opening an event speech

• Games, topic printables & more
• The 4 main speech types
• Example speeches
• Commemorative
• Declamation
• Demonstration
• Informative
• Introduction
• Student Council
• Speech topics
• Poems to read aloud
• How to write a speech
• Using props/visual aids
• Acute anxiety help
• Breathing exercises
• Letting go - free e-course
• Using self-hypnosis
• Delivery overview
• 4 modes of delivery
• How to make cue cards
• How to read a speech
• 9 vocal aspects
• Vocal variety
• Diction/articulation
• Pronunciation
• Speaking rate
• How to use pauses
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Voice image
• Voice health
• Public speaking activities and games
• About me/contact
• Speech examples
• Welcome speech

How to write a welcome speech in 3 steps

With a printable welcome speech planner, outline and a sample welcome speech

By:  Susan Dugdale  

So, you've been asked to give a short welcome speech for an event. Congratulations! And now you want to be doubly sure you get it right. The right content. The right tone. Plus, the right length!

You'll find everything here you need to do that easily, from start to finish. 

Jump in. You are just three steps away from a completed welcome speech. Shall we start?

The fastest and best way to get your speech done is to:

• skim read this page to get an overview of the speech writing process, ( the welcome speech template and the planner you're going to use), to  read the example welcome speech , and to find out more about the function of a welcome speech and the importance of its tone .
• then download, print and complete the welcome speech planner .
• and lastly, use the notes you made in the planner to write your welcome speech . To help with that, you can download and print the outline of my example welcome speech to use.  Edit, and add your information to make the speech your own.

Return to Top

The welcome speech template

To be effective your welcome speech needs to meet expected, as well as any specific, requirements dictated by the occasion.

The 6 standard welcome speech content ingredients

There are six common or standard content items in a good welcome speech.

• Greetings to welcome everyone and thanking them for coming along.
• Acknowledgement of special guests, if there are any.
• An introduction of the event itself and a brief overview of special highlights the audience will want to know about.
• Any important housekeeping information, for instance: where the bathrooms are, where lunch will be served and when...
• An introduction for the next speaker, if there is one.
• Thanking everyone for coming once more and then concluding having made everybody feel at ease, eagerly anticipating what is to come.

Numbers 1, 3, and 6 are basic essentials you cannot do without. Numbers 2, 4 and 5 may, or may not, be applicable. Pick what you need from them to fit your occasion.

Short sample welcome speech for a conference 

Now let's put all six ingredients into an example of a short welcome speech to open a conference that you can adapt for your own speech.

* (This speech is pure fiction! I made it up to show you how it's done. You'll see its tone is formal rather than informal to fit the occasion. I don't think there is a group called Parents United. However, there are others with a similar mission: 10 Inspiring Organizations that Promote Literacy and Education .)  

Example welcome speech - "Readers by Right"

"Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith, Jane Brown and all of our guests, good morning!

My name is April Molloy, and it's my privilege and great pleasure on behalf of Parents United to welcome you all here today.

We are delighted to have you with us to participate and share in this special occasion, our 5th annual Children's Day Conference. Thank you for coming. That many of you have willingly traveled long distances to be here serves as a reminder to us all just how important our work is.

Parents United is committed to actively raising the quality of life for every child. We want all children, regardless of race, creed or circumstance to achieve their full potential. Our task is to make it possible. Our mission is to provide practical, step by step assistance.

This year our theme is literacy. We've named the day 'Readers by Right'.

Thanks to the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we are aware of 'rights' in many spheres, including education.  Article 26 declared it should be compulsory and free for children.

That goal is as pertinent today as it was then. And it's a goal I know we all share - the full development of every child. As a body, Parents United recognizes good reading skills established in childhood as the foundation of fulfilling, and ongoing education.

We are honored to have Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith and Jane Brown with us today. All three are esteemed specialists in teaching young children to read.

Sue-Ellen has worked for a long time with educational authorities to establish programs putting in place necessary pre-reading skills. Her hard work needs no introduction. The results speak for themselves.

Jim and Jane bring their passion, and knowledge of how to reach those in our communities who are frequently overlooked or bypassed. Their work among disadvantaged English-as-a-second-language families has bridged gaps that were deep dark chasms.

Prepare yourself to be challenged, excited and inspired.

And before I handover to Lesley Watts, our coordinator for 'Readers by Right', who will outline the day's various events, I want to say once more on behalf of the Parents United organizing committee, welcome. It's wonderful to see so many of you here." 

Get your welcome speech started

To shortcut wondering, "Should I say this?" or "Maybe I should say that?" and "Then again there's also ...", I have a very simple solution for you.

Get yourself a printable welcome speech planner

Download and print my  special greeting address planner .

It covers ALL the necessary ingredients that go into preparing a successful welcome speech. It's simple to use and easily filled out. Once it's done, writing your speech will be a lot less hassle as you'll have the core content ready to work with.

Writing your welcome speech

Tips to help you get your speech right.

When you're entering information into your speech planner:

• ensure you've got all the names of individuals or special guests you need to mention specifically and, that you know how to pronounce each of them. Also check that you know and use their preferred pronouns: them/they, she/her, he/him...
• double check the remarks you're going to make about them, or anything else, are factually correct.

Use your introduction of your guests/or the event, as a "teaser" for what is going to come. It will help create anticipation in the audience. Don't ruin it by giving too much away! Just enough to tempt and no more.

Keep it brief. One to two minutes is generally sufficient.

(The word count of my sample welcome speech is 357. It will take approximately 2 minutes to say .) 

Use the S-S-S formula for success: Short, Simple and Sincere. Your listeners will appreciate it.

Get a printable welcome speech outline

If you would like to use and adapt the structure I used in my sample speech as the foundation for your welcome speech, click the link to download the printable: welcome speech outline .

Then edit; delete, amend and add, until you are done.

Get a hand with vocabulary

If you're stuck for words, here's a large selection of  adaptable welcoming phrases with example s entences.  Reading through them could help you to find exactly what you want.

What does a good welcome speech do?

An effective welcome speech has three important functions. It:

• signals the official beginning of an event . It says to the audience, hush, sit down, stop talking and listen. What you came for is starting!
• sets the tone for the occasion through the choice of language used . For example, using light-hearted and informal words to welcome guests to a dear friend's birthday party may be completely appropriate.  However, the same type of language to welcome family and friends to a memorial service is unlikely to be. In that setting, people generally expect a more solemn and formal word choice. They could be deeply offended and think the use of casual language is disrespectful.  Understanding and getting tone right is a key element in the overall success of your welcome speech.  
• unites the audience . It draws everyone together in the common purpose at the heart of the occasion. For example, at a birthday party, the welcome speech invites everyone to join in celebrating the person whose birthday it is. The welcome speech opening a specialist conference will affirm its principal purpose: the coming together of people with mutual interests to meet and share new knowledge. Or if a welcome speech is given to newcomers in a workplace, club or educational setting, its purpose is to give an introductory overview of how things work to help them feel more at ease in their new situation - to help them develop a sense of belonging.

Getting the tone right for an event

What is tone.

Tone is the combined impact of the words chosen to express something, with how they are structured and, delivered.  All three elements come together to create tone * . 

Get tone wrong, and your welcome speech is a disaster.

Get it right, and it's a triumph!

(Yes, that's hyperbole but I'm sure you get the idea. ☺)

* Tone - a mood, quality or feeling

How to choose the right words

The beginning of getting tone right is to think about your audience and the event itself. Your goal is to unite and bring them together in the main purpose at the core of the occasion. What type of language will do that most appropriately and easily?

To answer that question, think about the common interest everybody shares - the principal reason behind them getting together.  It will help guide your language choice.

Is it a fun event like a birthday party for close friends and family? If so, then informal language is likely to be the most apt.

You might hear something along the lines of: "Well, here we all are! The big day has finally arrived. Jean-Marie is 50! Half a century! How on earth did that happen?"

If it's a remembrance service for someone who has recently died, the language you're likely to hear is more formal.

For example: "Friends, family, colleagues, thank you for joining us today to celebrate and give thanks for our dear Jean-Marie. Your presence is gratefully appreciated." 

What is appropriate? What is expected?  Do spend some time thinking tone through. Misunderstanding and getting it wrong can be very embarrassing for everyone. If in doubt, ask someone whose opinion you trust.

Related helpful pages

Help rehearsing your welcome speech.

Get  step by step instructions on how to rehearse  including how to make and use cue cards.

And please do rehearse. It makes a huge difference! You'll sound, and look better. Taking the time to rehearse shows respect for yourself, the audience and the event. Truly.

Help to manage pre-speech jitters

Nervous? If you're shaking in your boots at the thought of having to speak in front of an audience, click  overcoming public speaking fear  for assistance. Take your time. The page has 14 tried and tested suggestions to consider.

Help with other types of welcome speeches

Or perhaps you need  welcome to the family speeches   or a  church welcome speech sample ? Click the links to find easily adaptable examples.

speaking out loud 

Subscribe for  FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see  speaking out loud  

Top 10 popular pages

• Demonstration speech topics
• Impromptu speech topic cards
• Thank you quotes
• Impromptu public speaking topics
• Farewell speeches
• Phrases for welcome speeches
• Student council speeches
• Free sample eulogies

From fear to fun in 28 ways

A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.

Useful pages

• Search this site
• About me & Contact
• Blogging Aloud
• Free e-course
• Privacy policy

©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com

Designed and built by Clickstream Designs

An Artificial Intelligent English Learning Platform

Welcome Speech in English: Best Samples, Examples & Tips

Why are welcome speeches necessary.

Most of the gatherings and ceremonies are held with a purpose. They are either planned events or spontaneous gatherings. In both cases, it is important to know how to organize such events. We must prepare ourselves to conduct the event properly.

Let us imagine that you are hosting a gathering. You have prepared everything, including food, drinks, decorations, etc., and even set up the stage. However, you forgot one thing – a welcome speech. What happens next? Do you start talking immediately without waiting for everyone to arrive? Of course not!

The same goes for a meeting. How many times did you attend meetings where people didn’t introduce themselves? Or worse, they talked about themselves too much during the meeting. In addition, some speakers talk directly to the audience without introducing themselves. This makes it difficult for the attendees to comprehend the event’s process and connect with its objectives.

So why is a welcome speech in English needed? To begin with, it is necessary to give a brief overview of the topic. Secondly, it helps to provide information about the organization and its history. Thirdly, it allows us to highlight our achievements. And finally, it creates a good impression on guests. Otherwise, they might ask questions like “Where is this event going?”.

Significance of welcome speech

The significance of the welcome speech won’t be apparent without understanding what makes up the history of an event. An event can be defined as a sequence of activities carried out over a period of time. These activities are usually organized into stages, each with a specific purpose. For example, an event may start with opening remarks, followed by a keynote address, and finally concluded with closing remarks. Each stage of an event has a different set of responsibilities.

In the case of a welcoming ceremony, the welcome speech is considered to be one of the most important parts of the whole gathering. In fact, it is the most crucial aspect of the entire event. This is because the welcome speech serves several purposes.

First, it introduces the guests to the host. Second, it provides information regarding the upcoming program. Third, it creates a positive impression among the attendees. Fourth, it helps in creating a sense of unity among the participants. Fifth, it helps in establishing good relations between the hosts and the guests. And finally, it ensures that the guest feels comfortable during the occasion.

Objectives of a Welcome Speech in English

The objective of a welcome speech in English is to introduce yourself and the rest of the attendees at the event. This is done through a short introduction about who you are, what you do, why you’re attending, etc. The following are the objectives of a welcome speech:

• Introduce yourself
• Provide Information regarding the event
• Create a positive impression among attendees
• Establish good relations between hosts and guests
• Ensure guests feel comfortable during the event
• Help build unity among participants
• Explain the purpose of the meeting/event
• Set up the agenda for the meeting/event
• Make introductions
• Give background info about the organization
• Highlight achievements (if any)

Welcome Speech Samples in the Education Field

There is a number of school gatherings that require welcome speeches, be it an official school gathering or an informal event. In this segment, we’ve sorted samples according to the typical events organized in schools. Take note of each paragraph and determine its purpose. You’ll be able to create a workable framework or basis for your current and future speech requirements.

Welcome Address in English For Students

It’s natural for attendees of any event to expect an introductory speech, which sets the tone for the occasion. A host can easily command attention with an effective welcome. Even the longest speeches have the capacity to hold an audience’s interest when delivered in a catchy and impressive manner.

A short opening speech for a commencement ceremony

To everyone present, good morning. A very warm welcome to our respected faculty, our remarkable parents, and our dear students. Special recognition is due for our Chief Guest (name of chief guest). It’s a true honor to have such a successful alumnus (or state the chief guest’s job title). We express our biggest gratitude for accepting our invitation to deliver today’s keynote speech.

I’m standing here as a lucky witness to our dear students’ academic journey. Our school is very proud of everything you have accomplished and your small but not minor contributions to society. You’ve brought prestige to our name and deserve the title of one of our school’s most successful and dedicated batch of students.

With your teachers’ guidance and parents’ support, you’ve reached remarkable heights. I’d like to take this time to extend my gratitude to our faculty and our parents, for understanding, encouraging, and nurturing our students.

Graduates, you are about to start another chapter in your life. An exciting yet scary period. From now on, you will face more challenges, but I am confident that you’re adequately equipped to face any tribulation that comes your way. Remember that with conviction and self-belief, no mountain is too high to climb. The laurels you’ve brought back to our school are only the beginning. I am genuinely excited to see the astonishing feats that your futures hold.

A long opening speech for a commencement ceremony

Good morning everyone! I would like to extend a very warm welcome to our esteemed faculty, astounding parents, and our dear students. I’m honored to open our commencement ceremony and stand here where many of our accomplished alumni who I look up to once stood.

I extend a particularly warm welcome to our Chief Guest (name of chief guest), who as one of our outstanding alumni, has really set the standard for exemplary accomplishments.

(enumerate key achievements of chief guest)

Her/his professional and philanthropic endeavors attest to their upbringing and the values she/he lives by. We want to thank you for responding positively to our invitation to be the keynote speaker on today’s auspicious occasion.

As another academic year reaches its end, I’m sure that our dear students are anxious and also filled with hope and excitement. This is their final school event in our renowned school/college/university (name of school). But hopefully, it won’t be their last awarding ceremony.

We are extremely fortunate to have such a talented and passionate group of graduates who have earned laurels in honor of our school, adding to its distinction and great reputation. The amazing encouragement and unconditional support of our parents throughout the school year have been extraordinary. They have stood by their children in every school event. Our teachers and staff are truly thankful for the trust you’ve given us. Your children’s journey wouldn’t have been a huge success without your guidance and nurture.

It’s been a remarkable experience to witness the passion and commitment our students have exhibited in all their undertakings. I am filled with certitude that you will achieve whatever goal you’ve set your mind on. Adulthood is going to be jammed with more trials you’ve never imagined before. I am kidding. Maybe. Joking aside, you will win as long as you work hard and believe in yourself.

Remember that you are valuable and take every challenge you face as an opportunity to prove your worth and get better. Also, surround yourselves with people who are good for your well-being and treat them the way you’d like to be treated.

Maintain your sense of humor because not much else will get you through when the going gets rough. Life can be very special and you can truly make a mark, which doesn’t always need to have global proportions. Be accountable for your mistakes and learn from them. Keep nurturing your passions and remain as driven, bright, and astonishing as you are today. You are all wonderful and I can’t wait to see your future accomplishments, because they will be great.

Thank you and do us proud!

Welcome Speech for a College Function

(General greeting, i.e. good morning/afternoon/evening) to all (the audience attending the event, e.g. the parents, teachers, students, etc.) and our respected Principal (name of principal). It’s with great pleasure that I welcome everyone to (name of school)’s (name of event or ceremony).

Our college nurtures the ideologies of discipline and pride in one’s work and aims to hone our students as responsible and productive members of society. It is in this spirit that we celebrate today.

To commence our festivities, allow me to introduce one of our most esteemed alumni. Our Chief Guest (title and name of chief guest) has embodied the values fostered by our prominent and respected college. (Enumerate the main accomplishments of the chief guest). We honor you for your contributions to society and our city, most especially, which future generations will surely benefit from. With your hard work, dedication, and charitable spirit, you have set the goalposts we aspire to reach in order to make the world a much better place than we’ve found it.

(Initiate a round of applause)

Welcome Speech for a Yearly Function

(General greeting, i.e. good morning/afternoon/evening to all)

Honorable Chief Guest (name of guest), our beloved Principal (name of principal), our amazing faculty and staff members, our dearest parents and fellow students, and to everyone present, I welcome you all to (name of school/college/university)’s annual function.

My name is Lakshmi Gupta, a student of the Information Technology Department, and also the president of our school’s Cultural Exchange Organization and founder of the Languages Club.

It is with tremendous pride that I announce our prestigious school’s Silver Jubilee anniversary. We’re gathered today to celebrate 25 years of estimable service and success. The remarkable accomplishments of our elite school since its foundation won’t be possible without its long history of dedicated and respected teachers and passionate students, its tireless staff, and the unconditional support from our parents.

It’s also a great honor to introduce our Chief guest and keynote speaker. Any introduction won’t do justice to the extraordinary achievements she/he has attained throughout her/his career. (Enumerate the main accomplishments of the chief guest). She/he is truly one of the most treasured and incredible alumni our school has produced. Without further ado, let’s give a round of applause to (title and name of chief guest).

Welcome Speech for the School Principal

Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning!

I’m truly pleased and honored to welcome our new principal (title and name of principal). He has previously worked for 5 years at Lumos International as principal and has succeeded in revitalizing their academic standing and programs, especially in English and Cultural Studies.

I have gotten to know her/him over the last few days during the transition phase and found her/him to be a brave and progressive intellectual, with a great ideology and vision for the future of (name of school), our beloved school.

