Hello dear friends!

Each of us in life had a chance to shine with the power of oratory. For some, it is sheer joy and fun. And for others - an unthinkable test.

Speaking in front of an audience is like taking an exam. It would seem that he would have learned the ticket, but still the tremor and treacherously trembling voice are doing their insidious work. As a result - a stupor, and a noticeable desire to abandon the idea, deciding to escape through the ajar window into the sunset. Familiar, right?

Meetings at work that need your winning speech, toasts at the birthday of loved ones or at a wedding, speaking at various seminars and trainings, often deprive us of a couple of hundred nerve cells. How to start a public speaking right and end it on an enchantingly successful note?

For today's material, I tried to find the most effective strategies and techniques that have a positive impact on the approach to dialogue with the masses. Ready? Then, let's get started!

Starting your show for the peace of the souls of those gathered in the audience, you run the risk of not finishing it for health. On the eve of your performance, you have approximately 60 seconds to make it clear who is the boss here?».

In this situation, it is very important to capture the attention of listeners and finally fall in love with yourself. You are obliged to gain their trust, to orient in the topic of the occasion to get together, and also to set them up for the further course of listening.

If you spend precious seconds on stammering, stuttering, talking about your grandmother, on jokes that only you and the fish in the aquarium can understand, then time will be lost and the countdown will return, it will become an impossible desire.

Try to creatively approach the performance and fill it with a positive aura of perception, along with creativity, goodwill and an emotional message. But how to do that?

1. Telling a stunning performance story

The story will help to start the speech correctly. From birth, a person likes to listen to narrative fables, fairy tales and sayings, learning with their help the wisdom of life.

We are fascinated by the heroes of fantastic stories, strong personalities fighting villains from fables or theatrical characters, masterfully captivating plot twists and turns and dialogues.

Thanks to them, we gain centuries of experience, knowledge and theoretical skills. We draw parallels of analysis between ourselves and the characters, developing our own opinion about the confrontation between good and evil in the Universe.

With what words to start an amazing journey? Prepare a story in which you act as the main character. A first-hand story or from a well-known person attracts attention and leads away.

Of course, a story about another person, yours, a motivator or teacher may come up. The introduction is not a business conversation, it is throwing a fishing rod into a pond full of fish.

The main and most important mission of this reception is charm the audience in 1 minute the content and theme of the key idea of ​​the report, and therefore the speech itself.

Give the audience an opportunity to ask questions: What problems are you or your colleague facing?», « How did you find the solution and conduct the analysis?», « What were they guided by?" and the most important thing - " What should they understand or feel? And maybe draw a conclusion after listening?»

2. Curiosity

Man is an inquisitive being. We like to solve riddles and stir up our own interest. It is important and necessary to create the structure of a mysterious image aimed at making the audience start thinking.

This can be done thanks to questions and point, during voiced quotes. Examples of "speaking for themselves" sayings: " And who are the judges?», « A small step for a person - but a huge one, for all mankind!" etc.

Rhetorical, effective assistants in persuading opponents. They suggest the right thought and emphasize the atmosphere of mystery and intelligence.

If they are presented qualitatively and appropriately, then the audience will certainly follow the path that the speaker has prepared for them. Remember that in this way you can persuade those present to your point of view.

But, the question does not always have to strive for an unequivocal yes or no answer. You can push them to think about something heavier by pushing the curiosity levers.

3. Shocking numbers or headlines

Stop words, whole phrases or catchy statistics always produce the sensation of being shaken or hit in the head.

The person thinks: Wow! Wow, I didn't know!” and continues to follow with undisguised interest your mouth, from which interesting facts are heard.

A creative headline, or a thought expressed in a fairly explicit way, is ideal to convince the audience that your arguments, arguments, or recommendations can be followed.

4. Instead of a thousand words

Oratory is able to work miracles and lead the masses, but no less striking addition to the story is illustration and graphic support of the speech.

Try using graphs, illustrations, diagrams, and pictures to enhance the effect, as well as to create an attractive, aesthetic image.

Visualization makes it easier to assimilate the audio stream of the broadcast, understand the material presented more deeply and fill the imagination of the audience. This can make a performance memorable and amazing!

Interspersed with creative notes, always perceived with a bang! Additional gadgets, attributes or even props enhance the effect of perception.

For some reason, I remembered the speech of one of the leaders of the insurance company that he was in love with his hobby - playing tennis. Actually, he began his speech with a spectacular hit with a racket. In the future, this became a recognizable trigger.

Triggers in psychology are objects or actions of a person that cause a certain reaction. This is the so-called trigger. And in a speech, it can be a gesture, a phrase or a unique signal - capable of “blow up” the listeners! Remember all the tricks and be sure to practice what you read in life.

Friends, this is the end!

Subscribe to update my blog and recommend it to your friends for reading. Tell us in the comments what strategies do you know and which of them did you successfully implement in your speech?

See you on the blog, bye bye!

How do you come up with a powerful, bright start to a speech in front of an audience? Here are some ways to give your speech an effective start. If you figure out how to show your audience your warmth and friendliness and at the same time manage to impress them, then in 30 seconds after the start of the speech, she will be ready to follow you to the ends of the world.

Mention some current event. Use the front page of a recent newspaper as a bridge to get to the topic of your conversation or to prove or illustrate your point. You can bring a copy of the newspaper with you and unroll it in front of everyone when you refer to what is written in it during the opening speeches. This picture of you standing on a stage with a newspaper in your hands and reading or reciting important thoughts by heart will draw the attention of the audience to you and make people lean forward so as not to miss a single word of yours.

Retell a recent conversation. Begin by retelling your recent conversation with someone present. For example, say something like this: “I was talking to Tom Robinson in the lobby a few minutes ago. He told me that now is one of the best times to do business in this industry. And I agree with him."

Make a shocking statement. You can start your speech with a statement that will cause some shock. For example, you could say something like, “Recent reports indicate that competition in this industry will not only intensify next year, but will lead to changes and new opportunities that were unimaginable in the past. As a result of all the perturbations, 72 percent of the people sitting in the hall now will be working in another area in two years if they cannot adapt quickly enough to the changed environment.”

