss your learning experiences. Present a before and after of a milestone to show how much a role has impacted who you are today. Even if the project wasn’t successful, you can talk about how you’d approach it differently in the present day.

Even for relatively common interests like travel, you can pick unique memories and what aspects of travel have changed you for the better. Take every opportunity to spin a story to showcase a trait or talent. Think of the unique things that make you, you.

It can be easy to get lost in your stories. Try not to ramble too much and stick to the point. When writing your script, use varied sentence structures to keep things interesting. It will help if you read it out loud or record yourself so you can track how you’re doing. Try not to use too much jargon. Keep it simple and clear.

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• How to give a self-introduction speech

 Give a great self-introduction speech!

 - a step by step guide plus an example speech .

By:  Susan Dugdale   | Last modified: 11-28-2022

A self-introduction speech is often called for when a group of people get together first time. It could be a work-based seminar, a break-out group at a conference, a hobby group, or your new class at the start of the term. The occasions are numerous!

If you need to prepare short introduction speech about yourself, you're in the right place.

What's on this page

• the purpose of a self-introduction speech
• content guidelines - 6 areas to cover introducing yourself
• how to avoid blanking out under pressure and prepare a good speech at very short notice
• a 1-minute self-introduction speech example
• resources for more help  

The purpose of a self-introduction speech

One thing a newly formed group generally shares is the need to make a bunch of strangers feel at ease:  to quickly establish a sense of unity or belonging.

And one of commonest ways to achieve that, in a setting where people are expected to work collaboratively together, is to have each person give a brief 1–2-minute self-introduction speech. *

If you've not expecting it and have nothing prepared, that triggers a whole lot of questions about the purpose of the speech and what would be best to say. * This is not an elevator speech - i.e., a brief, carefully worked pitch highlighting your strengths and experience to encourage a potential employer or client... to consider taking you on.

You are already a member of the group. You don't need to pitch or advertise yourself. All you need to do is introduce yourself because these people don't know you. 

The questions you ask yourself

Usually, the leader will start and around the members of the group you go, one by one.

• What will you say when it's your turn?
• What's the purpose of this speech? What could it to achieve for you if you do it well?
• What can you say that will interest people?
• What topics fit with the occasion?
• What will the people listening expect to hear?
• What tone do you use? Formal or informal?
• And more importantly, if you're anxious about public speaking, what will stop the fear of making a complete fool of yourself?

First impressions count, so let's look at the elements that go together to make a good introduction speech about yourself.

Return to Top

Self-introduction speech content areas

There are six content areas to cover. The first three are essential. The remaining three lift your speech from 'basic' to something a little more interesting.

• Stating your name clearly
• Placing yourself - where you are from, the organization you belong to, the position you currently hold
• Background - what can you share that is related to the group's core purpose for meeting? Is it an event, experience, a particular skill or educational qualification?
• Interest, passion or goal - what genuinely interests you? What drives you?  Is there a personal goal you want to achieve through being a member of this group?
• Sharing personal details appropriate to the setting of your speech e.g., your hobbies or pet peeves.
• Unity - what do you share in common with someone else in the group? Can you reference something somebody speaking before you said?

Self-preservation techniques for nervous speakers

Ignore everyone else and focus on yourself.

If this is the first time you've made an introduction speech about yourself and, you're inclined to be tongue-tied, awkward and nervous, don't listen to what others are saying before you. 

I know that seems rude, but the situation calls for self-preservation.

If you allow yourself to listen, you'll get mesmerized by everybody else's speeches and be unable to plan anything useful for yourself. That will heighten your anxiety.

Start with making some notes

Grab a piece of paper, or use the notes app on your phone, the moment the round-robin introduction is announced and start jotting down ideas.

Start with the first three items from the list above. That's the basic information:  your name, where you are from and your background.  Then add more as time permits.

Everything you put down should be relevant to the occasion and your audience.  And remember to breathe well while you're doing it!

When we're anxious we tend to hold our breath which makes us feel worse. You'll find these breathing exercises help. 

Watch the timing

Generally, the timing allowed for a self-introductory speech is between 1 - 2 minutes. (About 150-300 words.)

Going over that is poor form because it eats into the time allocated for everybody to speak. In addition, rambling on without being mindful of the larger group could be interpreted as boring and/or egotistical. Just try not to do it! ☺

Self-introduction speech example

Here's a simple short self-introduction speech sample.  You can use it as a model to prepare your own speech.  All up there are 130 words which will take approximately a minute to say.

Hi everybody!

I'm Masie Smith, Senior Marketing Executive, from Watts and Frederick in Smalltown, Bigstate.

It's great to be finally here. I've been dreaming about the opportunity and possibilities of working collectively and directly with each other for a long time now. Jane and Sam can attest to that. There's been hours put in balancing the schedules to make it happen.

Webinars and email are fine, but nothing beats face to face.

Working collaboratively has always been a passion. Even in kindergarten I tried to set up a group-think session around a one swing and ten children problem.

Years later my master degree focused on harnessing group energy creatively. I've been inspired by agencies that got it right.

Sally you've already said it and I echo you. I'm excited!

Prepare and practice in readiness

If you know you have situations coming up that will call for a self-introduction speech start generating one ahead of time.

Make yourself an adaptable template using the core content elements listed above that you can use whatever the situation you are in.

Practicing your speech out loud will help you refine and hone your message.

It's well worth doing as these few words can set the way in which others view you. They can open doors, as well as close them!

With repetition you'll gain the confidence to speak for yourself concisely and cohesively. You'll find the temptation to succumb to a fit of the blithers will have vanished! (Thank goodness!)

Other related and useful pages: 

• How to prepare and deliver an introduction speech for a guest speaker (with an example speech)
• How to write a speech introducing yourself . This is Wiki How's comprehensive overview of the process, with examples.
• Tips and techniques to manage public speaking anxiety

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Speech introductions

The introduction and conclusion of a speech are essential. The audience will remember the main ideas even if the middle of the speech is a mess or nerves overtake the speaker.  So if nothing else, get these parts down!

Introduction

The introduction gives the audience a reason to listen to the remainder of the speech. A good introduction needs to get the audience’s attention, state the topic, make the topic relatable, establish credibility, and preview the main points. Introductions should be the last part of the speech written, as they set expectations and need to match the content.

Attention getters

The first few sentences of a speech are designed to catch and maintain the audience’s attention. Attention getters give the audience a reason to listen to the rest of the speech. Your attention getter helps the audience understand and reflect on your topic.

• Speaker walks up to stage with notes stuck to hands with jelly.
• Did you know there is a right way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
• Rob Gronkowski once said, “Usually, about 2 hours before a game, I stuff in a nice peanut butter and jelly [sandwich] with chocolate milk.”
• A little boy walks in from a long day at school, telling his mom that he is starving. His mom is confused because she knows she sent him to school with a full lunch. As she opens his lunch box, she sees his peanut butter and jelly, with the grape jelly smeared on the side of the bag. She realizes there has to be a better way to make a PB&J.
• Bring in a clear sandwich bag with jelly seeping through the bread of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Logical orientation

Once the audience is invested in the speech, logical orientation tells the audience how the speaker will approach and develop the topic.

• Peanut butter on both sides of the bread with jelly in the middle is the best way to make a PB&J.
• PB&Js have developed a bad reputation, because of the jelly making the bread soggy and hands sticky.

Psychological orientation

Like the logical orientation of a speech, the psychological orientation is also going to provide the audience with a map for how and why the topic is being presented.

• Most of us remember our moms – dads too – packing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in our lunches. We also remember how the jelly did not just stay in the sandwich, but became a new stain on our shirts and the glue that held all the playground dirt to our hands.
• We can end this torture for future generations by making sure all parents are aware of the best way to make a PB&J.
• I have eaten numerous PB&Js myself, but my real authority on the topic comes from being a mom of two boys and the maker of many PB&Js.

Both the logical and psychological orientations give the audience a road map for the speech ahead as well as cues for what to listen to. This will help the audience transition from the introduction to the main points of the speech.

Beebe, S. A., & Beebe, S. J. (2012). A concise public speaking handbook . Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Lucas, S. (2012). The art of public speaking . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Sprague, J. & Stuart, D. (2013). The speaker's compact handbook, 4th ed . Portland: Ringgold, Inc.

Vrooman, S. S. (2013). The zombie guide to public speaking: Why most presentations fail, and what you can do to avoid joining the horde . Place of publication not identified: CreateSpace.

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How to Write a Speech Introducing Yourself

Last Updated: April 19, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,787,525 times.

First impressions have a big impact on how others perceive you, so how you introduce yourself to others is extremely important. Many people call an introductory speech an elevator speech, because it should be succinct enough that you could introduce yourself and tell someone about your goals or interests in the time it takes to ride an elevator. It may also be called an "icebreaker" speech, as it breaks the ice and lets others get to know you. [1] X Research source Consider your words carefully when you write a speech introducing yourself. Crafting a good self-introduction can either build or harm your credibility.

Sample Speeches

Preparing Your Speech

• State your name in the very first sentence of your speech. This can be very straightforward: "Good afternoon!/Good morning! My name is Deshawn Smith, and I am a computer programming student at the University of Arkansas."
• If the introduction is work-related, mention your interests and your career goals together in the same sentence. This will save on time and convey that your personal interests can serve your professional goals. For example, "I am working on an app that allows people to order pizza from their Twitter account."
• You may want to mention your education or professional training background, if it is relevant and appropriate. "This is the fifth app I've designed. My second app, which helped people locate dog parks near them, won an award at my university."

• If you are explaining your passion or goal and how it helped formed your progression up to this point, that can help you tell a compelling story about yourself. For example, if you're writing a speech for your college speech class , you might want to explain how you got into computers at an early age and why they're important to you now as you pursue your career goals.
• If, however, you are introducing yourself to potential clients at a business lunch, they are probably not interested in your hobbies. They will want to know what you are doing right now and what your skills are.
• Try writing one draft with your experience/hobbies and one without, and run both versions by an objective listener who can give you feedback before your speech.

• Highlight the qualities, skills and experience you have that are most relevant for the audience and occasion. For example, "Because of my background in app writing and my extensive network of professional connections, I have a strong grasp of what today's young professionals are looking for. My apps offer convenience and immediate gratification."
• You are trying to present yourself as a professional while making a strong and lasting impression.
• If you're trying to sell yourself to a group of new colleagues, you probably won't need to tell them about your family life, or anything outside of work that isn't directly relevant.

• You can simultaneously demonstrate your skills and experience, while presenting yourself as a forward-looking person who is always learning and developing. For example, you could say, "I spend a lot of time attending app conventions and conferences so I can learn what audiences are looking for. I pride myself on staying on the cutting edge of app design."
• Try to tie this into your broader outline of your career goals and personal development.

Revising and Practicing Your Speech

• Make sure that if this is an assignment, you stay within the assigned guidelines.
• If your speech is supposed to be 3-5 minutes, a 7-minute speech and a 2-minute speech are equally inappropriate.
• If you are giving a brief introductory speech in an interview , be certain that you don't go over the recommended time.

• Avoid long rambling sentences, and use direct and concise prose as much as possible.
• Think about your sentence structure carefully. Reading your speech out loud will help you determine when you have overly long sentences that need to be restructured.

• Practicing in front of other people will enable you to gauge whether your speech captures the interest of your listeners.
• Think about which parts of the speech were successful and which parts weren't.
• Try to get as much detailed feedback as possible by asking specific as well as general questions after your speech.
• As well as saying "how did you like the speech?", ask specifically what parts were the strongest and weakest.
• Check that you delivered a clear message by asking your practice audience what they took away from the speech.

• If you are staring down at a piece of paper all the time, the audience might struggle to truly engage with what you are saying.
• You can, however, bring an index card with bullet points, just in case you freeze up. You shouldn't write your whole speech on the card, just the main points you hope to cover.
• Think of the card as a point of reference, rather than a backup for your speech.

Planning Your Speech

• Who is the intended audience?
• What is the purpose of my introduction?
• What are the expectations others may have?

