Rhetoric: Ways to Open a Speech

Every great speech begins with a…

… pause! Yes, it’s true—every great speaker starts with a pause. A speaker begins speaking only when the audience is quiet. Why is that so impactful? Because when you speak to a friend, you don’t typically start talking before you have eye contact, right? It’s the same in public speaking: the first thing we do is build a good connection with the audience, and only then do we begin. In this e-book, you’ll learn how to begin your speech and discover some powerful ways to open your next presentation.

R. W. Emerson

“It is proof of a high education to say the greatest things in the simplest way.”

10 Speech Openers I

How long does it take you to decide whether you like a YouTube video? Minutes—or just seconds? We actually decide within a few seconds (a minute at most) whether we think a speaker is good, whether it will be entertaining, and whether the person in front of us is an expert. To win over your listeners from the outset, you have to deliver something special. Use one of the following methods to create a memorable (“merk-würdig”) speech opening.

1. The King of Openings: Stories and Metaphors

“Before I became a millionaire, I lived on the streets. Each morning I was afraid I wouldn’t find enough to eat or beg for enough money…” Stories and metaphors captivate audiences. Start with a story from your life, your company history, or a metaphor that fits your theme. For example: “Our competitor is stronger, better, and has been in the market longer, so we must do what Little Red Riding Hood did—apply cunning…” Stories are lively, easy to remember, and speak to a broad audience—use them!

2. The Unusual Opener: A Question

“Who here would like to double their income?” Bam, and you have your audience’s attention. Right from the start, ask a rhetorical question—something you don’t actually want them to answer—or else ask for a show of hands. The huge advantage of this tactic is that it makes the audience think immediately, leaving them less likely to fiddle with their phones.

Aristotle

“We cannot change the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

10 Speech Openers II

3. The Classic: A Relevant Quote

“Whoever wants to reach the source must swim against the current.” This has one drawback: it’s common, and sometimes it can feel inauthentic. Why? Because if you’re not someone who typically quotes famous lines in everyday life, it might come off as unnatural if you do it on stage. So only use this method if you occasionally drop clever quotes in normal conversation. If the quote is complex, feel free to read it aloud. Where do you find quotes? For instance, at www.zitate.de or www.zitate.net.

4. For the Pros: Referencing Something Current

“Yesterday, Kennedy announced a new peace plan…” This method isn’t always easy to plan, but it gives you an immediate connection to your audience by mentioning something on their minds. World events, new company info, or a conversation you just had—anything relevant can serve as your opener. Some speakers can even talk about the weather in an engaging way: “Please look outside. This storm symbolizes what could happen if we don’t act soon…”

Arthur Schopenhauer

“Nothing is harder than to express significant thoughts in such a way that everyone can understand them.”

10 Speech Openers III

5. For the Daring: A Show Element

A speaker comes to the stage and says… nothing. For a long while. Only when the audience grows uneasy does he say: “Ladies and gentlemen, that is the power of silence...” This approach can be extremely memorable, especially if your aim is for the audience to remember it. A show element is unique, unforgettable, and can instantly generate tension. But it takes some effort to pull off well. For inspiration, look to magicians, professional speakers, or even movies. Another way is to ask yourself, “What would be totally unexpected for my audience?”

6. For the Experts: Make a Bold Claim

“The methods we used yesterday worked well until yesterday. But for tomorrow, we need a new approach…” A claim is quick and straightforward. With one sentence, you’re right into your topic. This is especially good if you have limited time. And it’s easy to find claims. Just ask yourself:

1. What is your core message?

2. How can you phrase that core message effectively as a statement?

Joseph Rudyard Kipling

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind!”

10 Speech Openers IV

7. The Riddle

“What walks on four legs in the morning, two at midday, and three in the evening?” Riddles create an attention trance. People feel compelled to fill that gap by finding the solution. Start with a genuine puzzle or a playful question—and don’t make it too complicated. Simple riddles or easy solutions are much more engaging than complicated math problems. Let your audience think for a moment before revealing the answer—or reveal it at the end of your speech, if you want to build more suspense. This opener is rarely used, so it’s refreshingly intriguing.

8. Audience Visualization (Guided Imagery)

“Please imagine your favorite place in nature… with all that green, and the animals—big and small… picture your ideal spot… and now imagine it being destroyed…” A visualization must be led slowly. (Yes, time can feel faster when you’re on stage, due to the adrenaline rush!) One trick is to give your audience a heads-up: “I’d like to start with an experiment.” That helps both you and them commit to the visualization. You might use it to generate an emotional response—like the example above—or to help your listeners see how many different viewpoints exist on the same topic (if you allow a brief discussion afterward).

Heiner Geissler

“He who controls the terms controls the minds.”

10 Speech Openers V

9. Justify Your Presence

“When Daniel invited me to speak here, I jumped at the chance. The idea of talking to you for 10 hours about the basics of neurobiology is just amazing (laughter)… Well, Daniel said we’d have to fit those 10 hours into just one hour, so I’m going to share my single greatest insight from 30 years of research.” This approach can immediately grant you higher status. Who is speaking, and why? Your audience may not realize the extent of your expertise. But don’t overdo it. If you have many credentials to share, let the moderator introduce them—otherwise you risk sounding self-centered. It can also be playful: “How does a mechanical engineer end up talking about crisis management? Well, I recently got married.”

10. Humor

“The goal of the healthcare industry is to keep people somewhere between dead and alive. If the patient’s healthy, they don’t make money. If he’s dead, they don’t make money either.” Okay, yes, that might be a little too serious. Let’s try this one: “Great-Grandma Erna gets 5,000 euros from the city for her 100th birthday. A reporter asks her: ‘What do you plan to do with all that money?’—‘I’m saving it for my old age!’”

Unknown

“A smile is the shortest distance between two people.”

Marian Zefferer is:

NLP Lehrtrainer (DVNLP, ÖDVNLP)
Psychologist
Trainer for Rhetoric and Personal Development

Marian attended his first public speaking workshop at age 14 and gave his first communications workshop at 16. His passion for language continued throughout university. His master’s thesis examined the effectiveness of an online rhetoric training system. As part of this work, he developed a unique 4-phase anti-stage-fright method to guarantee that anyone can deliver a stress-free speech.

His motto in training is:

“Anyone can learn to give an excellent talk… and do it in very little time!”