On behalf of the current administration, our board of trustees, the faculty, the staff, and our student body, we wholeheartedly extend a great welcome to you (title and name of principal).

We hope that with your leadership, energy, and enthusiasm, we shall start a new era of learning and reach greater excellence.

Congratulations and welcome!

Welcome Speech for Teachers Day

Good morning! We welcome everyone today who is here to celebrate this annual event for their beloved teachers. We don’t always get to thank our teachers, but on this day, we pay tribute to our second parents.

They have provided guidance and given their light to educate and lead us to a journey of wonder, discovery, and knowledge. For their efforts, they deserve the greatest of honors and our utmost respect.

Our steadfast yet affectionate teachers should be our role models. They inspire us daily and motivate us to reach our greatest potential. They impart wisdom so that we don’t only excel academically, but as good people and responsible members of our society.

So on Teacher’s Day, it’s all about them and giving them the honor that many take for granted. Thank you, dear teachers!

Welcome Speech for Children’s Day

Good morning everybody!

Today we extend our appreciation and the warmest embrace to our beloved students to celebrate Children’s Day!

It’s been a blessing to be a part of nurturing children’s sense of wonder and imagination. These are qualities we often lose as we grow up, and it’s awesome to witness them happen every day.

Children’s innocence and love are incomparable and difficult to resist. Their smile is the closest thing to heaven that we can glimpse in the world.

School is your children’s second home, and we teachers are their second parents. We thank you for the opportunity to take care of and guide your little angels.

Join us to celebrate our students and make this day as eventful and fun as it can be!

Welcome Speech for Freshers Party

Welcome everyone to our Fresher’s party!

We’ve all gathered here today to celebrate the gift of possibilities and commence the experience of a new beginning.

It’s of utmost pleasure to welcome everyone, especially all my freshers to today’s festivities. I extend my deepest gratitude to all my teachers and everyone who helped make this event a reality. Look at this place, it’s amazing!

University or school life isn’t just about getting a higher education – brace yourself for the adventure of a lifetime! This is the period to create good memories and meet people who can be a permanent part of your academic and later professional lives. May you develop the relationships and acquire the necessary skills to succeed in life.

But for now, let’s leave our worries and cares out in the hall. Let’s celebrate your wise decision to matriculate in our institution. Our college has prepared special events and an entertainment program highlighting some of our talented students.

The next few hours will be memorable and exciting! Thank you for listening and let’s get on with it!

Have a good time!

Welcome Speech Samples for Business

Much like in academic settings, there are more formal events that happen in professional contexts. Some may need a welcome address to introduce special guests or welcome the attendees of a conference. Some are informal events that welcome those who are invited to special occasions at the office and the people they’re honoring. Note down the key phrases and objectives of the samples below and use the same structure in your own welcome or introduction speech in English.

Sample of Welcome Speech for a Goodbye Get-together

Good evening everyone!

Welcome to my farewell party. I know, I know. You all said you’re sorry to see me go, but that you all would need food and entertainment first to deal with your sadness. So here we are. I shall deliver.

As the Semisonic song goes “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” And so it is with great gratitude that the VP in Japan decided to retire early, so the end of his role can mark the beginning of mine. To Toni Takitani, thanks for deciding you’ve had enough!

Kidding aside, I’d like to thank my friends who made this very corporate event a huge success. Look at this, my goodness!

Most importantly, I want to impart my profound gratitude to my boss (name of the boss). Without you, this party won’t have a band. I couldn’t ask for a better mentor. Or I could, but none of them would have changed my life as positively as you have. It saddens me to leave you the most, but it comforts me that you were my biggest source of encouragement to go. Or it may have been your plan all along. Genius!

So to everyone who came, thank you. I’ll have time to thank you properly later, but for now, let’s eat!

Welcome Speech Sample for a Business Conference

Good morning to everyone who came out to join us here today. My name is Julius Kaizer and I’ll be hosting today’s events.

Before anything else, I’d like to take this moment to thank Merville & Posque Inc., their CEO Mr. Hyori Asano and his team for putting this event together in record time. It won’t be possible without your tireless dedication and contributions. I also want to thank everyone who came, our remarkable associates from Osaka, Chiang Rai, and Quezon, our wonderful clients who have stuck with us through thick and thin, and our amazing consultants in various fields of energy conservation. Your interest and patronage are very much appreciated.

A great welcome to all our extraordinary employees and staff members, some of whom have worked and grown along our company’s 23-year history. A big welcome, too, to our interns who have recently joined and brightened our corporate offices.

Today marks the 15th annual MPBC and it’s an honor to be a host in this glorious congress. I myself will be staying for the conference’s entirety to learn what I can about sustainable energy systems and their various implications and impact on the future of our planet.

The activities today will include an overview of all the forums, seminars, and exhibits around the MPBC complex. Second, we will have the inauguration of the new bio-dome on the grounds where we will also honor this year’s retirees. The afternoon’s seminars will kick off after lunch, and I encourage you to attend the discussions and learn about our future plans and projects. Finally, I’d like to encourage everyone to help yourselves to the snack stations in the hallway. Refreshments and sandwiches are on us for the duration of the conference.

I won’t keep you long and let’s begin the day. I wish all of you a valuable and wonderful time! Thank you.

Welcome Speech for a Business Workshop

Good afternoon everyone!

I am so pleased to see you all here. Welcome to my workshop, or should I say “our” workshop. I am truly overjoyed and excited about learning together and helping you reach a breakthrough in industry-scale coding practices.

This workshop aims to cover new software and the importance of earning certificates in several computer applications such as VM Suite, Landscape 5.0, and NF Tech.

I hope you’ll learn a lot in the next few hours and I promise to try to make our activities as engaging and hands-on as possible. Good luck and thanks again for participating in our workshop.

Welcome Speech for Office Events

My name is (your name), the (position in the company), and your host for this meeting. To our CEO (title and name of the CEO), (next are the dignitaries for the company hierarchy if any), all the staff members and their loved ones, and our beloved employees. I welcome you all to the (name of the event) of (name of company).

We are here today to honor our employees’ achievements in their respective fields and departments. Your efforts to attain and sustain the standards we keep aren’t unnoticed. This awarding ceremony seeks to remind us about the value and pride we should have in our accomplishments, and the significance of collaboration and teamwork. It is our spirit of community and faith in our abilities that represent the vision of (name of company). May we continue to grow through hard work, accountability, and cooperation.

To start off with our first award, let’s call up (title and position of the presenter), (name of the presenter).

Welcome Speech Samples for Family Functions

Huge family events often have speeches: weddings, birthdays, farewell parties, funerals, anniversaries, and so on. Some of these events normally have hosts and esteemed guests. Here are some tips and samples to inspire you.

Tips on Welcoming the Chief Guest?

If you’re searching for tips on how to make a welcome speech for guest, here are some things you can do:

• When drafting your speech, do the research.
• Highlight the key qualities that are worth mentioning in an opening welcome speech for event.
• Take note of the welcome address speech sample in this article and create a framework from them.
• Look up welcome speech quotes and choose the best one to use somewhere in your speech.
• Greet the chief guest at the event personally and introduce yourself if you don’t know each other.
• Extend your hard for a handshake and smile to express that they are honored and welcome to the event.
• Smile and suggest they are being welcomed.
• Address them formally with the usual Miss or Mr.
• Escort the chief guest before you assume host duties.

Welcoming the Chief Guest with a Short Speech

It’s a great honor to welcome our Chief guest and tonight’s keynote speaker. I was worried at first about how to introduce (title and name of Chief guest) because any introduction would pale in comparison to the reality and immensity of her/his accomplishments.

(Enumerate the main accomplishments of the chief guest).

She/he is the ultimate inspiration for young professionals everywhere who want to succeed in the field of international trade. Here to inspire us with her career journey and all the experiences she accumulated along the day, join me in giving a round of applause to (title and name of chief guest).

Welcoming the Chief Guest (Longer Version of the Speech)

Introducing our next attendee is a great pleasure of mine. When she/he accepted our invitation to be tonight’s Chief guest and keynote speaker, I almost jumped for joy. Then I realized I would naturally receive the task of introducing her/him. At first, this gave me great anxiety. How would I be able to pull it off and deliver an introduction that would give her background justice? Then I thought, no introduction would ever compare, so it was foolish to aim for success when failure is guaranteed. So I decided to just do it. Our chief guest has accomplished the following, to name a few:

As I looked at her/his professional and personal successes, I realized here is a woman/man who was faced many times with the certainty of failure but had given her circumstances a grad twist by attaining success against all odds. Then I thought, perhaps I should aim for success in this speech, after all.

She/he is an inspiration to many, not only for all the fields of expertise she has earned and the extreme success that went with the process, but she/he has also set the benchmark for philanthropy and good deeds. She/he has done this quietly, too, and she/he might strangle me for revealing it to the public. I didn’t even know half of the wonderful things she/he has done for our community before my research.

Without further ado, and here to inspire us with her wisdom and grand skill, join me in welcoming our Chief guest (title and name of chief guest).

Welcome Speech for Parents

Hi everyone!

As host and brother of the groom, I’d like to take this time to introduce the parents of the bride. Without them, my brother wouldn’t be the lucky and happy man he is today. More than that, I have witnessed how they accepted my brother and treated him as a son long before the engagement. I often tag along on family trips and have spent hours of wonderful conversations with them. Apart from my own parents, they are two of the most affectionate and hospitable people I’ve ever met. If I could meet a woman whose parents are just like them, I’d consider myself half as lucky as my brother.

Let’s give a round of applause for (names of the bride’s parents). Thank you for embracing my brother into the fold.

Welcome Speech Samples for National Holidays

Below is a sample of a welcome speech typically delivered during Annual Day. Substitute the appropriate details to match your information and use the framework in other speeches reserved for national holidays.

Welcome Speech for Annual Day

I am overjoyed to have this chance to welcome all of you to our elite institution’s 25th Annual Day. Today’s children are the hope of the next generation. All these graduates we see today, receiving awards for their achievements will go on to lead successful lives. Let them live up to the expectations set before them.

I am very happy to be a member of such an elite school where we learned from such great professors who teach us beyond the boundaries of the ordinary classroom. They’re also the minds and hands behind such a big event every year. I’d like to use this chance to organize such a wonderful event this year. It’s also a great pleasure of mine to introduce our Chief Guest.

Welcome speeches are necessary at events. They usually set the tone or expectations of the people who attended or participated in the occasion. There are many ways in going about delivering a welcome address speech. Review the samples in this article and do your due diligence to craft an outline, framework, or skeleton from the contents that you can use in welcome speeches of your own.

Frequently Asked Questions

A good welcome speech has the following qualities: * It is sincere. * It can hold the attention of the audience. * The ideas don’t ramble. * Welcome address quotes are used. One for a short welcome speech, and 2 for a longer one. Never 3, unless the speaker is trying to be funny. * The contents are relevant to the event. * It has an impressive anecdote. * The length doesn’t exceed 5 minutes.

The last segment of this article contains tips on welcoming chief guests, esteemed guests, or guests of honor. The tips contained here can be divided into things to consider while drafting the welcome speech, and things to do at the event itself when meeting the chief guest.

A simple thank you would suffice. Make sure you reiterate your gratitude. Some welcome speeches can end with a line that welcomes the guest of honor.

Depending on the context, a welcome speech doesn’t always need to be impressive. In some situations, a straightforward introduction is all you need. However, in some circumstances like commencement ceremonies, farewell parties, dinners, and some others, the audience is prepared to listen to long speeches. In this case, the speech needs to catch the attention of the attendees and maintain their interest. An impressive welcome speech often has an emotional element. Not just parroting big words to describe a person’s achievements or flatter them. Try to use humor if you’re funny by nature or if you can deliver the punchline well. Use popular quotes in your speech. Tell anecdotes relevant to the attendees. Or reveal an epiphany. These are how you should draft a welcome speech set to impress.

Make sure that it is relevant to the content of your welcome speech or the point you’re making. You can use phrases such as the following: * According to… * As the old saying goes… * There’s a quote that has always stuck with me… * Events like this always remind me of one of my favorite quotes… Try to find quotes that are unique and not cliche. You can find some in the lyrics of contemporary music, or lines and dialogues from books and movies, and so on.

Learn from History – Follow the Science – Listen to the Experts

What’s the one thing that makes  LillyPad  so special? Lilly! She is a personal English tutor, and has people talking all over the world! Lilly makes improving your English easy. With Lilly, you can read in four different ways, and you can read just about anything you love. And learning with Lilly, well that’s what you call liberating! 

For learners of all ages striving to improve their English, LillyPad combines the most scientifically studied and recommended path to achieving English fluency and proficiency with today’s most brilliant technologies!

Additionally, the platform incorporates goal-setting capabilities, essential tracking & reporting, gamification, anywhere-anytime convenience, and significant cost savings compared to traditional tutoring methodologies.

At  LillyPad , everything we do is focused on delivering a personalized journey that is meaningful and life-changing for our members. LillyPad isn’t just the next chapter in English learning…

…it’s a whole new story!

Do you want to improve your English? Visit  www.lillypad.ai .

Follow us on  Facebook  or  Instagram !

William Landry

William is a professional English and ESL teacher with over 15 years of experience. He has taught students of all ages, from children to business executives, and has worked with ESL learners from all over the globe. With a degree in English Education, William has developed curriculum for learners of all levels and interests. He is passionate about helping people learn English effectively and shares his knowledge with the LillyPad community. When he’s not teaching or writing, William enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.

Related Articles

8 ways to improve your english by reading what you love with an ai tutor, how to read like a professional, what are the benefits of reading aloud, the world of online book clubs, improve your english faster with lilly an artificial intelligent tutor.

Latest Posts

Understanding YLTE: Importance of English Test for Young Learners

Top 10 errors in english proficiency tests & how to avoid them, challenges in english proficiency tests for language learners.

FLUOROSCOPE LANGUAGE CALCULATOR

How long will it take you to improve your English?

Design, write and practice your own phrases or learn  3,500+ premade English phrases  with Lilly!

© 2023 LillyPad.Ai

How to Start a Speech: 7 Tips and Examples for a Captivating Opening

By Status.net Editorial Team on December 12, 2023 — 10 minutes to read

1. Choosing the Right Opening Line

Finding the perfect opening line for your speech is important in grabbing your audience’s attention. A strong opening line sets the stage for the points you want to make and helps you establish a connection with your listeners.

1. Start with a question

Engage your audience from the very beginning by asking them a thought-provoking question related to your topic. This approach encourages them to think, and it can create a sense of anticipation about what’s coming next.

• “Have you ever wondered how much time we spend on our phones every day?”

2. Share a personal story

A relatable personal story can create an emotional connection with your audience. Make sure your story is short, relevant to your speech, and ends with a clear point.

• “When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me that every kind deed we do plants a seed of goodness in the world. It was this philosophy that inspired me to start volunteering.”

3. Use a quote or a statistic

Incorporate a powerful quote or an intriguing statistic at the outset of your speech to engage your audience and provide context for your topic.

• “As the great Maya Angelou once said, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'”

4. Make them laugh

Injecting a little humor into your opening line puts everyone at ease and makes your speech more memorable. Just make sure your joke is relevant and doesn’t offend your audience.

• “They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!”

5. Paint a mental picture

Draw your audience in by describing a vivid scene or painting an illustration in their minds. This creates an immersive experience that makes it easier for your audience to follow your speech.

• “Picture this: you’re walking down the beach, and you look out on the horizon. The sun is setting, and the sky is a breathtaking canvas of reds, oranges, and pinks.”

2. Using a Personal Story

Sharing a personal story can be a highly effective way to engage your audience from the very beginning of your speech. When you open your talk with a powerful, relatable story, it helps create an emotional connection with your listeners, making them more invested in what you have to say.

Think about an experience from your life that is relevant to the topic of your speech. Your story doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic, but it should be clear and vivid. Include enough detail to paint a picture in your audience’s minds, but keep it concise and on point.

The key to successfully using a personal story is to make it relatable. Choose a situation that your audience can empathize with or easily understand. For example, if you’re giving a speech about overcoming adversity, you could talk about a time where you faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge and overcame it.

Make sure to connect your story to the main point or theme of your speech. After sharing your experience, explain how it relates to the topic at hand, and let your audience see the relevance to their own lives. This will make your speech more impactful and show your listeners why your personal story holds meaning.

3. Making a Shocking Statement

Starting your speech with a shocking statement can instantly grab your audience’s attention. This technique works especially well when your speech topic relates to a hot-button issue or a controversial subject. Just make sure that the statement is relevant and true, as false claims may damage your credibility.

For example, “Believe it or not, 90% of startups fail during their first five years in the market.” This statement might surprise your listeners and make them more receptive to your ideas on how to avoid pitfalls and foster a successful business.

So next time you’re crafting a speech, consider opening with a powerful shocking statement. It could be just the thing to get your audience sitting up and paying full attention. (Try to keep your shocking statement relevant to your speech topic and factual to enhance your credibility.)

4. Using Humor

Humor can be an excellent way to break the ice and grab your audience’s attention. Opening your speech with a funny story or a joke can make a memorable first impression. Just be sure to keep it relevant to your topic and audience.

A good joke can set a light-hearted tone, lead into the importance of effective time management, and get your audience engaged from the start.

When using humor in your speech, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Be relatable: Choose a story or joke that your audience can easily relate to. It will be more engaging and connect your listeners to your message.
• Keep it appropriate: Make sure the humor fits the occasion and audience. Stay away from controversial topics and avoid offending any particular group.
• Practice your delivery: Timing and delivery are essential when telling a joke. Practice saying it out loud and adjust your pacing and tone of voice to ensure your audience gets the joke.
• Go with the flow: If your joke flops or doesn’t get the reaction you were hoping for, don’t panic or apologize. Simply move on to the next part of your speech smoothly, and don’t let it shake your confidence.
• Don’t overdo it: While humor can be useful in capturing your audience’s attention, remember that you’re not a stand-up comedian. Use it sparingly and focus on getting your message across clearly and effectively.