• Stick to one or two main points you want to convey about yourself. You can always add more if time allows it.
• Depending on the audience and function of your speech, you shouldn't allow the focus to become too narrow. For example, if you're introducing yourself to a crowd of prospective investors, you'd focus on your skills to build their confidence in you. If you're introducing yourself to a general audience -- say, for a speech class in college -- you can be a bit more wide-ranging.
• Remember that you're introducing yourself in general, and you want to present yourself as an interesting and rounded individual. [12] X Research source
• That doesn't mean you should spend time talking about your love of baseball when you are introducing yourself in a professional scenario.

• Are you hoping to win someone over to your point of view with this introduction, or to inspire/motivate someone to work hard under your leadership?
• All of these will affect the things you say in your introduction and the way you say them. [14] X Research source

Delivering Your Speech

• You can also try some visualization techniques to help ease your nervousness and give you confidence for your speech.
• Imagine the way you will feel when you have finished delivering your speech and are met with smiling faces and resounding applause. Then channel that confidence into the actual speech you are about to deliver.

• Avoid crossing your arms or clutching your hands.
• Don't stare down at the ground or cling to the table or lecture in front of you.
• Make eye contact across the room in a measured and controlled way. Avoid lingering on one person, but also avoid darting your eyes back and forth restlessly.
• Try making eye contact with one person on the left side of the room, then one person on the right side of the room. Shift across the room, but in a controlled way that feels natural and relaxed.

• Aim for a comfortable, conversational pace of dialogue.
• Practicing your speech in front of other people, or recording it and listening back are great ways to judge the tempo of your speech.

• Self-deprecating humor can help you come across as humble and likable. For example, if you've accidentally skipped forward in your speech and have to circle back, you could say something like, "And now I'm going to cycle back and tell you something I forgot before. If you wanted to get to know the "real me," you're seeing it now!"
• You can also make a quick, humorous nod to your mistake and move on. For example, if you come out and you mess up the very first line, you could say something like, "Wow, excuse me. Here I am so excited to tell you about myself that I've mixed up all my words. Let me try that again."
• Don't be too self-deprecating, however. You are still trying to ensure people remember you for your strengths and competencies. Move on quickly.

Expert Q&A

• Improve eye contact with the audience. Be direct and move confidently during the speech. Thanks Helpful 19 Not Helpful 3
• Do not be afraid to make yourself sound good. After all, this is an introduction, and the first impression you will make. Thanks Helpful 22 Not Helpful 4
• If the introduction is too long, you will lose your audience's attention. A good introduction should be short and to the point. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 6

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://courses.p2pu.org/en/groups/public-speaking-2/content/icebreaker-introduce-yourself/
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/publicspeakingprinciples/chapter/chapter-8-outlining-your-speech/
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-to-give-an-elevator-pitch-examples
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2023/05/31/3-tips-to-set-yourself-apart-with-unique-branding/?sh=5421a3b03baa
• ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/shortening-a-speech
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/speeches/
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-delivery
• ↑ Lynn Kirkham. Public Speaking Coach. Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-publicspeaking/chapter/methods-of-speech-delivery/
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/oral-comm-lab/audience-analysis
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/6-1-purpose-audience-tone-and-content/
• ↑ https://pac.org/content/speechwriting-101-writing-effective-speech
• ↑ https://sps.columbia.edu/news/five-ways-improve-your-body-language-during-speech
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/02/tips-speaking
• ↑ https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/10-tips-for-improving-your-public-speaking-skills/

About This Article

To write a speech introducing yourself, start by organizing the information you want to include. When writing content, consider the purpose of the speech, your intended audience, and your goals for the introduction. You can speak about your education, professional background, career/career goals, and outside interests, but keep things brief and to the point. Only include information that is important and relevant to your listeners. Don't forget to state your name in the first sentence of the speech. To learn more from our English Ph.D. co-author, such as how to practice and memorize your speech, continue reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Steps for Drafting a Good Introductory Speech

Table of Contents

Introducing yourself in a speech can be daunting. After all, you want to make a good impression and ensure that your audience is engaged.

A practical introduction is the key to any successful speech. There are specific steps you can follow to ensure yours leaves a lasting impact. Here’s how to write a good introductory speech for any occasion!

What Is an Introductory Speech?

An introductory speech is a type of public speaking that introduces a topic, person, or event . It usually lasts for just a few minutes and often takes place before the main speaker presents their material.

Introductory speeches are designed to set the tone for the rest of the presentation, so they must be exciting and engaging. 

A Good Introductory Speech Outline

When preparing on how to write a good introductory speech , it’s essential to have a clear structure. A good outline should include the following: 

• An opening statement that grabs the audience’s attention
• An introduction of the topic or speaker 
• A brief overview of what you will discuss
• A transition into the main body of the presentation 
• Concluding remarks which tie everything together 

Remember to keep it concise and focus on one or two points in each part. This will ensure that your introductory speech is impactful and exciting while leaving plenty of time for the main speaker. 

How to Begin an Introductory Speech

Beginning an introductory speech can be the most challenging part. Here are a few tips for getting started: 

• Begin with a story or anecdote – This can help to engage your audience and provide context for the presentation. 
• Ask a question – Posing a rhetorical question effectively draws in your audience and makes them think about what you’re saying. 
• Share personal experiences – Speaking from experience will create a connection between you and your audience, making them more likely to listen. 
• Use humor – A joke or two can help break up a speech’s monotony and give it some personality! 

Steps on How to Write a Good Introductory Speech

Here are six steps to get you started: 

1. Research your topic – Ensure you understand the material and know what points need to be covered in your introduction. 

2. Plan an outline – Create a basic structure with crucial points that will help guide you when writing. 

3. Write an opening statement – Start your speech with something exciting or unexpected to grab the audience’s attention. 

4. Introduce the speaker/topic – Provide brief information about who or what you are presenting, including any relevant background info. 

5. Give a short overview – Summarize the presentation’s main points and get your audience excited to hear more. 

6. End with a call-to-action – Conclude your speech with a clear direction for the rest of the presentation or an inspiring message. 

Different Ways to End an Introductory Speech

 To wrap up your introduction, you could use a few different options. Here are some examples: 

• Ask for questions. Invite the audience to participate before or after the main presentation. 
• Provide contact information. Give details, including email addresses or social media handles, so that people can reach out with any follow-up questions. 
• Summarize the presentation. Offer a short recap of what will be discussed and how it will benefit the audience. 
• Invite discussion. Encourage people to share their experiences or insights on the topic. 
• Quote a famous person. End your speech with an inspiring quote or saying to leave your audience feeling motivated. 

Tips for Writing Introductory Speech

• Keep it short and sweet – You don’t want your speech to take up too much of the main presentation’s time. Aim for three minutes at most! 
• Be confident – Speak clearly and confidently to make a good impression on your audience. 
• Use visuals – Incorporating visuals into your speech, such as slides, videos, or images, can help keep people engaged. 
• Rehearse beforehand – Practicing your introduction will help you feel prepared and more comfortable when presenting. 
• Include a call-to-action – Encourage your audience to participate and stay engaged with a clear direction for the rest of the presentation. 

Introductory Speech Ideas to Try

• Tell an inspiring story – This can be a great way to set the tone for your presentation. 
• Ask rhetorical questions – Pose questions that will help get the audience thinking about what you’re saying. 
• Use humor – A good joke or two will lighten the mood in any room! 
• Share personal experiences – Speak from experience to create a connection with your listeners. 
• Quote a famous person – Choose an inspiring quote or saying to leave your audience feeling motivated and energized. 

Examples of Introductory Speech

Here are a few examples of introductory speeches to get you started: 

• “Good morning everyone! My name is (name) and I am honored to be here today. I want to start off by thanking you all for taking the time out of your day to join us here. We’re about to embark on an exciting journey together, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!” 
• “Welcome everybody. As many of you know, we are here today to discuss (topic). This is an important conversation that we must have in order to move forward in our goals. Before we dive into it, I’d like to take a moment just to recognize how far we’ve come. And also thank each of you for your contributions to the success of this project. Now, let’s get started!” 
• “Hello everyone! It is a pleasure to be here with all of you today. I hope you’re all as excited as I am about (topic). We have a lot of material to cover so without further ado, let’s jump right in!” 

Writing an effective introductory speech can be intimidating, but following the steps above will ensure yours leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

Remember to keep it concise and focus on just one or two points in each section. Also, use humor, personal experiences, and stories when possible – they can help to make your introduction more engaging and memorable . Good luck! 

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Make A Speech Introduction That Grabs Audience Attention

The speech introduction is the first part of a speech and the first opportunity to grab the audience’s attention. The speaker should state the topic, make it relatable to the audience, establish credibility and preview the main points. You should write or finalize your introduction at the end so that it reflects what you actually said.

Listen up, audience!

No matter whether you are giving an informative speech to enlighten an audience about a certain topic or a persuasive speech aims to convince the crowd to adopt a particular viewpoint. But whichever type of speech you’re writing or delivering, one thing is true:  You must create an attention-grabbing speech introduction.

Table of Contents

What Is The Best Way To Start A Speech?

Whether in speech writing or public speaking, the role of a good intro cannot be understated.  It is your best chance to captivate your audience’s attention and entice them to be with you until the rest of your speech. 

It’s also your opportunity to introduce the topic and thesis statement and set up the points you’ll discuss later.  So, keep in mind that you emphasize the relevance of your subject matter to the audience and contextualize it properly. 

These are some of the best ways to make a compelling introduction speech. 

• State a quote or use a historical event reference.  Analyze your target audience and look for a powerful quote from a relevant figure or a historical event that will resonate with listeners and relate it to your topic. A notable quotation can immediately establish a strong connection. On the other hand, an important event will help you illustrate your point or paint a scenario better. 
• Share a personal story.  Sometimes, you don’t have to search far and wide to demonstrate a point. You can tap into your personal experience and share something about yourself. Generally, audience members enjoy hearing stories as they pique their interest and get a glimpse of who the speaker is. Your anecdotes will also make you more human and accessible.
• Start with an “Imagine” or “What if?” scenario.  Want to make your audience engaged? Let their imagination run. In many speeches over the years, some of the most successful ones used this technique. Speakers transport the audience to the future or a scenario wherein their proposed idea or belief reigns. For example, “What if we live in a world where everyone can access healthcare?”
• Count on a video or any other visual aids.  If you’re a public speaker keen to use technology, you may also want to commence your speech with visual aids. For instance, you can show a pre-prepared video to draw the crowd’s attention right before you speak. If you’re talking about hunger and food security, you can show footage of how such issues take a toll in many third-world countries.
• Tell surprising statistics.  One of the most effective ways to shock — and, ultimately, grab your audience’s attention is by telling real, hard facts. If you’re looking for a good attention-getter, you can rely on surprising statistics about your topic. For instance, if your topic is bullying, you can mention that in the US,  around 3 million students are victims of bullying.
• Ask the audience a question.  Another way to hook your audience is by asking them a question. It can be a direct one (e.g., “Who among here are…” then ask for a show of hands). It can also be a rhetorical question (e.g., “What is the meaning of life?”). The key is interacting with the crowd to get their attention and effectively introducing your subject matter. 

What Should You Include In the Introduction?

When you look at intro samples and templates on the web,  you’ll find that effective speech introductions contain key elements. And one of the most important is your attention-grabber, which will compel your audience to listen to your speech and narrative.

You must also introduce your speech topic and indicate why it matters to your audience. You should also share something about yourself, especially your credibility, to discuss a particular subject matter. 

Once you’ve laid out these foundations,  state your central idea or thesis statement.  Tell the audience members the point of view you want them to adopt, and  give them a preview of the main points you’re discussing if you’re giving a persuasive speech.  If you’re writing or delivering an informative one, you can provide them with a brief speech outline or the key points you’ll touch upon throughout the body of the speech.

What Are The Best Lines To Introduce A Speech?