Start with an anecdote, if appropriate. You can also start a speech with a joke, but only if it is actually funny. You must be 100% sure that the audience will perceive your statement or tale as comical. Therefore, you should test your anecdote several times on other people beforehand to make sure of its effect. Use humor only if you yourself think the story or joke is funny, and if you are convinced that you can tell it well and it will really be adequately perceived by the audience.

Entertain your audience. One of the best American speakers, Bill Gove, after being formally introduced to the audience, usually walked on stage as if he had just interrupted one backstage conversation to now move on to another - with a group of people sitting in the hall. The listeners got the feeling that he was not going to make a speech, but simply wanted to talk to them.

Beal often walked to the very edge of the stage, gave himself a conspiratorial air, urged the audience to move closer to him with his hands and said in a half-whisper: "Come closer, I need to tell you something." One got the impression that he was going to reveal some great secret - to everyone present at the same time.

The most amazing thing is that the people in the audience actually leaned forward to hear the "secret". And then they would suddenly become aware of what they were doing and burst into laughter. After this “trickster”, Gove could already twist ropes out of them, as they say.

Ask a question, take a poll. You can also start by making some kind of positive statement, and then ask a question that involves a show of hands. Try this: “Today is a great time for us to live and do business. By the way, how many of you have your own business?”

I often start a conversation in this way and, after a certain number of listeners raise their hands, I ask one of them sitting closer to the stage: “How many people really do their own thing?”.

Invariably someone answers: “We all!”. After that, I give confirmation to this answer: “You are right! We are all minding our own business, from the moment we get our first job until we retire. We all work for ourselves, regardless of who pays us a salary.”

Make a statement and ask a question. You can start with some impressive statement and then ask a question. Then give an answer and ask the next question. This technique instantly engages people in the topic, and they will eagerly hang on your every word. Here is an example:

“Twenty percent of the people in our society earn 80 percent of the money. Are you in the top 20 percent? So, in the next few minutes, I'm going to give you some ideas that will help you become one of the highest paid members of our society. Do you think it was worth it to come to the seminar today for this?”

There is one interesting psychological phenomenon that manifests itself in people from childhood: they are determined to answer the questions posed. Every time you ask a question and then pause to give people time to process it, you take full control of the audience. Even if people don't answer out loud, they can't bring themselves to not answer at all.

Start with history. You can start your speech with a story. It is difficult to come up with stronger words that instantly capture the attention of the audience than the words "Once upon a time there lived-were ...".

From infancy and early childhood, people love all kinds of stories and fairy tales. The listeners instantly calm down, fall silent and lean forward, like children sitting around a fire. When I run all-day seminars and I want the participants to quickly settle into their seats after the coffee break, I say out loud: “A long time ago, I lived in a city, right in this very city, a man...” Hearing these words, the seminar participants quickly sit down and fall silent in anticipation of the continuation of the story.

Build a bridge between yourself and the audience. One of the most important tasks of the introductory part of the speech is to establish contact with the audience, to build a bridge between you. Start with something that connects you with your audience. For example, from the fact that today - or sometime in the past - you worked in the same industry. Maybe you have kids like them. Maybe you know their city, or you support the local football or basketball team. Or you have a problem or concern that is very similar to the problems and concerns listeners face in their work or life.

If you take a few minutes to build such a bridge between you and your listeners, they will immediately come over to your side. They will see that you are one of them and will be more receptive to your words and ideas, as well as become more generous and forgiving of your possible mistakes. They will feel that you are a literate and accessible person, because you have a lot in common with them.

Tell the audience about yourself. Very often I begin my speeches to businessmen, entrepreneurs and sales representatives with the words: “I went into business without graduating from high school. My family didn't have money. Everything that I have achieved in life, I had to achieve myself. If someone helped me, then just a little bit.

It's amazing how many people come up to me after speaking like this to confirm that they've gone the same way. And, by their admission, they immediately began to identify themselves with me, because they themselves, like most people, started with poor grades in school and low financial opportunities. Therefore, they listened to my speech with great interest and felt: everything that I say describes their current situation much more accurately and is much more useful for their future than what a person with a “high start” in life could say in my place. It is very useful to throw such bridges between yourself and the listeners: they will definitely come over to your side through it.

And 6 more ideas:

• Thank the organizers
• Praise your listeners
• Recall a historical event
• Quote the words of a famous person
• Provide data from the latest research
• Start with a problem

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Comment on the article "How to start a speech: 10 ideas. What listeners like"

Discussion

this boy must be killed by parents for sure.

grades are not the main thing, the main thing is knowledge
but they are valued
so what about not important ... a big exaggeration
they are important, but they are just estimates, either well done, I remembered, I understood, you can relax, or - there is still something to work on
and no more
but maybe that boy has inadequate parents and spread rot for bad grades as for "cho brought so little money"
this is not a reason to cancel the control
for this, in fact, psychologists at school are to correct parental nonsense, which is not easy and not always possible

How to start a speech: 10 ideas. What listeners like. How do you come up with a powerful, bright start to a speech in front of an audience? You can start your speech with a story. It's hard to come up with stronger words, instantly...

Discussion

OH YEAH! Postcards were massively purchased not only before New Year's Eve, but also before other holidays, carefully inscribed and sent throughout the Union ... In response, the same mountains of postcards came :-) family handwritten journal.

And they also made Christmas tree decorations every year, just in the last week before New Year's Eve ... together with mom and dad. Toys made from eggshells (in the 90s I remembered my childhood, made a Snow Maiden - still alive :-),
beads were made from candy foil, garlands were glued from colored paper ... It was a good time! :-)

Cosy). Oh, how many such joint family affairs were. Dumplings were all sculpted together, I made dough circles with a glass. And filmstrips on the sheet.

In short, in our time ...)))

Well, my dears. This year, it is necessary to kick before the holidays, first of all, myself - with the New Year's mood I have, due to the just-occurred change in marital status, it is still tight. So I'm going to prepare for the New Year here, but I don't know how to do it slowly, I'll be public. And I'm always glad to those who join :)) As usual, the principle is the same: no more than 15 minutes a day. Well, only the stollen will require a little longer, but it's worth it, believe me :)) So. Today we are making...