5. Incorporating a Quote

When you want to start your speech with a powerful quote, ensure that the quote is relevant to your topic. Choose a quote from a credible source, such as a famous historical figure, a well-known author, or a respected expert in your field. This will not only grab your audience’s attention but also establish your speech’s credibility.

For example, if you’re giving a speech about resilience, you might use this quote by Nelson Mandela: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Once you’ve found the perfect quote, integrate it smoothly into your speech’s introduction. You can briefly introduce the source of the quote, providing context for why their words are significant. For example:

Nelson Mandela, an inspirational leader known for his perseverance, once said: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

When you’re incorporating a quote in your speech, practice your delivery to ensure it has the intended impact. Focus on your tone, pace, and pronunciation. By doing so, you can convey the quote’s meaning effectively and connect with your audience emotionally.

Connect the quote to your main points by briefly explaining how it relates to the subject matter of your speech. By creating a natural transition from the quote to your topic, you can maintain your audience’s interest and set the stage for a compelling speech.

In our resilience example, this could look like:

“This quote by Mandela beautifully illustrates the power of resilience. Today, I want to share with you some stories of remarkable individuals who, like Mandela, overcame obstacles and rose every time they fell. Through their experiences, we might learn how to cultivate our own resilience and make the most of life’s challenges.”

6. Starting with a Question

Opening your speech with a question can be a great way to engage your audience from the start. This strategy encourages your listeners to think and become active participants in your presentation. Your opening question should be related to your core message, sparking their curiosity, and setting the stage for the following content. Here are a few examples:

• For a motivational speech : “Have you ever wondered what you would do if you couldn’t fail?”
• For a business presentation : “What’s the biggest challenge your team faces daily, and how can we overcome it?”
• For an educational talk : “How does the way we use technology today impact the future of our society?”

When choosing the right starting question, consider your audience. You want to ask something that is relevant to their experiences and interests. The question should be interesting enough to draw their attention and resonate with their emotions. For instance, if you’re presenting to a group of entrepreneurs, gear your question towards entrepreneurship, and so on.

To boost your question’s impact, consider using rhetorical questions. These don’t require a verbal response, but get your audience thinking about their experiences or opinions. Here’s an example:

• For an environmental speech : “What kind of world do we want to leave for our children?”

After posing your question, take a moment to let it sink in, and gauge the audience’s reaction. You can also use a brief pause to give the listeners time to think about their answers before moving on with your speech.

7. Acknowledging the Occasion

When starting a speech, you can acknowledge the occasion that brought everyone together. This helps create a connection with your audience and sets the stage for the rest of your speech. Make sure to mention the event name, its purpose, and any relevant individuals or groups you would like to thank for organizing it. For example:

“Hello everyone, and welcome to the 10th annual Charity Gala Dinner. I’m truly grateful to the fundraising committee for inviting me to speak tonight.”

After addressing the event itself, include a brief personal touch to show your connection with the topic or the audience. This helps the audience relate to you and gain interest in what you have to say. Here’s an example:

“As a long-time supporter of this cause, I am honored to share my thoughts on how we can continue making a difference in our community.”

Next, give a brief overview of your speech so the audience knows what to expect. This sets the context and helps them follow your points. You could say something like:

“Tonight, I’ll be sharing my experiences volunteering at the local food bank and discussing the impact of your generous donations.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective opening lines for speeches.

A powerful opening line will grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for the rest of your speech. Some effective opening lines include:

• Start with a bold statement: “The world needs your creativity now more than ever.”
• Share a surprising fact: “Did you know that the average person spends (…) years of their life at work?”
• Pose a thought-provoking question: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
• Tell a short, engaging story: “When I was 10 years old, I discovered my passion for baking in my grandmother’s kitchen.”

Can you provide examples of engaging introductions for speeches?

• Use humor: “As a kid, I believed that 7 pm bedtime was a form of torture. Now, as an adult, I find myself dreaming of 7 pm bedtime.”
• Share a personal experience: “On a trip to Italy, I found myself lost in the winding streets of a small village. It was there, amidst my confusion, that I stumbled upon the best gelato I’d ever tasted.”
• Use an analogy: “Starting a new business is like taking a journey into the unknown. There will be challenges to overcome, and you’ll need resilience, determination, and a strong compass.”

Which speech styles can make a powerful impact on the audience?

Different speech styles will resonate with different audiences. Some styles to consider include:

• Inspirational: Motivate your audience to take action or overcome challenges.
• Storytelling: Share personal experiences or anecdotes to illustrate your points and keep listeners engaged.
• Educational: Provide useful information and insights to help your audience learn or grow.
• Persuasive: Present a compelling argument to convince your audience to adopt a particular perspective or take specific action.

How do successful speakers establish a connection with their listeners?

Establishing a connection with your listeners is key to delivering an impactful speech. Some ways to connect with your audience include:

• Show empathy: Demonstrating understanding and concern for your audience’s feelings and experiences will generate a sense of trust and connection.
• Be relatable: Share personal stories or examples that allow your audience to see themselves in your experiences, thus making your speech more relatable.
• Keep it genuine: Avoid overrehearsing or coming across as scripted. Instead, strive for authenticity and flexibility in your delivery.
• Encourage participation: Engaging your audience through questions, activities, or conversation can help build rapport and make them feel more involved.

What are some techniques for maintaining a friendly and professional tone in speeches?

To maintain a friendly and professional tone in your speeches, consider these tips:

• Balance humor and seriousness: Use humor to lighten the mood and engage your audience, but make sure to also cover the serious points in your speech.
• Speak naturally: Use your everyday vocabulary and avoid jargon or overly formal language when possible.
• Show respect: Acknowledge differing opinions and experiences, and treat your audience with courtesy and fairness.
• Provide useful information: Offer valuable insights and solutions to your audience’s concerns, ensuring they leave your speech feeling more informed and empowered.
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in Leadership [Examples, Tips]
• Effective Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace (Examples)
• Empathy: Definition, Types, and Tips for Effective Practice
• How to Improve Key Communication Skills
• Examples of Empathy (and 38 Empathy Statements)
• What is Self Compassion? (Exercises, Methods, Examples)

50 Speech Opening Lines (& How to Create Your Own) l The Ultimate Guide

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Ask a million people how to start a speech with a bang and you will get a million different answers.

While some prefer to start their speech with the good old charm of a quote, others prefer to put on their hats of creativity to discover new ways to capture the attention of their audience.

So, yes! There’s not just one best way to start your speech with a bang but you have a whole spectrum of ways- each unique on its own!

Sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and relax as I highlight 50 Powerful Speech Opening Lines from some of the World’s Most Influential Speeches along with guidance on how to use each of these techniques in your next speech/presentation.

Alright, let’s dive in!

How to Start your Speech/Presentation?

The attention span of your audience is at its peak at the very beginning of your speech. Shouldn’t you use this to your advantage? Of course, yes!

A strong opening remark captures the attention of your audience, sets the theme of your speech, and most importantly, instills curiosity for the remainder of your speech in the minds of your audience.

Before we analyze each of these speech opening lines, let me provide you with a quick list of techniques (all of which we are going to discuss in great depth!) for you to start your speech/presentation:

• 1. Don't just "Say!" Sing A Song

2. Uniqueness of An Unpopular Opinion

3. the power of a prop, 4. quest of a question, 5. hint of humor, 6. share a story, 7. surprise, surprise, surprise, 8. foster interest with facts.

• 9. Let's Visualize with "Visuals"

10. Capture Interest with your Clothes

11. activity for the audience, 12. element of fear, 13. invite them into your imagination, 14. quintessential quality of a quote, 100 best speech opening lines (the ultimate resource), 1. don’t just “say” sing a song.

Now, you must be thinking that I’m crazy to even suggest this but hear me out.

Doing something entirely different on stage just makes you stand out from the usual crowd. Because let’s admit it, we expect the speaker to simply start talking and when the speaker does something different, it surprises us and makes us intrigued for the remainder of the talk.

Having said that, singing is any day a safer bet since we all love to swing by the music.

But, if you are not at all confident about your singing skills, don’t go for it! Instead, you can try channeling the power of poetry, something very similar to singing but still light on your vocal cords. Don’t be confused! We’ve written an entire article on Getting Your ‘Wordsworth’: Poetry in Public Speaking , just for you! Do check it out.

How to Use A Song as your Speech Opening?

Step 1: Pick a relevant yet famous song related to the theme of your speech/presentation

Step 2: Choose how you wish to use the song to present your point. Do you wish to agree with the lyrics? Or disagree with the lyrics?

Step 3: Pick a few lines (not more than 2-3 lines) that suits your theme the best

Step 4: Craft a statement to explain the connection of the song with the topic of your speech/presentation

Step 5: What are you waiting for? Go ahead, warm up your vocal cords, and start singing

Examples of Speeches that Used Songs as Speech Openings

1. it is okay not to have a plan by mithila palkar.

(Sings the Song) “Some of you must have seen the video of this song online, and I’ll tell you the story of how I made it.” Mithila Palkar

Budding Indian Actress and Singer, Mithila Palkar started her TED Talk by singing a Marathi Song, a song that went viral on the internet and made her famous.

Instead of simply talking about how she marked the transition from a viral singing star to a renowned actress, she made her audience live her journey by singing the exact same song.

Two things happened here:

• Most of the audience members were able to recognize the song, which in turn, established her credibility as a speaker
• The song hooked the audience from the very beginning of her talk

No matter how much we deny it, humans are judgemental beings!

We have expectations for every single thing on this planet and when someone challenges these expectations, we’re left shocked.

And as a result, they’ve all our attention. That is exactly my mantra here, “Shock the audience to get their attention!”

How to Use An Unpopular Opinion as your Speech Opening?

Step 1 : Ask yourself, “Who is my audience?” Look for the basic information on their average age, level of education, pre-conceived notions, and cultural background. Still confusing, right? The Importance of Knowing Your Audience When Delivering a Speech is an article that carries the step-by-step guide, just for you.

Step 2 : Based upon this audience analysis, figure out their set expectation regarding the topic you are about to deliver your speech on.

Step 3 : Shred that expectation by challenging that set expectation in your opening remark. Remember not to be offensive and play by the rule of your moral compass

Examples of Speeches that Used Unpopular Opinions As Opening Remarks

1. grit: the power of passion and perseverance by angela lee duckworth.

“ When I was 27 years old, I left a very demanding job in management consulting for a job that was even more demanding: teaching “ Angela Lee Duckworth

When using this strategy in your speech, it’s critical that you do your research so that you can come up with an unpopular viewpoint on the subject.

Present that unpopular viewpoint as your introductory words, and then gradually (it must be a progressive process) lead your audience to the realization, which is your speech’s main goal. Just like this speaker did!

Visuals overpower our auditory senses! Why not use it to the best of our advantage?

As our immediate reflex, we first see and then, listen. Bringing a unique prop/placard onto the stage would intrigue the audience even before you “actually” start speaking.

Without any further delay, let’s discuss the steps to use props/placards the right way.

How to Use A Prop/Placard as your Opening Remark?

Step 1: Prepare a list of props/placards that resonate the best with the theme of your speech/presentation. Don’t just bring anything on the stage!

Step 2: From this list, remove the generic options. For instance, if you are delivering a speech on environmental conservation, bringing a plastic bag on stage is too generic and won’t instill curiosity in the audience’s minds

Step 3: Now, out of all the relevant props/placards, which one do you think is the most convenient and affordable to bring on the stage? And, you have your answer!

Step 4: Once you have decided on the prop, craft a statement to establish the connection between the prop and the theme of your speech

Examples of Speeches that Used Props As Opening Remarks

1. why i live a zero waste life by lauren singer.

(brings a jar filled with waste and speaks) “This is all of the trash that I’ve produced in the past 3 years!” Lauren Singer

When you witness the speaker, Lauren, showcasing a jar filled with all of the trash that she has produced in the past three years, you can’t help wonder, “Is this for real?”

Because even the packaging of all the junk food items that we consume every week can easily overflood this jar.

Taking advantage of this embedded curiosity, Lauren structured the rest of her talk talking about all of the steps that she takes to lead a zero-waste life.

2. Plus-size? More Like My Size By Ashley Graham

(stands in front of a mirror and speaks) “You are bold, you are brilliant and you are beautiful. There is no other woman like you. You are capable…” Ashley Graham

Breaking the norms of a traditional speech, Ashley Graham, instead of staring at the audience, stares at a mirror and speaks a few lines on self-affirmation.

Let’s admit it, most of us are critical of our own bodies, and standing in front of a mirror, we tend to focus upon all the possible flaws.

To set an example of positive self-affirmation, Ashley Graham takes upon herself to set an example with the help of a live exercise.

3. 25 Chemistry Experiments in 15 Minutes By Andrew Szydlo

*does chemistry experiments* Andrew Szydlo

Watch this TED Talk and I’m sure you’ll find all the presence, of all those chemical equipment on stage, fascinating!

When the audience witnesses the efforts you are taking to deliver your talk, they are impressed and trust me, you are halfway there at capturing the attention of your audience.

Now, of course, it doesn’t mean that you put all your heart and soul into getting that perfect prop on stage.

If it’s not feasible, don’t! But if you can, that’s a great way to win your audience!

4. I See Something By Dananjaya Hettiarachchi

*smells flower* Dananjaya Hettiarachchi

In the previous example, we saw how bringing a grand prop captures the attention of our audience.

But the power of a prop goes WAY beyond this!

When a simple prop is connected with a meaningful yet unique message, the impact manifolds.

In this TED Talk, the speaker uses a rose to explain how each individual is unique in terms of his personality. A powerful message is delivered with the use of a simple prop.

A tried and tested trick that psychologists swear by to awaken the distracted minds is to “shoot a question”.

You could do that too in your next speech/presentation.

How to Use A Question As An Opening Remark?

Step 1: Think of all the questions that can help you to set the theme of your speech

Step 2: Make a point to not include close-ended questions and questions that are simply TOO GENERIC

Step 3: The last element that your question must include is the element of curiosity. The purpose is to make the audience curious enough to listen to your entire speech looking for answers to that question. But while you are at it, make sure you don’t overpromise and your speech does have the answers to that question.

Examples of Speeches that used Questions as Opening Remarks

1. every argument against veganism by ed winters.

“So, when I say the word ‘Vegan’ to you, what do you think of?” Ed Winters

Just by hearing this question, our first thought is to run all the possible definitions of veganism and the audience of this speech did the same.

This question is very clever and I’ll tell you why. So, every time a definition would come into the mind of any audience member, the speaker would be presenting his arguments against veganism forcing the audience to align their thoughts with his thought process.

Without any possible digression, the speaker Ed Winters presents his thoughts on Veganism in a convincing manner with the help of the rhetoric of questions.

Now, this type of question sends the audience on a possible quest for answers but that’s not the only purpose that this technique serves. Next in order, let’s look at how questions set the theme of a speech.

2. Why Do We Ask Questions? By Michael “Vsauce” Stevens

“What is the best type of cheese to use to catch a bear?” Michael “Vsauce” Stevens

In this TED Talk, the speaker uses this technique as a rhetorical question and answers this question with the help of a cheese pun.

Moving ahead, he goes on unearthing the science behind asking questions. So, it only made sense for him to begin his speech with a question too to set the overall vibe and theme of the topic.

3. Marriage Material By Nina Donovan

“So from a glance, do I look like marriage material?” Nina Donovan

In this TED Talk, we shall discover the strength of an interrogative remark in generating curiosity regarding the theme of your speech.

Since time immemorial, society has been setting “so-called” norms to determine if an individual is a potential marriage material (mostly, in the case of women).

To fit under this category of “marriage material”, one has to behave as per the so-called expectations of the society, and anything that defies the norm fails to fit in.

With the help of her powerful voice, the speaker here challenges the notion of this concept of “Marriage Material” and highlights the importance of individuality.

And by asking if the audience perceives her as marriage material, she surprises the audience while cultivating a sense of curiosity in them.

4. After watching this, your brain will not be the same By Lara Boyd

“So how do we learn? And why do some of us learn things more easily than others?” Lara Boyd

Admit it or not- we’ve always wondered why some people learn things better than us. What exactly is their secret?

And when you throw this question at the audience, they become intrigued to know this very secret with the help of your talk.

Curiosity is what makes us stick to the remainder of any talk. So, it’s high time we channelize it!

5. The Value of Asking Questions By Karen Maeyens

“Do you know the people that are asked the most questions? Have A Guess!” Karen Maeyens

An open-ended thought-provoking question like this forces the audience to activate their minds in the search for answers.

As they become more active, they listen better and focuses better on what you have to offer.

When Karen asked her audience who are the people that are asked the most questions, different minds pondered different answers and when she herself answered the question, those who thought of different answers were intrigued to listen to her justification and as a result of this, they stuck by!

6. Two Easily Remembered Questions that Silence Negative Thoughts By Anthony Metivier

“How would you like to completely silence your mind?” Anthony Metivier

We, humans, have restless minds- always pondering over something or the other.

So, what’s likely to happen when someone asks us if we would like to silence our minds? Ironically, we’ll be restless to know the answer. That’s what the speaker did through his TED Talk.

The next time you are giving a speech, you can consider opening it with a question that would result in a similar effect of restlessness in the minds of the audience.

For this to truly happen, make sure that your question is not generic. Otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain.

Ain’t we tired of listening to the phrase, “Laughter is the best medicine”?

I’m sure we all are but the reason why it’s still so prevalent is because of its universality.