One of the most common public speaking tips you’ll encounter is to have a good introduction. To help you capture the audience’s attention, here are some ideas you can use in your speech.

• A famous quote (For example, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” by Steve Jobs)
• A song lyric (“Imagine there’s no countries/ It isn’t hard to do/ Nothing to kill or die for/ And no religion, too,” from “Imagine by John Lennon)
• A line from a poem (“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise,” from “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou)
• A line from a movie (“Greed, for a lack of a better word, is good,” from “Wall Street”)
• Reference to a historical event (“Two hundred years ago, one of the most important proclamations was made. Through the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln, the enslaved Black people were given freedom.”
• Reference to a notable figure (“Stan Lee, the man behind iconic Marvel characters, was hired as an editorial assistant at a comics company after graduating high school.”).
• A bold statement (“Prostitution must be legalized.”)
• A serious statement (“Climate change is a pressing issue.”)
• A humorous line (“Don’t underestimate me. That’s the job of my mom.”)
• A shocking statistic (“If you’re consuming too much fast food and baked goods, did you know that you are 51% more likely to be depressed?”)
• A direct question (“Who among here plays violent video games?”)
• A rhetorical question (“Is there a more powerful feeling than love?”)
• A personal story (“Back when I was a fresh college graduate, I busied myself applying to the top multi-national companies.”)
• An anecdote (“Long ago, there was a man — an old but healthy man — who dared climb Mount Everest. He was 80, and he succeeded.”)
• A what-if scenario (“What if there were no poor people?”)

How Do You Introduce Yourself In A Speech?

Whether you’re a first-time speaker or a veteran, how you approach introducing yourself in a speech is important in establishing your credibility. To avoid getting called boring, you might want to shy away from the usual “Hi, everyone. I’m (your name). I (your credentials), and today I will be talking about (points of the speech).”

Usually, someone else may have given your name and background. This gives you the liberty to begin your speech more interestingly. 

You can start by stating any of the introduction lines listed above, then transition to why listening to you will matter to them. For example, if you’re talking about mental health and depression, you can follow up a surprising statistic with something like, “I know because I was a part of that statistic. Now, I’ve studied to become a therapist myself.”

To further create an air of authority, you must be mindful of your body language  (taking a deep breath before speaking can help you shake off your nervousness and tension).  Additionally, you must make eye contact and speak words clearly. 

How Do You Introduce A Speaker?

Now, if you’re tasked to introduce the one who will deliver the speech, it’s your responsibility to set the right atmosphere and build excitement. 

One of the first things to do is know how to pronounce the speaker’s name and ensure that what you’ll say about the speaker’s credibility is factual.  Since you’re only introducing the speaker, keep things simple and concise. If you want to enrich your introduction, you can ask the speaker what they want to be highlighted (Do they have a new book? Which prestigious groups are they affiliated with?). 

Like what the speaker would do, you must also make eye contact to engage the audience. Practice and have a run-through before you take the stage to guarantee a smooth delivery. 

What Is An Example Of A Speech Introduction?

Speakers and speech writers know how challenging it is to grab an audience’s attention.  Here’s a good example of an introductory speech that uses statistics. This is from English restaurateur  Jamie Oliver  who delivered a TED Talk about food:

“Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat. 

My name’s Jamie Oliver. I’m 34 years old. I’m from Essex in England, and for the last seven years, I’ve worked fairly tirelessly to save lives in my own way. I’m not a doctor; I’m a chef, I don’t have expensive equipment or medicine. I use information, education.”

What Is The Introduction For A Speech On Bully

Looking for inspiration for a good introduction where your topic is bullying? Check out this sample intro from actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador  Millie Bobby Brown  during World Children’s Day in 2019:

“In world capitals — in buildings like this — adults talk about children’s rights. But today, young people don’t want to be talked about. They want to do the talking.

 Millions of people responded to UNICEF surveys and petitions about what the Convention on the Rights of the Child meant to them. In the words of one young person: ‘Be an active voice. Don’t let things go unnoticed. So today, I want to talk about an issue that is very personal to me. Something that so often goes unnoticed — but causes real suffering. Bullying.”

What Are Some Other Examples Of Speech Introductions?

Below are some more speech introduction examples you can take inspiration from. 

• “Three things I learned while my plane crashed” by Ric Elias : “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well, I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”
• “How to find and do work you love” by Scott Dinsmore : “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

“How great leaders inspire action” by Simon Sinek : “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

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My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

259 Interesting Speech Topics [Examples + Outlines]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

The most asked question I get almost every day from students is this:

What makes a topic interesting?

Well, the answer is simple. You have to like it yourself, the subject has to be appropriate to the rules of the assignment, to the audience and the setting of the meeting:

In this article:

How To Find An Interesting Topic

Best interesting speech topics, interesting persuasive speech topics, interesting informative speech topics, topics with outline.

1 – Look in magazines, journals, and newspapers for events.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

Current or historical, that does not matter at this point, both are okay – and recent engaging and exciting facts, and perhaps valuable information that attracts the attention.

Articles about subjects that interests you and that are comfortable for you to talk about are good indications.

2 – Jot down any possible idea that comes up for interesting speech topics. I always draft a short list for myself of candidate issues if I am contracted for a public speaking engagement.

And then I skip the ones that are too difficult and too complex to prepare and master in 8 to 10 minutes time.

3 – Review some online books on the subject for more detailed current information about your topic. Or go to a library and ask for books and reference articles about your subject.

Without exception, all librarians I know will help you sorting out the speechwriter subject with their advice and recommendations. For example you choose for an alluring pleasure physical activity or farming and countryside topic.

Try to understand how the author has covered it. What’s his structure? What points, information or arguments are the strongest? What examples and illustrations has she or he used?

4 – Peerless reliable statistics and new discoveries can help writing and refining.

Look for controversies, rare and strange opinions. What do you think of it? What do you want your audience to think of it?

5 – Think about related engaging interpretive hints to talk about. When you view your rough list, try to find new points, different angles of view or just turn your thoughts upside down. Look at the special aspects that surprise the listeners.

>>>  For example try these 2 more detailed summary outlines with main points and subpoints. Use my sample structure to add or otherwise wipe steps and stages you do not need.

>>>  In addition to these patterns, you find more ideas for outlined main points in my Minute Section (in the navigation menu bar right on your left of this portal page). Or move straight to sixty plus lineups for speechwriters.

That can be very enlighting for enhancing public discernment. They also can  see , feel, or even  taste  and  smell  what you try to explain or demonstrate in a couple of minutes.

6 – Look for supporting and also for opposing opinions, plus interesting speech topics statements. Add visual aids where you want to emphasize or to give some prominence to an unimaginable point in your interesting topic idea.

7 – Watch news shows, history documentaries and debating programs – for example, the morning shows and the evening news. They are especially helpful for developing a rough list of wheedling brainstorms.

Interesting Speech Topic Examples

Don’t have time to read our full list of 200+ topic ideas? Here is our list of 10 interesting speech topics.

• Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder
• Children don’t play enough
• Animal testing is necessary
• Girls are too mean to each other
• Men should get paternity leave
• Tattoos are an addiction
• If I had a year to do what I want
• Butterflies: deadly creatures
• How to ruin a date in the first minute
• The meaning of dreams

Here is our list of top interesting persuasive speech topics.

• Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder.
• Hyper active kids don’t need medication.
• Books are always better than the movie.
• Pick up lines do work.
• Televise all court proceedings.
• Suspend referees that are found to show too much bias.
• There is no place for monarchs any more.
• It is false that no one is above the law.
• You tube needs to monitor comments.
• Online friends show more compassion.
• Cross cultural couples respect each other more.
• Graffiti must be recognised as art.
• You can loose weight without exercising.
• Children don’t play enough.
• Carpets are harmful and shouldn’t be in homes.
• Sex education doesn’t work.
• Ban smoking in all public places.
• Women cheat just as much as men.
• Prohibit destruction of rainforests.
• Global warming is a myth.
• Justice is never the same for all.
• Video games are not the blame of violence at school.
• Financial rewards is the only way employees stay loyal.
• The world isn’t only black and white.
• Give girls over 16 contraceptives without parents consent.
• Calories should be included in restaurant menus.
• Sugar tax won’t reduce obesity.
• Pregnancy as a result of rape should be terminated.
• All couples must live together before getting married.
• Animal testing is necessary.
• Children’s beauty pageants are wrong.
• There are not enough cameras in public spaces.
• Freedom of speech rights needs to be rewritten.
• Random DUI test should be done on parents picking up children after school.
• Atheists are more peaceful than religious people.
• Heterosexual men and women can be just friends.
• Adoptive parents need maternity leave too.
• Print advertisements don’t work.
• Click bate headlines are the cause of less followers.
• Don’t give children allowances.
• Stop checking in on social media.
• There would be more divorces if couples didn’t have children.
• Compensate organ donors.
• Celebrities are not role models.
• Do drug tests on welfare recipients.
• Stem cell research is murder.
• People should be considered adults at 21.
• Religion is the cause of war.
• Life was not easier a century ago.
• Men are better forgivers.
• Making substances illegal only makes people want them more.
• Parenting classes must be compulsory.
• Helicopter parents are damaging their children.
• Give working moms special privileges.
• Social media fame is a scam.
• Make paparazzi photographing children a criminal offence.
• Food should never be seen as a reward.
• 6 hours is not enough sleep for an adult.
• People can live without eating meat.
• Curfews do not keep teens out of trouble.
• Electronic textbooks don’t have the same impact as the printed version.
• This generation cannot fix anything.
• Boredom always leads to trouble.
• Girls are too mean to each other.
• Affirmative action isn’t right.
• School system is responsible for low test scores.
• Men should get paternity leave.
• Fast food needs to come with more warnings.
• Killing a murderer is immoral.
• Famous people must stay away from politics.
• Long distance relationships do work.
• Men are the stronger sex.
• Jobs shouldn’t be gender specific.
• Religion won’t die away.
• Women shouldn’t give birth after 40.
• Abortion is murder.
• Tattoos are an addiction.
• Drug addiction is a choice.
• Social media will run it’s course and die out.
• Caesarian sections are safer than normal births.
• There is a connection between science and religion.
• Never pay children for good grades.
• People in open marriages are not happy.
• The soul does exist.
• People’s salaries should reflect their performances.
• English will always be the business language of the world.
• Why you should always put yourself first.
• Earth has not been explored properly.
• Women are more intelligent than they give away.
• Alternatives to evolution exist.
• Prisons create criminals.
• Sick building syndromes exist.
• Strategic defense and ethics do not match.
• The War on Terror is based on a hidden agenda.
• Aging is a threat to pension funding.
• Airline safety restrictions won’t stop terrorists.
• Alcohol advertising stimulates underage alcohol use.
• All humans are spiritual in one way or another.
• Arts express the level of quality in different cultures.
• Atheists do care about Christmas.
• Australian aboriginal tattooing is art.
• Ban the filibuster from Congress.
• Body piercings can cause serious complications.
• Books are outdated.
• Censorship is a violation of freedom of speech.
• Charities must minimize the organizational and overhead costs.
• Child testimonies in abuse cases are not credible.
• Corporal punishment could be ethical, provided that it is proportional.
• Creative expression and creativity are not the same.
• Electronic baby timeshare does help to prevent teen pregnancy.
• English and Spanish should be the only languages in the world.
• Establishing democracy in Iraq is mission impossible.
• Fashion gurus have good reasons to promote skinny girls.
• Female genital mutilation is not unethical when done by cosmetic surgery doctors.
• Feminism will help improve the position of females in Africa.
• Fill in a country … should be condemned as human rights violator.
• Future generations have to keep their jobs until they drop.
• George Orwell was just right when he wrote his novel ‘1984’ … Big Brother is watching us all the time.
• Governments should not own news broadcasting corporations.
• Granting amnesty perpetuates immigration and makes border patrols fruitless.
• Harry Potter books are more popular among elderly persons.
• Hollywood movies have a bad influence on the world.
• Homelessness in rural areas is substantially undercounted compared to metropolitan and suburban areas.
• Hospitality is a valuable instrument to better foreign relationships.
• Houses affected by natural disasters should not be rebuilt.
• International satellite news broadcasting poses a threat to indigenous cultures.
• It is possible to be pro-life and pro-choice.
• It’s a myth that bottled water is better than tap water.
• Journalism codes are no longer respected by journalists.
• Limiting immigration is limiting opportunities.
• Link debt relief of developing countries to carbon emission reduction.
• Local aid to African communities is more effective than national aid.
• Mentally disabled people cannot be executed.
• Motivation courses only have one objective: to fund the instructor’s bank account.
• MP3 music belongs in the free public domain for educational institutions and the general public.
• News programs must be interesting rather than important.
• Open source software is better than Microsoft.
• Parental advisory labels hinder the freedom of speech of artists.
• People have the right to decide about their own life and death.
• Political correctness kills freedom of speech.
• Poverty can be cut by half in this century.
• Princess Diana’s death was not a tragic accident.
• Public insults should be considered as hate speech and should not be protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.
• Right to work laws are useless.
• Robin Hood was a not a hero.
• Sex and sexuality are from different hemispheres.
• Telling lies is a justifiable instrument.
• The local council elections in Cuba are no elections at all.
• The right to privacy is not absolute.
• There is no secure protection of property rights in developing countries.
• There should be cultural content quotas in broadcasting.
• Tobacco and alcohol billboards litter the streets.
• United Nations will never truly exist in Europe.
• Vegetarians would not eat vegetables if they were born in rural Africa.
• We should have a king instead of a president.
• Weblogs are intellectual property and therefore must be legally protected.
• With the current economic situation, we will all be working until we are old and grey.
• Zero tolerance is a useful instrument to prevent violence.