Famous Russian musicians will perform at the first all-Russian festival "Fish Week". All concerts in support of Russian fish will be held on the stage, which is installed on Pushkin Square (the site "Moscow - the port of five seas"). April 22 at 18:30 the festival will open with a performance by A.F. Sklyara. For 25 years now, this artist has been pleasing his listeners with an incendiary stylish cabaret, in which male lyrics and street romance harmoniously coexist. There is real intrigue in every performance of Sklyar, and...

An ingenious album, from which it is ideal to start acquaintance of kids with Great music. ******************************-*************** "Children's Album of Pieces" Peter Ilyich wrote it especially for his little nephews and played it with the children. Miniatures are simple, but perfect for a first introduction to Big Music. The hand of a brilliant composer is visible in them, so both children and adults like listening to the album. ******************************-*************** Performed by musicians...

About 2 months ago I was invited to take part in a marathon called "I am happy". Since I love different psychological trainings, I decided to try it. The organizer offered various creative and everyday tasks. The participants set goals for themselves and reported on the steps towards the planned. At first, everything seemed very naive - to say kind words to her husband, to smile at passers-by, to make a pie with a prayer. But after a few weeks, I realized that something had changed. I've been going for almost a year...

Discussion

Very interesting!! I am happy to participate :)
Yes, nothing prevents me, I'm happy! Every day! Not all day like Charlotte said in Sex in the city, but every day :)

I'll be happy to participate!)
As for happiness, I’m happy, but my laziness really bothers me ...

Posted On 06.03.2018

10 public speaking tips from Dale Carnegie that are relevant today

Speaking in front of a small group can be intimidating for most people. The following 10 tips from Dale Carnegie in The Art of Public Speaking will help you overcome this feeling and make your presentation a good practice for both you and your audience.

1. Be confident in front of an audience

Speaking in front of people can scare you. And some people might also argue that speaking in front of a small audience is even more scary. To overcome the fear of public speaking, Carnegie recommends:

• Rehearse a few times
• Dive into your theme
• Do you have something special to say
• Count on success
• Take control of your audience

2. Theme and Preparation for Public Speaking

Understand what you are saying and keep your thoughts organized. If there are studies and facts, then supplement your speech with them. Create a public speaking plan, and once you've prepared your presentation, don't be afraid to revise it.

3. Efficiency by changing the pitch of the voice

Carnegie advises that for every change in your reasoning, your voice should change in pitch. When speaking, watch how your voice changes as you speak. And remember that with more intonation, your voice will sound more pleasing to your audience.

4. Pause and its Power

Knowing how to use pauses can greatly help your speaking skills. Pauses can be used for a number of different reasons. For example, let your audience mentally prepare for the next thought, or create suspense, or let your message be consumed by the audience.

5. Feelings and Delight

Put feelings into your speech and express them. Don't be afraid at first, even if you feel like you've overdone it. Get excited about your topic, it will help your audience get excited about it too. Greater excitement and engagement of your audience with your presentation and more likely your message will resonate with them.

6. Voice

Spoken voice is essential for public speaking, but how do you train yourself to master it? For starters, you must relax. Don't let yourself be nervous, because there is no reason to be nervous. Watch your breath and try vowel sounds to relax and prepare for your speech.

7. Match Gestures to Your Speech

Gestures should be a reflection of how you feel, helping you convey what you want to convey to your audience. They should be natural and should be one single unplanned part of speech. Make sure your movements are constantly changing and match what you are saying at that very moment.

Influence on the crowd

Every crowd needs a leader. Be the leader for your audience! Lead your audience through your thoughts and keep them engaged. Establish yourself as a leader and earn the respect of your audience. This will help you lead them and get them to take the actions you need.

9. Expand your vocabulary

Every word in your vocabulary means three things: you know its meaning; you know how it combines with other words; and you know how to use it correctly. When you hear a new word, do whatever it takes to learn these three things about it. If you hear a word that you already know but is used in a different way, then this is also a great way to increase your vocabulary. If you do not understand the meaning of its use, then look in the dictionary and remember its meaning.

10. Memory training

You probably won't or won't be able to memorize your entire speech word for word, but the main ideas that are important to the smooth running of your presentation should be noted. It's as simple as memorizing your plan. Memorize the key points of your speech and some of the words associated with them, and work towards that direction.

Dale Carnegie may have offered these tips years ago, but they are timeless. Using just a few of them will help you overcome your fear of public speaking, greatly increase your self-confidence and make you a better public speaker.

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It's no secret that most people are afraid of public speaking. But if you are a businessman or a team leader, sooner or later you will have to go on stage and give a speech. And so that your performance won't disappoint you or your audience, follow the eight tips below to help you perform well in front of an audience.

1.

How to start a speech: 10 ideas. What listeners like

Watch Experienced Speakers

Watch professional public speakers, such as speakers in public speaking classes. Pay attention to speakers from your field of activity and beyond. See how they deliver their speeches, what they want to convey to the audience, how often they pause, how quickly they speak, how often they make eye contact with the audience.

2. The tenth performance is better than the first

No matter how many times you have performed in front of an audience, there is always room for improvement. It's great if you have public speaking experience, but don't get too carried away and think that you can now speak without prior preparation. It may work a couple of times, but sooner or later you will misfire.

3. Start strong

To speak well in front of an audience, try to hook the audience from the very beginning of the speech. For example, you can make a witty joke if you have an excellent sense of humor. Other options are to give a shocking statistic, ask the audience a provocative question, or show a funny video.

4.

Clear speech segments

Divide your presentation material into separate parts to better convey your thoughts and ideas to the audience. Remember, when leaving the room, the audience, according to the Rule of Three Points, must remember at least three key points from your speech.

5. Practice your speech

The day before the performance, meet with a close friend and ask him to listen to your speech, which you are going to give to the public. It will be useful to know how the masters of oratory prepare for performances. So, the night before, you should sleep well and avoid drinking alcohol so that you don’t suffer from a hangover in the morning. Make sure you have a glass of water at room temperature when you speak, as cold water constricts your throat.