Of course, laughter is the best medicine to an opening remark too. It makes your audience laugh and who doesn’t love a good laugh? We all do!

Humor puts the minds at ease and makes you sound more human, because of which, the audience perceives you as a credible speaker.

How to Use Humor In An Opening Remark?

Step 1: Know your audience well. Your joke must resonate with them so as to make the desired impact. For instance, if you are addressing a school crowd and you make a joke about workplace communication mistakes. It won’t make the audience chuckle, would it?

Step 2: Puns? Self-deprecating humor? Or Funny Anecdotes? Identify the types of humor and figure out which one suits your personality in the best way. If you are not sure what types of humor are there and wish to seek a step-by-step guide on including humor in your presentation, make sure you read A Guide To Using Humor In Your Speech . Remember to choose the type of humor in alignment with your personality otherwise, it will look forced and won’t result in the impact you desired

Step 3: Step out and do a pilot survey! Try out the opener on a few folks who are similar to your target audience. Examine their reaction and, if required, adjust the joke

Step 4: Keep in mind that once you begin your speech with a pinch of humor, your audience will be expecting a few moments of laughter throughout the rest of your speech too. So, make sure you save 2-3 jokes (not more than that) for the remainder of your speech to meet those expectations

Examples of Speeches that used Humor in Opening Remarks

1. thoughts on humanity, fame and love by shah rukh khan.

“I’m a movie star. I’m 51 years of age. And I don’t use Botox as of yet.” Shah Rukh Khan

This TED Talk right here is the perfect case in point for you to witness all the four steps to humor (as discussed in the previous section) in action.

Known for his great performance in doing justice to a number of family roles in Bollywood films, the actor Shah Rukh Khan, in his TED Talk used the power of humor to make himself sound more human to align his talk with his perceived personality.

A humorous take on the drug, Botox, not only relates to the speaker’s professional credibility but also established the relatability quotient.

2. Ellen DeGeneres’ 86th Oscars Opening

“It’s been a tough couple of days for us. It has been raining. We’re fine. Thank you for your prayers.” Ellen DeGeneres

Two lessons on humor can be perfectly drawn from this talk:

• Make sure you include humor when the event calls for it in its truest sense.

Since Ellen DeGeneres was hosting the Oscars Opening Ceremony, nobody expected her to be all serious in terms of her talk. The audience is expecting a more relaxed and chill vibe from the speaker.

So, starting her talk with a piece of humor not only sounded like a safer bet but also the most effective one.

• Humor must align with the personality of the orator

What’s the thought that comes to your mind when you listen to the name, “Ellen DeGeneres”? I’m sure for most of us, it’s someone who’s great at presenting her opinions in a convincing manner with the help of comedy.

And that’s what you expect from her personality: Humor!

3. How Indian Parents Make You Tougher By Hasan Minhaj

“Do you know when brown kids get slapped? Every brown birthday party.” Hasan Minhaj

The element of surprise won’t work if your audience is familiar with what you are about to tell them.

So, make sure that you are addressing the right element of surprise to the right audience to make them chuckle. And Hasan Minhaj did it absolutely right!

In this TED Talk, Hasan Minhaj told a piece of surprising cultural information about Indian teens to the American Audience and not the Indian Audience (because they will be familiar with it and it won’t be a shock).

4. The Clues to A Great Story By Andrew Stanton

“A tourist is backpacking through the highlands of Scotland, and he stops at a pub to get a drink. And the only people in there is a bartender and an old man nursing a beer. And he orders a pint, and they sit in silence for a while. And suddenly, the old man turns to him and goes, “You see this bar? I built this bar with my bare hands from the finest wood in the county, gave it more care and love than my own child. But do they call me McGregor the Bar Builder? No.” Points out the window. “You see that stone wall out there? I built that stone wall with my bare hands. Found every stone, placed them just so through the rain and the cold. But do they call me McGregor the Stone Wall Builder? No” Points out the other window. “You see that pier on the lake out there? I built that pier with my bare hands, drove the pilings against the tide of the sand, plank by plank. But do they call me McGregor the pier builder? No. But you fuck one goat…” Andrew Stanton

When humor is combined with effective storytelling, a great laugh is expected from the intrigued minds sitting in the audience.

Remember how we used to tell small anecdotes as kids while telling any joke? That’s what needs to be done here.

Build up the curiosity with the help of a story and end that story by bringing in an element of surprise to make your audience chuckle. Unexpected humor is always welcome!

We’ve all grown up listening to bedtime stories.

As we approached our teenage years and adulthood, we switched to narrating anecdotes from our lives to our friends, family, and colleagues.

In a nutshell, it’s the stories that connect us and will continue to serve this very purpose.

Hence, it’s only fair for us to channel this magic of storytelling into our public speaking events as well.

How to Narrate A Story in An Opening Remark?

Step 1: Pick a story from your life or narrate something that happened to someone you know or simply form a gripping story. Whatever it might be, just make sure you are not exaggerating to come off as a relatable speaker. Most importantly, the story you choose has to be related to the theme of your speech

Step 2: Now that you have the story in mind, pick a narrative to design the structure of your story. Wait, don’t know what storytelling narrative structures are? Read 9 Storytelling Approaches For Your Next Speech or Presentation to know different ways to effectively narrate a story

Step 3: Use simple language while writing your story and be descriptive enough to help them imagine. Keep in mind that your audience should relate and it’s possible only when they can understand your story in its truest sense

Examples of Speeches that used Stories As Opening Remarks

1. life begins at the end of your comfort zone by yubing zhang.

“It’s a cold and foggy winter morning and I’m standing on the world’s tallest bungee platform. The platform I’m standing on is so tiny that I’ve to stand on my toes and balance myself against the wind…” Yubing Zhang

While highlighting how stepping out of one’s comfort zone is crucial, the speaker narrates a personal anecdote of her bungee-jumping experience.

To form a connection with the overall theme, she goes on to narrate how one bungee cord leap taught her the biggest lesson of her life.

Through the remainder of her talk, she then focuses upon sharing her lessons and guidance on how one can step out of his/her comfort zone to facilitate personal growth.

2. How to Figure Out What You Really Want By Ashley Stahl

“It was 2:45 pm on a rainy friday in Los Angeles. My dad was just brewing a cup of coffee in the kitchen when he answered a call from an unknown number…” Ashley Stahl

While the previous example on storytelling taught us to build a connection with the overall theme of our speech, this TED Talk by Ashley Stahl teaches the significance of body language and voice modulation in effective storytelling.

Observe how she narrates this story with effective pauses and uses inflection to create a sense of drama and suspense.

That’s something we all should keep in consideration while narrating any story.

Storytelling is only effective when conveyed properly with the help of facial expressions, body language, and vocal tonality. This is all done to appeal to the sentiments of the audience because eventually, it is what will make our talk all the more persuasive.

3. How “SHE” became an IAS Officer By Surabhi Gautam

“My story starts from a small, sleepy village of Madhya Pradesh with a population of barely a thousand people…” Surabhi Gautam

You don’t necessarily have to focus all your energy on writing your story with a proper build-up.

If you are using a story to build your credibility as a speaker as well as intrigue your audience, one simple way could be to just begin your speech with something as simple as, “My story starts from…”

Just like this speaker did!

Nothing fancy, nothing over the board but still manages to captivates the interest of the audience because of the following reasons:

• She communicates in the language of people by using simple words
• Starting with something like, “My story starts from…” sent an indication that she’s about to narrate the story of her life and as a matter of fact, we all are intrigued naturally to listen to different people’s life stories

4. Speaking Up Without Freaking Out By Matt Abrahams

“Panic. Embarassed. Exposed. No, that’s not how I’m feeling right now. Those are the feelings I had when I was a fourteen year old boy…” Matt Abrahams

Let’s be honest for a moment- we all have been through the feeling of “Panic, Embarrassed, Exposed” (just how Matt puts it) when asked to speak on stage.

By narrating a story that most of the audience members can relate to, Matt won the hearts of a majority of his audience members and established his credibility as a speaker.

5. The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything By Josh Kaufman

“Two years ago my life changed forever. My wife and I welcomed our daughter Lela in the world…” Josh Kaufman

“This has been the turning point of my life”

How do you feel when someone says something like this to you? Intrigued to know more?

This is the power that the speaker used here. He narrated a story of how being a parent changed his life and eventually, relates this experience to the topic of his speech, which to be honest, is fascinating to witness!

6. The Happy Secret to Better Work By Shawn Achor

“When I was seven years old and my sister was just five years old, we were playing on top of a bunk bed. I was two years older than my sister at the time — I mean, I’m two years older than her now — but at the time it meant she had to do everything that I wanted to do, and I wanted to play war. So we were up on top of our bunk beds. And on one side of the bunk bed, I had put out all of my G.I. Joe soldiers and weaponry. And on the other side were all my sister’s My Little Ponies ready for a cavalry charge. There are differing accounts of what actually happened that afternoon, but since my sister is not here with us today, let me tell you the true story –“ Shawn Achor

A descriptive story narrated using stylistic language has the strength to move the audience and immerse them into a fictional world.

In terms of storytelling, this technique is by far the most effective yet simplest way.

It’s commonly used while giving out persuasive speeches as it helps the speaker to align the audience’s thoughts with the speaker’s point of view. That’s what Shawn did through the help of his childhood story.

Of course, we all love surprises. Who doesn’t, right?

So, here’s a crazy idea! Why not surprise your audience with your opening remark?

Here’s how you can do so.

How to Surprise your Audience through your Opening Remark?

Option 1: Go up on that stage, say something totally unexpected and blow the minds! Now, your job doesn’t end here. Once you are done speaking your opening remark, provide your audience as to why you said what you said and what more are you going to offer through the rest of your content. Look at the first example in the next section to see its application.

Option 2: Another thing that you can do is to tell your audience something completely unknown related to the topic of your speech. Something that would make them go like, “Wait, what?” You can either present a shocking piece of information, an unknown taboo of that culture, or even a shocking habit of that cultural population.

Option 3: Tell something unknown not about the culture you are talking about but about yourself. We as humans are always attracted to gossip about other people’s lives. Of course, the audience would be interested in knowing something shocking about your life. But through the content of your speech, do remember to build that connection with your speech.

Examples of Speeches that Surprises its Audience through its Opening Remarks

1. how to start a speech by simon lancaster.

“Who wants to get high? Yeah, you up for some? Should we really get this party started?” Simon Lancaster

Who comes up on stage and asks the audience, “Who wants to get high?”

It’s purely unexpected and shocking!

But in this TED Talk, as the speaker focuses upon highlighting the steps to crafting a strong opening remark (just like we are discussing at this moment), he took it upon himself to use this very element of surprise to capture the audience’s attention.

2. Why I Don’t Use A Smart Phone By Ann Makosinski

“The last time I used a flip phone was 3 hours and 24 minutes ago.” Ann Makosinski

Now, after listening to her opening remark, do you want to know why is she still using a flip phone in the 21st Century? (At least, I do)

And that is the strength of a strong opening remark.

After generating this needed curiosity in the minds of her audience, the speaker focused the remainder of her talk telling these reasons to the audience, one by one.

So, yes! We can safely say that starting our speech with an unpopular opinion is an elegant yet simple way to kick-start our speech.

3. How to Control Emotion and Influence Behavior By Dawn Goldworm

“I can control your emotions and influence your behaviour without showing you anything, without touching you and without saying a word to you.” Dawn Goldworm

Hearing this opening remark is not just shocking but scary too!

I’m sure, just like me, you wish to unearth this secret to control and influence behavior so that you can control minds too.

It’s natural for you to listen to the remainder of the talk for this sole reason.

This way, capturing the attention of her audience was made easy for the speaker, Dawn Goldworm.

4. Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable By Luvvie Ajayi Jones

“I’m a professional troublemaker!” Luvvie Ajayi Jones

Listening to this opening remark, “what is your reaction?”

Are you thinking how exactly is she a troublemaker just like me? If yes, then the speaker has successfully inculcated this curiosity in us.

But what we all are also wondering is what does that have to do with the theme and the speaker does establish this connection in her follow-up statement right after her opening remark.

So, make sure the next time you are out there presenting a shocking remark, do follow it up with context, always.

5. How to Spot A Liar By Pamela Meyer

“Okay now, I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. Also, the person to your left is a liar.” Pamela Meyer

While delivering a TED Talk on “How to Spot A Liar”, Pamela begins by spotting a few liars from the audience itself making everyone think, “How did she do that?”

And naturally, with minimum efforts, she lured her audience in to listen to her entire talk as she unfolds different ways in which we all can spot a liar.

6. The Art of Being Yourself By Caroline McHugh

“So, the chances are you have looked in at least one mirror today. You’ve had a shave or you combed your hair or maybe you checked your teeth for spinach after lunch, but what you didn’t know is the face that you’re looking at is not the face that everyone sees.” Caroline McHugh

A shocking way to surprise your audience is to simply begin with some obvious observations and follow them up with a unique observation about the very same things- leaving them surprised by catching them completely off-guard.

To get better at this technique, draw some inspiration from this TED Talk by Caroline McHugh as she does a similar thing.

It is so far the easiest way to start your speech with a bang!

Present a fact to elicit the shock value in the minds- be it positive or negative.

But incorporating the right fact in the right way is an art in itself. Let’s dive right into it!

How to Use Facts as your Opening Remark?

First things first, make sure that your fact is not too generic. It has to be shocking in one way or the other to grip the audience’s attention.

Step 1: Present the fact using simple language. Avoid using technical terms here.

Step 2: Take a pause, give the audience a moment to ponder over it (But don’t wait for TOO LONG!). Next, present an extension of that fact, if you have any, or simply break down the fact by telling the audience how does this fact affects them. Give them the reasons.

Examples of Speeches that used Facts as its Opening Remarks

1. can we not let our breakups break us by tasha jackson.

“I want you all to know that you are loved because today we can be surrounded by so many people but feel profoundly alone. 68% of Gen Z feels like nobody knows them. An average American has only one close friend and one in four feels like no one.” Tasha Jackson

While presenting facts, it’s important that we go from covering a larger umbrella to the smaller one

This way, the audience knows the exact way in which they are getting affected by this piece of information.

That’s exactly how the speaker, Tasha, rolled her TED Talk.

Once the audience was aware of the intensity of how breakups are affecting each one of them, they were all the more intrigued to know how they can not let breakups affect them to such a drastic extent.

It is this incentive that made the listeners pay attention to her talk as she unfolded all the solutions to this, one by one.

2. How to Increase Love in Your Relationship By Jonathan Ljungqvist

“In Sweden, where I come from, we have 40 thousand marriages a year and each year we have around 20 thousand divorces.” Jonathan Ljungqvist

Create the illusion of an audience poll with your piece of fact, just like this speaker did in his TED Talk.

After highlighting the drastic extent of failed marriages in Sweden, Jonathan took a pause to let that information sink in and in his follow-up statement, he started shooting a few questions at the audience.

After waiting for a few seconds (2-3 seconds is the ideal time duration to wait), Jonathan answered and highlighted the problem at hand.

This made the audience respect and agree with his fact, all the way more.

Through the remainder of his talk, he then went on highlighting the steps to increase love in any relationship.

3. I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying By Dr. Christopher Kerr

“I read a recent survey, and what Americans fear most is public speaking and dying.” Dr. Christopher Kerr

How do we perceive death as an individual? It’s a question that most of us have a unique answer to.

In an attempt to establish the relevance of his topic, the speaker uses a fact that highlights how feared death is.

It’s what capitalized the attention of the audience and forced them to listen to what different perspectives he had to offer on the topic from a medical standpoint.

4. Saudi Arabia: Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

“Saudi Arabia has been engulfed in a massive diplomatic crisis over the gruesome killing of Washingto Post Journalist Jamal Khashoggi” Hasan Minhaj

Now, stating facts doesn’t mean that you just go on telling statistical figures. It also includes different pieces of information, particularly news events!

In this talk, Hasan Minhaj recalls one such news event to set the theme of his talk.

Recalling news events makes our talk relevant while establishing the context. It signifies that as a speaker you are up-to-date with the information that you have to offer. So, the audience looks forward to hearing a talk devoid of redundancies.

5. Can We Not Let Our Breakups Break Us By Tasha Jackson

We live in a world where dating is the equivalent of buying a new pair of shoes.

Very often, with each dating experience comes the trauma of heartbreaks. As the speaker in this TED Talk rightly said, “breakups break us”.

But how to overcome it has always been a flaming question, particularly among the teens.

But to bring to light the intensity and ever-increasing prevalence of the situation, the speaker took the help of the statistics.

6. Teach Every Child About Food By Jamie Oliver

“ Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat. “ Jamie Oliver

Here, while throwing light upon an alarming issue (hunger), the speaker considered presenting harrowing stats to get that desired ‘concerned mood’.

Similarly, when you wish to highlight an opportunity (say, the positive side of social media), present positive stats showcasing the success of people through social media.

9. Let’s Visualize with “Visuals”

Visuals are always gripping and easy on our minds.

Show respect towards your audience by giving them a needed break from the monotony of “just listening”.

Be a respite and engage them through the power of visuals for a change. Here’s exactly how you can do this.

How to Connect Visuals with your Opening Remark?

Step 1: Get in touch with the tech team of your public speaking event and see if the needed technical support is there to facilitate the screening of an image/video.

Step 2: Now, find a visual interesting enough to arise the curiosity but not too generic to make it too predictable for the audience- all related to your theme.

Step 3: Craft a short, concise, and to-the-point follow-up statement to explain the relevance of that visual using simple language.

Examples of Speeches that used Visuals as Opening Remarks

1. don’t believe everything you think by lauren weinstein.

*shows picture of an elephant.* Lauren Weinstein

In this TED Talk, Lauren draws a beautiful comparison between elephants and the nature of humans by showcasing a few visuals.

