Open Your Speech with a Bang

How do you begin your speech? I mean, what exact words do you use in the first 30 seconds of your speech? That’s about 50 to 75 words. Do you introduce yourself? Thank your host and audience? Tell a joke?

The “Unpleasant Pleasantries”

We’re accustomed to hearing introductory pleasantries. “Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Mr Host. And thank you all for being here. I’m here to talk about blah blah blah.” But did you know that the audience decides whether or not they like you in the first seven seconds of your speech. And they decide whether to listen to you in the first 30 seconds.

Have you ever walked into a high-end store like Saks or Nieman-Marcus? What’s the first thing you encounter? Clothes? Shoes? No. Jewelry. Cosmetics. The highest profit-margin items in their inventory. They don’t mess around. They lead with their best (in their case, most profitable) shot.

That’s what it means to open with a bang. Forget about the unpleasant pleasantries or, if you must include them, delay the thank you’s and such for after you’ve connected with your audience, for after those crucial 30 seconds.

The Opening Joke

What about the idea of starting with a joke? Let’s think about that. First, most opening jokes aren’t original, so you’re essentially introducing yourself as a fake. Right from the start.

Second, what if the audience doesn’t laugh? If your carefully planned joke doesn’t work, you’re left standing there with a very awkward silence and a very uncomfortable audience.

Third, what does that joke have to do with anything you’re going to be talking about? In other words, what’s the point? You don’t want your audience’s initial impression to be that you’re going to give them fluff.

No, if you start with a joke, the joke is on you.

The Bang

To give you a sense of the whole, the opening has three distinct parts:

• The Bang
• The Big Promise
• The Roadmap
  

I talk about the Big Promise and the Roadmap in separate blogs.

Opening with a bang has several benefits for you. The most important of those benefits is that you are able to connect with your audience and engage them right away — in the magic 30-second zone.

After talking about the Bang with a friend, here’s what she reported: “I did a presentation at a networking group yesterday and it went really well! I read over your notes about how to get started and started with a story/scenario — it got the listeners engaged.”

A good Bang will also wake them up! Maybe the previous speaker was boring, and the audience needs to be jostled awake. Maybe it’s just before lunch, and they’re hungry — or just after lunch, and they’re logy. Whatever the case, you want your audience with you, and it’s the job of your opening to accomplish that.

You also establish yourself as different from the others. Most people start with the unpleasant pleasantries — or the stale joke. You’ll stand out and be perceived as original and exceptional.

How to Open with a Bang

There are seven ways to open with a bang:

• Story or anecdote — one of the best, most powerful ways to open; just make sure it has to do with your talk.
• Powerful question or two — gets people involved and thinking right away.
  
• Callbacks if possible — this one has a blog all its own.
  
• Startling statement or something of vital interest to your audience — e.g., “the world is flat” — or present a startling statistic.
  
• Say nothing at all/silence — this method breaks the preoccupation of the audience; just scan the audience slowly from side to side.
  
• Go into a quick activity — e.g., turn to your neighbor and ask her what’s keeping her from achieving her dream (assuming your talk is about achieving your dream).
  
• Give a quotation — can be very compelling.
  

A key ingredient is that your opening Bang should be in some way relevant to your talk or to your specific audience. You have only a limited amount of time with your audience. Don’t waste any of that time. To do so would be to disrespect your audience and to diminish yourself.

So think about your opening in this new light and consider ways to open with a Bang. Need help getting started? Call me.