Here is our list of top interesting informative speech topics.

• A comparison of the official definition of terrorism in different parts of the world.
• A week of monastery life.
• Abu Sayyaf links to global terror organizations.
• Architectural movements in the late nineteenth century.
• Armed conflicts in Africa.
• Artificial intelligence opportunities.
• Biochemical weapons explained.
• Bioethics versus human rights.
• Combatting modern slavery.
• Debunking weight loss myths.
• Development goals of the United Nations.
• Everything we can find in our Solar System.
• Five ways to give and donate to charity funds.
• Forms of public diplomacy.
• Fraud detection systems explained.
• How giant sea aquariums are constructed.
• How nepotisms started in the Middle Ages.
• How the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is structured.
• How the American Civil War began.
• How the application for immigration and naturalization works.
• How the CIA can track terrorists.
• How to apply Feng Shui to your bedroom.
• How to outlaw reactionary conservative groups and individuals.
• Is it possible to clone humans?
• Major incidents and consequences in the first decade of this millennium.
• Middle East roadmap for peace.
• Migration trends.
• Offshore installation accidents over the years.
• Racism and cultural diversity in mass media.
• Refugees and forced displacement.
• Result on foreign aid funding in the long term.
• Scientific explanations for the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.
• State sponsored tyranny explained.
• The 9/11 Commission assignment and its main conclusions.
• The best consumer electronics innovations to date.
• The chain of cargo and freight services at international airports.
• The difference between soft and hard drugs.
• The effect of counter terrorism legislation on ordinary people.
• The European convention on human rights explained.
• The flying fortress called Air Force One.
• The four general goals of the Homeland Security Department.
• The functions of Samurai warriors in Ancient Japan.
• The future of fashion.
• The Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
• The governing system of rules during the Middle Ages.
• The history of Amtrak.
• The innovative and unique styling of Dodge trucks.
• The long term complications of sunburn.
• The philosophical doctrine of Nihilism.
• The pros and cons of pacifism.
• The relations between federal budget deficit, national debt and trade balance.
• The role of Emperor Akihito in Japan.
• The secrets of crop circles revealed.
• The short history of the second man on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin.
• The struggle to patent computer software.
• The war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Two party system compared multiple party systems.
• What is acne and what are its causes.
• Why the NASA shuttle program was stopped.
• Why the Romans built huge aqueducts in France.
• Venezuela and the constitutional power crisis.
• A diamond exploration certification system will not prevent conflict-diamonds trade.
• Handwriting analysis and how it reveals aspects of your personality.
• Hindu Cinema: not just Bollywood movies.
• How many disasters always happen at Christmas time.
• How sleepwalkers perform the most unusual things while asleep.
• Different lifestyles of generations.
• Importance of sleeping
• What makes me happy
• My ideal trip to Asia
• What would it be like to live with a famous person?
• If I were a volcano
• If l could the queen
• Benefits of being a vegetarian
• How girls worldwide are treated differently
• History of Mainamati in Bangladesh
• Broccoli flavored Oreos
• The Importance of public speaking
• A world without boundaries
• Stars and shooting stars
• How I came to school for the first time
• Conspiracy theories
• The pros and cons of being dead
• Confusing grammar
• When my birthday was there
• Importance of languages
• How to study effectively
• If I walked backwards
• The power of a lie
• Power of words
• If I was invisible
• Why I smile
• Fear of the unknown
• Fashion trends I hate
• Why do we have toes?
• Why I want to be a lawyer (or whatever job u pick)
• How colours affect your mood

Need a topic for your speech about an interesting persuasion statement?

Here are some of the best speech ideas and two easy informative subjects you can alter into a firm convincing claim.

Need other attracting ideas?

Check the navbar on the left and you will find thousands of special hints and tips for your public presentation 🙂

1. Whistleblower Protection Is Not Effective

• Whistleblower laws don’t protect against reprisals, disciplinary measures and spin from superiors.
• Huge companies have enough money to buy legal advice for a long period, laws offer employees no financial shield.
• Legislation often doesn’t address the issue itself, the problem, the allegations often are not investigated.

Another topic for your speech on business could be on fair trade:

2. Is Fair Trade Really Fair?

• Protectionism and markets are often stronger than fair trade appointments.
• Buying products is subsidizing poor farmers and manufacturers in developing countries. It isn’t helping them to make them stronger.
• It is anti-competitive and it undermines the economy in Third World nations.

And what do you think of this explosive persuasive topic for your speech?

3. Nuclear Power Is Dangerous Stuff

• An accident could cause thousands of fatalities and for billions of dollars property damage.
• There is no proper technology to handle radioactive waste material.
• Health risks for people working in the plant and for those who are living nearby could not be foreseen in advance and certainly not at the long term.
• Costs of nuclear plant safety measurements are very high.

And now two informative suggestions for a topic for your speech. But you easily transform them into some of the best speech ideas for persuasion speeches:

4. Checklist Before Taking A New Job

• A bigger company means more interesting job and task opportunities.
• It makes it possible to extend your existing network of trusted contacts.
• Like to travel abroad? Is it a Yes or No?
• How about the probability that you will keep your job – in other words what about the job security? What are the hidden clues?
• Is there a chance you can make you professional dreams and personal goals come true?
• How about the pay? Get all salary information, and decide on how much you want to earn from the start.
• Are there other requirements? Some personal wishes you would like to fulfill?

5. The Advantages Of Working In The Night

• No disturbing by telephone.
• No traffic jam.
• Not being awakened by the alarm clock in early morning hours …

You can think about the disadvantages too … Approach this subject from different sides and you double your opportunities!

89 Medical Speech Topic Ideas [Persuasive, Informative, Nursing]

292 Sports Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

10 thoughts on “259 Interesting Speech Topics [Examples + Outlines]”

Are you in the Now?

Renewable energy pros and cons.

I want to learn the most detailed writing. Am a New student and i need to improve my own My subject is an informative one : Ivorians women teaching in Abidjan universites.

I need more topics to choose from for my oral presentation

Hello, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop perpetuating falseties about global warming and climate change. They are very much real, and putting them on a list like this only further pushes the myth that they are false. These topics are not up for debate.

Some of these are really creative.

#184 made me laugh. As someone who grew up with Harry Potter, perhaps students these days will consider me an older person ha.

Regards, Chris

thaaaank you very much this is help me a lot

Thanks for the ideas!

A lot of these “creative” topics are not only offensive but help push distructive rhetoric.

this helped me out so much.was just sitting there lost about what to speak at the academic decathlon.thanks

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Self-Introduction Speech Examples & Tips to Help You Be Confident & Calm

Here's how you can nail your self-introduction speech, without the sweaty palms! Go from nervous to natural with these tips.

It's time! The moment for your self-introduction speech is upon you. Are your palms sweating just at the thought? There are two secrets to making it easier to give an introduction speech about yourself: practice and preparation.

And with those two things already on your to-do list, we took care of some of the lifting for you with these self-introduction speech examples. Plus plenty of tips to help you not only get through it but get through it and feel good about it after. Yes, it is possible. And you're on your way!

Easy Self-introduction Speeches for School

It's the first day of school or of the semester. Perhaps you've found yourself in a new classroom halfway through the academic year. No fear, these intros will ease you into things and hook you a few new friends and classroom groupmates, too.

• Student Council Speech Ideas & Tips to Help You Win
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Self-Introduction for Elementary or Middle School Kids

For the younger kiddos, these intros are all about who they are and what makes them happy.

• "Hi, everybody! My name is [Your Name], and I'm super excited to be in this class with all of you. I'm [Your Age] years old. I live with my family, and we have a dog named [Dog's Name] who likes to eat all my homework. I really love dinosaurs, especially the T-Rex because he's big but has tiny arms, just like my baby brother when he tries to reach for cookies on the high shelf. In my free time, I love building rocket ships from Legos. One day, I hope to become an astronaut and find aliens -- friendly ones, of course!"
• "Good morning, everyone! I'm [Your Name], and I'm really excited to be part of this class. I am [Your Age] years old. At home, I'm the queen/king of board games, although my cat [Cat's Name] often tries to join in and messes up the pieces. My favorite food is pizza, because who can say no to pizza? And when I grow up, I want to be a detective because I love solving mysteries, like where my missing socks go in the dryer. I'm looking forward to learning and having fun with all of you this year!"

Self-Introduction Speech for High Schoolers

Give new classmates an in or let people know that you're just like them so you can make friends once you find the cafeteria.

• "Hey everyone, I'm [Your Name]. I'm new here, so please go easy on me if I can't find my way to the cafeteria. A few facts about me: I love music and play the guitar -- it's like a six-stringed stress buster for me. I'm a total sci-fi geek. If you need someone to debate Star Wars vs. Star Trek, I'm your person! And I have a secret ambition: to try every ice cream flavor in the world. Looking forward to getting to know all of you."

Self-Introduction Speech for College Kids

A quip about your major is a great way to start, but you can also loop in anything you love (or avoid) on your campus too, even if it's the steps by the library that seem to go on for eternity.

• "Hello everyone! My name is [Your Name] and I'm majoring in [Your Major]. When I'm not elbow-deep in textbooks or caffeine, I love exploring the city, one coffee shop at a time. Yes, I'm a self-confessed coffee addict and my dream is to find the perfect cup of coffee. I also enjoy [Another Hobby], because what's life without a little variety, right? Excited to be on this journey with you all!"

Job Interview Self-Introduction Speech

There's nothing like the dreaded "tell us about yourself" comment at an interview. The good news? You won't have any more nightmares because this intro is the perfect way to ease into the answer.

• "Good morning/afternoon! I'm [Your Name], and it's a pleasure to meet you. I graduated from [Your University] with a degree in [Your Major], and since then, I've gained [Number of Years of Experience] years of experience in the [Your Field] field. During my previous role at [Your Previous Company], I was responsible for [Key Responsibility] and I [Describe a Key Achievement or Impact You Made]. What I particularly enjoyed about that role was the opportunity to [Something You Enjoyed that Relates to the New Job]. In my free time, I enjoy [Briefly Mention a Hobby], which helps me to [Explain How It Applies to the New Role]. For example, [Concrete Example of How Hobby Relates to Job]. I'm excited about the possibility of bringing my unique experience and passion for [Mention Something About the Company or Role] to this position. Thank you for this opportunity to interview."

