Did you know that, within the first 30 seconds of your speech, your audience members will have decided whether or not they want to hear more? What are you doing with your first 30 seconds?
Most speakers open with Unpleasant pleasantries by stating something like, “Thank you so much for having me here. It’s a real pleasure.” The problem with this kind of opening is three-fold:
1. It’s too normal and expected and therefore does not gain attention.
2. Nobody cares about how great you feel.
3. Audiences remember what they hear first and what they hear last. Do you really want “Thank you so much…” to be what they remember most? You have the perfect opportunity to make something meaningful stick.
4 Keys to an Unforgettable Opening
1. Come out with a Bang. The two best ways to open most presentations are the following:
a. Go right into a story
b. Ask a powerful question
2. Make a Big Promise. Sell your audience on what they will be able to do or understand by the time they walk out of those doors
3. Provide a Roadmap. Explain the path they are going to follow for your presentation. For example, in my Change keynote, I say, “This comes to you in the form of the 4 Rs to Remarkable Results.” In that way my audience knows I plan to go from one R to another R and to next R and so on. That makes it easy for them to follow.
4. Get an Agreement Up Front. Get your audience members to nod their heads in agreement with something in your opening. This greases the tracks and makes it easier for your message to come through. Believe it or not, a little agreement (nodding of the head) up front often leads to a larger agreement in the end.
Okay, Let’s Hear An Opening In Action
Listen to the following audio (3 minutes and 7 seconds) of an opening I gave recently. See if you can find the Bang, Big Promise, and Roadmap along with an agreement up front.
[audio:https://craigvalentine.com/wp-content/uploads/4KeystoOpening.mp3]
Okay, so now that you’ve heard an opening in action, let’s locate the 4 keys.
1. Bang? The story of my daughter’s letter which then went into the story of my son’s equestrian comment.
2. Big Promise? It was done if the form of a question. “How do you get remarkable results in business, leadership, and life?” Of course I also went into a statement about people who do well at one but fail at the other (i.e. good in business but without knowing their own kids). Essentially, what I am saying is “How can you have it all?” That’s definitely a big promise.
3. Roadmap? I said, “There are 3 Rs.” I didn’t tell them what the “Rs” are yet because I wanted them to be curious. Still, they knew we were going from one “R” to the next “R” to the final “R.” That made it very easy for them to follow.
4. Agreement? What agreement did I get early on with my audience? I said, “Never stop asking questions.” When I said those words, my audience members nodded their heads in agreement. That small level of agreement sets the stage for larger agreements later in the speech.
Your Turn
I specifically would like to know what agreement you get up front during your opening?
When I give a speech I open with a song during which I stand on my head, and I close with a different song. The songs are my own original parodies with familiar melodies about the subject I am speaking on, which in my case is health and nutrition.
Love & Kale,
Chef AJ
Thanks Chef AJ. Knowing you, I believe you can get away with that.
Craig, you absolutely made my day today. I am working on the opening to a 2 hour workshop for dentists. I took your list and was AMAZED that I had included all 4 of your criteria in the first few sentences of my presentation! I think listening to you and Darren might have rubbed off on me! LOL. Here they are….I believe the agreement is when I ask if what I promised ‘sounds good’ to my audience:
Who would like to spend MORE time managing their practices? Who wants to spend LESS?
Would you like to spend less time AND be more effective?
You are in the right place! Today you’ll be going home with 5 keys to be more Effective, more Efficient and more Energized.
Does that sound good? Then let’s go…….
I hope that I have grasped your concepts properly, Craig. I so appreciate this blog post! Keep them coming!
Hi Kristin,
That sounds like a very solid opening!
I’m going to speak on parenting, and was wondering what you thought of this opening. “Have you ever wondered why some animals eat their young, or are you at the point where you understand completely?”
John, that’s a humorous beginning. You might even split the question up into two questions (where you have the comma). This will probably get you a chuckle with the first question (because they’ll get an idea where you are going) and a laugh with the follow-up question. That’s a nice way to start.
Thanks for the info on your opening. I do a program on muscle health and chronic pain. I am glad that I have a similar opening.
My bang is a joke about things are not what they always seem. My big Promise is, if they understand the mechanics of their body, they will automatically understand how their body works. Then I give them a road map of the talk and then the agreement is when I show them how the muscles apply the pressure to create their pain. Thanks Craig.
Sounds great Butch!
I love following your process for strong openings. Most of my talks are technical presentations to architects, building owners, or other clients. They are accustomed to hearing these types of presentations start with drab, uninteresting openings. I like catching their expressions when I start my talk with a story or some seemingly unrelated concept. Right away they are paying attention because they don’t quite know what is going on. Your 4 keys are a great way to hook them and then start reeling them in.
Thanks Mark.