How to Start a Speech
Starting a speech
A speech’s introduction is its most important part.
If you lose your audience in the first 15 seconds to 2 minutes, you might as well pack your bags and go home. You’ll never – or almost never – regain their attention.
Here are some tips to help you get through the first few moments of your speech:
Do Memorize your First Sentence
For the first 10 seconds or so of any speech your mind is doing its best to fight off an anxiety attack. It’s not the time to be creative. Write out your first sentence or two. And memorize it. (By the time you’ve made it through those first daunting moments, your mind will begin to function again). More…
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