Work Self-Introduction Speeches

Make a smooth, witty, and warm self-introduction when you land the job or want to kick off an introduction with ease.

Introduction for a New Job

You're the new kid on the block at the office, you have enough to learn, here's an easy intro on your first day before jumping in.

• "Hello team, I'm [Your Name]. I'm thrilled to be joining the [Company Name] family as your new [Your Job Title]. I come with a background in [Relevant Skills or Experience], and most recently, I was at [Previous Company] where I [Describe a Key Achievement or Project]. Outside work, I love [A Personal Interest or Hobby]. I look forward to collaborating with all of you and contributing to our shared success."

Introduction for a Presentation or Meeting

Before you launch into the important information, take a moment to let people know who you are, why you're giving this presentation, and why you're qualified to do it. After all, you've done all the hard work, allow your accolades to shine.

• "Good morning/afternoon everyone, for those who don't know me yet, I'm [Your Name], the [Your Job Title] here at [Company Name]. I oversee [Briefly Describe Your Responsibilities]. I've been with [Company Name] for [Duration at the Company], and before that, I worked at [Previous Company]. Today, I'm excited to discuss [Topic of Presentation or Meeting]. Although if you want to chat after, I also love [Hobby]."

Introduction for a Networking Event

You'll be introducing yourself a lot at networking, so now is the time to make yourself pop and be memorable.

• "Hello, I'm [Your Name], currently serving as a [Your Job Title] at [Company Name]. I've been in the [Your Industry] industry for [Number of Years], specializing in [Your Specialty]. When I'm not [Job-Related Activity], I like to [Personal Interest or Hobby]. I'm eager to meet like-minded professionals and see how we can help each other grow in our careers."

Introducing Yourself at a Funeral

Whether you're delivering a eulogy, poem, or making a brief introduction of yourself to other family and friends, you can rely on this intro to make things a little easier.

• "Good morning/afternoon, everyone. My name is [Your Name], and I had the honor of being [Deceased's Name]'s [Your Relation to the Deceased, e.g., friend, colleague, neighbor]. We shared many [memories/experiences] together, and I am here to pay my respects and celebrate the remarkable life they led. Their [specific quality or memory] has always stuck with me, and it is something I will carry in their memory."

How to Introduce Yourself at a Party

It's party time! Keep the intro laid back and casual.

• "Hi! I'm [Your Name]. I may know some of you from [How You Know Some People at the Party]. I'm [a brief sentence about yourself, e.g., your job, where you're from]. I'm a bit of a [Hobby] enthusiast, so if you ever want to chat about [Topic Related to Hobby], I'm all ears."

Examples of How to Introduce Yourself to a New Group

You're the newbie, and there's nothing wrong with that. Start your clean slate with a short and sweet intro.

• "Hello, everyone! My name is [Your Name]. I'm thrilled to be joining this group! I have always been passionate about [Your Hobby]. It all started when [A Short Story About How You Got Started With This Hobby]. Over the years, my love for it has only grown, and I've spent countless hours [Describe Something You Do Related to The Hobby].
• Apart from this, I'm [Something About Your Job or Other Interests]. In my day-to-day life, I'm a [Your Profession], which can be pretty demanding, but [Your Hobby] has always been my perfect stress-buster.
• I joined this group because I wanted to meet people who share this passion, learn from your experiences, and hopefully contribute with some of my own insights. I'm really excited to be a part of this community and can't wait to get to know all of you better!"

10 Tips for Writing and Making a Self-Introduction Speech

Here are some tips to keep in mind while writing and giving your self-introduction speech. The most important tip, however, is to do what feels natural and flows easily.

• Know Your Audience : Tailor your introduction to the context and the audience. A self-introduction at a professional event will be very different from one at a casual party.
• Start Strong: Grab the audience's attention from the beginning. You can start with an interesting fact about yourself, a short story, or a joke if the setting is informal.
• Keep It Brief: Your introduction should be concise and to the point. Stick to key details about who you are, what you do, and perhaps one or two interesting facts or hobbies.
• Be Authentic : Genuine introductions are the most memorable. Be honest about who you are and don't be afraid to show some personality.
• Highlight Key Moments : Especially in a professional setting, it can be helpful to highlight a few key experiences or achievements that have defined your career or personal life.
• End on a Positive Note: Conclude your introduction on a positive or forward-looking note. You could express excitement about the event or meeting, or share a hope or goal for the future.
• Practice, Practice, Practice : Rehearse your introduction speech so you can deliver it confidently and naturally. This will help reduce any nerves and ensure you come across as polished and professional.
• Be Engaging : Use body language to engage your audience. Make eye contact, smile, and use gestures where appropriate.
• Relate It to the Purpose of the Event : If there's a specific reason for your introduction (like starting a new job, or joining a club), make sure to mention your relationship to the event or group and your expectations or goals.
• Provide A Personal Touch : Share a little about your personal life (like a hobby or interest) to make your introduction more unique and memorable.
• 15 Powerful Attention Getters for Any Type of Speech

Remember, the goal is to introduce yourself effectively, not to tell your entire life story. Keep it brief, engaging, and genuine .

Introducing Yourself With Ease

Sit yourself in front of the mirror, and run through your lines like an actor for a play, and in no time at all, the words will flow and you'll find a natural cadence. You may even surprise yourself with how easily your introductions flows once you take the stage. Don't be surprised if people ask how you were so calm and cool.

4 Ways of Making the Best Introduction Speech

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Published Date : December 17, 2020

Reading Time :

First impressions influence how others perceive you. An impactful and best introduction speech about yourself will significantly affect a crowd’s first impressions if delivered succinctly and tactfully. 

It is splendid to deliver your speech to the audience. However, the actual speech delivery can be challenging as many individuals struggle with nervousness and forgetfulness, which can affect speech delivery. Also, planning and composing a self-introduction speech can be nerve-wracking and tedious. 

How do we overcome the jitters, prepare, compose, and deliver the most impactful introduction speech to our intended audience?

Let me share the fail-proof ways of planning, creating, and delivering compelling and remarkable introduction speech ideas. 

Pro tip: Before giving any speech , practice your speech at least three times. You can use Orai to practice privately and get feedback on your speech .

What is Introduction Speech ?

This speech is the primary means of introducing oneself to an intended crowd. The crowd can be your colleagues, employers, groupmates, business partners, or only people you want to influence your thoughts and beliefs. It should be concise enough to introduce your goals, interests, or ideas in a short time. 

Importance of Speech of Introduction

A speech of introduction presents a brief background of yourself to the crowd regarding goals, interests, strengths, beliefs, and achievements. It is concise enough to introduce, break the ice, and imprint oneself on the public.  

An introduction speech can be a forerunner of other prominent addresses, an introduction for a guest speaker, or just a speech that elicits acquaintance and influence.   

Four Characteristics of a Good Self-introduction Speech

Leaving lasting first impressions is as important as giving your introductory speech . Good speech of self-introduction must have the following qualities:

Details about your personal life and success regarding names, dates, and events should be presented as accurately and factually as possible. No bluffs should be included, and events should be chronologically correct as they reflect your credibility and honesty. 

A good introduction speech example should be concise in delivering your goals, interests, and intended influence on the crowd but not too dragging to create impatience. The longer you talk, the higher the chances of the audience getting disinterested in your intentions, leading to impatience and disengagement. 

It is essential to give a catchy, concise, and factual introduction to promote and sustain audience engagement.

Adaptable to the Audience and Occasion

A self-introduction speech should convey relevant and adaptable information to the intended audience and occasion. You can jot down notes about the audience’s preferences and type of event and accustom your speech accordingly. Nothing is more impactful than an introduction speech that significantly appeals to audience interest and is occasion-specific. 

You can build steady anticipation for your speech by adding inspirational words, quotations, or compelling words. In this manner, your audience will sustain their engagement with your address and initiate interaction.

Let us go to the most tedious task of creating an introduction speech . 

Steps in Creating an Introduction Speech

The  step-by-step process of crafting your speech of introduction includes: 

Preparation

• Practice and editing
• Planning; and 
• Actual delivery of a speech . 

Preparing for your speech involves creating a speech outline, presenting hobbies and interests, self-selling, and standing out. 

The following sentences are part of an introduction speech example based on the steps of speech preparation:

“Good Morning! My name is John Dewey, and I am a computer programming student at Berkeley University.’’ [straightforward introduction] 

“I am developing an app that allows people to order pizza through their Twitter accounts. This innovation is the latest app that I designed.” [interest and career plans]

“My second app won a University award for its contribution to helping people locate nearby dog parks.” [relevant work background]

“Because of my extensive knowledge in app writing and wide professional connections, I know what is useful and helpful to youth nowadays. My apps provide convenience and immediate assistance.” [self-selling]

“I allot lots of time attending app conventions to know the preferences of my audience and always to develop top-cut app designs.” [stand out]

Practice and Editing

The second major step in speech creation is practicing and editing your speech . You can trim down your speech , use short sentences, rehearse, and memorize your address accordingly. 

An introduction speech example showing the use of simple sentences is presented below:

“I used to stay at the off-campus dorm with my best friend. It is in this dorm that I began assembling and disassembling cellphones and laptops.” 

Planning your speech involves determining your target audience, relevant points, and speech purpose and tone. 

Actual Delivery of the Speech

Lastly, essential considerations before delivering your speech include relaxation, acceptable body language , avoidance of rush, and use of humor in case of a mistake.

How Do You Start an Introduction Speech?

Finally, after spending hours outlining, editing, and rehearsing your speech introduction, you will deliver the speech to the target audience.

The start of an introduction speech is crucial as it captures the audience’s attention and determines the length of interest and engagement of your audience towards your speech . If your crowd felt bored at the start of the speech , there is a small chance of conveying your audience’s influence and message. 

Let us take on the different ways of starting a speech of introduction and actively engrossing your target crowd.   

1. Current Events Reference

Starting your speech with a current, relevant news event is an effective way to grab attention, showing the topic’s relevance in today’s world. You can use news or the latest trends related to your intended speech purpose and target audience. 

An excellent introduction speech example may start with “Good afternoon. America hits 1,000,000 cases of COVID-19 for July 2020.”

2. Use of Quotations

Initiating an introduction speech with a pertinent quote sets the tone for the rest of the speech . You can start a speech of introduction with a quote from Bill Gates, “Life is not fair, get used to it.”

3. The ‘What If’ Scenario

The power of engagement lies in the speaker’s ability to immediately draw his/her crowd’s attention to the speech . Asking a ‘what if’ scenario entices the public to follow the flow of your thoughts. 

“What if we are the sole human inhabitants of this galaxy? What would happen if our races become extinct?”

4. Use of the Word ‘Imagine’ 

This technique applies guided imagery by attracting your audience toward visualizing a mental image of an extraordinary situation. It aims to engage all the audience’s senses to maximize impact and encourage them to think positively. 

“Imagine being stranded on a deserted island with no one beside you. What would be the first thing that you would do?”

5. Storytell 

A well-rehearsed short story or anecdote draws the audience’s attention and elicits emotional involvement and inspiration during a speech . People would remember personal stories more easily than formal public speeches. 

Start with a touching story from someone or your life story, and watch how this story paints an immediate visual appeal relatable to your audience. 

“When I was young, we had a large dog that protected me from harm…”

6. Begin with a Shock

Have your audience hanging on their seats during your speech by delivering powerful, compelling, or startling statements followed by a brief silence. You will engage them with your speech while wondering what you will say next.

“We cannot lose. We can’t lose…”

7. Ask Questions

Presenting a literal or figurative question to your audience at the opening of your speech elicits an intuitive answer, whether a response is needed or not. It allows the audience to feel included in your thoughts and build rapport. 

“Who would not want to be perpetually rich from his perseverance?”

8. Play with Humor

Humor is an effective way of gaining an audience’s interest. You can crack a few jokes to start your speech but always make it appropriate and relatable to your target audience and occasion. 

