Public Speaking. Top tips for Opening
‘First impressions are lasting impressions’
If you have read a previous article on creating poise and balance in our wording and phrasing, you will recognise the phrase above as a good example of isocolon.
The phrase itself has become a bit of a cliché – because it has been repeated so often.
A cliché is never a bad phrase: probably quite the opposite.
It becomes a cliché when it is a phrase that is so apt that it becomes overused.
It is the balance between the two halves of the phrase that makes it easy to remember, and that balance is further emphasised by the suggested word play between ‘first’ and ‘last’.
It does not matter that the word ‘lasting’ has a different meaning from the word ‘last’, it is the sound and associations of the words that make an impression on us.
Many rhetorical forms gain their effect from wordplay or double meaning.
The listener consciously or unconsciously acknowledges it:
‘That’s clever!’
and that moment of stopping and acknowledging helps embed the phrase in the mind – makes the words memorable – which is what the speaker wants to achieve.
Bernard Russell’s famous quote on war does a similar thing:
‘War does not determine who is right, only who is left.’
The message is clear, but it is made memorable by the play on the words ‘right’ and ‘left’.
Both meanings of the word ‘left’ register with us at once, and therefore the phrase stands out and is replayed in our heads. We acknowledge the cleverness of the word play and Russell has succeeded in making his point in a way that is going to stay with us after the rest of his presentation is over.
Anyway….first impressions!
Here is another oft-repeated phrase:
‘You only have one chance to make a first impression.’
Therefore, the opening words of a presentation become incredibly important for making an impact.
Therefore, they are much too important to leave to chance!
Most speakers think that they can just start and pick up the pace as they go.
By the time they have ‘picked up the pace’, most of the audience has either switched off or has allowed the fairly limp opening to colour their impression of what comes next.
There is a lot of pressure involved in opening a presentation:
- the speaker is going to be nervous
- the audience might not yet be receptive and
- a tension is in the air as the audience makes its quick initial judgement based on the ‘first impression’.
So I hope you appreciate that starting with:
‘Er, hi, so I want to talk to you about…’
is not going to grab anybody’s attention.
Therefore, my prime message is:
Know your first line!
Always have something prepared so that you can get over the intense pressure of your nerves and the audience’s initial judgment.
Keep it simple and easy to deliver.
Your opening words should send a message that you are competent and in control and that there is a purpose to what comes next.
Your opening words should not telegraph how nervous or confused you feel!
This is why musicians will start a recital with a piece of music that is comfortable for them to play.
It helps them settle into the concert and reassures the audience with a message of competence and control.
10 ways to open a presentation
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Rhetorical Question
(1 Direct)
The rhetorical question is the ‘go to’ opening of most Public Speakers.
It is easy to prepare and easy to deliver.
You can walk out on stage with your open question ready and prepared, and simply start with:
‘Who here believes this government has lost its direction?’
This is a very direct form of question and will probably gain an active response from the audience.
Therefore, as well as preparing your question, you will need to be prepared for your audience’s possible answer.
There is probably no point in opening with this question unless you are pretty sure that the audience agrees with your answer, as that may derail what comes next.
Many times I have heard a speaker open with a very direct question, assuming the audience will respond the way they expect – and the audience does not. The whole following presentation is now destroyed, because the audience cannot agree on an answer to the opening question.
Therefore, the more direct and uncompromising your opening question, the more sure you need to be that your audience agrees with you
(2 Indirect)
If you cannot be 100% sure that the audience will agree to your main question, you can at least look for a question on which we do agree:
‘Who here believes that a government’s job is to make policies that are fair, just and in the best interests of the people who elected them?’
I remember in the days when the newspaper ‘Socialist Worker’ would campaign on the streets outside train stations, I would be stopped by a representative and asked:
‘Do you think war is a good thing?’
Who is simply going to say ‘Yes’ to that?
But we have opened up a dialogue, which could lead us to the real question, which was:
‘Should the UK withdraw military support from…?’
(3 Relational)
This is the type of question that is guaranteed to get a positive response, because it refers to something that is probably a shared experience that we can all relate to, which can then lead us to the real ‘direct’ question
‘Have you ever been standing on a station to be told that your train has been cancelled?’
‘Have you opened up a utility bill to be shocked by how much more expensive it had become?’
Socrates was famous for asking questions that had an obvious agreement from which he would build his logical argument, which of course would ultimately lead to the real question:
‘Therefore, isn’t it time that this government was voted out to let the other party take over?’
