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Oh wow. I'm so nervous.

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Gosh. These lights are so bright.

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Is this mic on?

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Is there even a mic?

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Opening a speech is so stressful.

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There's nothing worse than walking on stage and not knowing

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what to say or worse saying something super awkward.

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Can you see my hands shaking?

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Imagine you naked? Imagine you naked, imagine you naked. Imagine you naked.

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Got to see clearly.

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Hello, Chicago.

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Oh Hous.

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We're in Houston. Hello, Houston.

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In

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this video,

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I'm going to give you the best and worst

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speech openers for your next presentation pitch,

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speech, or toast. (MUSIC).

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Let's start with the worst ways to open.

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I hear these speaking, cardinal sins all the time. Please don't open your speech by...

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Never start with anything technical.

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Gosh, these lights are so bright.

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Is this mic on?

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Is there even a mic. Friends do a tech check or show

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up a little early. If you call attention to something not working,

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that's all your audience will think about.

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Never mention your nervousness.

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Do I look as nervous as I feel?

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Wow! There are so many people here.

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So, I should start by saying that I am not a great public speaker, 

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so this should be short.

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Many people think it's vulnerable or honest to start with how nervous they are.

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But actually for your audience, it's distracting. Why?

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The moment you mention your nerves,

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you make your audience nervous and they will begin

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looking for all the signs of your nervousness.

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It becomes a giant nerve-wracking wave that you start from stage.

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Never give a half-hearted welcome.

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Thanks for having me.

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Well, it's so nice to be here.

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Thanks for that intro.

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Do not start with a boring nicety or worse,

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saying something nice but not sounding like you mean it.

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I can't tell you how many times I have seen people get on stage and say,

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"I'm so happy to be here,"

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but look so incredibly unhappy as they say it, fake, fake, fake.

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The only exception to this is if you can turn

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it into a joke like the amazing Ken Robinson.

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He opened his talk with a boring nicety, but then made it funny. Let's watch.

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Good morning.

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How are you?

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It's been great, hasn't it?

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It's been, I've been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I'm leaving. (LAUGHTER).

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Okay,

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now that we've talked about the worst ways to start a speech.

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Let's talk about the best.

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Speech opener idea number one, use stories.

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The absolute best way to start a presentation is with a story.

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There is nothing better to capture the imagination and attention of an audience.

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Let's watch how David Brooks hooks you in right at the start with his story.

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So, we all have bad seasons in life. And I had one in 2013,

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my marriage had just ended and I was humiliated by that failed commitment.

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Who hooks you in right away? He gets right to the heart of it.

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Stories help your audience feel right there with you.

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Here's some fill in the blanks you can use to start

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your next speech with a story. Once upon a time...

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I'm here for a reason and it's an interesting story...

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The best thing that ever happened to me was

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Speech opener idea number two, your big idea.

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I love when speakers share their big idea right upfront.

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They don't make you wait for it. They dive right in.

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Let's watch how Stacy Smith starts off her talk

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with her big idea framed in an interesting way.

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Today, I want to tell you about a pressing social issue.

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Now, it's not nuclear arms, it's not immigration,

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and it's not malaria.

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I'm here to talk about movies.

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Here's some fill in the blanks you can use to open your speech.

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You're here for a reason. It's...

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The single most important thing I want to share with you today is...

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Today, I want to share a big idea...

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Speech opener number three, a quirky one liner.

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No one loves humor more than me. And I can promise you that your audience will as well.

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If you dare, try to open your speech with something intriguing, very intriguing.

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Humor or curiosity is a great way to start a speech on a high.

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And please get creative. Think of an interesting fact about you,

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your audience or your topic that can lead you into your content.

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For example, when I gave my TED talk in London, I opened with my quirky one liner.

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Hello, my name is Vanessa

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and I am a recovering awkward person.

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You can also use an interesting fact or even a question to the audience.

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Try some of these fill in the blanks.

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Did you know...

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Do you ever worry about...?

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Have you ever wondered...?

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For example,

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I do tons of corporate workshops and

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trainings and here's some interesting factoids.

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I start with that hook the audience in.

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Did you know that it takes less than a second to make a first impression?

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Did you know that your nonverbal communication is

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12.5 times more powerful than your words?

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Did you know that we are lied to 200 times a day?

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Got you hooked, right.

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I would love to speak to your group anytime. Call me.

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You are ready for your next speech. Your next question might be.

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How do I end my speech?

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I have 20 top closing lines from history's greatest speakers.

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Go to ScienceofPeople.com/closers to grab your free download.

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Do you have powerful presentation skills?

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Whether you're on a stage on a video in a boardroom or in a meeting?

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I want to show you how you can share any of your ideas powerfully, confidently, and

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authentically

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in my new course, powerful presentations.

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I'm going to give you my framework that you can use for sharing

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any idea whether that's in person or online, in video or on stage.

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I'll also show you some of those pesky things that are really hard in a presentation,

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like where to put your hands and how to hold a mic, how to show visuals,

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how to tell stories, even how to be funny.

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Join me in my course,

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powerful presentations at scienceofpeople.com/presentations.