9. Statistics

You can use a compelling, personalized statistic to incite an emotional plea and convey your message directly to the audience. It can also be an astonishing factual statistic that solves the audience’s problems and is relevant to your chosen topic. 

“It is amazing that 70% of the world population recovered from Covid-19…”

How Do You End an Introduction Speech ?

As compelling as you sound when you start your speech and proceed with the body, you are challenged to end your speech as confidently and as impactful as possible. 

The following are unique finishes for your formal speech of introduction while confidently leaving a call to action or a gentle emotional tug. You can even create your signature close for your introduction speech . 

1. Title 

You can use the title of your speech (if there are any) as your final remarks. Final words linger, cement your message, and move your audience. 

2. Circular 

You can bounce back to your opening quote or story, reiterate, and summarize the main points of your speech . 

“We have arrived at the end where we have started…”

3. Challenge 

You can leave an impressive call or challenge for change, action, or participation from your audience. This challenge will motivate your audience to initiate actions based on what they heard from your speech . 

“Let us not rise to get up but rise once we have fallen…”

4. Quotation 

Cite a famous quotation to create a lasting impression for your speech , as well as initiating its closure. 

“With your help, we can think anew, and act anew on the new issues before us today.” – quote from President Abraham Lincoln

5. Repetitive 

Use a phrase and build it repetitively and cumulatively, similar to an increasing drum roll. This repetitive finish will increase the impact of your speech to the audience. 

“A duty, do it. An opportunity, grab it. It is a journey; enjoy it. A goal, attain it…”

6. Singsong

Deliver and restate a specific phrase a few times within your speech . Ask your audience to repeat back the phrase on cue. This singsong finish leaves a remarkable ending to your speech . 

7. Benediction 

 You can extend kind gestures by giving blessings at the end of your speech . 

“Godspeed and take care on your journey…”

8. Congratulatory 

 Use a congratulatory remark as the final part of your speech . This congratulatory finish motivates the audience toward change or action. 

“I salute all the individuals on their selfless plight…”

9. Demonstration 

Lastly, you can show some gestures or point to a prop to signal the closure of your speech . 

For example, you can imitate the closure of a book with your hands and say, “Now concludes the final chapter…”

Sample Self-Introduction Speech Outline

Here is an example of an  introductory speech outline that will serve as a guide for your creation of self-introductory speech :

SPEECH OUTLINE:

• Grab their interest
• Provide background information
• Create your item of discussion using minimal sentences
• Cite examples
• Offer an impressive answer to your self-introduction speech .

Here are the links for more sample introductory speech outlines:

• http://orai.com/glossary/self-introduction-speech/  
• https://www.template.net/business/outline-templates/introduction-speech-outline/
• https://www.hawaii.edu/mauispeech/documents/introjackoutlinewordtemplate.doc

Sample Self-introduction Speech Topics

The following are self-introduction topics that you can use for your speech :

• What sets you apart from other individuals?
• What’s your main goal in life? 
• What incident plays a large part in your life? Tell the incident and message. 
• What are your unique skills?
• What are your essential milestones in your life?

Can you provide examples of classic speech transcripts for learning and inspiration?

Consider exploring these inspiring speeches for learning and motivation: Bill Gates’ TED Talk (2015) on pandemics, Sheryl Sandberg’s Harvard commencement address (2014), Ronald Reagan’s Memorial Day speech (1984), and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have Been to the Mountaintop” speech . These powerful examples offer valuable lessons in speechwriting and the art of impactful communication.

Parting Words

An introduction speech is essential to delivering your purpose and influence to your target crowd. It can either build or break your credibility or provide a compelling impression on your audience.

You can start by preparing, practicing, editing, and planning for your impactful speech . Once the speech is deliberately created, you can deliver, initiate, and end your introduction speech through the various tips mentioned. 

Your speech can obtain long-lasting first impressions by delivering a remarkable and powerful self-introduction speech with a bang and ending it with a call for action or change. 

Shake away your jitters. You can also download the Orai app to conceptualize, deliberate, and deliver your most promising and compelling introduction speech ! Start your free trial today, which is available on the app store. 

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7 ways for opening a speech! The ideal speech introduction to grab your audience’s attention

Maybe you know this: you may or must give a speech, but how do you start? Whether you’re giving a speech as an employer or to your colleagues, or you’re an external keynote speaker, the principles are always the same. Likewise, your preparation is not much different: whether it’s a keynote at a kick-off event , the festive speech at the company Christmas party , a motivational speech at a team event or even a laudatory speech at an awards ceremony – the search for the right begining should not be left to chance.

How do you get your audience’s attention so that they want to listen and can follow you easily? How do you sound interesting? In this article you will get the necessary tips for your ideal start for your next speech to inspire your audience. I have collected these speech introductions and examples in my work in the field of public speaking as a presenter and keynote speaker in front of over 5 million people.

Why is the beginning, i.e. the first few minutes of a presentation, so important? This is where the first impression is being made. Your audience intuitively decides within a few seconds whether they like the speaker and want to follow. After that, you still have up to three minutes to pick up your audience with the content of your speech.

Stop guessing how to WOW your audience!

We will send you our secret ingredients to WOW your audience for free! In the MAGIC MOMENTS FORMULA you can learn how to take any audience of any size and create a deep emotional experience for them in order to create a deeper emotional bond with you and your brand.

The first impression is crucial for further success

There’s a saying that goes, “ There’s no second chance for a first impression. ” It takes between 100 milliseconds and 7 seconds for your audience to get the same impression of you. If you as a speaker fail to make that first impression, no matter how impressive your speech, it will be very difficult to pick up your audience. 

US comedian Jerry Seinfeld , one of the most famous American comedians of the 90s, said that his fame only gives him a starting bonus for the first three minutes – at the latest then he has to deliver. If you don’t enjoy the celebrity bonus in your speeches, that means you have to deliver right from the get go to win over your audience.

Requirements for the ideal introduction for your speech

Before you can wow people as a speaker and give any thought to content, you need to set the stage. If you want to give a good speech and move your audience from A to B, two things are essential: you need to know where you want to go and where your audience is coming from .

Know the outcome of your speech

If you don’t know in which direction you want to move your audience, then no amount of tips will get you there. So before you tinker with the ideal introduction, you need to be clear about what your outcome is .

 What feeling do you want the audience to have when you leave the stage? What impression do you want to convey as a speaker? Even more public speaking tips you can find here.

Know your audience members

If you want to catch a fish, you have to use a bait that tastes good to the fish, not to the fisherman . The same applies to presentations: who decides what is a top speech? That is, of course, in the eye of your audience. Therefore, it is all the more important to know who the people are, listening to your speech. 

An American proverb says that your audience doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Your audience won’t pay attention to you until they see that your speech is relevant to them. As a speaker, do you bring examples and tips and answer questions in your main points that matter to the audience? Do your main ideas strike a cord?

Tip: Try to find out as much as possible to know in advance what moves your audience and why people are here today. If you have the opportunity, use the time for successful networking and listen to their needs.

The goal of an ideal introduction to your speech

Only after you know your outcome and your audience you can focus on how to start your presentation, because now you know as a speaker in which direction your ship should sail. If you want to give a speech, you need to get your audience interested in you and your main points. For this to happen, you need the attention of your audience.

Speaker Tip: First create attention , then develop interest in your message and your main points to make it worth listening for your audience.

Giving a speech: seven perfect speech introductions

Now let’s look at tips and examples of how you as a speaker can inspire your audience. These tips should give you a guideline from where you can successfully transition from your chosen introduction to the main part and final part of your speech.

1. He who asks, leads – starting with a question

An elegant way to begin a speech is with a question . The goal is to engage your listener directly in your opening and generate interest. In order for the question to be effective, it must be tailored to your target audience. The question may be provocative, surprising or even make you smile, but it must be relevant.

For example, if you’re speaking to a group of retirees, a question like “Which one of you went to a disco last weekend?” would be just as out of place as asking a group of Wall street brokers “Which one of you has been involved in stocks?”. Your audience needs to feel like you know who you’re dealing with.

“Who remembers what they did last Saturday night?” was an opening I chose many years ago when giving a speech. Of course, after that, there was a story about my Saturday night that fit right in with the theme of my speech. People were immediately involved and everyone was thinking. Because just about everybody did something last Saturday and so it was relevant… even if many didn’t even remember it. 

With questions that fit the topics, you are sure to get the attention of the participants. However, always pay attention to what you trigger in your audience with a question and, if requested, also provide the appropriate answer.

Another speaking tip: When you ask a question, give your audience time to respond . Whether out loud, with a show of hands, or silently, people need time for what you say to have an impact. Of course, questions can also be used during your speech.

2. Start your speech with a quote

Using the words of another person in your speech is a proven way. The art of building a good speech is to pick up your audience where they are. A pointed quote that gets to the heart of your ideas or the occasion is the basic premise for choosing someone else’s statement as your lead-in. If people are familiar with the name of the person you are quoting, it gives you added credibility as a speaker.

Very similar to a quote is using a proverb to start your speech. Again, there is often a deeper wisdom behind it. Link this to the idea of your speech and you have a great introduction.

Again, I’ll give you an example from my own experience when I was asked to give a presentation on the topic of corporate mission statements many years ago. I decided to start with a quote, but the number of quotes on this topic are manageable. However, the corporate mission statement compares very well with the soul for people, and so on this occasion I found a quote on the subject of the soul and then drew the analogy with the corporate mission statement. “Outside the box” solutions are also the speaker’s friend. 

3. Inspire your audience with storytelling

A particularly powerful way to start is to share a story or personal real life experience with your audience at the beginning of your presentation. With a personal story, you create compelling moments and build an emotional connection with your audience. However, this is also where the biggest danger lies: your story must absolutely correspond to the facts and at the same time should have a connection to the topic of the event. The audience has a good nose for it, if you serve them a “suitably made” story.

Of course, storytelling is not limited to stories you have experienced yourself. You can also draw on a current or even historical event. Important, as mentioned above, is the connection to the goal of your presentation. Also, make sure that you start right in the relevant event and do not begin with Adam and Eve. Especially extroverted people like to get into narration and then it can happen that you lose the drive to your actual presentation and your audience is no longer on the point.

One of my stage coaching clients, for example, took his audience into a situation right at the beginning of his speech when he was at the start of his first triathlon. He immediately built up a tension, because he put his audience directly into it instead of talking about preparation and planning for the triathlon. Because he also found the right tone, the speech went down great. Bonus tip for your speech: Stories absolutely need to be rehearsed and tailored to your audience and the occasion. This does not mean, as already mentioned, that you add things, but that you leave out unnecessary things. Don’t just tell from memory, but really practice.

4. Start with an open loop

Starting with an open loop is something like the supreme discipline. Here, you start with a story, but don’t finish telling it until the end of your speech . This type of introduction is certainly a bit unusual and, in my opinion, more suitable for experienced speakers, especially to keep the tension high.

You start with the open loop in the same way as with storytelling and take your audience along until the point where the tension is at its highest. Instead of the resolution, you lead into the topic of your speech and then come to the main part, where the content is presented with further examples. Only at the end do you pick up the ball of your introductory story again and close the open loop.

As an example, I start one of my keynote speeches with such an open loop: I take the audience on my experience at the New York City Marathon. Since my preparation for it was far from ideal due to injuries, I wasn’t sure until the start how far I would run that day. My speech started with the thoughts going through my head at the start, with my uncertainty but also anticipation. The start of the marathon was then the Open Loop, which I only resolved at the end of the speech.

5. Enchant the audience with parables

A parable is a very short to short story which might not even have a plot of its own. While a parable can be told with action, as if something has actually taken place, it can also be about something hypothetical: “Imagine…” or “Suppose…”. In both cases, the point is that we want to make a connection to the content. 

The purpose of parables is to pick up the audience as they enter your presentation and provide an emotional experience that immediately introduces them to the topic through your words.