6. Don't be late

On the day of the speech, do not be too lazy to arrive early, with some margin of time. At least an hour before a public speech, look into the hall in which you will speak and look at its atmosphere. Check if the audio and video equipment and microphone are working properly.

7. Don't speak fast

One of the most common mistakes beginners in public speaking make is speaking too fast. In this case, the listeners do not have time to comprehend the words of the speaker. To determine the speed of your speech, record it on a computer and listen to it. If you're talking faster than the newscaster, then you're talking too fast.

8. Rely on the outline of the speech

Even experienced speakers, before speaking to the public, make a short summary of the speech. It may contain the main issues that the speaker wants to address in the speech, expressed in three to four words. If you write something like this for yourself, it will be of great help to you, but remember, you should not write the entire text of the speech. Outline the main parts, determine how, for example, 8 elements of the speech tempo will be presented.

Finally, be sincere - people will feel it in your voice and will listen to you more attentively. Speaking in public requires a lot of courage and, like everything in life, experience and practice. So what are you waiting for?

Experts have found that 80% of rapid career advancement depends on the ability to correctly and beautifully express one's thoughts. Most successful people are fluent in oratory and able to speak in front of an audience. There are special trainings and seminars on public speaking. Here are some tips to help you learn how to properly speak in front of an audience.

1. Try to deal with anxiety. If you are worried, then a beautiful speech will not work. Experience will help to cope with excitement, and at the initial stage, breathing exercises and self-hypnosis will help.

2. It is important to know well what you will be saying. You must prepare for the speech, know the topic well. You must also be prepared to answer questions.

3. Try to respect the time frame.

I once asked Dr. Lynn Harold Howe, former president of Northwestern University, what he considered most important for a speaker based on his years of experience in the field. After a moment's thought, he replied: "An exciting opening that will immediately attract attention." He planned in advance, almost to the last word, everything with which he was to begin and end his speech. So did John Bright, Gladstone, Webster, Lincoln. In fact, every speaker with common sense and experience does the same.

And the beginner? Rarely. Planning takes time, requires mental effort and willpower. The work of the brain is a painful process.

On the walls of his workshops, Thomas Edison affixed plaques with the following statement by Sir Joshua Reynolds: "There is no trick that a person would not resort to to avoid the real difficulties associated with the process of thinking."

The beginner usually hopes for the inspiration of the moment, and as a result it turns out that he has to go on a road full of potholes and potholes.

The late Lord Northcliffe, who went from a miserable office worker to the richest and most powerful newspaper owner in the British Empire, said that the following three words of Pascal helped him achieve more success than anything else he had ever read:

"To foresee is to control."

When you plan your speech, this great motto should be on your desk. Try to anticipate where you will start when your mind is fresh so that you can be aware of every word you say. Try to anticipate what impression you will eventually leave when nothing can erase it.

Ever since the time of Aristotle, books on the subject have divided the speech into three parts: the introduction, the actual speech, and the conclusion. Until relatively recently, the introduction, in its leisurely - and this could be afforded - often resembled a ride in a convertible. In this case, the speaker broke the news and entertained the listeners at the same time. A hundred years ago, he often filled the gap in society that is currently filled by newspapers, magazines, radio, television, telephone, cinema.

However, the situation has changed radically. The world has been rebuilt.

Inventions in the last hundred years have accelerated life more than has been done at any time since Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar. Thanks to cars, airplanes, radio, television, we are moving at an ever-increasing speed, and the speaker must keep up with this impatient pace of the times. If you're going to start with an intro, then trust me, it should be as short as the poster. Here's what a typical modern audience would like: "Do you have something to say? All right. Just let's hurry up and use as little embellishment as possible. No rhetoric! Give us the facts quickly and sit down."

When Woodrow Wilson spoke before Congress on such an important issue as the ultimatum on submarine warfare, he announced the topic of his speech and concentrated the attention of his audience on this issue with only the following words: “A situation has arisen in the foreign policy relations of our country that my direct it is my duty to tell you sincerely about it."

When Charles Schwab spoke at the Pennsylvania Society in New York, he got right to the point in the second sentence: "The main question in the minds of American citizens at the present time is the following question: how should we understand the existing downturn in business activity and what awaits us in the future? Personally, I'm optimistic..."

The commercial director of the National Cash Register, in one of his speeches, addressed his employees in the following way. There were only three sentences in the introduction to his speech, and they were easy to listen to, as they were full of energy and perspective: "Those of you who receive orders are supposed to see that smoke comes out of the chimney of our factory. Quantity the smoke emitted from our chimney during the last two summer months was not enough to obscure the surrounding landscape to any great extent.

Now that the hard days are behind us and the season of business recovery has begun, we make a short but strong request to you: we want more smoke."

Do inexperienced speakers usually manage to achieve such commendable speed and brevity in the introduction to their speeches? Most inexperienced and unqualified speakers start their presentations in one of two unfortunate ways. Let's discuss them.

Beware of telling a so-called funny story at the beginning of a speech

For some lamentable reason, the novice speaker often assumes that he must be witty. By its nature, it can be as serious as an encyclopedia, completely devoid of any sense of humor. However, the moment he starts speaking, he imagines that the spirit of Mark Twain has descended upon him. Therefore, he tends to start his speech with a funny story, especially if he speaks after a dinner party. What happens? You can bet twenty to one that both the story and the manner of presentation of this new storyteller will be as heavy as a dictionary.

His story will surely fail. In the immortal words of the immortal Hamlet, he will turn out to be "insignificant, flat and stupid."

If the narrator makes several such misfires in front of listeners who have paid for their seats, he will be shushed, and unflattering exclamations will be heard in the hall. However, usually listeners are sympathetic towards the speaker, and therefore, for purely philanthropic reasons, they will make every effort to giggle a few times, although in the depths of their hearts they will feel sorry for the failed humorist for his failure! They themselves will feel out of place. Haven't you ever witnessed this kind of fiasco?