She does this through the use of storytelling. Narrating how despite all the strength an elephant has, it doesn’t attempt to break its chains of captivity.

After establishing this, she goes on to connect this act with the thesis of her speech, that is, how one should not always believe everything they think.

What we can take away from this TED Talk is, when visuals are effectively supported by storytelling and the rhetoric of drawing comparison, the impact increases manifold.

2. The History of Our World in 18 Minutes By David Christian

*plays a video about scrambled eggs* David Christian

In this unique TED Talk, David Christian explains the origin of the history of our world through the video of a scrambled egg. Unique, isn’t it?

That is exactly what we need to learn here.

We don’t necessarily need to find a visual that directly relates to the theme of our speech. Instead, we can go for a visual that we can use as an aid to explain a similar topic, that is, the theme of our speech.

3. How Breathing and Metabolism are Interconnected By Ruben Meerman

*shows image of himself in the sea* Ruben Meerman

This TED Talk right here is an example of how you can establish a direct correlation between the visual and your topic- all through the use of storytelling.

Ruben Meerman began his speech by showing a few pictures of himself to talk about his health transformation.

When the audience witnessed the transformation right in front of their eyes, they were curious to know the secret behind it so that they can apply it to their respective lives.

That’s the power of a gripping visual!

YES! You read it right.

No matter how shallow it sounds but the outfit is the first thing we notice every time a speaker walks up that stage.

And if you are dressed differently than the rest of the speakers, you naturally capture the eyes of your audience.

By this, I don’t mean that you go to a branded store and buy the most expensive outfit from there and wear it for your event. What I mean is to put serious thought into deciding what to wear for your event.

Ideally, one should go for an outfit that is unique yet related to the theme of your speech but doesn’t hurt the dress code of the event too. Here’s how.

How to Connect Clothes with your Opening Remark?

Step 1: The most basic step is to check with the admin if there is any particular dress code that the speakers need to adhere to. If not, feel free to put on your hat of creativity by following the next steps

Step 2: Pick an outfit that connects with the theme of your speech but is still unique enough for the audience to go like, “Wait, what outfit is this?”

Step 3: Go on the stage wearing that outfit, take a pause, let the audience wonder. After a meaningful silence of 2-3 seconds, start speaking. Open up by telling the audience the significance of the outfit that you are wearing

Examples of Speeches that Connect Clothes with Opening Remarks

1. we are all different- and that’s awesome by cole blakeway.

(comes on stage weaing two different pair of socks and shoes) “Hi, my name is Cole and over the next few minutes, I’m going to teach you that it’s okay to be different. Since a young age, I’ve worn different colored socks and two different shoes.” Cole Blakeway

Fascinating opening remark, isn’t it?

Something as simple as wearing different pairs of socks can instill curiosity and help the speaker make his point, “we all are different”.

Since biblical times, we as humans try to fit in different situations. Be it a workplace, college, or even a social gathering for that matter.

In this TED Talk, Cole attempts to shed light on the lesson of embracing our true selves and how there’s nothing wrong with being different.

The tone of such a powerful talk was set just by wearing different pairs of socks.

2. Looks aren’t Everything. Believe me, I’m a Model By Cameron Russell

(switches to a different outfit and speaks) “This is the first outfit change on the TED Stage, so you guys are pretty lucky to witness it, I think.” Cameron Russell

Of course, the traditional way to pull this technique off is to come on stage wearing a unique outfit.

But Cameron Russell finds her very own unique way of a live outfit change wherein she brings a wrap-around skirt and wears over her dress to make a simple point that appearance is not everything, it goes way beyond that.

Seeing a model by profession mark this unlikely outfit transition made the audience trust her thesis all the way more.

They say that communication is a two-way street.

Yet, more often than not, we forget to keep this in mind during all the public speaking events.

We tend o go on speaking and speaking. While sometimes we manage to keep the audience interested, the rest of the time we simply bore the audience to sleep.

To save you here, an easy bet is to organize an activity for your audience towards the very beginning of your speech.

How to Connect An Audience Activity with your Opening Remark?

Step 1: Familiarize with your audience. What’s the average age of your audience? What’s their educational and work background? Getting these basic details will help you structure an activity that would ensure maximum participation from them. For instance, if you are addressing a bunch of school students, your activity can involve more physical exercises and less mental exercise. Also, ask yourself, “What is the size of my audience?” This will help you decide on the extent of interactivity.

Step 2: Find an activity that is not too basic. Your activity should make the audience curious about your content. Something that makes the audience wonder, “What does this activity have to do with the theme?” But then they are left amazed as soon as you begin to connect the relevance of the activity with your speech.

Step 3: Don’t make it TOO LONG! Keep it short and sweet.

Step 4: Write a vivid description of the steps involved in the activity so that the audience is not left confused about what to do.

Examples of Speeches that Used Audience Activities as Opening Remarks

1. are you a giver or a taker by adam grant.

“I want you to look around the room for a minute and try to find the most paranoid person here and then I want you to point that person out for me. (waits and then says) Okay, don’t actually do it.” Adam Grant

Given that Adam’s audience was comprised of more adults, he made them perform a mental exercise as it’s most likely for them to participate in a mental exercise rather than expecting them to move up their seats to do something.

And that’s what happened. The audience participated! Because all they had to do was simply move their heads around to find out a paranoid person.

Most importantly, the activity wasn’t too generic for the audience for them to predict its relevance. So, it made them curious enough to listen to the remainder of Adam’s TED Talk to witness him unravel its relevance.

2. Girl Up: The Secrets to an Extraordinary Life By Courtney Ferrell

“Okay, I need a favor. I need all the girls who are between the age of 17 and 24 to stand up.” Courtney Ferrell

Audience Matters! I know, I’ve been saying this A LOT but it’s the key to a great speech opening.

Even in this TED Talk, the speaker made all the girls between the age group of 17 to 24 stand up since she knew that more than 50% of her audience would stand up.

It’s a win-win situation, I’ll tell you how.

When Courtney confessed that she’s about to tell the secret to channel the creative spirit of women and how to empower them.

Those who stood up felt directly connected to the theme and the rest were curious enough to know the secret to see if it can benefit them or someone they know.

3. What It’s Like To Grow Up Desi in 2019 By Hasan Minhaj

“Alright, real quick- say your full name and then say the way white people say your name. So, my name is Hasan Minhaj. I would get a Ha-sen Min-haj-a” Hasan Minhaj

Two important lessons here, my friends!

• Interactivity is Influential

Since Hasan was addressing a comparatively smaller crowd of around 7 teens, he could incorporate an interactive activity, giving each of his audience members an opportunity to speak.

• Lead the Activity Ladder

Before asking each of his audience members to speakers, Hasan himself initiated the act of participation from his end.

This way, the audience was all the more thrilled to speak.

Because when you participate, your audience sees it as an incentive and feels more confident to participate seeing that you as a speaker are making an effort too.

4. How to Triple your Memory By Using This Trick By Ricardo Lieuw On

“So, I have a little test for you. Don’t panic, I’m not here to judge you…” Ricardo Lieuw On

“Awaken the competitive nature of your audience members!” This should be your motto here.

But first, make sure that you are clear with the explanation of the rules so that it’s easier for everyone to follow.

Look how the speaker has introduced a competitive activity here to awaken the minds.

This serves two purposes:

• Your audience is intrigued to listen to the rest of your talk
• Even if a few members are distracted, you can win them back

Do you remember all the times when your mom used to make you eat green vegetables by instilling some sort of fear?

Be it the fear of dull skin or even poor eyesight for that matter, it eventually made you take that action.

Isn’t this aim of public speeches too? To persuade the audience to take some action after your speech ends? A hundred percent, yes!

So, let’s jump into how we can incorporate fear in our speech opening to make our audience listen to us.

How to Use Fear as your Opening Remark?

Step 1: At the fear of reiterating myself, “Begin with analyzing your audience”. The Best Guide to Audience Analysis is an article for you to help you do just that.

Step 2: Done with analyzing your audience after reading the article? Now, make a list of their potential fears related to the theme of your speech.

Step 3: Figure out that one fear that is not too triggering. Here, ask yourself, “If I were to listen to this, would I be triggered to a huge extent?” If the answer is yes, leave that fear and choose one that is slightly less triggering but

Examples of Speeches that used Fear as its Opening Remarks

1. why the secret to sucess is setting the right goals by john doerr.

“We’re at a critical moment Our leaders, some of our great institutions are failing us.” John Doerr

While highlighting how important it is to set the right goals for development, John Doerr begins his speech by pointing at how the institutions are failing their citizens by setting the wrong objectives.

When you are told that someone is failing you, you feel a sense of disappointment, and you are naturally drawn to know the reason behind it to figure out if there’s something you can do to improve the situation.

This is the exact feeling that we are going for here!

In this technique, we are looking forward to getting our audience to daydream without boring them.

This art of imagination works the best for persuasive speeches. Here’s how!

While delivering a persuasive speech, our aim is to align the audience’s thoughts with our thought process but there needs to be a bridge, right? A bridge that the audience can take to step into your thought process.

This bridge is the art of imagination.

How to Use Imagination as your Opening Remark?

Step 1: Decide the emotion that you want your audience to feel. Do you wish to go for a negative emotion or a positive one? My suggestion for you would be to go for a negative one since negative emotions overpower the positive ones, psychologically speaking.

Step 2: Once you have decided on the type of emotion, craft a descriptive outline for the piece of imagination that is related to the theme of your speech.

Step 3: Using simple yet descriptive language, write down your piece of imagination. Remember to write in a chronological order detailing each and every step otherwise your audience won’t truly immerse in that imaginary world. To explain to you in simpler terms, if a few steps are missing from the bridge, you cannot walk to reach the other side, can you?

Step 4: Focus the rest of your speech telling the audience what to do to avoid the situation (in case of a negative imagination) and what to do to reach the situation (in case of a positive imagination).

Examples of Speeches that used Imagination as Opening Remarks

1. the barrier between us by tvisha bandhu.

“Picture this. You’re in the MRT, you’re scrolling through your phone, and you take notice of this lady walking through the cabin saying ‘hello, hello.'” Tvisha Bandhu

This speech is the perfect example of how one can kick start his speech through the power of closed imagination (one wherein you provided step-by-step details on what to imagine).

Look how the speaker, Tvisha Bandhu, uses her body posture and gestures to emote every sense of feeling encompassed within that imagination.

It works perfectly in sync with her descriptive writing. It’s so descriptive that she has even written the exact dialogues for the characters involved in her imagination such as “Hello, Hello” for the lady who walked through the cabin.

Descriptive writing backed by powerful body language and vocal tonality can increase the impact manifold.

2. Why Do We Fear Speaking On Stage? By Pratik Uppal

“If I ask you to come on the stage right now & deliver a speech, think what kind of excuses would you come up with.” Pratik Uppal

The second example is of an open imagination.

You don’t necessarily need to provide step-by-step details for the audience to make them imagine a situation

One easy way is to simply tell them to ponder over their reaction to a particular situation and then, go on providing a brief of what exact situation they are put in.

In this TED Talk, the speaker asked the audience to imagine all the excuses that they can come up with to dread a public speaking event. Now, pause! Even you think! I’m sure you too can come up with many without anyone telling you what to imagine exactly.

This is what we call open imagination. Widespread usage of this technique can be seen in movies with open endings wherein the end is treated as possibly the beginning.

3. The Surprising Secret that Solves your Problems Quickly By Collins Key

“Imagine if you could take your brain and turn it inside out and then have access to the information to be able to virtually solve any problem. It sounds pretty cool, right?” Collins Key

In the previous sections, we discussed the examples for two commonly-used types of imagination- open and closed.

Here, we shall discuss an example of how you can ask the audience to imagine something out of the world.

If you are a Potter-head, you know the strength that this technique entails. The entire series is based upon fiction encompassing a world where everything goes larger than life, even life itself but you still can’t seem to snap out of it because you are that engrossed.

In this TED Talk, Collins opened up his talk with one such piece of imagination wherein he asked the audience to imagine how would they feel if they could simply take their brain out and turn it inside out to find a solution in the blink of an eye instead of spending hours overthinking for it.

Fascinating, right? This intrigued the audience to listen to the rest of his speech in the search of a secret to solve their problems in the quickest way possible.

4. How to Present to Keep your Audience’s Attention By Mark Robinson

“Imagine it’s Wednesday 28th of August, 1963 & we’re in the United States Of American, specifically Washington DC.” Mark Robinson

Imagination is only effective if you catering the right piece of imagination to the right audience.

Now, take the example of this TED Talk. Had this TED Talk been delivered to an audience who is not aware of the significance of the person being spoken about, Martin Luther King Jr, his speech would have been totally ineffective.

So, make sure that whatever piece of imagination you have to offer is within the understanding of your audience.

This technique doesn’t require any fancy introduction.

For the longest time, great orators have been starting their respective speeches with one quote or the other to persuade their audience through the art of rhythm.

But the inclusion of this technique as an opening remark is easier said than done. Make sure you follow the steps in the next section.

How to Use A Quote as an Opening Remark?

Before we begin, remember not to use a quote that is too common. Use a quote that is less heard of!

Option 1: The easiest and safest bet is to use a famous quote related to the context of your speech. If the propounder of that quote is associated with the topic of your speech in one way or the other, it’s even better since it establishes the credibility of the quote.

Option 2: The other effective way is to make a quote of your own instead of relying upon someone else’s quote. It’s simpler than it sounds. An easier hack is to use alliteration (occurrence of similar sound at the beginning of adjacent words in a phrase) in the phrase you wish to highlight as your opening remark. For instance, even the title of this section, “Quintessential Quality of A Quote” uses this technique. Read Getting Your ‘Wordsworth’: Poetry in Public Speaking to know how exactly you can write a quote using alliteration and similar techniques.

Examples of Speeches that Used Quotes as Opening Remarks

1. increase your self-awareness with one simple fix by tasha eurich.

Tennessee Williams once told us, “There comes a time when you look into the mirror and you realize that what you see is what you’ll ever be. And then you accept it. Or you kill yourself. Or you stop looking in mirrors.” Tasha Eurich

To see the application of the first alternative in action, watch this TED Talk by Tasha Eurich.

While using someone else’s quote, attribution to the speaker is necessary. You can do so by simply saying something like, “As NAME OF THE SPEAKER rightly said…” Nothing too fancy, simplicity works the best.

Talking about the credibility of the original speaker of the quote, since this TED Talk is focused upon “Self-awareness”, it made Tennessee Williams who was a great playwright in Hollywood, a credible speaker to trust.

2. Mistakes Make the Man By Mathew George

“Man makes mistakes & mistakes make the man.” Mathew George

Now, let’s talk about making a quote on our own. Shall we?

The most basic step we discussed under the “how-to” section was alliteration and that’s what the speaker, Mathew George, used in the creation of his opening remark too.

Alliteration provides a rhythm to your speech opening line and makes you sound persuasive naturally.

Level up your public speaking in 15 minutes!

Get the exclusive Masterclass video delivered to your inbox to see immediate speaking results.

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

We hope that you have found some value here in your journey as a public speaker!

If you wish to know about more such amazing speech opening lines, make sure you check out 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (& How to Create Your Own) .

Not just that! We’ve written a similar article on 50 Speech Closing Lines (& How to Create Your Own) l The Ultimate Guide . Make sure you read that to END YOUR SPEECH WITH A BANG!

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

Lost Voice? Here’s How to Recover Sore Throat and Speak Again

7 Keys to Emcee Like a Pro: Unlock Your Hosting Potential

8 Ways to Rise Above the Noise to Communicate Better

• [email protected]
• +91 98203 57888

Get our latest tips and tricks in your inbox always

Copyright © 2023 Frantically Speaking All rights reserved

Kindly drop your contact details so that we can arrange call back

Select Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria AmericanSamoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Rwanda Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Wallis and Futuna Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe land Islands Antarctica Bolivia, Plurinational State of Brunei Darussalam Cocos (Keeling) Islands Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cote d'Ivoire Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Guernsey Holy See (Vatican City State) Hong Kong Iran, Islamic Republic of Isle of Man Jersey Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Lao People's Democratic Republic Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Mozambique Palestinian Territory, Occupied Pitcairn Réunion Russia Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sao Tome and Principe Somalia Svalbard and Jan Mayen Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tanzania, United Republic of Timor-Leste Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S.

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Communication Skills
• Public Speaking
• Speechwriting

How to Write a Welcome Speech

Last Updated: July 29, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 12 testimonials and 80% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,670,154 times.

Are you on welcome speech duty for an upcoming program or event? You’ve got nothing to worry about—with the right format and tone, it’s super easy to write and present a welcome speech for just about any occasion. We’ve outlined everything you need to know, from your opening greetings and acknowledgments, to establishing the right tone and nailing your closing remarks. You’ve got this in the bag!

Greeting the Audience

• Keep the tone more serious if it's an important occasion. Use more formal language and don't crack any inappropriate jokes. For example, at a wake, you might say, "We're so glad to have you all here tonight. We appreciate your presence at this difficult time."

• For an event with close friends and family, more informal language might be appropriate. Include a few jokes and keep your speech more lighthearted.

Patrick Muñoz

Grab your audience's attention with a strong opening. Start with a loud voice and a strong presence that welcomes everyone and gets them involved. Ask a question they can respond to or tell a joke — anything to connect with the audience. Do something that grabs their attention and excites them and makes them thrilled about the event.

• Special guests include any people of honor, those that may play a particularly important part in the event, or those who have traveled a long way to be there.
• Make sure that you practice all of names, titles, and pronunciations of the special guests before your speech.
• For example you could say, "We'd like to extend a special welcome to our guest of honor, Judge McHenry, who will be speaking later tonight."
• Alternatively to welcome a group of people you might say, "While we're excited to have you all here tonight, we'd especially like to say welcome to the students from Johnson Middle School."