6. Facts, figures and statistics as an introduction for the speech

The FFS introduction is particularly useful if you have facts, figures or statistics that are not familiar to your audience and are also unusual. In addition, it must of course fit your topic and possibly support your thesis. A personalized statistic works best to meet your audience’s needs.

When we were designing the outline for one of my Executive Legacy Coaching clients’ investor pitch, we made a conscious decision to start with a number that would probably come as a surprise to many listeners. To back up the pain point that his product solves, he asked the panel how much they thought that an unhappy employee costs a company per year. Starting with that number was so effective because the audience’s estimates were all substantially lower than the true number, creating an a-ha effect.

7. Looking back

Another way to start your speech is with a look back . This variant is particularly suitable if you are to give a speech on the occasion of an anniversary or birthday. In your preparation, you should pay special attention to who is sitting in your audience: what connection do they have to the person or the company or the occasion and, above all, have they experienced the period themselves.

Some time ago, I had the privilege of being on stage at a company’s 20th anniversary. In order to give the audience as emotional an experience as possible, I first had to find out who was in the audience. Have people lived through these last 20 years, and are they likely to remember the moment from 20 years ago? Since my audience was mostly over 35 years old I assumed that was the case. Thus I dove into the world of 20 years ago: how did the world look and what moved people at the time? Immediately the people were in the emotions of the memories and from that I could then draw a bow to the company anniversary: “much has changed, but one thing has remained the same…”.

Giving a speech: here’s what you should avoid when getting started

Jokes are for comedians.

There are talented joke tellers and there are those who always flub the punch line. If you feel uncomfortable in the role of the joker, don’t do it. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t spice up the introduction with a little humor. Humor arouses positive emotions and loosens the atmosphere. A humorous introduction, which also works without a joke, signals to the participants that the event will not be dry as dust and that it is worth staying for.

Bonus tip: Humor is different in different regions and works best when you approach your audience with respect and humility.

Stay away from provocative introductions

A provocative introduction is like riding on a razor blade: very dangerous. You have to have an incredible ace up your sleeve to win your audience back. As a rule, I would strongly advise you not to use provocative introductions. If your audience perceives you as an unsympathetic person, no matter how ingenious the content of your speech, it will not bring the desired success.

Start with an apology

Some insecure speaker starts his speech with an apology for his insecurity or God knows what else. Please don’t do that. For one thing, the audience usually doesn’t notice it anyway, and for another, it immediately takes something away from your first impression. You might get sympathy for it, but in the rarest cases you will get the attention for your speech.

One of the most important tips I once received was that your audience wants you to win . That’s right, you read that correctly. Your audience wants you to be good. No one sits in the audience hoping for a boring speaker to come on now. Your audience wants you to do your job well. If you feel anxiety on the way to the stage, keep reading.

The way to the stage and the first seconds

The key to a perfect introduction lies not only in the preparation for your speech, but also in the emotional preparation in the moments before public speaking. Especially if you are nervous or even feel speech anxiety , it is even more important that you, to present convincingly, are in an ideal state.

Take a deep breath just before your performance, send positive emotions to your audience and off you go. Many speakers also like to take index cards with their notes to be prepared in case of an emergency. The phrase for the introduction as well as for the conclusion I would always write in full. For the main points, keywords are enough here.

When you finally arrive on stage, at first be aware of your audience . Before you begin, start with eye contact and confident body language to radiate stage presence . Only then, when you feel the attention of your audience, you start to talk. This confidence will automatically boost your credibility.

Bonus tip: if you’re unsure about your voice, a little voice training will help.

The ideal start for your virtual speech

Of course, the principles for your ideal start also apply at virtual events. So if you hold a webinar or a virtual presentation or are on stage at a hybrid event , nothing will change in the structure of your preparation. The main point in the virtual space is that you have to speak in front of the camera and this should be practiced. The specific elements of structuring your presentation stay the same.

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Feeling ready for your next speech?

In this article you have learned how to start your speech in an ideal way. Do you already have an idea which structure you like best? Remember that you always start with your outcome and your audience before you create a thread for your presentation.

The tone makes the music. Former American writer Maya Angelou summed it up this way: “Your audience won’t remember exactly what you said, but they’ll always remember how it made them feel.” Whatever the occasion, take your audience on an emotional journey.

If you feel that you still need help for your next speech or keynote , feel free to contact me  or just write me an e-mail ! Together many things are easier.

Which introduction appeals to you the most? Which start to a speech have you learned about here and would like to try out for your next performance? Please leave a comment below and share this article with someone who you think will profit from it. All the best for your next speeches.

There is no second chance for a first impression . The first impression is created in the first few seconds of perception and is crucial to whether your audience perceives you as likeable or unlikeable. If you mess up the first impression, the next few minutes will be a steep uphill climb to get the audience back on your side.

First, take three deep breaths and consciously put a smile on your face. Stand up straight, shoulders back, head up and visualize your audience and your goal. The important thing here is to move as quickly as possible from an internal focus (thinking about you) to an external focus (thinking about your audience). Imagine how your audience will benefit from your speech. For even more tips, I recommend you read my blog post Persuasive presentations: 3 Steps to Your Ideal State in Front of an Audience.

Ideally, you were introduced by a presenter who has also given some interesting background information about you to the audience. However, it always makes sense to leave nothing to chance here and, on the one hand, to discuss your introduction with the presenter upfront and, on the other hand, to include the most important points in your speech. I would always start with an introduction into the topic to get the audience interested and then introduce myself. The best way to find the right introduction is to read this article.

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15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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Introductory Speech

It would be considered rude if the speaker of the seminar was not introduced properly to the audience. How else would the crowd know on who this gentleman or lady really is and what his or her background is on that particular subject. By giving an introductory speech of the guest speaker tonight, you are allowing the audience know who he or she is as a person and what he or she has accomplished or achieved in his or her life. You may also see speech examples in pdf

• Commencement Speech Examples (PDF)
• Dedication Speech Examples (PDF)

These kinds of speeches are like PRs, they only tell the good parts about you and never the negative or bad parts about you. As the person assigned to give the introductory speech about the person, your only job is to provide basic background information about that person, the speaker will take care of the rest. But giving an introductory speech would be useless if you are afraid of public speaking. It is important that you learn to conquer your fears and rise above the challenge at hand. You may also check out introduction speech examples  to provide you with a better idea on how to write these kinds of speeches.

The job of an introduction speech is to:

• introduce your guest speaker
• create a welcoming, attentive ready-and-motivated-to-listen anticipation in the audience

Just like the appetizer, your job is to entice the crowd and keep them happy before feasting on the main course. Try your best to wow the audience in order for them to get hyped when the main speaker arrives. Although you have your speech laid out for you, try to add some humor and wit and maybe some jokes as an impromptu as a way to break the ice. You may also like presentation speech examples & samples

To prepare your introduction speech you’ll need:

1. the guest speaker’s name.

When you get the full name of the guest speaker, try to make sure that it is correct cause there are times that the spelling might be wrong. After getting their name, ask for the correct pronunciation of the name. Who would like to hear their mispronounced name, right? You may also check out motivational speech examples & samples

2. The guest speaker’s biography

Aside from knowing just the guest speaker’s name, you got to introduce who he really is as a person and why he or she is the right person to talk about this certain topic. State his or her credentials and what he or she has achieved. Let the audience know who they are listening to and why he or she matter. You may also see informative speech examples & samples

3. A surprise

As mentioned before, it is best to keep things in a very light manner. Nothing too serious should even be said when it is just an introductory speech. Add some jokes, laugh a bit, add humor and wit. Whatever you think that will manage to get the audience’s attention, go for it. You may also like speech examples in doc

How to organize your material

• Build excitement or interest by piling one piece of information after another.
• Make the name of the speech and the speaker, the climax and end of your speech.

Let’s pretend, for the sake of showing you how it’s done, that we’ve already gathered up all the material we need to introduce a guest speaker. You may also check out appreciation speech examples & samples

Introduction Speech Example

1. let’s put this speech in context to help you make sense of it.

The setting for this introduction speech is a conference for an organization called “ Women in Leadership” . The audience are primarily women drawn together through an interest in leadership roles. At the end of the speech, the speaker will lead the clapping as the guest takes center stage. You may also see award speech examples

2. Now here’s the speech text

She’s been a stalwart member of “Women in Leadership” for the last fifteen years. Over that time she’s served in every office: secretary, treasurer, chairperson, chief fundraiser, education officer, chief executive officer to name a few and in some roles several times over. You may also like welcome speech examples & samples

Her passionate dedication and commitment to promoting public speaking as an important component of empowerment is simply amazing and inspiring. We estimate that she has personally mentored at least 200 new speakers and has set an extraordinary “yes, you can” philosophy for many more. You may also check out valedictorian speech examples & samples

We see her as capable, confident and fluent – never at a loss for words. But what you probably don’t know is that this woman was once weak, shy, stuttered, broken and damaged. 

How she got from awkward tongue tied silence to an eloquent front line spokesperson is the story she will share with us tonight. Ladies, I give you … Katherine Watson!” You may also see persuasive speech examples & samples

3. Say the speech out loud! Use it as a template!

Try saying it out loud to get the flow of it. If you like it, use it as a model for the introduction speech you need to write.

Tips to make your introduction speech successful

1. consider tone and language use.

How are you going to build up audience interest if you do not seem motivated and interested to talk about him or her in the first place? While drafting your speech, try to consider the use of language. Is it going to be the same as every introductory speech or are you going to try and spice it up a bit? Remember that in this case, the audience matters as well. Learn on who you are talking to and how you make use of language to gauge your audience is up to you. You may also like  speech outline examples & samples

2. Check the length of your speech

Pertinent and pithy – short and sweet is what you want. One to two minutes should be enough. Try it out loud with a timer. Remember that you are simply the appetizer and not the main course. This is not your time, but the time for the guest speaker. You may also check out orientation speech examples & samples

3. Resist exaggerating or “puffing up” the speaker’s achievements

Try not to exaggerate the guest speaker’s achievements. Try no to sugarcoat the truth just to make him or her look good. It should simply be enough so that the audience can get a quick background of the speaker.

4. Always check your facts

Avoid stating on anything that the speaker is not. It will end very badly for you if you do so. If there are some sensitive issues that you know about the speaker, make sure that you ask him or her permission first before stating it out loud for the whole world to hear. You may also see inspirational speech examples

5. Remember you are the support act!

Cover only enough in your introduction to make the coming speech eagerly anticipated. Do not stray into telling the audience what the guest speaker’s speech will cover in detail.

6. Rehearse

Practice makes perfect. Try practicing in front of a mirror or in front of your family and friends so that they can judge you as to see how you are doing. Sometimes, just winging it is not enough. You have to work on it to develop the confidence you need to improve on your delivery and tone more. You can also see self-introductory speech examples to analyze on how this whole different speech is being framed and written.

Usain Bolt Introductory Speech Example

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

Today, it is both my honor and privilege to be able to introduce you to a role model of the athletic world, a man of distinction – Usain Bolt.

Born on August 21, 1986 in Jamaica, he has distinguished himself as a world class sprinter and he currently holds the Olympic and World Records for the 100 meters in 9.69 seconds and the 200 meters in 19. 30 seconds . Wow. Amazing. I wish I could run that fast. You may also like student council speech examples

What makes his achievements all the more remarkable is the fact that they were all set at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He eventually became the first man to win all three events in one of the categories in the Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984 and the first man in history to set world records in all three events at a single Olympics. His name and his achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname “Lightning Bolt”. You may also check out commencement speech examples

I am sure that you all know a great deal about his public sprinting life, but there is more to him than just running.

What you don’t know about the “Lightning Bolt” is that he enjoys dancing and is often characterized as a laid-back and relaxed character . Did you know that before sprinting, his first interested sport was cricket? He said and I quote: “that if he was not a sprinter, he would be a fast bowler instead.” But then, he wouldn’t be known as the “Lightning Bolt”, but something else. You may also see special occasion speech examples & samples

Please give a warm welcome to none other than Usain “Lightning” Bolt to share with you some words of wisdom on not giving up.