The purpose of identifying three levels of rhetorical questions is to help you avoid the catastrophe of asking a question that does not get the desired response and then destroys the whole basis of your presentation. When in doubt, soften the question until you are on safer ground.
You could even soften it even further by not even expressing it in the form of a question:
‘I wonder how many of us have stood on a station to be told our train has been cancelled…’
It is very close to a question that starts:
‘Have you ever stood…’
but it is not going to undermine your presentation with a ‘wrong’ answer.
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Strong Statement
The purpose of a strong statement is to grab the audience’s attention.
All the provisos of rhetorical questions apply. You don’t want a strong statement that alienates your audience:
‘This government is a disgrace!’
Again, that is OK if you are fairly sure that everyone agrees with you.
Typically, a strong statement is a statement calculated to make the audience think:
‘Tell me more. Where is this leading?’
So statements like:
‘The worst day of my life.’
‘I was abandoned, alone and 2000 miles from home.’
‘Love is mysterious.’
make a strong first impact and leave us wondering how they continue.
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Set the scene
This is by far the easiest and most gentle way of starting a presentation and is effective because it sounds improvised and conversational. However, as with the previous suggestions, it should still be thought out and prepared (it just does not sound like it):
‘The other day I was walking down the street when I noticed...’
‘I was waiting at an airport for my plane to board when…’
‘A man came up to me last week…’
I have given you three levels of Rhetorical Question, but if you view Rhetorical Questions as one heading, alongside Strong Statement and Set the Scene, these are the three most common and most effective ways of starting a presentation, and of course, you can mix and match or combine them:
‘My day was ruined! Last Wednesday, I was standing on the platform to be told that my train had been cancelled. Have you ever just wanted to scream?’
The remaining suggestions for openings can be viewed as individual styles of opening or as variations on the themes of
Rhetorical Questions, Strong Statement and Setting the Scene.
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Mystery Opening
This is where you draw the audience in by approaching your subject from an oblique angle, creating a sense of suspense or curiosity:
‘I may be unusual. From the outside, I know I seem fairly normal. And maybe some of you have also had similar feelings. I don’t think it is a criminal offence to think this. It is certainly not punishable by death, but….I can’t help wondering – What is the point of Facebook?’
The effect is to draw the audience in with the mystery and then reveal your subject.
This is particularly useful if you feel the subject alone will not grab their attention.
‘Today I would like to talk about Facebook.’
Audience reaction: ‘Not interested.’
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A Famous Quote
This could work the same way as a strong statement or setting the scene, but it adds an extra layer of credibility. What I want to say today has been referred to already by someone famous, or what I want to say can be backed up by a credible source
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A Statistic
Speakers need to be careful of overburdening a presentation with statistics. They can quickly become number-heavy and overwhelming to listen to, but a well-chosen statistic will add credibility like a quote.
It will suggest a level of objective research, rather than a personal point of view and if well-chosen can be referred back to throughout the presentation:
‘Today, over 7 million people in the UK are waiting for a routine NHS appointment.’
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Humour
Danger! Danger! My biggest worry about starting with ‘humour’ is that it might not be funny. It might be offensive, and it might not send the right message. So if you choose to start with a joke or funny comment, make sure it is directly linked to or sets up the key message of the presentation. That way, if no one laughs, at least you are making a significant point.
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A Story
Closely related to setting the scene and therefore one of the easiest, most natural and most comfortable ways to start a presentation, a story can achieve everything you want from a good opening.
- It sets the scene
- It introduces the themes
- It is visual
- It is probably relatable
- It is easy to remember
You just need to start the story!
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Engage the Senses
Another sub-set of ‘setting the scene’
and also ‘storytelling’.
As you introduce your subject, don’t just ‘tell’, describe how you feel, what you heard, what you smell and what you saw.
It is part of storytelling, but by engaging the senses, you are making your opening more vivid, more impactful and therefore more memorable.
‘I remember once standing in the midday sun, feeling the heat on my arms and face, the smell of sun cream in my nose, with the sound of the train approaching.
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State the Purpose
‘The purpose of today’s presentation is to help you…’
You can abandon all techniques and subtleties and simply announce what the presentation aims to achieve.
It sends out a good message of:
‘Let’s get straight down to business.’
Don’t tell them what the presentation is ‘about’ – that is the journey, and the audience may not be that interested in the journey; instead, announce what the presentation aims to achieve – that is the destination.
If you put a little thought into your opening words, you will be better able to contend with early nerves, and you will have sent a message of competence out to your audience.