There is nothing more complex and rarer in all the difficult art of oratory than the ability to make listeners laugh. Humor is a spontaneous matter, associated with individuality, personality.

Remember, the story itself is rarely funny. It all depends on how you tell. Out of a hundred people, ninety-nine will fail miserably by telling the same stories that made Mark Twain famous. Read the stories that Lincoln repeated in the taverns of the Eighth Judicial District of Illinois, those stories that people traveled miles to hear, stories that they listened to until morning and which sometimes, according to an eyewitness, made listeners laugh out loud and fall out of their chairs. Read these stories aloud to your family and see if they bring a smile to your face. Here is one of the stories that brought Lincoln tremendous success. Why don't you try telling it? Just do it, please, in private, not in front of an audience: "One day, a belated traveler, trying to get home on the dirt roads of Illinois, was overtaken by a thunderstorm. The night was black as ink. It was raining with such force as if a dam had burst in the sky. Lightning tore through the angry clouds like dynamite. Continuous flashes illuminated the falling trees around. The roar deafened the traveler. Finally, a clap of thunder, which was the most terrible and terrible thing that this helpless man had ever heard in his life, threw him to his knees. He usually never prayed, but now, breathless, he wailed: "Oh, my God, I beg you, send more light and less noise."

You may be one of those people blessed with the rare gift of humor. If so, then cultivate this gift in yourself by all means.

You will be welcomed three times warmer wherever you perform. But if your talent lies in other areas, then it would be reckless and even, one might say, a state crime on your part to try to put on the mantle of Chauncey M. Depew.

If you ever read his speeches, Lincoln's speeches or Job Hedges' speeches, you will probably be surprised that they told their listeners very few stories, especially at the beginning of the speech. Edwin James Catell told me that he never told funny stories just for laughs. Such stories should be appropriate and illustrate any stated position. Humor should be the icing on the cake, the chocolate between the layers of the cake, not the cake itself. Strickland Gillilan, one of the finest humor lecturers in the United States, made it a point to never tell any story within the first three minutes of his speech. If he considered it suitable for himself, then I think that you and I can follow his example.

Should the beginning of the performance then be ponderous, elephantine, and exceptionally solemn? In no case.

Arouse amusement, if you can, by referring to specific local features related to the situation or to the remarks of a previous speaker. Note any inconsistency. Exaggerate her. These kinds of jokes will bring you success forty times faster than outdated jokes about Pat and Mike, about the mother-in-law or about the goat.

Perhaps the easiest way to create a cheerful mood is to joke about yourself. Tell about yourself, how you got into some funny and predicament, and this will immediately provide a humorous atmosphere. Eskimos even laugh at a man who has broken his leg. The Chinese are giggling over a dog that fell out of a second-story window and crashed to death. We are somewhat kinder, but don't we smile if someone tries to catch their hat or slips on a banana peel?

Almost anyone can make people laugh by comparing the incomparable, as one journalist did in a statement when he wrote that he "can't stand children, tripe food, and Democrats."

See how cleverly Rudyard Kipling was able to get the audience laughing at the beginning of one of his political speeches in England. He did not tell ready-made jokes, but shared his own experience and cheerfully compared the incomparable:

"Dear lords, ladies and gentlemen! When I was a young man and was in India, I used to cover criminal cases in the newspaper in which I served. It was an interesting job, as it introduced me to counterfeiters, embezzlers, murderers and other enterprising " "athletes" of that kind. (Laughter). Sometimes, after I'd written a report from the courtroom, I would visit my friends who were serving sentences there. (Laughter). I remember one man who was sentenced to life in prison for murder He was a smart, well-spoken guy, and he told me what he called the story of his life. He said: "Trust me - if a person has embarked on a dishonest path, then one act entails another until he will not find himself in a position where he needs to get someone out of his way in order to get back on the straight path. (Laughter).

In the same way, William Howard Taft managed to bring a dose of humor to the annual banquet of executives of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The most remarkable thing is this: he joked and at the same time made an elegant compliment to his listeners:

"Mr. President, gentlemen of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company!

I visited my native place about nine months ago and heard a gentleman speak there at a banquet who spoke with enthusiasm. He said that he had consulted in advance with a friend of his, who had great experience in giving banquet speeches, and this friend informed him that the best audience for this kind of speech was an intelligent, well-educated, but drunk audience. (Laughter and applause.) Today, I have to say that as a banquet specialist, your audience is one of the best I've ever seen. It's true that you're missing the element that was mentioned in the previous sentence (applause), but I think the spirit of Metropolitan Life Insurance makes up for it.

(Prolonged applause.)"

Don't start with an apology

The second biggest mistake that a beginner usually makes at the beginning of a speech is that he apologizes: "I'm not a speaker ... I didn't prepare for the speech ... I have nothing to say ..."

In no case! In no case! One of Kipling's poems begins with the words: "There is no point in moving on." This is the feeling that the listeners get when the speaker begins his speech in this way.

Either way, if you're not prepared, some of us will notice without your help. Others won't notice. Why draw their attention to this? Why insult your listeners by telling them that you didn't see fit to prepare and that any old dish that happened to be on your stove would be good to regale them with? No way! We don't want to hear your apologies. We came here to be informed and interested, interested, remember that.

The second you appeared in front of the audience, naturally, they inevitably gave you their attention. It's not hard to keep it up for the next five seconds, but it's not easy to keep it up for the next five minutes. If you lose it, it will be doubly difficult for you to get it back again. Therefore, start your speech with some interesting message already in the very first sentence. Not in the second and not in the third, but in the first, FIRST!

"How to do it?" - you ask. I admit it's not easy.

In trying to collect material for this purpose, we must go down various detours and winding paths, because so much depends on you, on your listeners, on the topic, the material collected, the situation, and so on. Nevertheless, we hope that the recommendations that will be discussed and illustrated in the remainder of this chapter will be of some use to you and will prove to be valuable.

Excite Curiosity

That's how Howell Healey got his start at the Penn Athletic Club in Philadelphia. Do you like it, does it immediately grab your attention?

