Chapter 109 Open your mouth to catch the audience's attention

All beginnings are hard.Speech is a language art. If you want to make your speech catch people's attention and attract people, you must have a good beginning. When many celebrities give speeches, they pay great attention to the language effect of the opening paragraph. The specific methods are as follows. The key to a successful speech opening is the ability to capture and focus the audience's attention.The way to get the audience's attention during a speech varies with the subject matter, audience and scene. Generally, examples, anecdotes, experiences, rhetorical questions, quotations, humor and other means can be used to achieve this goal.

Max Isaacson, vice president of McMillan Petroleum, began a speech by using introductions and rhetorical questions to engage his audience: "We all know that public speaking is hard. But listen to Daniel Webster when he said: 'If someone were to take all my wealth and leave me with one thing, I would choose eloquence, Because of it I shall soon have all the other riches.' Why, then, are so many talented people afraid of speaking?" When speaking, in most cases, the speaker is an expert or authority in a certain field.Therefore, if the audience is not familiar with or knows little about the topic of the speech, it is necessary to tell the audience the background knowledge related to the topic at the beginning. They are not only necessary for the audience to understand the speech, but also can reflect the essence of the topic importance.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Rufus L. Billups, in his speech at a banquet at Chanout Air Force Base, gave an introduction to the background of Black Heritage Week and its importance to the U.S. Air Force: "I'm delighted to be here, and I'm grateful to be invited to discuss Black America with all of you here. In an effort to preserve and improve interethnic understanding, every state in the U.S. is commemorating 'Black Heritage Week' again. At Chanout Air Force base, we celebrate it for the unbroken education of the United States Air Force. "The theme of our nation is: 'Black History, Torch of the Future'.

"This commemoration, which has become part of the life of the American people, was first conceived and planned by Carter G. Woodson of Newcanton, Virginia, now known as the 'Father of Negro History' in the United States. Mr. Woodson in 1915 In 1926, he founded the 'Negro American Life and History Association'. Later, in 1926, he initiated the 'Negro Heritage Week' commemoration.  …” If the success of the speech depends on the audience's ability to understand certain terms or concepts in the speech, it is especially important to explain key terms at the beginning of the speech.

A corporate vice president used this technique well when he gave a speech on the use of press conferences: "Public relations, simply put, is 'relations with the public', i.e. any relationship involving a company or an individual. Its main purpose is to use the media - most often in writing - effectively to get the best for the company. impression or image." In most cases, the opening of the speech should reveal the purpose of the speech.If this is not done, the audience will either lose interest in the speech, misunderstand the purpose of the speech, or even doubt the speaker's motives.

American Express Chairman James Robinson III stated the purpose of his speech to the audience in just 15 seconds: "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to appear. The American Advertising Alliance is an important part of the American communication industry. Currently, the American communication industry is still facing many problems, and the burden falls on everyone's shoulders .The purpose of my speech today is to share my views on these issues and the challenges they present." When giving a speech, the opening part should be used to outline the content of the speech, so that the audience can understand the central idea and structure of the speech.

Especially when the subject of the speech is complex, or is highly specialized, or needs to demonstrate several points of view, doing so can make the speech appear clear and easy to understand. John F. McGurricardy, chairman and president of the Hanover Trust Manufacturing Company, opened a speech clearly stating the structure and scope of his speech: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great honor for me to be invited by Director Coleman to participate in this prestigious business forum in our country - comparable in opinion to the economic clubs of Detroit and New York. "First, I'll look at the recent domestic economic situation. I don't think it's as dire as people sometimes think it is.

“Secondly, I will address the impact of recent OPEC growth on international growth – painful for many countries, including our own, but fully manageable. "Again, I will make a few comments about the President's energy proposal, which I find both encouraging and disappointing. "Finally, I'll offer a little personal perspective on speeches becoming a fashionable and necessary phenomenon and the current state of America..." At times, the audience may question the speaker's motives or take an opposing view from the speaker's.In situations like these—especially when trying to change the audience's perspective or behavior—creating or improving the audience's trust in the speaker is required for the presentation to be successful.Two experts, Jeffrey and Peterson, offer the following suggestions for this problem:

(1) Acknowledge differences, but emphasize common perspectives and goals. (2) Refuge those who attack the speaker's reputation and behavior without even hearing the speech. (3) Deny that the motivation for the speech is selfish and personal. (4) Arouse the audience's sense of justice and let them listen to the speech carefully. A good start is half the battle, especially with presentations.In any speech, the beginning is always the key.A wonderful and powerful opening will attract the audience's long-lasting attention.