Public speaking is a scary endeavor for most of us, but an important first step is to find a way to capture the attention of your audience right from the beginning. Once you know that your crowd is fixated on what you are saying, it is a virtual guarantee that the body of your speech will go much more smoothly. An introduction should accomplish three things; it should capture the interest of your audience, reveal the topic that you will be speaking about and establish your credibility as the authority of your topic of choice. If you can successfully complete these three tasks, you will be well on your way to an effective speech.

Capture Interest

There are a number of public speaking techniques that will help you to capture the interest of your audience. You can get the attention of the crowd by telling them why they want to hear what you will say through showing how your topic will affect each one of them personally. You can use facts or statistics to demonstrate why your audience should care about a particular topic. You can spark the curiosity of your audience by citing a shocking fact or statistic that will leave them wanting further information. You can ask your audience a rhetorical question or you can open with a compelling quote or a humorous anecdote. Any of these creative approaches will draw your audience into your speech and leave them wanting more in the first few minutes of your public speaking experience.

Reveal the Topic

No matter how interesting your opening sentences are, they will not do their job if your audience does not have a clear picture of the topic that you will be speaking on. Make sure that no matter which technique you use to open your speech that you incorporate some basic information about your topic so that your audience knows what to expect next. This can be accomplished through relating your anecdote, telling a joke or citing a statistic that relates directly to the topic at hand. This may seem obvious, but many public speakers neglect to give their audiences a completely clear picture of what they will be talking about. If the people that are listening become confused about the point of your speech, you will lose interest rather quickly.

Establish your Credibility

Why should your audience listen to anything that you have to say about the topic you are talking about? Are you an expert in the related field, or do you have relevant experience that has taught you well? Have you written a book, taught a class or completed research yourself? Whatever your credibility might be, it is important to share that experience with your audience before you get into the meat of your speech. Otherwise, your audience might not find a compelling reason to listen to what you have to say. It is not hard to incorporate this experience and knowledge into the introduction of your speech, so make sure that you do it.

A successful public speech will greatly depend on how well you accomplish these three tasks in your introduction . All good speeches begin with a good introduction, and by following this formula carefully, you will have the opening that will start your speech on the right track.

Want to learn more about public speaking? Check out, How To Become A Public Speaking Superstar for more tips on how to impress your audience and overcome your public speaking phobia.

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