"Eighty-two years ago, at about this time of the year, a little book was published in London, which was destined to become immortal. Many called it "the greatest little book in the world." When it first appeared, then friends who met on the Strand or Pall -Mall, they asked each other: have you read it?And the answer is always heard: "Yes, I read it, God bless him."

The day the book was published, a thousand copies were sold. Within two weeks demand reached fifteen thousand. Since then, the book has gone through countless editions. A few years ago, J.P. Morgan acquired the manuscript of this book for a fabulous sum, and it is now kept among his other priceless treasures in this delightful art gallery in New York, which he calls his library.

What is this world famous book? "Christmas Carol"

Dickens..."

Do you consider this start successful? Did it grab your attention, increase your interest as the story progressed? Why? Was it because the story piqued your curiosity and kept you on your toes?

Curiosity! Who is not subject to it?

I saw birds in the forest that flew for an hour watching me out of sheer curiosity. I know of a hunter in the Alps who lured chamois by throwing a sheet over his head and crawling to and fro, thus arousing the curiosity of the animals. Curiosity is possessed by dogs, cats, all kinds of animals, including the well-known genus homo .

Therefore, arouse the curiosity of your listeners from the very first phrase, and they will listen to you with interest.

One writer used to begin his lecture on Colonel Thomas Lawrence and his adventures in Arabia as follows:

"Lloyd George says he considers Colonel Lawrence one of the most romantic and colorful personalities of our time."

This start has two advantages. A quote from the statements of a famous person, firstly, always attracts a lot of attention.

Secondly, it arouses curiosity. "Why romantic and why flamboyant? - a natural question arises. - I've never heard of him before ... What did he do?"

Lowell Thomas began his lecture on Colonel Thomas Lawrence as follows:

"Once I was walking along Christian Street in Jerusalem and met a man dressed in the luxurious clothes of an eastern ruler. He had a crooked golden saber on his side, which is worn only by the descendants of the prophet Mohammed. However, this man was completely different from an Arab. He had blue eyes, and Arab eyes are always black or brown."

Such a beginning grabs your attention, doesn't it? You want to hear more. Who was he? Why did he dress like an Arab? What was he doing? What happened to him?

One lecturer who began his talk with the question "Did you know that slavery exists in seventeen countries of the modern world?" not only aroused curiosity, but also amazed the audience: "Slavery? In our time? In seventeen countries? It does not sound plausible. In what states? Where are they located?"

It is often possible to arouse the curiosity of the audience by starting with the effect and making the listeners feel a burning desire to hear the cause.

For example, one of my listeners began his speech with the following statement:

"Recently, a member of one of our legislatures came forward and proposed legislation to prohibit tadpoles from turning into frogs closer than two miles from any school building."

You are smiling. Is the speaker kidding? What nonsense. Was it really? ...Yes. The speaker explains how this happened.

"Are gangsters really organized? Generally, yes. How?.."

You can see that in these few words the author of the article informed about the topic, told you something about it and piqued your curiosity about how gangsters are organized. This is very commendable. Every person who wants to speak in public should learn the techniques that journalists use to grab the reader's attention immediately. From them you will learn much more about how to start a speech than if you study collections of printed speeches.

Why not start with a story?

We especially like it when the speaker talks about his personal experiences. Russell E. Conwell gave his "Acres of Diamonds" lecture over six thousand times and received millions for it. And how does this extremely popular lecture begin?

"In 1870 we sailed down the Tigris River. We hired a guide to show us Persepolis, Nineveh and Babylon..."

And he starts telling a story. That is what attracts attention. Such a start is almost unmistakable. It is unlikely to fail. Events are developing. Get dynamism. We follow them. We want to know what happens next.

The following are opening sentences taken from two stories printed in one of the issues of the Saturday Evening Post.

1. The sharp crack of a revolver shot broke the silence.

2. An incident, trivial in itself, but by no means trivial in its possible consequences, took place during the first week of July at the Montview Hotel in Denver. It aroused such curiosity in Goebel, the manager, that he told Steve Faraday, owner of the Montview Hotel and half a dozen other hotels, about it when Steve arrived here a few days later, following his desire to have another check in midsummer.

Note that these suggestions are full of action. They start something.

Even an inexperienced beginner can usually get off to a good start if he uses this storytelling technique and piques the curiosity of his listeners.

Start with a specific illustration

It is difficult, very difficult, for the average audience to listen to abstract statements for a long time. It is easier, and much easier, to listen to the illustrations. Why not start with one of them? It's hard to get speakers to do that. I know. I already tried. They feel like they should first make a few general statements. Nothing like this.

Start your presentation with an illustration, arouse interest, and then continue with your general remarks. If you want an example of such a method, please see the beginning of Chapter Six.

What method was used at the beginning of this chapter you are reading now?

Use any item

Perhaps the easiest way in the world to get attention is to hold something in your hands so that the listeners can look at it. Even the savages and the feeble-minded, the babies in the cradle and the monkeys in the shop window, and the dogs in the street, will pay attention to such a stimulus. Sometimes it can be used with success even in front of the most respected audience. For example, C. S. Ellis of Philadelphia began one of his speeches by holding a coin high above his head between his index finger and thumb. Naturally, all the listeners began to look at her. Then he asked: "Has anyone here ever found such a coin on the sidewalk? Everything suggests that the lucky person who finds it will receive many benefits in the form of real estate. He just has to come and present this coin ..." Then Ellis began expose illegal and unethical activities.

Ask a question

There is another positive quality to the opening used by Ellis. His speech begins with a question that forces the audience to think along with the speaker, to cooperate with him. Note that the article on gangsters in The Saturday Evening Post begins with two questions in the first three sentences: "Are gangsters really organized?.. How?" Using such a key question is indeed one of the simplest and most reliable methods for capturing and getting into the imagination of your listeners. If other methods prove useless, then you can always apply this method.

Why not start with a quote from a famous person's speech?

The words of some famous person always attract attention, so a good quote is the best way to start a speech. Do you like how the discussion about commercial success started?

