An effective speaker wants to have an opening that is remembered and if you’re successful, it will be repeated by your listeners.

Whether you are talking to one person or 1000, you want to connect with your audience in less than one minute.

You must command the audience in the first minute or risk losing their interest.

In the beginning of a speech, seminar, client meeting, presentation, report to senior manager or any manner of presentation you deliver, you need to arouse interest in the subject. That means a strong opening.

The purpose of your opening is twofold: to get the audience’s attention and to make an indelible impression. Ideally, your strong opening will establish a connection between your audience and your subject.

Whatever opening you choose, make sure it transitions into your “Big Idea.” That’s the main message you want them to leave with after you finish your talk.

Here are a few examples I have my clients begin their talks with:

A STORY – Audience’s love a good story. Consider using a story of overcoming a challenge or where a coach or mentor showed you the way.

AN INTERESTING STATISTIC OR LITTLE-KNOWN FACT – If possible, start with an interesting statistic or little-known fact. You should have several of these within your talk. Bring one into your opening and whet their emotional appetite. “Would it interest / surprise you to know…”

A QUESTION – If you ask a question such as, “Have you ever stood up to speak and forgotten what you wanted to say?”, the most likely answer would be nods from the audience.

A BIG PROMISE OR BOLD STATEMENT – A bold statement could be, “In the next two hours, you will learn more about how to give an effective presentation, than in your 4 years at college.”

A POWERFUL QUOTATION – Try to use a quote from someone who influenced you, such as your parents, coach or a boss.

RELEVANT HUMOR - I’m always cautious about using a joke because your audience might’ve heard it before, even if it’s funny. It will be better if you can find humor in a real-life story, and then add exaggeration, that will make it even funnier. And please make sure your joke somehow relates to your subject matter.

Whatever opening you choose, find one that will captivate your audience from the get-go and create an emotional bond.  Then you will keep the audience in the palm of your hand.