• For an informal event such as a birthday party, you could say, "We're so happy to have you here tonight to eat, drink, and celebrate another year of Jessica's life. Now, let's get to it."
• For a more formal event such as one run by an organisation, you could say, “We are so excited to have you all here to participate in our 10th annual pet’s day, organised by the Animal Rescue Group.”

Forming the Body of the Speech

• An example of acknowledging individual people is saying, “We couldn’t have pulled off this fundraiser without the hard work and dedication of Grace and Sally, who worked tirelessly from day 1 to make today a reality.”
• Avoid reading off a long list of people or sponsors, as your audience will begin to get bored. Stick to just a handful of highlights.

• For instance, at a conference, you might point out when the dinner will be held, or where particular sessions will take place.
• At a wedding reception, you might note when dancing will start or when the cake will be served.

• Alternatively, you could end the body of your speech during an informal gathering by saying, “I can't wait to see you all out on the dancefloor!”

Ending the Speech

• You could also say that you hope that the audience takes something away from the event. For example, “I hope that today inspires ideas and discussions around the ways that we can make our city a better place!”

• At a formal event, you might say, "Now, for our speaker. Rebecca Roberts comes here from Montreal, Canada, and she is a leading expert in the study of the human brain. She'll be speaking tonight on what drives humans to make decisions. Let's welcome her."
• For a more informal event such as a party, you could say, “Next up is Sam, who has been Kyle’s best friend for 10 years strong. He has a decade of embarrassing stories about Kyle to share with us tonight!"

• Alternatively you might say, “Thank you again to everyone for being here tonight to celebrate Joe and Kathleen’s 50th wedding anniversary! Let the celebrations begin!”

• If you are unsure, ask the organiser or host what an appropriate length of time for your speech will be.

Writing Help

Community Q&A

• Practice your speech in front of trusted friends and family in the days leading up to the event. [12] X Research source Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/effective-welcome-speech
• ↑ https://www.examples.com/education/speech/welcome-speech-for-conference.html
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/how-5574707-write-welcome-speech.html
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/write-after-dinner-speech-8035341.html
• ↑ https://uark.pressbooks.pub/speaking/chapter/closing-a-speech/
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-delivery

About This Article

To write a welcome speech, start with a greeting to your audience that’s appropriate to the situation. For example, you could try “Good evening ladies and gentlemen” if you’re introducing a formal event, or “Thank you everyone for coming on this sunny day” for a more relaxed occasion. After you’ve finished the greeting, introduce the event by talking about who organized it and what its purpose is. In the main body of your speech, acknowledge 2 or 3 people who played important parts in organizing the event. You should also emphasize special parts of the event that people should pay attention to, such as where dinner will be or where a conference session will take place. When you’re ready to conclude your speech, tell the audience to enjoy the event by saying something like “I hope you all enjoy the exciting speakers to come.” Finish your speech by thanking the audience for attending. For tips on how to introduce people at a special occasion, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Gokul Shriram

Nov 17, 2019

Apr 8, 2022

Adefisayo Adeyemi

Sep 24, 2021

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

Opening Speech

Opening speech generator.

Whether you are opening for a small gathering such as minor events or a big one like global conferences, public speaking always gives people stage fright. If you are nervous, you have all the reasons to feel that way. You must already know it since you are here, but one helpful tip to combat nervousness is preparation. That said, turn on your gears and practice your speech writing skills as you compose your opening speech. 

10+ Opening Speech Examples

1. general opening speech.

Size: 176 KB

2. Energy Agency Opening Speech

Size: 145 KB

3. Global Citizenship Opening Speech

Size: 177 KB

4. Global Conference Opening Speech

Size: 14 KB

5. Opening Speech Template

Size: 78 KB

6. Opening Speech for Workshop

Size: 49 KB

7. Opening Speech Format

Size: 64 KB

8. Opening Speech on Cultural Management

Size: 33 KB

9. Opening Speech by the Honorable Minister

Size: 35 KB

10. Opening Speech in PDF

Size: 104 KB

11. Chairman’s Opening Speech

Size: 216 KB

What Is an Opening Speech?

An opening speech is a talk that people give to welcome guests and give a brief overview of what will happen in an event. People give this type of speech during formal and informal gatherings. Just as the name states, the purpose of an opening speech is to open programs. 

How to Compose an Impressive Opening Speech

Giving an opening statement means giving the people something to measure for their first impression. When you get on that stage and give your speech, you are doing the first performance of the event itinerary . It is your responsibility to set the vibe for the entirety of the gathering. That said, you should ensure to give a grand opening speech. 

1. Start With a Compelling Introduction

The first words that come out of your mouth when you hold the microphone are a defining factor in the quality of your speech. In writing this segment, ensure to incorporate a hook. It should be effective enough to captivate and retain the attention of your audience throughout your whole speech. One method that will help you to devise your introduction is by conducting an audience analysis . Doing this will give you an idea of how to catch the attention of your listeners. 

2. Acknowledge The Guests

Of course, one of the purposes of giving an opening speech at every event is to welcome the guests. Convey how thankful the organizers are for their acceptance of the event invitation . Also, do not forget to thank them for sparing time for the program. If there are important people on your attendance list , you should show them your appreciation by giving them a special mention. 

3. State the Purpose of the Event

The next step is to write the part where you explain the reason for holding the event. To make things interesting, you can give a very brief history or a fascinating fact about the program. Ensure to compose this segment properly. This part is what will give the audience an idea of what to expect for the ceremony.

4. Conclude Your Speech

In giving a welcome speech for guests , you should not consume too much of the people’s time. That said, after the previous steps, you should now start coming up with a conclusion. In concluding your speech, you should once again thank the guests. After that, you should introduce the next speaker or performer. 

What makes a good opening speech?

Good speech openings are those that can rouse the emotions of the audience. Despite that, you should tailor your introduction based on the formality of the gathering you are attending. For example, giving an opening speech for an event should be something that would brighten the atmosphere. On the other hand, when giving a welcome speech for conference , you should try a more formal approach and include essential meeting details.

How do you give a self-introduction speech?

Aside from mentioning your name, there are other things you should include in your self-introduction speech . Before deciding what details to add to what you will say, you should first consider your audience and the formality of the setting. Despite that, one universal tip that is appropriate for multiple circumstances is to give a brief background of yourself and your accomplishments.

What are essential things to remember when giving a speech?

In giving a speech, it is always advisable to compose a speech outline and practice what you will say. Another necessary thing that you should consider is how you will establish a connection with your listeners. One way to do this is by maintaining eye contact with your audience. Also, during your speech, you should use appropriate hand gestures.

Giving opening speeches are a heavy responsibility. Knowing that you would be the first person to go up the podium can make a person’s heartbeat twice as fast as it usually would. That said, you should prepare ahead and secure to write a killer opening speech. That way, you can walk towards the mic with confident steps.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Create an opening speech for a community event

Help me write an opening speech for an art exhibition

• Choosing Good Topics
• Controversial
• Demonstration
• Extemporaneous
• Informative
• School/College
• Special Occasion
• Public Speaking Help
• Writing a Speech
• Free Sample Speeches
• Share Your Speech

Welcome Speech for An Event

A well-crafted welcome speech for an event can set the tone for success, be it a fundraiser, a community gathering, or a religious occasion. Welcome speeches serve the dual purpose of engaging the audience and providing essential information about the event. This article will provide two sample welcome speeches to inspire and guide you as you craft your own speech for an upcoming event.

The first example is a welcome speech for a fundraising event to raise funds and awareness for the conservation of the Liger , a unique and majestic wildlife species. The second sample is a welcome speech for a church event designed to raise funds and gather volunteers to help the community following a disaster .

In addition to these samples, we have  related pages that provide more examples of welcome speeches and in-depth guidance on writing a welcome speech tailored to your event. With these resources, you will be well-equipped to create a memorable and impactful welcome speech that sets the stage for a successful event.

Welcome to a Fundraising Event

Example Welcome Speech for an Event Raising Money to Support the Liger

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, esteemed donors, and fellow wildlife enthusiasts,

Good evening, and a warm welcome to our annual fundraising gala, "A Roaring Success: A Night for the Liger." We are delighted to have you all here tonight. We are grateful for your unwavering support and dedication to preserving and protecting the magnificent Liger, a rare and fascinating creature.

The Liger, a hybrid offspring of a male lion and a female tiger, symbolizes nature's beauty and resilience. However, habitat loss, human-wildlife conflicts, and a lack of awareness about their unique needs increasingly threaten their existence. Our mission at the Liger Conservation Foundation is to protect these majestic animals, support their conservation, and raise public awareness about their plight.

Tonight, we come together to raise funds for our ongoing projects and initiatives and celebrate our successes and look forward to a brighter future for the Liger. Your generous contributions will support our efforts to protect their habitat, fund research on their unique biology, and educate communities about the importance of preserving these magnificent creatures.

As we embark on this enchanting evening, we are honored to have a lineup of distinguished speakers who will share their insights, experiences, and passion for wildlife conservation. They will inspire and engage us with their stories of hope and triumph. Moreover, we are excited to showcase a silent auction featuring exquisite art, unique experiences, and one-of-a-kind items, the proceeds of which will directly support our cause.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us remember that every single one of us can make a difference in the lives of these extraordinary animals. As we enjoy the festivities tonight, let us remember that our collective efforts and generous contributions will help ensure the survival and prosperity of the Liger for generations to come.

Once again, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for joining us tonight. Together, we can create a roaring success for the Liger and the future of wildlife conservation.

Thank you, and have a spectacular evening!

Welcome Speech for Church

Example welcome speech for a church event to raise funds after a disaster.

Dear friends and neighbors, esteemed guests, and cherished members of our community,

Good [morning/afternoon/evening], and a warm welcome to [Name of the Church] for our special event, "Nourishing Our Community: A Call to Action." We are truly honored and delighted to have every one of you joining us today, whether you are a regular attendee, an occasional visitor, or a newcomer to our congregation. Seeing such a diverse gathering united in love, faith, and service to our community is a blessing.

In light of the recent disaster that has affected so many in our community, we have come together today to raise funds and gather volunteers to nourish and support those in need. Our church stands as a beacon of hope and compassion during these challenging times, and we believe that by working together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of our fellow community members.

Today's event is about raising funds, recruiting volunteers, and fostering a spirit of unity and resilience. We are here to show our neighbors that they are not alone in their time of need and that our community is most vital when we stand together.

As you participate in today's activities, we invite you to consider contributing your time, talents, or financial resources to this vital cause. No contribution is too small, and every act of kindness and generosity will have a lasting impact on struggling people.

We also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all who have already contributed their time, resources, and expertise to help our community during this difficult time. Your selflessness and dedication are truly inspiring and serve as a testament to the power of love and compassion.

In conclusion, we sincerely thank all of you for joining us today. May this special event inspire us to continue our collective efforts to support and uplift our community. May it remind us that we are all connected through our shared humanity. As you leave today, we hope you carry a renewed sense of purpose and determination to make a positive difference in the lives of those around you.

Once again, thank you for being here, and may [God's blessings/Divine grace] be upon every one of you. Together, we will nourish our community and help it heal. Enjoy the event!

In this welcome speech for an event guide, we provide two sample welcome speeches to guide and inspire readers to create impactful speeches.

The first example is for a wildlife fundraising event focused on Liger conservation.

Meanwhile, the second is for a church event aimed at raising funds and gathering volunteers to support the community after a disaster.

In addition to these samples, our blog offers related pages linked below with more examples and  in-depth guidance on writing a welcome speech  tailored to specific events. With these resources, readers will be well-prepared to create an engaging and memorable welcome speech for an event that sets the stage for a successful gathering.

You might like these

Sample Welcome Speech

A sample welcome speech sent in by a visitor to best-speech-topics.com. A speech introducing a new facility and sports venue.

Free Welcome Speech Example

Use this free welcome speech as a guide while writing a welcome speech of your own.

Free Farewell Speech - Say Goodbye With Style!

This free farewell speech will help you bid everyone a fond goodbye when you're leaving. Use this goodbye speech to help you write one of your own.

Free email delivery

MASTER INFORMATIVE SPEAKING WITH OUR FREE CHECKLIST!

We are offering you a  FREE   SpeakFlight Informative Speaking Preparation Checklist. This valuable resource is packed with step-by-step guidance to help you create compelling, memorable, and effective informative speeches.

Share this page

Easily search your speech type

Just check out the sitemap for best-speech-topics.com , which lists all the pages on the site, or use the search box below:

Return to the Top of the Page

Get to Know Us

• Privacy Policy

Attention Grabbers

• Positive Quotes for Kids
• Quotes for Graduation Speeches
• Poems & Quotes on Death
• Quotes on Retirement

Most Popular Pages

• Free Samples
• Good Speech Topics
• Hypnotize Your Audience
• Welcome Speech

Select a Speech Topic

• Argumentative
• Commemorative
• Inspirational
• Interesting
• Other Topics

Let Us Help You

• How To Write a Speech
• Demonstration Outline
• Informative Outline
• Introductions
• Using a Microphone
• Speech Help
• Speeches Made Easy

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

8 Opening a Speech: Get Their Attention from the Start!

Get the audience’s attention, or the rest of your speech is a waste. I mean it!  Most people spend the majority of their speech preparation time working on the body of their speech and then they tack on an opening and a closing last minute.

The opening and closing deserve the most attention. Why?  If you don’t get the audience’s attention and get them to pay attention to you instead of…  the thoughts in their heads, their grocery lists, their neighbors, their social media…then all the rest of your brilliant content is wasted because they will never hear it. Lisa Marshall of Toastmasters International stresses the opening words are so important that “I spend 10 times more time developing and practicing the opener than any other part of the speech.”

Look at the description of Person A and Person B and tell me which person you like more.

Person A envious, stubborn, critical, impulsive, industrious, and intelligent

Person B intelligent, industrious, impulsive, critical, stubborn, and envious

If you are like most people, you have a preference for Person B.  This illustrates a study by Solomon Ashe. He had subjects rate these two people using a string of descriptive words. Now look back at the descriptions. Look closely and you will notice they are the same words in a different order. Most people put the most emphasis on the first three words in determining how they will create the person. Like Asche’s subjects, your audience will be evaluating those first three words. Let’s bring it back around to speechmaking. The first sentence out of your mouth is crucial and the first three words are especially important.

I am sure you are not surprised to know that people form opinions quickly. To prove this, researchers showed subjects either a 20-minute clip of a job applicant or a 20-30 second clip of a job applicant. They were asked to rate the person on likeability and self-assurance. People were able to form an opinion in under thirty seconds. Not only that but they were able to form the same opinions from a 30-second clip as a 20-minute exposure.

The Battle for Attention

Remember that every piece of content in our modern era is part of an attention war. It’s fighting against thousands of other claims on people’s time and energy. This is true even when you’re standing on a stage in front of a seated audience. They have deadly distracters in their pockets called smartphones, which they can use to summon to their eyes a thousand outside alternatives. Once emails and texts make their claim, your talk may be doomed. And then there’s that lurking demon of modern life, fatigue. All these are lethal enemies. You never want to provide someone with an excuse to zone out. You have to be a savvy general directing this war’s outcome. Starting strong is one of your most important weapons. Chris Anderson, TED Talks, The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking.

“People don’t pay attention to boring things,” according to John Medina, author of Brain Rules, “You’ve got 30 seconds before they start asking the question, ‘Am I going to pay attention to you or not?'” It is important to get your audience’s attention right away. In this chapter, I will share with you several ways to win the war for attention and to start your speech right. I will show you the basic opening and closing structure of speeches and give you many examples of what that looks like.  A speech, like an airplane, needs a good take-off and a good landing. Now it’s time to prepare to have a strong take-off and learn everything that goes into a speech introduction. This chapter is full of examples from a variety of talks. I included quotes from those introductions, but I also included links to each of those talks hoping you will be interested enough to want to listen.

Ways to Start a Speech

Chris Anderson likens this to battle. “First there is the 10-second war: can you do something in your first moments on stage to ensure people’s eager attention while you set up your talk topic? Second is the 1-minute war: can you then use that first minute to ensure that they’re committed to coming on the full talk journey with you?”

When thinking about your speech, spend a lot of time thinking about how to win the battle for their attention. Your introduction should make your audience want to put down their phones and listen. Your introduction should be so compelling they stop their wandering minds and turn their thoughts to you and you alone. Your introduction should start with three strong words where they form a strong opinion of you and your speech.  Let me share how to accomplish this. 

Capturing the audience through the story is one of the most powerful ways to start a speech. A story engages the brain in powerful ways and causes the audience’s brains to sync with the speakers. A well-told story will allow the audience to “see” things in their mind’s eye and to join the speaker’s emotions.

Watch this clip by Ric Elias for how he begins his speech with a powerful story. Particularly notice his first four words, “Imagine a big explosion.” 

Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft.   Imagine a plane full of smoke.   Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack.   It sounds scary.   Well, I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D. I was the only one who could talk to the flight attendants. So I looked at them right away, and they said, “No problem. We probably hit some birds.” The pilot had already turned the plane around, and we weren’t that far. You could see Manhattan. Two minutes later, three things happened at the same time.

Ric Elias, Three Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed. 

Consider these other examples and notice how the speaker uses a story.