“Society gives us great rewards, both money and honors, for all but one thing,” says Elbert Hubbard. “And that alone is initiative. What is initiative? necessary, although he was not asked to do so."

This introduction deserves a few words of praise. The first sentence arouses curiosity, it captivates us, and we want to know more. If the speaker makes a skillful pause after the words "Elber Hubbard", then this provokes a sense of anticipation. "What does society give us great rewards for?" we ask. Tell us quickly. We may not agree with you, but in any case, let us know your opinion. The second sentence brings us right to the heart of the matter. The third one, which is a question, invites listeners to take part in the discussion, to think, to do something. And listeners love it. They love it! The fourth sentence defines initiative... After this beginning, the speaker gives an example from his own life.

Link your topic to the vital interests of your listeners

Start with some remark that directly relates to the interests of the audience. This is one of the best ways to get started. It will definitely draw attention. We are very interested in things that directly and strongly affect us.

It's just common sense, isn't it? However, this method is rarely used. For example, I heard one speaker begin his speech on the need for periodic medical check-ups. How did he start his speech? He began it with a story about an institute that dealt with the prolongation of human life. He told how this institute is organized and what services it provides. Nonsense! Our listeners do not show the slightest interest in how and where some companies operate. However, they are deeply and eternally interested in themselves.

Why not recognize this important factor? Why not demonstrate how vital this company is to listeners? Why not start, for example: "Do you know what your life expectancy is according to the charts developed by insurance companies? According to life insurance statisticians, your life expectancy is two-thirds of the time between your present age and eighty years.

For example, if you are now thirty-five years old, then the difference between your current age and eighty years is forty-five. You can expect to live two-thirds of that time, that is another thirty years... Is that enough? No, no, we all yearn to live longer. However, the above tables were compiled from millions of cases. Can you and I count on refuting them? Yes, we can, if we take the necessary precautions, and the very first step in this direction is a thorough medical examination ... "

In this case, if we explain in detail why periodic medical examinations are necessary, then the student may be interested in any institution established to provide such services to him. However, to begin with a story about such an institution would be a disastrous mistake!

Let's take another example. I heard one speaker begin his speech about the need to conserve forests. He spoke something like this:

"We Americans should be proud of our national treasures..."

After such an introduction, he began to argue that we were wasting wood in a shameful way. However, the beginning was unsuccessful, too general, too vague. He did nothing to make the listeners feel the importance of this issue for themselves. Among the listeners was a printing house worker. Deforestation means something very specific to his work. Among the listeners was a banker.

The destruction of the forests will reverberate on him as well, as it will affect our general well-being ... and so on. So why not start off like this: "The issue I'm about to touch on is about your business, Mr. Appleby, and yours, Mr. Saul. As a matter of fact, it will have an impact on both the cost of food and rent to a certain extent. It affects well-being and prosperity for all of us."

Paul Gibbons, former president of the Optimist Club of Philadelphia, began his talk on crime with the following compelling statement:

"Americans are the worst criminals in the civilized world. Astonishing as this statement may be, it is true. Cleveland, Ohio has six times as many murders and one hundred and seventy times as many robberies as London, based on population More people are robbed or assaulted each year in Cleveland than in all of England, Scotland and Wales combined More people are killed each year in St. Louis than in all of England and Wales In New York more murders have been reported than in France, Germany, Italy, or the British Isles.The sad truth is that the perpetrator is not punished.If you commit a murder, there is less than one in a hundred chance that you will ever be executed for it. As a civilian, you are ten times more likely to die of cancer than to be hanged if you shoot a man."

How do you like the beginning below, and if so, why?

Mary E. Richmond addressed the annual meeting of the League of Women Voters of New York at a time when legislation against underage marriage was being drafted:

"Yesterday, as the train I was on was passing through a town not far from here, I thought of a wedding that took place here a few years ago. Because so many other marriages in this state have been just as hasty and disastrous, like this one, I'm going to start by talking about him today and giving some details of this particular case.

It was December 12th. A fifteen-year-old high school student met for the first time a young man at a nearby college who had just come of age. On December 15, that is, just three days later, they obtained a marriage license, swearing that the girl was already eighteen, and therefore there was no need for parental permission. Leaving the municipality with this permission, they immediately turned to the priest (the girl was a Catholic), but he quite rightly refused to marry them. Somehow, perhaps through a priest, the girl's mother found out about this marriage attempt. However, before she could find her daughter, the pair were brought together by a justice of the peace. The groom took his bride and went with her to an inn, where they spent two days and two nights, after which he left the girl and never returned to her."

Personally, I really like this start. The very first suggestion is a good one. It suggests interesting memories, and we want to hear the details. We begin to listen to an interesting history of human life. In addition, it seems very plausible. It has no academic taste, it is not told for the sake of formality, it is not far-fetched ... "Yesterday, when the train in which I rode passed through a city not far from here, I remembered a wedding that took place here several years ago." It sounds natural, natural, human. It seems that one person is telling another interesting story. Any audience loves it. However, it is likely that listeners would not like something that looked too carefully prepared, with premeditated intent. We love art that hides art.

Only very few people - very, very, very few - can successfully tell a funny anecdote. Usually such an attempt confuses the audience instead of giving them pleasure. Stories should be relevant and not cited just to be told. Humor should be the icing on the cake, not the cake itself... Never apologize, as it usually offends and annoys your listeners. Say exactly what you are going to say, say it quickly and sit in your seat.

4. A speaker can win the attention of his audience in the following ways: a) by arousing the curiosity of his listeners (as in the case of Dickens' book "A Christmas Carol"); b) telling an interesting story in a human way (as, for example, in the lecture "Acres of Diamonds"); c) starting with a specific illustration (see the beginning of chapter six of this book); d) using any object (for example, a coin that entitles the one who found it to a land plot); e) asking a question (for example: "Have any of you found such a coin on the sidewalk?"); f) starting with some amazing quote (as did, for example, Elbert Hubbard in his speech on the value of the initiative); g) Showing that the topic of the speech is related to the vital interests of the listeners (for example, stating: “... your life expectancy is two-thirds of the time between your present age and eighty years. You can extend your life if you periodically undergo thorough medical examinations ", etc.); h) by starting with startling facts (for example, by saying that "Americans are the worst criminals in the civilized world").