Even if you are simply the person assigned to give the introductory speech, you are still required to give it your all and be the best at what you do so that it will leave a good impression to the audience that you have respect for the work that you do and that you take it seriously. You may also like examples of writing a short speech

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9 Introduction Speech Ideas For A Successful Presentation

Modified On Sep 27, 2023

Giving good presentations is an important skill in many careers because employees use these informative displays to communicate with colleagues, managers, and customers. Many of these displays begin with a short speech introducing the speaker and explaining why they’re knowledgeable about the topic they present. It’s useful to understand how to craft a high-quality introduction so you can better connect with your audience and share your ideas.

In this article, we discuss nine introduction speech ideas to help you start your next presentation and show your knowledge in the workplace.

PAGE CONTENTS

What is an Introduction Speech?

An introduction speech is typically the part of a presentation in which the speaker introduces who they are and why they’re speaking. You might use an introduction speech at work to describe yourself to new coworkers, start a demonstration about a product you’re selling, or describe your involvement with a project to potential business partners. These introductions give your audience vital information about who you are, where you work, and what your purpose is during a presentation.

RECOMMENDED: 9 BENEFITS OF EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES

Why is an introduction speech important.

Introduction speeches are important because they give your audience a reason to listen to you about a specific topic. An introduction speech may help you accomplish the following in your next presentation:

Help people get to know you

If you’re giving an introduction speech for new colleagues or established business partners for a company, the content of your speech can help these people get to know you better. Doing this may help you create deeper professional relationships and make friends at work. Audience members may want to listen to what you have to say if they have a better idea of who you are.

Show your credibility

Introduction speeches are also useful for showing your credibility in meetings or during sales presentations to customers. You can describe your role at the company and your knowledge about a product or service. This can help show that you know what you’re talking about and can make valuable recommendations and relay accurate information.

Establish connections

It’s also much easier to establish connections with your listeners when you give an introduction speech. You may consider mentioning a personal detail about your life that influences your thoughts on a topic. Others in your audience with similar experiences or interests may feel more deeply connected to you and more engaged in your presentation.

Create value for your listeners

Another benefit of an introduction speech is that it creates value for listeners, as you can mention how you personally relate to the topic. Brief anecdotes about problems the company’s offerings resolved may show listeners that the items you’re selling have value because they’ve helped you. Your audience members may want to learn more once they hear about your personal experiences.

9 Introduction Speech ideas to be a more effective speaker

Think about these introduction speech ideas to learn how to engage your audience and give them important information about you:

1. Follow a format

To help your introduction speech stay on topic, it’s a good idea to follow a format. This also makes it easier to write your speech and remember it because each topic of the introduction is more predictable for you. Instead of remembering the speech as a whole unit, you can memorize separate sections of details. This may make it easier to present when you have to deliver it in front of a large audience. An easy format to follow is to provide introductory details, like your name and role, briefly describe relevant interests and explain your background or credibility.

2. Describe your experiences

Rather than just stating your background or credibility, it’s a good idea to describe the experiences that helped you begin your career. These experiences may relate to your work life, like previous jobs you’ve held in your industry or a related industry, but they can also relate to your knowledge of the topic on which you’re speaking. For example, you might talk about your involvement in the project that resulted in the creation of a product.

3. Distinguish yourself

Try to distinguish yourself from competitors or other colleagues in your introduction speech to encourage listeners to pay more attention to you. To accomplish this, you can include one or two small details that show your special interests or passion for your topic. If you’re presenting to your colleagues, you might describe a lesser-known hobby you enjoy. You can also consider talking about innovative work that you’re pursuing in your field during professional presentations to partners and customers.

4. Consider your body language

Your body language can show your audience how confident and passionate you are when introducing yourself and your presentation. Consider how you might stay relaxed while giving your presentation and show confidence to your audience. Some ways to enhance your body language during an introductory speech are smiling, making brief eye contact with your audience, keeping your hands still near your sides, or using them to point to visual displays when possible or appropriate.

5. Keep it brief and simple

It’s usually a good idea to keep your introductory speech brief and simple so listeners can remember what you say more easily and stay focused on your presentation. Try to use language familiar to your audience, and offer brief explanations of jargon that may be unfamiliar to them. Use short, uncomplicated sentences that listeners can understand the first time they hear them. Keeping your introductory speech straightforward helps you describe important information about yourself without overwhelming your audience.

6. Memorize and practice

Memorizing your introduction speech and practicing it before your presentation can help you feel more confident and ensure you provide accurate information to your audience. Consider practicing your speech at home with friends or family members, or, if you’re giving a big presentation at work, ask your colleagues to listen to your introduction and give feedback. To memorize your introductory speech, you can try different techniques like writing it down, reciting it in the mirror, or reviewing it multiple times.

7. Know your audience

When you know your audience, you can more easily define the goal and determine the tone of your introductory speech. This also helps you decide what type of content to include in your speech, including information about your personality or work history. For example, a very professional meeting might require a serious tone and a goal of proving to your audience that you have the authority to talk about your topic. However, a casual meeting in which you want to appeal to buyers might include more humor.

8. Be honest

It’s important to be honest about yourself and your accomplishments in an introductory speech. Being honest allows you to feel more comfortable and provide better information to your listeners about who you are and what you know. As an honest speaker, you may make deeper connections with listeners who relate to your background or want to learn more about your career. This can help you expand your professional network and seek better opportunities for your future career.

9. Include only important details

Although introduction speeches involve talking about yourself and your history, it’s vital to include only the most important details in your speech. Try to only discuss details that improve your presentation or fulfill your goal. For example, you may wish to inform an audience about a product or teach them about who you are as a colleague and person.

This helps your introduction stay on topic and keeps listeners engaged. It also encourages them to ask you questions about yourself and your experiences after your presentation is over, which can lead to more meaningful professional relationships.

I hope you find this article helpful.

About Chinedu

Based in Nigeria's Enugu, I'm a student crafting captivating tales as a writer and igniting sparks as a Motivational Speaker.

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"Be a voice not an echo." - Albert Einstein

How to Start a Speech — 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!

Want to move audiences? Develop a powerful opening! Here is how to start a speech, including 12 foolproof ways to grab audiences in public speaking.

Let's talk about how to start a speech. When it comes to persuading, inspiring, or influencing an audience, your opening is by far the most important moment in your performance.

So how do you begin a presentation in ways that  will get an audience on your side and start you on the road to speaking memorably?

Learn this skill and 101 tips and tricks for more successful speaking in my Public Speaking Handbook, How to Give a Speech . Also available as an Amazon bestseller!

Let's imagine that you're finally pitching to that audience of decision makers. It's the high-stakes opportunity you've been waiting for, and you've put together a killer presentation. There's just one problem: how do you start the thing off with a bang? Remember, anyone can give an ordinary presentation. It's your job to stand out from the crowd for career success.

Your Opening Sets the Tone of Your Presentation

You probably already know you need to begin with power and purpose. You're just not sure  how  . . . or for that matter, exactly why.

The answer is that, when it comes to influencing listeners in speeches and presentations, two concepts explain why your beginning and ending need to be particularly strong. I'll discuss both concepts here, then provide some powerful tools for your opening gambit: your speech Introduction .

Ready to set your audience on fire?

This article is available as a free PDF .  Click here to download "How to Start a Speech - 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!" Learn and practice starting out powerfully!

Your Introduction and Conclusion Need to Be Strong

The two concepts concerning why you need to start and end strongly, are  primacy  and  recency . Primacy states that people remember most vividly what they hear at the beginning of a speech. Recency  says those same people will strongly recall what you say at the end. In terms of public speaking, this translates into your introduction and conclusion. And you really do need to start early.   Here's  how to create an opening your audience will remember .

In more practical terms, there are three specific reasons why your introduction needs to be engaging and interesting immediately :

(1) Audiences make judgments about you and your message in the first minute. After that point, you'll be able to change those opinions about as easily as you can change a hamster into a ham sandwich. So here's  how to be strong in the first 60 seconds of your speech .

(2) Your opening sets the entire tone of your presentation (including whether you'll be interesting or not).

(3) This is when you introduce your message and tell the audience why they should listen.

Sound like a tall order? It isn't, if you use the seven key components of successful presentations . Your audience needs to be both fully engaged and predisposed favorably toward you and your message. Neither will happen unless you can  grab   their  attention,  so they're onboard when you spin your verbal magic. Keep reading to learn how that's done. 

Ready to boost your influence with stakeholders? Grab your copy of my book, Speak for Leadership . Learn an executive speech coach's secrets! Get it today here or on Amazon .

Using Creativity in Business Presentations

Achieving the objective of a 'grabbing' opening takes thought, a bit of imagination, and yes, a little creativity. The good news is that since you know your topic well and you're psyched up for the big game (it's an audience of decision-makers, remember?), you should be well positioned to succeed.

Primacy won't have much of a chance to operate, though, if you use what I call the 'Today, I'm going to talk about . . .' opening. This is boring! Be on the lookout instead for something that will pique the interest of your listeners, and perhaps surprise them. And here's something else you absolutely need to know: 20 ways to connect with an audience for lasting influence .

A few minutes of focused thinking should be all you need to know how to come up with an effective opening. And remember to avoid that I call introducing your introduction. That sounds like this: 'Let me start out with a story . . .', or, 'I heard a very funny joke the other day . . . ' Or even the inexplicable 'Before I begin . . . ' since you've already begun!

Just  tell  us the story, the joke, or the in-the-know reference that will delight your listeners. But if you signal your effect beforehand, you water down its potency and its power to surprise.

So how can you be completely focused and on your game?

12 Powerful Ways to Start a Speech or Presentation

As a springboard to launching your presentation with verve and originality, here are a dozen rhetorical devices you can use. Each of them is an effective 'speech hook that you can use to start any speech or presentation:

• Startling statement
• Personal anecdote or experience
• Expert opinion
• Sound effect
• Physical object or demonstration
• Testimony or success story

You could literally think of dozens more from your own experience or that of your audience. Remember, the best grabbers engage an audience immediately, both intellectually and emotionally. Interestingly, these same devices can be used to conclude in a way that keeps your audience thinking about what you said. It's all part of my six rules for effective public speaking .

Coming up with an exciting grabber and clincher involves some work on your part. But the rewards if you're successful more than justify the effort.

Famous Speech Openings  

How about a few examples? Here are four great openings that illustrate some of the grabbers listed above:

Jesus , Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." — Startling statement.

Bill Clinton , 1993 speech in Memphis to ministers (after having heard himself introduced as "Bishop Clinton"): "You know, in the last ten months, I've been called a lot of things, but nobody's called me a bishop yet. When I was about nine years old, my beloved and now departed grandmother, who was a very wise woman, looked at me and she said, 'You know, I believe you could be a preacher if you were just a little better boy.'" — Humor

Jane Fonda in her TED Talk "Life's Third Act":  "There have been many revolutions over the last century, but perhaps none as significant as the longevity revolution. We are living on average today 34 years longer than our great-grandparents did. Think about that: that's an entire second adult lifetime that's been added to our lifespan." — Statistic.

Steve Jobs , 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford University: "Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it, no big deal—just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another eighteen months or so before I really quit. So why'd I drop out? It started before I was born." — Story, with a seamless transition into his speech.

Do you read thrillers and supernatural suspense ? If you do, you'll like Dr. William Scarlet, a Scotland Yard police surgeon and psychic. Start reading Series Book #1 Red Season  today!

You should follow me on Twitter  here .

Gary Genard  is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking training and overcoming speaking fear. His company, Boston-based The Genard Method offers  live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching   and  corporate group training  worldwide. In 2022 for the ninth consecutive year, Gary has been ranked by Global Gurus as  One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals .  He is the author of the Amazon Best-Seller  How to Give a Speech . His second book,  Fearless Speaking ,  was named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." His handbook for presenting in videoconferences,  Speaking Virtually   offers strategies and tools for developing virtual presence in online meetings.  His latest book is  Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets .  Contact Gary here.   

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