Public Speaking Tips: Make an Entrance

Let's face it...we public speakers are divas on the inside. Why else then do we want to be on stage?

True we may have lofty goals such as wanting to share our wisdom as a way to add value to society. But deep down inside, we know we want to put ourselves out there and be heard because what we have to share with the world is something that we are so passionate about that we want to make sure we make a lasting impression.

Like how this blog post is started - that first sentence certainly hooked you in, didn't it?

You may protest vehemently or agree with it, but it got your attention enough to continue reading till here.

The biggest mistake in public speaking is not starting out strong.  You want to get your audience's attention immediately.  Therefore you'll want to put your biggest bang at the beginning of your speech instead of somewhere in the middle where you may have lost some of them.

So how do you make an entrance?

You can say something that will make everyone pay attention immediately.  For example, once a speaker stood in front of us in a meeting and said, "I am perfect so I don't believe I have any weaknesses."

Her confidence when saying that definitely made us perk up and we couldn't wait to hear what else she has to share.

But in case you don't consider yourself a big enough diva to start your speech like that, here are a few things that you can use.  Let your creativity help you in crafting a good opening.

1) Statistic: Do you know that by making this ONE simple change in your daily routine can increase your productivity by 50%?  In the fast paced world of today where results are demanded almost immediately, people will definitely want to know what this simple thing is that they need to change in their lives to increase their productivity by that much.

2) An inspiring quote: This doesn't have to be something wise and profound.  It can be something funny or sarcastic that pertains to your topic but still be a barrel of laughter.  How many speeches have we hard on things like self empowerment or success that are just carbon copies of each other, that having somebody just using a different tone is such a breath of fresh air?

3) News headline: This is really easy because everybody reads the news.  Even if they don't they may have heard it from someone else.  And in this age of social media and people blindly sharing stuff regardless of whether they are real or not, it's not that difficult to find a headline that is catchy enough to use as your speech opening.

We hope the above gives you some ideas on how you can start your speech with a bang.

Bonus tip: Sometimes it's not necessary to wait till you're in front of the audience to make that entrance.  It can be done as you walk up to the front of the audience that you "make your entrance", perhaps with a natural swag, confidence or attitude.

Get your inner diva out there and you'll be sure people will remember you.

If you would like the opportunity to hone your public speaking skills as well as learn leadership skills, join us for our bi-monthly meetings on every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.  Our meetings start at 8pm.  For further information please contact us at gurneyhydrotoastmastersclub@gmail.com or refer to our Next Meeting page for information on our next meeting.