There are as many openings as there are speakers. One well known speaker entered looking as if he'd had a rough night: rumpled, unshaven and bleary eyed from too much drinking. He paused and looked around, seeming confused, then he exited and made a quick transformation in his appearance and returning well groomed and as bright as any smart businessman should be. He then began his talk on First Impressions.
Creating a fun gimmick or a dramatic opening to grab your audience's attention is not difficult, if you take time, think it through and plan it carefully. But make sure you choose one to suit the situation and the audience. A gimmicky opening can be dangerous, especially if the audience is made to feel foolish as opposed to being captivatingly fooled. There is a science to opening a presentation. It's a simple science, or should we say one based on simple precepts, but it's a science nevertheless.
Make no mistake, the opening is critical. Just like the first pages of a book or the opening scenes of a movie, the reader/audience can be captivated early if it is done well. Once captivated, of course, you must still deliver the goods. But if you fail to "get" them early, the opportunity may be lost. So the first goal of a public speaker is to create a positive magnetic relationship with the audience and nothing works better than sharing something about oneself. If humor is the chosen opening tone, then self-deprecation works best. If an anecdotal beginning is the choice, make it about yourself, but without even a hint of braggadocio. Some of the best-credentialed speakers we know make light of their own accomplishments and pedigrees by creating humor about them. We know of one college professor, for instance, who opens his public speaking engagements with a put-down of his own profession: "A Professor is someone who is often wrong, but seldom in doubt."
What this does is bridge the gap between the speaker and the audience. In other words it's a humanizing process. At the same time it gives the audience time and encouragement to relax and to reach out with their emotions toward the speaker in unspoken acceptance. The positive energy this generates also helps the speaker relax and so a genuine relationship can develop— a relationship of trust and openness.
One of the reasons sports heroes are successful in speaking assignments— even those who are not great orators— is that they are well received even before they begin. This is true of popular figures in other fields, too, but sports heroes are especially revered. If your name is not well known to your audience you have to do something to endear them to you. Hopefully, unlike many a famous athlete, you have something substantive to offer, but first you have to get their attention and then their affection; yes, affection.
The way in which you are introduced can set the stage for a great opening, naturally, so when asked for information, such as your bio, try to be creative and add something heartwarming and basic: you are a cat lover or you work with some charitable organization or other. Don't overdo it, it can be very brief, but this kind of thing lightens the hearts in your audience, especially if they have just heard that you have a Ph.D. in Biophysics, or something. It counterbalances the bland feelings they have about you before you start.
You may want to see what we suggest in our tips on body language but briefly, your posture during your introduction and how you respond to the polite applause is critical. Unless you are the sports figure mentioned earlier, the applause at this stage is exactly that: polite. You haven't done anything to deserve it yet, so accept it graciously but using your hands acknowledge it and ask for it to end. When the applause stops, polite or responsive— as it may be, later— pause and let it soak in (to you and to your audience.) The audience needs to get a sense of your vulnerability and your sensitivity to the gift they are giving you. When you receive a gift from someone you would not tear it open instantly. You would pause, reflect and show humility and appreciation, not at what the gift is, merely that there is one. The same is true with applause for you as the speaker.
The "bridge" having been built, the next goal for your opening is to clarify why you are there and what you are going to be speaking about. This allows listeners to prepare themselves. They need to open certain cognitive channels within their mind. They may know something about your topic, or have had experience with some aspect of it (this makes the best kind of audience) and they need to have their thoughts channeled appropriately. When an audience has felt your humanity (goal number one) and they have started to receive you as a person and as an expert, they feel ready to open their minds to your ideas if you give a little preview of what you are "up to." It's a kind of road map.
So now we come to the final goal for your opening. A vital part of any opening is telling listeners why and how the information you have will benefit them. No matter what we do we do it more wholeheartedly when we have something to gain. Your audience needs to know what they can gain from listening to you. This is why you should never accept a speaking engagement for which you do not perfectly fit. Flattering as it may be to be asked to speak, anywhere, make sure you ask enough about the assignment, the audience and the circumstances that you can deliver something of value to them. If you can't, then pass up the opportunity.
A final word. . . an important one: you should accomplish your opening as defined, above, in less than five minutes. Then get down to the business of delivering what you promised.
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