Basically, the purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince the audience that your argument on a specific topic is the most appropriate point of view. Although most of your arguments will be summarized in the body of your speech, don't underestimate the role of the opening or the prefix, especially since a quality opening speech can capture the audience's attention and make it easier for them to believe your argument afterward. Fortunately, this article contains some simple tips you can follow to produce a more persuasive, engaging, and memorable opening speech.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Compose the Opening Speech
Step 1. Begin the opening of the speech with a sentence that is able to attract the attention of the audience
To convince the audience, the first step that must be done is to make sure their attention is fully focused only on you. Unfortunately, humans have a tendency to ignore words or events that they don't find interesting. That's why your speech should open with a sentence that grabs the audience's attention, but is still relevant to the main topic at hand, such as a surprising statistic, a silly anecdote, or a quote that has a huge impact on the listener.
- For example, if the topic of your speech is employees who often feel sleepy at work due to lack of time to rest, try starting by saying, “Mistakes and accidents at work due to lack of sleep, can actually cost the company as much as 31 billion dollars every year.”
- Or, if your topic is animal rights, try starting with a quote like, “The British philosopher Jeremy Bentham once said, 'The question is not, can they think? Or, can they talk? Rather, can they suffer?'”
- If the topic of your speech is unpaid internships, try starting with an anecdote like, “In 2018, Tiffany Green achieved her dream, which was to become an intern at a rental company, without getting paid. Unfortunately, a few months later, Tiffany found a letter tucked under her door after coming home from work. Turns out, it was a eviction order from the company that hired him, because he couldn't pay his rent for several months!”
Step 2. Present your thesis statement
After writing an opening sentence that is able to attract the attention of the audience, now is the time to introduce the main argument that will fill the body of your speech through a short thesis statement. In particular, a good thesis statement should be able to explain your argument on a topic, as well as emphasize the point of view that you want to instill as "truth" in the minds of the audience. Choose a clear and specific thesis statement so that it is easier for the audience to understand.
For example, your thesis statement might read, “Today, I want to talk about the importance of legalizing marijuana for medical reasons in all 50 states in the United States, and at the same time explaining the positive impact of legalizing medical marijuana on improving the economy and quality of life of the average population. in America."
Step 3. Show the credibility of your argument to the audience
After submitting a thesis statement, the next step that needs to be taken is to make the audience believe in your words. If you are very familiar with the topic raised, please share your credentials with them. However, if the topic raised is not very familiar to you, try referring to information you know from magazines, books, or experts who raised the topic.
- For example, if you are a marine biologist who wants to write a persuasive speech about increasing seawater acidity, try writing a sentence like, "For 10 years, I have studied the impact of increasing seawater acidity on local marine ecosystems, and the results I found are very worrying."
- Or, if you're not really good at the topic, feel free to include something like, “Earlier this year, a marine biologist whose name may be familiar to you, Ayana Elzabeth Johnson, published the results of her ten years of research. years regarding the increase in sea water acidity. According to him, this condition has become increasingly worrying and deserves our attention.”
Step 4. Conclude the opening of the speech by briefly mentioning the main argument you are going to present
Do this so the audience feels better prepared to accept and follow your follow-up argument. Although it only needs to be mentioned briefly, make sure the delivery process remains chronological or based on the order in which it appears in the speech.
For example, your opening speech could be concluded with a sentence like, “To show that shorter tenure can benefit both the employee and the company, I will first discuss the history of the modern average work week. Then, I will discuss the impact of a long working day on a person's physical and mental health. In the end, I will close the speech by describing the work system that I think is fairer and better to implement in society.”
Step 5. Make sure your opening speech only takes 10-15% of the total content of the speech
Be careful, opening sentences or paragraphs that are too long can make the audience feel bored. As a result, their attention will easily be distracted when the moment to present your main argument arrives. In general, the length of the opening speech is highly dependent on the total duration of the speech. In other words, the longer your speech, the longer the opening. Therefore, feel free to make any necessary adjustments.
- For example, if the total duration of your speech (including the opening) is 5 minutes, ideally your opening speech should not take more than 45 seconds.
- However, if the total duration of your speech is 20 minutes, feel free to make your opening speech about 3 minutes long.
- On average, you need to use about 150 words in 1 minute. For example, if your opening speech is 2 minutes long, please prepare about 300 words.
Tip:
If you already know the total duration of the speech, even before the speech begins to be composed, you can immediately prepare the first draft of the opening speech with the appropriate duration. As a result, the draft does not need to undergo too many changes later.
Method 2 of 2: Perfecting Speech Opening
Step 1. Use a language style that sounds fluid and not stiff
Unlike most essays, speech is a form of verbal communication. This means that even if the draft is written in writing, you will still have to read the speech aloud in front of an audience. That's why, make sure the sentences you use don't sound stiff, as if you're talking to your audience. While composing your opening speech, imagine that you are talking to someone and trying to convince that person of your argument. However, make sure the choice of words you use still sounds authoritative and professional, yes!
- To keep your delivery process from sounding stilted, try to use short, direct, and clear sentences, and avoid using jargon or special vocabulary if it's not absolutely necessary.
- If your speech must be delivered in English, feel free to shorten the phrases to make your delivery sound more casual and easy to understand. For example, shorten the phrases “I will” to “I'll”, “would not” to “wouldn't”, and “they are” to “they're”.
Step 2. Open the speech with a short, direct, and clear sentence
In particular, this method is a must because the purpose of your opening speech is to capture the audience's attention. That's why, don't use sentences that are too long, verbose, and difficult for the audience to understand so they don't divert their attention to other things. Also make sure you only list things that are important for your audience to know.
Tip:
The easiest way to apply this method is to use the subject to start the sentence. In addition, limit the use of adverbs and adjectives at the opening of the speech.
Step 3. Make sure the content of your speech is audience oriented
When drafting your opening speech, always think about your potential audience and consider their point of view, because only then can your speech sound more persuasive to their ears. After analyzing the characteristics of the potential audience, use the results to determine the premise and argumentation strategy you will use.
For example, if your potential audience is students in a class you are teaching, feel free to construct a premise to open your speech with reference to popular culture. Chances are, it's a very effective way of getting your audience's attention, especially since the topic you're discussing is very close to their lives. However, if the speech process is carried out in a more formal setting, you should use another reference that fits the nuance
Step 4. Connect with the audience
In fact, convincing the audience of the arguments you offer is not difficult. The trick is to position the audience as a communicant, rather than a listener, so that they feel involved in the monologue that you bring. In particular, don't be afraid to speak to your audience or use them as a reference every now and then, so that your speech sounds like a two-way dialogue, rather than a one-way lecture, to their ears.
- For example, you could write a sentence like, “Most likely, many of you may disagree with me. However, I hope you will be willing to open up a space to listen to me, because at some point, we might find some things in common anyway.”
- Or, you can also insert questions like, "Of you who are present this evening, how many have ever found plastic waste on the beach?" After that, give the audience a chance to raise their hand.
Step 5. Read the opening of your speech aloud
Doing so can help you spot strange-sounding words or overly complex sentences. If there is a part of your speech that makes it difficult for you to speak or stammers, stop reading and revise your draft. Keep doing this until you can read the speech fluently and confidently.
