THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF YOUR SPEECH

You’ve been introduced, and you’re now in the spotlight. How do you open and start your speech? Here are a few ideas you can use to start your talk effectively. They are all designed to engage your audience from the beginning so that you have their full attention for your entire speech.

Thank the Organizers

Start by thanking the audience for coming and the organization for inviting you to speak. Refer to the person who introduced you, and if possible, one of the senior people in the organization who’s in the audience.

This complements them and makes them feel proud and happy about inviting you. It also connects you directly to the audience.

Start with a Positive Statement

Tell the audience how much they will enjoy what you have to say. For example, “You are really going to enjoy what’s coming up. I’m going to share with you some of the most important ideas on how you can get the success you desire.”

Refer to Current Events

Use a current front-page news story to transition into your subject and to illustrate your point of view. You can use a copy of the newspaper as you refer to it in your introduction. This visual aid and a story that’s on everyone’s minds will capture the audience’s attention and get them curious about the rest of your talk.

Start with a Story

Consider starting your talk with a story. The words “once upon a time…” are some of the most attention-grabbing words in the English language.

From childhood, people love stories of any kind. When you start off with “once upon a time,” you tell the audience that a story is coming. People immediately settle down and become quiet and attentive. During full-day seminars, when 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 utter these words, people rush back to their seats and begin to listen to the rest of the story.

You know how to start your talk. But how do you end? How can you close your speech such that your audience is in awe?

End with a Bang: Leave Them Breathless!

A good speech is like a good movie. It opens by capturing the viewers’ attention, develops point by point, and then ends strongly.

The words you utter at the beginning, and especially at the end of your talk, will be remembered far longer than any other part of your speech. Some of the greatest speeches in history have ended with stirring words that live on in memory.

Consider Winston Churchill’s tribute to the pilots of the Royal Air Force during World War II, who were fighting and dying against the German Luftwaffe: “Never in human history have so many owed so much to so few.”

These are words that are remembered in Great Britain to this day.

Here are a few ideas on how to create a strong ending.

Plan Your Ending Word for Word

To have a powerful conclusion, you must plan it word for word.

Remember the objective question, “What is the purpose of this talk?” What action do you want the listeners to take after you speak? When you are clear about this end result, it becomes much easier to design a conclusion that asks your audience to take that action.

The best method to end with a bang is to plan your close before you plan the rest of the speech. Then go back and design your opening and everything else to set the stage of your conclusion.

End with a Call to Action

It’s important to tell your listeners what you want them to do as a result of hearing you speak. Every speech has a job to do. You must make them “march.” A call to action is the best way to wrap up your message with strength and power.

Here’s an example: “There are great challenges and great opportunities facing us, and with your help, we will meet them and make this our best year in history!”

Imagine there’s an exclamation point at the end of anything you say. Imagine you are a conductor setting the audience up for a crescendo. Pick up your energy and tempo, speak with strength and emphasis, and then drive the final point home.

It doesn’t matter if the audience agrees with you or not. What’s important is that they clearly know your request.

Close with a Summary

A simple formula for a talk: Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.

As you conclude, you could say, “Let me briefly restate these main points…” You then list your key points and repeat them to the audience, showing how each of them is linked.

Audiences appreciate this reminder, and it also makes it clear that you are approaching the end of your talk.

Close with a Story

Stories are powerful.

As you end your talk, you can say, “Let me tell you a story that demonstrates what I have been talking about…” You then tell a brief story with a moral and then tell the audience what the moral is. Don’t leave it for them to work out.

Often you can finish with a story that illustrates your key points and then clearly reflects the key message of your speech.

A Standing Ovation

If you’ve delivered a moving speech, here’s how to end with a bang.

If your message really connected with your audience, someone will stand up and applaud. When this happens, you can encourage the others by looking directly at the clapper and saying, “Thank you.”

This will often prompt other members of the audience to stand. As people see others standing, they will stand up as well, applauding the whole time.

A standing ovation is not only a recognition of the quality of your presentation but also signals to the audience the special ingredient of your talk. A unique event that won’t happen again. Something to cherish in memory.

Summary

1. How you start with your speech determines how engaged your audience will be throughout your talk.
2. A few ideas on how to start a speech include thanking the organizers, using a positive statement, referring to current events, and starting with a story.
3. Ending strongly is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your speech lasts in your audience’s memory.
4. You can end strongly by planning your end before you write your speech, using a call to action, ending with a summary, and using a story.
5. A standing ovation is one of the most effective ways to end with a bang and can be used if a few audience members strongly connect with your message.