More powerful introductions using story:

I love you, I believe in you and it’s going to be OK. The three things that I needed to hear three years ago when I felt more abandoned than ever. I remember that day as if it happen this morning. It was Sunday and I had just woken up early at a brisk 12:30 in the afternoon. Ryan Brooks, Honesty, courage, and the importance of brushing your teeth.  When I was nine years old I went off to summer camp for the first time. And my mother packed me a suitcase full of books, which to me seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. Because in my family, reading was the primary group activity. And this might sound antisocial to you, but for us, it was really just a different way of being social. You have the animal warmth of your family sitting right next to you, but you are also free to go roaming around the adventureland inside your own mind. And I had this idea that camp was going to be just like this, but better. Susan Cain. The Power of Introverts. I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia. Jill Bolte Taylor, My Stroke of Insight. A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails. I’m not quite sure how, but it turned up in my inbox, and it was from a guy called Solomon Odonkoh.  James Veitch This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email. Eleven years ago, while giving birth to my first child, I hemorrhaged and was transfused with seven pints of blood. Four years later, I found out that I had been infected with the AIDS virus and had unknowingly passed it to my daughter, Ariel, through my breast milk, and my son, Jake, in utero. Elizabeth Glaser,  Address to the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

Good stories immediately set the stage and introduce you to the place and to the people. Doing this helps your brain can form a structure where the story takes place. It helps you see the story unfold in your mind.  If you need help starting a story, Vanessa Van Edwards suggests these prompts:

• Once upon a time.
• I’m here for a reason, and it’s an interesting story.
• The best thing that ever happened to me was.

There is an entire chapter on the Power of Story that can be found here.

Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood. – Mary Hirsch

  When Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane spoke at Harvard Commencemen t in the rain, he started with “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electrical equipment.” People laughed, people smiled, and the speech was off to a strong start. Humor works because it gives the audience a hit of the feel-good hormone dopamine. That is … if you are funny. If you decide to use humor, make sure you are funny. Test your humor on honest friends. In addition, the humor you use should fit your personality and your audience. Be warned, some groups would find humor inappropriate, do your research.

Watch this clip for how Tshering Tobgay begins his speech with humor. 

In case you are wondering, no, I’m not wearing a dress, and no, I’m not saying what I’m wearing underneath. (Laughter) This is a go. This is my national dress. This is how all men dress in Bhutan. That is how our women dress. Like our women, we men get to wear pretty bright colors, but unlike our women, we get to show off our legs. Our national dress is unique, but this is not the only thing that’s unique about my country. Our promise to remain carbon neutral is also unique, and this is what I’d like to speak about today, our promise to remain carbon neutral.

Tshering Tobgay, This Country Isn’t Just Carbon Neutral–Its Carbon Negative. 

More powerful introductions using humor

I didn’t rebel as a teenager.   I started late and was still going at it the summer I turned thirty. I just became an American citizen, I divorced my husband, I got a big tattoo of a bat on my arm, and I joined a New York City punk band. Danusia Trevino, Guilty I need to make a confession at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret, something that I’m not particularly proud of.   Something that, in many ways, I wish no one would ever know, but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school. Dan Pink, The Puzzle of Motivation.  It is really interesting to be a woman and to get to 45 and to not be married yet and to not have kids, especially when you have pushed out your fifth kid on television. Tracee Ellis Ross, 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year. I am not drunk …but the doctor who delivered me was.” (reference the shake she has due to a botched medical procedure at birth causing her cerebral palsey). Maysoon Zayid, I’ve Got 99 Prolbems and Cerebral Palsey is Not One of Them .

Salutation followed by humor

Oh boy, thank you so much, thank you so much.   Thank you, President Cowan, Mrs. President Cowen; distinguished guests, undistinguished guests, you know who you are, honored faculty and creepy Spanish teacher.   And thank you to all the graduating Class of 2009, I realize most of you are hungover and have splitting headaches and haven’t slept since Fat Tuesday, but you can’t graduate ’til I finish, so listen up. When I was asked to make the commencement speech, I immediately said yes.   Then I went to look up what commencement meant which would have been easy if I had a dictionary, but most of the books in our house are Portia’s, and they’re all written in Australian.   So I had to break the word down myself, to find out the meaning. Commencement: common, and cement, common cement.   You commonly see cement on sidewalks.   Sidewalks have cracks, and if you step on a crack, you break your mother’s back.   So there’s that.   But I’m honored that you’ve asked me here to speak at your common cement Ellen DeGenres, Commencement Speech at Tulane. Well, thank you. Thank you Mr. President, First Lady, King Abdullah of Jordan, Norm, distinguished guests. Please join me in praying that I don’t say something we’ll all regret. That was for the FCC. If you’re wondering what I’m doing here, at a prayer breakfast, well so am I. I’m certainly not here as a man of the cloth, unless that cloth is — is leather. Bono at  the  54th annual National Prayer Breakfast.  

Starting your speech by sharing a little-known fact, can be powerful. For this to fully work, you need to have the audience’s attention from the very first word. Read on for how these speakers started strong.

Powerful introductions using facts

Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat. Jamie Oliver, Teach Every Child About Food. So I want to start by offering you a free, no-tech life hack, and all it requires of you is this: that you change your posture for two minutes. Amy Cuddy, Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are. Okay, now I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. (Laughter) Also, the person to your left is a liar. Also the person sitting in your very seats is a liar. We’re all liars. What I’m going to do today is I’m going to show you what the research says about why we’re all liars, how you can become a lie spotter and why you might want to go the extra mile and go from lie spotting to truth seeking, and ultimately to trust building. Pamela Meyer, How to Spot a Liar. You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.  Jane McGonigal. The Game That Can Give You Ten Extra Years of Life. There are 900,000 divorces   in the United States of America every year.   Fewer than 10% of them   ever talked to anybody about their relationship.   So why would you need a science?   Well, we need a science to develop effective treatment   and understanding of how to make love work.   Why?   Why should we care about having great relationships?   Well, it turns out that in the past 50 years,   a field called social epidemiology has emerged,   and it shows that great friendships,   great love relationships between lovers and parents and children   lead to greater health – mental health as well as physical health –   greater wealth, greater resilience,   faster recovery from illness,   greater longevity –   if you want to live 10 to 15 years longer, work on your relationships,   not just your exercise –   and more successful children as well.   John Gottman. The Science of Love.  This room may appear to be holding 600 people but there is actually so many more because within each of us there is a multiple of personalities. Elizabeth Lesser,  Take the Other to Lunch.

Using a physical object can draw the audience’s attention. Make sure you plan the timing of the prop, and you practice with it. It is important that it is large enough for the audience to see and they can see it well enough that they are not frustrated. Depending on your speech, it may be appropriate to put it away, so it is not distracting.

Powerful introductions using props

Darren Tay walks onto the stage and stares at the audience. He pulls a pair of underwear out of his pocket and puts them on over his suit. “Hey loser how do you like your new school uniform. I think it looks great on you. Those were the words of my high school bully Greg Upperfield. Now if you are all wondering if the underwear that Greg used was clean, I had the same questions. Darren Tay, Outsmart, Outlast. Toastmasters 2016 World Champion of Public Speaking . Mohammed Qahtani walks onstage, puts a cigarette in his mouth … then looks up as if noticing the audience and says, “What?” As the audience laughs, he continues. “Oh, you all think smoking kills? Ha-ha, let me tell you something. Do you know that the amount of people dying from diabetes are three times as many [as the] people dying from smoking? Yet if I pulled out a Snickers bar, nobody would say anything.” He goes on to say, his facts are made up and his real topic is about how words have power. Mohammed Qahtani, Toastmasters 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking

JA Gamach blows a train whistle and then starts his speech as if he were a conductor, “All aboard! It’s a bright sunny day and you are taking a train. You are wearing a pair of sandals you proudly made yourself. As you board the train one of your sandals slips off and falls beside the track.  (J.A. loses one sandal that falls down the platform.)  You try to retrieve it. Too late. The train starts to pull away. What would you have done? I would have cursed my bad luck, mad at losing a sandal. JA Gamache, Toastmasters 2007 World Championship. 

Use a Quotation

Powerful introductions using quotes.

Rules for using quotes

• Be sure to use the quote purposefully and not just as placeholders.
• Quotes can just take up valuable space where you could put content unless they are not properly used.
• Let the quote be more important than the author. When using a quote at the opening, say the quote first and then the author. When using a quote at the end of a speech, say the author first and then the quote.
• Keep it short and sweet. Use a quote that gets to the point quickly.
• If you must use long quotes–put them on your slide.
• If you project a quote, read it to the audience. Never expect them to read it while you talk about something else. Never say stupid things like, “You can read, I’ll let you read this for yourselves” or “Your adults, I’ll let you process this.”
• Check the authorship and authenticity of the quote. There are so many quotes on the internet that are misattributed and misquoted. For example, who wrote the quote: “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel”?
• Do not go for the overused quote or your audience is prone to dismiss it.  Instead of quoting an overused “I have a dream quote” do as Jim Key, the 2003 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking did and pick an equally great but lesser-used Martin Luther King Quote: “The time is always right to do what is right!”

Watch Nate Stauffer at a Moth Grand Slam as he uses poetry to start and carry his story.

Watch this clip for how Andrew Solomon opens with a quote to make us think about depression. 

Andrew Solomon, Depression, The Secret We Share. 

Reference the Occasion

Ceremonial speeches often call for acknowledgment of those in attendance or a mention of the occasion. Here is how Martin Luther King Junior set up his famous speech. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Martin Luther King Junior, I Have a Dream.

Get the Audience Involved

Having the audience stand, raise their hand, or even nod in encouragement can cause them to focus on your message. This can be particularly helpful if the audience has been sitting for a while. Let me show you a few examples of how that works.

Ask a Question

You can involve the audience from the start by asking them a question.

Watch the first few minutes of Amy Purdy’s speech and how she starts with a question, “ If your life were a book   and you were the author,   how would you want your story to go?” 

More powerful introductions using a question

I’m here today to talk about a disturbing question, which has an equally disturbing answer. My topic is the secret of domestic violence and the question I’m going to tackle is the one everyone always asks. Why would she stay? Why would anyone stay with a man who beats her? Why Domestic Violence Victims Don’t Leave- Leslie Morgan Steiner Here’s a question we need to rethink together: What should be the role of money and markets in our societies? Today, there are very few things that money can’t buy. If you’re sentenced to a jail term in Santa Barbara, California, you should know that if you don’t like the standard accommodations, you can buy a prison cell upgrade. It’s true. For how much, do you think? What would you guess? Five hundred dollars? It’s not the Ritz-Carlton. It’s a jail! Eighty-two dollars a night. Eighty-two dollars a night. Michael Sandel, Why We Shouldn’t Trust Markets with Our Civic Life.

How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions? For example: Why is Apple so innovative? Year after year, after year, after year, they’re more innovative than all their competition. Simon Sinek, How Great Leaders Inspire Action.  Can you remember a moment when a brilliant idea flashed into your head? Darren LaCroix,  Ouch! World Champion of Public Speaking.

Have the Audience Participate

If you ask a question you want the audience to answer, be sure to give them time to respond. If they raise their hands, be sure to acknowledge their response. You might have the answer by standing, by raising their hands, by speaking to their neighbor. You might call on one member of the audience to answer for the group.

If you ask a question you want the audience to answer, don’t let your presentation slide give away the answer. For example, one speaker had a slide behind him that said, “Lesson 1: Don’t Worry About IQ.” He has the audience raise their hand if they want to improve their grades then he asks, “So can I get a show of hands, how many would say IQ is going to be the most important to get those marks to go up?” Very few people responded because the answer was “written on the wall” literally.

Watch this clip as Allan Pease engages the audience.

Everybody hold your right hand in front like this in a handshaking position. Uncross your legs. Relaxed position. Right hand in front. When I say the word, “Now” here’s what we’re going to do. I am going to ask you to turn to someone besides you, shake hands as if you’re meeting for the first time, and keep pumping till I ask you to stop. Then you’ll stop and freeze it and we’re going to analyze what’s happening. You got that? You don’t have time to think about this. Do it now. Pick anybody and pump. Pump, everybody. Freeze it. Hold it. Stop. Hold it. Freeze it. Keep your hands locked. Keep them locked. The person whose hand is most on top is saying “I’ll be the boss for the rest of the day.” Allan Pease, Body Language, the Power is in the Palm of Your Hands. 

More powerful introductions using audience participation

I have a confession to make. But first, I want you to make a little confession to me. In the past year, I want you to just raise your hand if you’ve experienced relatively little stress? Kelly McGonigal, How to Make Stress Your Friend. So I’d like to start, if I may, by asking you some questions. If you’ve ever lost someone you truly loved, ever had your heartbroken, ever struggled through an acrimonious divorce, or being the victim of infidelity, please stand up. If standing up isn’t accessible to you, you can put your hand up. Please stay standing and keep your hand up there. If you’ve ever lived through a natural disaster, being bullied or made redundant, stand on up. If you’ve ever had a miscarriage, if you’ve ever had an abortion or struggled through infertility, please stand up. Finally, if you or anyone you love has had to cope with mental illness, dementia, some form of physical impairment or cope with suicide, please stand up. Look around you. Adversity doesn’t discriminate. If you are alive, you are going to have to, or you’ve already had to, deal with some tough times Thank you, everyone. Take a seat. Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People.  Advice from Moth Storytelling Club Have a great first line that sets up the stakes and grabs attention No: “So I was thinking about climbing this mountain. But then I watched a little TV and made a snack and took a nap and my mom called and vented about her psoriasis then I did a little laundry (a whites load) (I lost another sock, darn it!) and then I thought about it again and decided I’d climb the mountain the next morning.” Yes: “The mountain loomed before me. I had my hunting knife, some trail mix and snow boots. I had to make it to the little cabin and start a fire before sundown or freeze to death for sure.”  

Arouse Suspense or Curiosity

Watch this clip for how Kathryn Schulz creates curiosity by showing us Johnny Depp’s tattoo and then talks about her tattoo of regret. We hang on to her every word wondering, “Where is all this going and how bad can her tattoo really be?”

So that’s Johnny Depp, of course.   And that’s Johnny Depp’s shoulder.   And that’s Johnny Depp’s famous shoulder tattoo.   Some of you might know that, in 1990,   Depp got engaged to Winona Ryder,   and he had tattooed on his right shoulder   “Winona forever.”   And then three years later —   which in fairness, kind of is forever by Hollywood standards —   they broke up,   and Johnny went and got a little bit of repair work done.   And now his shoulder says, “Wino forever.”

Kathryn Schulz, Don’t Regret, Regret. 

  Saying unexpected things or challenging assumptions can get a speech started off right. A herd of wildebeests, a shoal of fish, a flock of birds. Many animals gather in large groups that are among the most wonderful spectacles in the natural world. But why do these groups form? The common answers include things like seeking safety in numbers or hunting in packs or gathering to mate or breed, and all of these explanations, while often true, make a huge assumption about animal behavior, that the animals are in control of their own actions, that they are in charge of their bodies. And that is often not the case. Ed Yong. Zombie Roaches and Other Parasite Tales. TED Talk

 Keys to Success

Memorize your first sentence so you can deliver it with impact. Memorize your whole speech opening if possible. Make sure your first three words have an impact.

Typical Patterns for Speech Openings

• Get the audience’s attention–called a hook or a grabber.
• Establish rapport and tell the audience why you care about the topic of why you are credible to speak on the topic.
• Introduce the speech thesis/preview/good idea.
• Tell the audience why they should care about this topic.
• Give a transition statement to the body of the speech.

Step Two: Credibility

First, you hook the audience with your powerful grabber, then you tell them why you are credible to speak on the topic and why the topic is important. If they know your credentials, you would not need to tell them your credibility but you may still want to tell them why you are interested in the topic. Here are a few examples of how some speakers included credibility.

Tell Why You Are Credible

I’m a doctor, but I kind of slipped sideways into research, and now I’m an epidemiologist. Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science.  I started studying resilience research a decade ago at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It was an amazing time to be there because the professors who trained me had just picked up the contract to train all 1.1 million American soldiers to be as mentally fit as they always have been physically fit. Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People.  What I’m going to do is to just give a few notes,   and this is from a book I’m preparing called   “Letters to a Young Scientist.”   I’d thought it’d be appropriate to   present it, on the basis that I have had extensive experience   in teaching, counseling scientists across a broad array of fields.   And you might like to hear some of the principles that I’ve developed in doing   that teaching and counseling. EO Wilson: Advice to a Young Scientist. 

Step Three: Tell Why it is Important

Early on in your speech, you should tell the audience why they should care. You should connect the speech to things they care about. This is where you answer, so what, who cares?

You know, I didn’t set out to be a parenting expert. In fact, I’m not very interested in parenting, per se. It’s just that there’s a certain style of parenting these days that is kind of messing up kids, impeding their chances to develop.  Julie Lythcott-Haims, How to Raise Successful Kids – Without Over-Parenting

Step Four: Tell the Purpose of the Talk (aka Preview/ Thesis)

“If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.” – Harvey Diamond, author

Tell the audience your purpose, clearly give them an overview of the main points.  MIT professor, Patrick Winston says one of the best things to add to your speech is an empowerment promise. You want to tell people what they will know at the end of your speech that they didn’t know at the beginning. It’s their reason for being here.  His empowerment promise was, “Today you will see some examples of what you can put in your armory of speaking techniques and it will be the case that one of those examples–some heuristic, some technique, maybe only one will be the one that will get you the job. By the end of the next 60 minutes, you will have been exposed to a lot of ideas, some of which you will incorporate into your own repertoire, and they will ensure that you get the maximum opportunity to have your ideas valued and accepted by the people you speak with.” Notice that this statement told you what to expect and why it mattered.

Here are examples of how various speakers accomplished this.