5. Don't start your presentation too formally. Do not show that you have prepared it too carefully. It should look free, unintentional, natural. This can be achieved by talking about what just happened or what was just said (for example: "Yesterday, when the train I was on passed through a city not far from here, I remembered...") .

Not a single event, whether it is the opening of a long-awaited educational center or the anniversary of a relative, is complete without a welcoming speech. Almost everyone has to give a welcome speech at least once, so it's worth exploring a few tips on how to line up your greeting.

The right welcome speech is one of the keys to a successful event. It is in the first minutes of his speech that the speaker has a chance to win over the audience and draw their attention to the celebration, in which the reading of the welcoming speech takes place. Already by the first words, the audience forms its opinion about the speaker and everything that happens. In order not to give listeners a reason for boredom and whispering, you should pay attention to the rules for constructing a welcoming speech, which include 5 points.

First you need to say hello to the audience. Many professional speakers already have their own salutatory habits. So, for example, Vladimir Putin, when speaking to an audience of a different nationality, greets not only in Russian, but also in the native language of the listener (greeting in Tatar at the opening of the Universiade in Kazan or greeting in Armenian when speaking in Yerevan, etc.).

It is enough for a novice speaker to greet everyone in a friendly manner, using clichés such as:

• good afternoon/evening;
• Ladies and Gentlemen;
• dear friends/colleagues;
• glad to greet/see you;
• welcome, etc.

At the conference: “Good evening, dear colleagues! I am glad to welcome you to today's scientific conference dedicated to the issues of neurolinguistics."

Welcoming speech at the opening of the stadium: “Hello, dear guests! I am pleased to announce the grand opening of the long-awaited city stadium."

A few words about the venue

After the greeting, in most cases, a concise but vivid commentary is given about the facility where the event is held. Depending on the occasion of the speech, only a few beautiful words are said about the place of organization of the event, or, on the contrary, a whole digression is made to describe the place of the meeting. The latter often happens when a welcoming speech is read at the opening of a significant object.

The following expressions can be used to describe the meeting place:

• we are gathered in this beautiful/new/restored hall;
• the new complex opened its doors;
• a lot of effort and resources went into the construction of this memorial/complex/building;
• well-known architects and designers worked on the object;
• the best materials were used in the construction;
• innovative technologies were introduced, etc.

Welcoming speech at the opening of the kindergarten: “Today we are witnessing the opening of kindergarten No. 36, which all the residents of the new microdistrict have been waiting for so long. This modern building is bright and cheerful not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Specially invited designers worked on the interior. We took into account all the wishes of parents, so this kindergarten has special children's exercise equipment and a pool for active games, as well as musical instruments for music lessons.”

Company Birthday Speech: "We have gathered at this wonderful restaurant to celebrate the first year of our company's founding."

About the event

The central part of the welcoming speech, whether it is the speech of the principal of the school or the speech on the anniversary of the company, is a short story about the essence of what is happening. So, the speech of the host at the wedding is based on the introduction of the couple, the history of the acquaintance, the description of the celebration itself, etc. It is necessary to present to the audience the reason for the event, its purpose, significance, as well as the program in individual cases.

To describe what is happening at the event, you can use expressions such as:

• we are here to...;
• the purpose of today's event is…;
• This event is dedicated to...;
• this conference / this opening / this holiday has a special meaning for each person gathered;
• today you are waiting for the performances of artists / scientists with reports / teachers, etc.

The speech of the head at the corporate party: “We have gathered here to celebrate the upcoming holidays together. We are all not just colleagues, but rather one big family. The festive atmosphere will unite us even more, which will allow us to continue to work effectively shoulder to shoulder for the benefit of our common cause.”

Solemn speech at the opening of the sports complex: “This wonderful event is dedicated to the opening of the most important facility in the life of citizens, namely the sports complex. We have all been waiting for this for a long time and believed that in the near future a modern sports center will appear in our city. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of today's event for the life of the entire city. Let's enjoy the performances of young athletes who will start attending classes at our new sports complex tomorrow.”

Gratitude to those who came

Toward the end, a solemn speech at a particular event should move on to announcing gratitude to those who have gathered and in particular those who contributed to what became a cause for celebration. Words of gratitude should sound appropriate and natural, that is, without a hint of flattery.

You can express your respect with the following clichés:

• this event became possible only thanks to…;
• if not for your help...;
• we have walked this path together;
• this anniversary speech is dedicated to you, colleagues;
• I want to thank everyone who has been with me throughout this journey;
• thank you friends;
• I want to express my gratitude / respect, etc.

An example is the speech of the director of the company, delivered at an event in honor of the anniversary of the organization:
“The company is like clockwork. If some seemingly small detail is missing, the watch is standing. It is the same in the company: every employee is important. That is why on this solemn day I want, first of all, to thank each of my colleagues for the work done. We came to this round date together. Only thanks to all of you our company prospers. Thanks friends!".

Wishes

At the end of your speech, it is necessary to express hopes for the future and wishes to the audience regarding the event. So, a speech for an anniversary usually ends with a congratulation of the hero of the day or a wish for a good time during the holiday.

A clear example of the completion of a speech with a wish is the constant expression of the presenter Dmitry Nagiyev: “Good luck to you, love and patience. All right, bye, bye."

Any speech, whatever its nature, should end on a bright note. The following expressions will help to create such an impression:

• I believe that further prosperity awaits us;
• I hope that only victories await us ahead;
• I want to wish everyone here a good evening;
• I wish you enjoy the concert / evening / performances, etc.

As an example of the end of the speech, the solemn speech at the official closing of the festival is used:
“In the end, I want to wish you never to leave your life path. I believe that our paths will one day converge again, and we will spend unforgettable days together, like at this music festival. Love yourself and be true to yourself. Goodbye, dear friends!

A solemn speech for any event has the same framework that a novice speaker can use to prepare a good welcome speech for any occasion. The main thing is to be sincere and be yourself.