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How to Start a Speech
Last Updated: January 12, 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 397,823 times.
The best way to start a speech depends on the type and topic of the speech, your audience, and the overall tone of the event. The best way to ensure a successful speech is to grab your audience’s attention in the beginning of the speech; if you do so, they will likely stick with you to the very end. While there is no one way to capture an audience’s attention, there are several methods that may work. Choose the one that is the best fit for the event and your own personality.
Winning Your Audience’s Attention
- At an event held in honor of a particular person, you might tell a humorous story involving you and the person being honored. Just make sure that the story or joke is not embarrassing or potentially offensive.
- Try out your joke on a few different people before delivering it in your speech. If the joke falls flat or is offensive, cut it from your speech. [2] X Research source
- Try something simple that cuts to the chase, like “Seat belts save lives.”
- If your speech is about mood disorders, you might make a statement along the lines of, “Depression, manic depression, and mood disorders of a similar strain can have deadly side effects.”
- If you are giving a speech on self-defense, you could say something like, “If you're out alone and suddenly assaulted, your reaction in the first few seconds can be the difference between survival and death.”
- For a speech about dogs, you could describe the standard characteristics or daily life of a dog using a first person point of view, and end with the statement, “I am a dog.”
- A statistic about declining or increasing birthrates in a specific region or country could alert people to population issues.
- For a speech in which you are trying to persuade the audience to take protective measures against the sun, you can bring up a statistic relating to the number of people who die from skin cancer on an annual year.
- For a speech about maternity care in the United States, you could tell a story about an experience related to maternity care that you or someone you know went through.
- If you were delivering a speech about how to bake a cake to kids or teens, you might describe a situation in which a child made a cake for a parent or loved one for a special occasion. Include details about how the recipient appreciated the gesture.
- Try to choose a quote from a well-known source, since more people will likely respond to it if they recognize who spoke it.
- Inspirational quotes are a popular way to open a graduation speech. Usually, the speaker would choose a quote that talks about dreams, education, looking toward the future, or building character.
- Quotations are not often used to start demonstrative speeches.
- If you are trying to persuade an audience about the importance of forming healthy eating and exercising habits, you might start with a statement made by a well-known expert on the matter to engage the audience.
- For a speech about how to lose weight, you could begin by showing before and after pictures of people who used the method you are about to describe.
- If you are trying to persuade an audience to buy a specific language learning program, you could give an example of someone who used that program and who now lives in a country that speaks the language learned.
Engaging Audience Participation
- For a speech about how to winterize your car, you could ask the audience something like, “How many of you have ever felt your car slipping on an icy street? Or who here has had their car stall on the side of the road during freezing temperatures?”
- If you are giving a speech about holiday traditions, you could ask, “What was your favorite holiday tradition growing up?”
- For example, if you’re giving a speech about booking a dream vacation, you might start with: “Imagine you are on a tropical beach. Feel the sand under your feet and the sun beating down on your shoulders. You can hear the ocean waves and wind swishing through the palm trees.”
- If you’re giving a speech about teaching online classes versus in-person classes, you might ask, “What’s your biggest concern about teaching an online class?” Call on a few people to hear their concerns. Chances are, you’ll be addressing their concerns in your speech already.
- You might say to the audience, “Turn to your neighbor and tell them your favorite kind of exercise.”
- If you are trying to explain why the audience should buy a certain kitchen utensil, open by describing a common scenario that might happen in the kitchen for which that utensil could be used.
Improving Your Ethos
- This is most often seen at eulogies and weddings. The speaker introduces himself or herself and begins to explain who they are in connection to the subject being addressed. If you are delivering a wedding toast, you might begin by talking about your connection to the bride, groom, or couple getting married.
- It can also be used at an event being held by an organization. In that case, the speaker might explain her position within the organization.
- For example, if your speech is about the lack of women working in technology, you might find a recent story about how girls are being discouraged from pursuing science in high school.
- If you were giving a speech at a Christmas party or fundraiser, you could talk about your Christmas memories or something you love about the season.
Understanding Types of Speeches
- The tone of an informative speech is usually fairly flexible and often dependent on the topic of the speech. For instance, a speech about cancer would demand a serious start and serious tone, while one about the history of the yo-yo would be very lighthearted.
- Demonstrative speeches are often on the lighthearted and non-academic side, so the openings of such speeches tend to be more relaxed. That said, if you do end up dealing with a serious topic, such as how to stay safe in a hurricane or tornado, make your introduction and overall speech fairly serious.
- These types of speeches can be the most difficult to deliver because, as the speaker, you have to be engaging enough to "sell" your opinion to those listening in.
- Persuasive speeches are often serious and may use a serious opening, especially if the speaker is trying to persuade an audience to take a certain beneficial action or to adopt a new perspective about a topic. The only time that a persuasive speech might take on a more casual, lighthearted tone is when the speaker is trying to sell an actual product.
- A serious or sorrowful occasion will usually call for a somber or nostalgic tone, but a celebratory occasion demands an opening and a speech that is entertaining or uplifting. For instance, a speech delivered at someone's wedding should be a lot more lighthearted than one delivered as a eulogy, and both will be very personal. A graduation speech must be general enough to relate to a wide audience.
Delivering the Speech
- This will ensure that you’re comfortable with the speech and you’ll be able to relax a bit.
- Memorize the first sentence of your speech. This will help you overcome anxiety of starting out the speech strongly. Bring a hard copy of your speech with you as well.
- If you are giving a brief speech, you likely won’t need to drink any water in the middle of your speech. If your speech is longer, then you might want to find a good moment to pause and take a small sip. Don’t gulp the water down; you will risk spilling it on your shirt or making yourself cough.
Expert Q&A
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- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/attention-getters-for-speeches
- ↑ http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/Start-Your-Speech-Out-Right.aspx
- ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/9-2-the-attention-getter-the-first-step-of-an-introduction/
- ↑ http://libguides.lamar.edu/content.php?pid=23277&sid=2818461
- ↑ Lynn Kirkham. Public Speaking Coach. Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.
- ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-publicspeakingprinciples/chapter/using-testimony/
- ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/how-to-engage-your-audience-and-keep-them-with-you
- ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/18-2-special-occasion-speeches/
- ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/chapter/11-1-informative-speeches/
- ↑ http://www.comm.pitt.edu/persuasive-speaking
- ↑ http://www.comm.pitt.edu/commemorative-speaking
- ↑ https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/public-speaking-know-your-audience
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/09/how-to-rehearse-for-an-important-presentation
- ↑ < https://opentextbc.ca/studentsuccess/chapter/presentation-aids/
- ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/eye_contact_tips_to_make_your_presentations_stronger
- ↑ https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/speaking-audience
About this article
How you start a speech will depend a lot on what it’s about, but you should always aim to grab your audience’s attention. You should start by introducing yourself and explaining your connection to the topic. For example, if you’re giving a wedding toast, talk about how you know the married couple. Speak in a clear, loud voice, which will encourage your audience to pay attention. Telling a joke can be a good way to break the ice and focus your audience on what you’re saying, but make sure humor is appropriate for the occasion first. Alternatively, make a startling statement about your topic. For instance, you could begin a speech about self-defense by saying, “If you’re out alone and get assaulted, the way you respond in the first few seconds can make the difference between life and death.” As you speak, look out at the audience and maintain eye contact, which will make your speech more engaging. For tips on how to prepare to deliver your speech, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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