For years, I’ve been telling people, stress makes you sick. It increases the risk of everything from the common cold to cardiovascular disease. Basically, I’ve turned stress into the enemy. But I have changed my mind about stress, and today, I want to change yours. Kelly McGonigal, How to Make Stress Your Friend.   We’ve been sold the lie that disability is a Bad Thing, capital B, capital T. It’s a bad thing, and to live with a disability makes you exceptional. It’s not a bad thing, and it doesn’t make you exceptional. Stella Young, I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much

What I’m going to show you is all of the main things, all of the main features of my discipline, evidence-based medicine. And I will talk you through all of these and demonstrate how they work, exclusively using examples of people getting stuff wrong. Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science.  I would like to think that we (Arab women) poor, oppressed women actually have some useful, certainly hard-earned lessons to share, lessons that might turn out useful for anyone wishing to thrive in the modern world. Here are three of mine. Leila Hoteit, Three Lessons on Success from an Arab businesswoman We are often terrified and fascinated by the power hackers now have. They scare us. But the choices they make have dramatic outcomes that influence us all. So I am here today because I think we need hackers, and in fact, they just might be the immune system for the information age. Sometimes they make us sick, but they also find those hidden threats in our world, and they make us fix it. Keren Elazari. Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System Try This — Inspired by TED Master Class After you write your thesis, send it to three people with the question, “Based on what you read here, what do you think my speech will be about?”  

Putting It All Together

At this point, you know you need to have a grabber, a preview, a credibility statement, and a so-what-who-cares statement.  Let’s take a look at one of the top TED talks of all time by Jamie Oliver. This speech is a good illustration of everything we’ve been talking about so far and how all this works together.

“Everybody close your eyes.”

I don’t want to close my eyes; it makes me feel awkward and exposed to be in a group of people with my eyes closed. Because of that, I keep my eyes open. The problem is  when I keep my eyes open, I feel like some sort of horrible nonconformist rebel. I feel awkward with my eyes closed and I feel guilty if they are open. Either way, I just feel bad. Besides, half of the time when speakers tell audience members to close their eyes, they forget to tell us when we can open them. If you are wanting me to imagine a story, just tell me to imagine it, don’t make me close my eyes (rant over).

“Can everybody hear me?”

You should plan your opening to be intentional and with power. “Can everybody hear me” is a weak and uncertain statement and this is not the first impression you want to leave. Do a microphone check before the audience members arrive and have someone stand in different corners of the room to make sure you can be heard. Don’t waste your valuable speech time with questions that you should already know the answer to.

“How long do I have to speak?”

You should know that before you begin. Even if the presentations for the day are running over and you are the last speaker, you should ask the MC before you begin. Always plan your first words with power.

“Can you read this?”

You should make your slides big, really big. Test out your slides in advance of your speech, walk all around the room and make sure you can read them. Have a friend check them out as well. You should know they are big enough because you planned for it and tested it.

“Turn off your cell phones and laptops.”

People really hate having things taken away, not to mention that your audience may want to take notes on their devices. Chances are you are speaking to adults, let them determine if it is appropriate to have out their technology.

“I’m sorry, I’m losing my voice.” “I’m stopped up.” “I’m under the weather.”

Stop apologizing! Stop making excuses!  While these lines may be true, they just come of as excuses and can make the audience either feel like you don’t want to be there, or they just feel sorry for you.

“I’m so nervous right now.”

Talking about your nervousness will make you more nervous and will make them look for signs of your nervousness. Just start your speech.

“So, Um, Ok.”

Do not start with hesitation. Plan the first words, memorize the first words, practice the first words.  Do not start with “Ok, so um, now I’d like…” Plan strong and start strong.

Do Not Discuss Your Business with People Watching…Really! I Mean It! Many of us are giving and listening to presentations in an online format.  I have attended numerous presentations this year through Zoom where I have to sit and watch while the organizers engage in personal small talk or deal with the details of the presentation. This is how the speech I recently attended began. “Donna, you are going to share your screen, right?” “Yes. I have my PowerPoint ready to go. Will you push “record” when I give the signal?” “Sure. Where did you say that button is again? Do you think we should wait five more minutes, I think we had more who were coming? Dave, what was the total we were expecting?” “Yeah, we had 116 sign up, but the reminders went out late so this may be all we have. We can give them a few more minutes to log on.” “Donna, How is your dog? Is she still struggling with her cone since her spay surgery? My dog never would wear the cone –she tore her stitches out and broke her wound open. It was terrible. Well, it looks like it is about time to begin, thank you everyone for coming.” If you are organizing an event online, hosting a speech online, giving a presentation online–please keep it professional. Most platforms will allow you to keep the audience in a waiting room until it is time to start. If you have a business to deal with, keep the audience out until you have everything ready to go. Once the audience is in the meeting, you should engage the audience in group-type small talk or you should just start the presentation. In professional settings, you should start the meeting on time. Why punish those who showed up on time to wait for those who aren’t there yet?

A Conversation Over Coffee with Bill Rogers

I asked my long-time friend, Bill Rogers, to write an excerpt to add to the book.  I met Bill when he was the Chief Development Officer for a hospital in Northwest Arkansas and I met him again when he was reinventing himself as a college student getting a Master’s Degree in the theater.  He would love to share a symbolic cup of coffee with you and give you advice about public speaking. 

Perfect morning for a walk, isn’t it? Join me for a cup of coffee? Wonderful. Find us a table and I’ll get our coffee.

There you go; just like you like it. There’s nothing like a great cup of coffee on the patio of your neighborhood coffee shop, is there?

Now that you’re settled in your favorite chair, take a sip, and let that glorious caffeine kick in and do its stuff. Okay, let’s talk.

So, you were asking me about public speaking.

Well, let’s see. Where do we begin?

One of the first pieces of advice I ever received was to imagine that every member of your audience is sitting there in their underwear! Yeah, right. That never worked for me. I tried it once with a local civic group of community leaders both male and female. If the intent of that tidbit is to make you relax, it certainly didn’t work for me. It just made me more self-conscious…and more nervous. I not only got distracted, but I also lost my train of thought, I started sweating, and, of course, imagined myself standing there without clothes. Needless to say, that speech was a disaster and I’ve never used it again. I suggest you don’t either.

In the early days, I also relied very heavily on my typed-up speech. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that unless you find yourself reading it word for word as I did. Nothing is more boring nor puts an audience to sleep quicker than a speaker with their nose down reading a speech. There’s no connection and connection with your audience is key.

As you know, I love theatre and I’ve done a bit of acting over the years. Early on, I learned that the quicker I learned my lines, the more I could play, experiment, and shape my character. It relaxed me and gave me enormous freedom. It led me to find a mantra for myself: “With discipline comes freedom.” This freedom will allow you to improvise as your audience or situation dictates while still conveying the core message of your presentation. That discipline and its resulting freedom apply to public speaking of any kind and, I think, will serve you well.

Another old adage we’ve all heard is Aristotle’s advice. You know the one. No? Well, roughly, it’s to tell your audience what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you just said. That’s the basic formula for public speaking. And it works as a good place to start.

However, effective speaking is much more and, to me, it starts with a story or even a simple sentence.

You know the feeling you get when you read the first sentence of a good book and it just reaches out and grabs you? That should be your goal with every presentation. One sentence to capture your audience’s attention. Something that causes them to lean forward. Something that sparks their imagination.

It doesn’t have to be all that profound either. It can be something very simple. A personal story that relates to your topic. A relevant fact or statistic that defines or illustrates the issue or subject matter at hand.

A couple of classics come to mind. The first is Alice Walker’s, “The Color of Purple.”

“You better not tell nobody but God.”

And the second one is from my favorite novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee.

“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm broken at the elbow.”

Both sentences hook you immediately. A few simple words speak volumes. After reading or hearing those words, you naturally lean in. You want to learn more. You want to find out what happens next. Every effective speech or presentation does the same thing.

Of course, make sure that the first and last thing you say to your audience is both relevant and appropriate. I share this out of an abundance of caution. I once worked for an internationally recognized and well-respected children’s research hospital and I was given the privilege to speak at a national educational convention. The room was filled wall to wall with teachers. I thought I’d be cute and add a little levity. I opened my presentation with this line, “You know, I’ve had nightmares like this…” Instead of the roars of laughter, I was expecting, a wave of silence ensued. Not only was the line not funny, but it was also wholly inappropriate and I immediately lost my audience. Not my best day. Learn from my mistakes.

Finally, let’s touch on the importance of approaching a speech as a conversation. You and I are sitting here enjoying our coffee and having a friendly, relaxed conversation. Strive for that every chance you get. You may not always have that luxury. Some speeches and presentations simply demand formality. But even in those cases, you can usually make it somewhat conversational. I always try to write my speeches in a conversational style. Like I’m talking to a friend…or trying to make a new one.

So, to recap: tell a story, learn your lines, hook your audience with a simple sentence, close with a question or call to action, use repetition, keep it conversational, treat your audience as a friend, and give yourself permission to relax.

Above all, be yourself. Allow yourself to be as relaxed as you are with those closest to you. If you’re relaxed, if you try to think of your audience as a friend, then, in most cases, they too will relax and they will root for you. Even if they disagree with what you are telling them, they will respect you and they will listen.

How about another cup?

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

• The most important part of your speech is the introduction because if you don’t get their attention, they are not listening to the rest of what you have to say.
• To get attention, tell a story, use humor, share a quote, tell a startling fact, show a prop, ask a question, reference the occasion.
• In addition to the grabber, a good introduction should establish rapport and tell the audience why you are credible.
• An introduction often includes a “so what who cares statement” to tell the audience why this should matter to them.
• The thesis/preview should be clear enough that someone could read just that sentence or couple of sentences and know what the speech is about.

Please share your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas.

I want to hear from you. 

Do you have an activity to include? Did you notice a typo that I should correct? Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it? Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?

Click here to share your feedback. 

Asch, S. E. (1946). Forming impressions of personality. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 41, 258-290. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055756

Anderson, C. (2016). TED talks: The official TED guide to public speaking. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Barton, D. (2015). What do top students do differently? TED Talk.[Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na8m4GPqA30 Standard YouTube License.

Brooks, R. (2020). SAM Talk: Honesty, courage, and the importance of brushing your teeth. [Video] YouTube.  https://youtu.be/SskgA2hHgFI Standard YouTube License.

Castel, A.D. (2008). Metacognition and learning about primacy and recency effects in free recall: The utilization of intrinsic and extrinsic cues when making judgments of learning. Memory & Cognition, 36, 429–43. https://doi.org/10.3758/MC.36.2.429

Davis, A. (2016). 19 quotes that will inspire you to create an amazing presentation. Inc. https://www.inc.com/alison-davis/19-quotes-that-will-inspire-you-to-create-an-amazing-presentation.html

DeGeneres, E.  (2009). Ellen at Tulane Commencement. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e8ToRVOtRo Standard YouTube License.

Duarte, N. (n.d.). Be a S.T.A.R. presenter. https://www.duarte.com/be-a-star-presenter/ 

Duarte, N. (n.d.).  Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols

Elazari, K. (2014). Hackers: The internet’s immune system. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/keren_elazari_hackers_the_internet_s_immune_system?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Elias, R. (2011). Three things I learned while my plane crashed. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/ric_elias_3_things_i_learned_while_my_plane_crashed?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Fisher, W.R. (2009). Narration as a human communication paradigm: The case of public moral argument. Communication Monograph s, 51 (1). 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637758409390180

Gamache, J.A. (2007). Being Mr. G. Toastmasters World Championship. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoW-T2_6OJo Standard YouTube License.

Goffman, A. (2015). How we are priming some kids for college and others for prison. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/alice_goffman_how_we_re_priming_some_kids_for_college_and_others_for_prison/transcript?language=en#t-183504 Standard YouTube License.

Gottman, J. (2018). The science of love.[Video] YouTube.  https://youtu.be/-uazFBCDvVw Standard YouTube License.

Goldacre, B. (2011). Battling bad science. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Glaser, E. (1992). Aids address to the 1992 Democratic National Convention.[Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z0lbUJWjf4 Standard YouTube License.

Hone, L. (2019). The three secrets of resilient people. [Video] YouTube.  https://youtu.be/NWH8N-BvhAw  Standard YouTube License.

Hoteit, L. (2016). Three lessons on success from an Arab businesswoman. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/leila_hoteit_3_lessons_on_success_from_an_arab_businesswoman/transcript?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Karia, A. (2013). How to open and close a TED Talk (or any other speech or presentation). [Video] YouTube.  https://akashkaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/HowtoOpenandCloseaTEDTalk.pdf Standard YouTube License.

Key, J.  (2016). 2003 World Champion: ‘Never Too Late’ Jim Key, Toastmasters International. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54Ck5V495dA Standard YouTube License.

King, M.L. (1963).  I have a dream. [Video] YouTube. https://youtu.be/I47Y6VHc3Ms Standard YouTube License.

LaCroix, D. (2001). World champion of public speaking. [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUDCzbmLV-0 Standard YouTube License.

Lieber, D. (2013). The power of storytelling to change the world. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bo3dpVb5jw Standard YouTube License.

Lythcott-Haims, J. (2015). How to raise successful kids without overparenting. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/julie_lythcott_haims_how_to_raise_successful_kids_without_over_parenting?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Marshall, L. B. (20170. How to hook your audience in 30 seconds: Learn to create catchy speech openings from top contest winners.  https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2017/june2017/hook

Masters, K. (2014). Nipping an education myth in the bud: Poh’s brain activity during lectures. Medical Teacher, 1-4 DOI:  10.3109/014 2159X.2014.916785

McGonigal, K, (2013). How to make stress your friend. Tedtalk. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend  Standard YouTube License.

McViker, D. (2015).    Ten phrases that savvy speakers never say.  http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/10-toxic-speech-phrases/

Meade, A. (2013). Your body is my canvas. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/alexa_meade_your_body_is_my_canvas?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Medina, J. (2014). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Pear Press.

Miller, N. & Campbell, D. T. (1959) Recency and primacy in persuasion as a function of the timing of speeches and measurements. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 59, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0049330

Morgan-Steiner. (2012). Why domestic victims don’t leave. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/leslie_morgan_steiner_why_domestic_violence_victims_don_t_leave?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Moth. Storytelling tips and tricks: How to tell a successful story. https://themoth.org/share-your-story/storytelling-tips-tricks

Murdock, B.B., Jr. (1962). The serial position effect of free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64 (5), 482–488.  https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045106 Neuroskeptic. (2014).  Another education neuromyth debunked . June 29, 2014. https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/another-education-neuromyth-debunked

Oliver, J. (2010). Teach every child about food. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver_teach_every_child_about_food?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Pease, A. (2013). Body language, the power is in the palm of your hands. [Video] YouTube.  https://youtu.be/ZZZ7k8cMA-4 Standard YouTube License.

Pink, D. (2009). The puzzle of motivation.[Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y&vl=fa Standard YouTube License.

Purdy, A. (2011). Living beyond limits. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_purdy_living_beyond_limits?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Qahtani, M. (2015). The power of words.  2015 World Champion, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqq1roF4C8s&t=138s Standard YouTube License.

Ratanakul, S. (2017).  A study of problem-solution discourse: Examining TED Talks through the lens of move analysis. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network Journal, 10 (2).   https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1229624.pdf

Riegel, D. G.  (2019). Stop beginning your speeches with good morning and thank you and start with this instead. Talk Support. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbq4_Swj0Gg Standard YouTube License.

Rogers, B. (2020). A conversation over coffee. A personal essay was written for this chapter.

Rosling, H. (2014). Don’t panic–the truth about population.[Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FACK2knC08E Standard YouTube License.

Ross, T. E. (2019). Tracee Ellis Ros is living for herself . [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neU_sum9824. Standard YouTube License.

Sandel, M. (2013). Why we shouldn’t trust markets with our civic life. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_sandel_why_we_shouldn_t_trust_markets_with_our_civic_life?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Schulz, K. (2011). Don’t regret, regret. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/kathryn_schulz_don_t_regret_regret/details Standard YouTube License.

Siddons, S. (2008).  Chapter 05. how people remember, what they forget . London: Kogan Page Ltd. https://search.proquest.com/books/chapter-05-how-people-remember-what-they-forget/docview/276318853/se-2?accountid=8361

Sinek, S. (2009). How great leaders inspire action. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Solomon, A. (2013). Depression: The secret we share. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_depression_the_secret_we_share/up-next?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Stauffer, N. (2019). Moth Grand Slam Story. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzHZAsyki78 Standard YouTube License.

Toastmasters. (2017). Beginning your speech. The Better Speaker Series.  Toastmasters International -The Better Speaker Series Set

Toastmasters. (2017). Concluding your speech. The Better Speaker Series. Toastmasters International -The Better Speaker Series Set

Toastmasters. (2017).  Creating an introduction.  The Better Speaker Series.  https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/creating-an-introduction.

Tobay, T. (2016). This country isn’t just carbon neutral –it’s carbon negative. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/tshering_tobgay_this_country_isn_t_just_carbon_neutral_it_s_carbon_negative/transcript?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Trevino, D. (2020). Guilty. Moth Mainstage.  https://youtu.be/OcHLBkLVoNw

VanEdwards, V. (2020). How to start a speech: The Best (and worst) speech openers. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tzentBmmUc. Standard YouTube License.

Veitch, J. (2015). This is what happens when you reply to spam email. Ted Talk. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/james_veitch_this_is_what_happens_when_you_reply_to_spam_email?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Wilson, E.O. (2012). Advice to a young scientist. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/e_o_wilson_advice_to_a_young_scientist?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare Standard YouTube License.

Winston, P. (2019). How to speak by Patrick Winston.[Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unzc731iCUY Standard YouTube License.

Yong, E. (2014).  Zombie roaches and other parasite tales. TED Talk  [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/ed_yong_zombie_roaches_and_other_parasite_tales?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Young, S. (2014). I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/stella_young_i_m_not_your_inspiration_thank_you_very_much?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Media Attributions

• austin-distel-rxpThOwuVgE-unsplash (1) © Austin Distel is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
• jose-aragones-81QkOoPGahY-unsplash © Jose Aragones is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license

Advanced Public Speaking Copyright © 2021 by Lynn Meade is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book