Electrify Your Audience with a Shocking Speech Opening

Andrew,
Your example is an excellent opening. There are a number of various techniques that work consistently to ‘hook’ an audience in opening a speech. I recommend that my clients use these technique not only in their opening but peppered throughout their presentations to keep the audience engaged:
1) Personal stories are perhaps the most compelling way to open. Even a good story needs to have a good hook. Here are some examples I use in stories I tell regularly:
– “Stan rarely spoke before the age of 14.”
– “The first time Bonnie stood up to speak in our presentation skills workshop, tears were pouring down her face.”
– “Your predecessor was fired for 3 reasons …”
2) Ask a question or take a poll:
– “How many of you have ever misplaced your car keys?”
– “Who here is wondering why there is a stuffed dog on this table”
– “Is (organization name) officially out of ideas?”
3) A provocative opening statement (as you suggested).
– “67% of companies that go through major disaster such as fire, flood, burglary or sabotage resulting in loss of data are out of business in 2 years.”
– “The average company loses a third of its customers every year.”
4) Read a compelling quote
– “Presentation of ideas is conversation carried on at high voltage – at once more dangerous and more powerful.”
from “Moving Mountains” by Henry M Boettinger
5) Engage the audience in an activity, such as a quiz.
– “Whoever can guess the significance of these 3 numbers on the board will get this $5 bill.”
– Call up a volunteer to engage in acting out a scene.
6) Use a prop.
One client sent me an email telling the story of
using an analogy, comparing his software’s “scalability and availability via redundancy to the design of a semi-trailer, which has dual axles and dual wheels on each axle for load capacity (scalability) and safety in case one tire gets a flat (availability).”
He opened by holding up the toy truck as a prop.

Good article. For an alternate opening that grabs attention try telling you audience three things you “could” tell them. For example, in a speech introducing youself to a new group start by telling your audience “I could tell you that I was born in Decatur, AL ; the first of 9 boys; that I received my Doctorate in Social Science from Harvard in 2004; graduating with honors, or that I recently completed an assignment as a member of the national security advisory panel to President Bush. Instead, let me tell you… At this point you have the audiences attention and are credible without sounding like you are tooting you’r own horn. Just be careful not to sound like you are impressed with yourself.
I’ve received a very warm response when I have used this technique. Try it for yourself.

I’ve never used a shocking speech opening.

I’ve used most of the other types… quotes, story etc, but never a shocker.

Thanks for the idea and the example… I might give it a try.

great site by the way.

Thank you for some great tips. I think this has a highly exotic impact on the audience! I think I need to practice this to become an amazing public speaker. What would be the best way to practice does anyone know?

it’s helpfull . i needed appropriate lines which are here . thanks

Simple but potent advice.

Great post Andrew. I love the way you give us a a superb example of an attention grabbing speech and then deconstruct it highlighting why it works.
I wish more people would give thoought to the way they open their talks. Keep sharing your wisdom.

Gavin

This kid in my grade
started his speech with
I DON’T BELIEVE I GOD
it worked very well

It really helped me with a great opening statement for my vice president speech!!! It reallly helped!!!!

This is a great reference, thanks a ton!

Good article. Have just coached a student to 6th place in an English Speech Contest for students all over Japan (around 20,000 students were competing), and I’m looking how to help my student get that “X-factor” that they need to get better next year.

A speech that gets everyone’s attention is a great way to start