2. State the Importance of the Topic.

Presumably, you think your speech is important. You should tell the audience, why they should think so as well. While I was reading one of the New York Times Journals, I struck into such an article. Here is how Judith Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York, used this method to involve her audience in a speech to the American Bar Association Center on Children and Law:

We know that a child is born into poverty in the United States every 36 seconds, and we see 12.8 million children living below the poverty line. We see an estimated 8.5 million children, nearly 12 percent of all U.S. children, without health insurance programs. A child dies from neglect or abuse every six hours, a child is killed by gunfire almost every three hours, and the number of neglected or abused children would fill up the city of Detroit.

These are striking statistics. By citing them in her introduction, Judith Kaye emphasized the importance of her topic and grabbed the attention of her audience.

Clearly this technique is easy while discussing social and political issues such as child abuse, terrorism, endangered species, and difficult conditions in a radioactive regions, but itʼs appropriate for other topics as well. Here is how one student from UK handled it in his speech about starting a home aquarium:

It is really hard to hold a fish. Fish won’t roll over or jump over your leg. You wonʼt get these creatures curving up on your lap, chasing a ball of string, or rescuing a sinking child.

Yet despite these shortcomings, 300 million tropical fish have found their way into 16 million UK homes. Each year $50 million of tropical fish are sold in the United Kingdom, and they have earned a spot next to APDT(Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and the cuddly kitten in the hearts of millions of people. Today I would like to get you to know how to start a home aquarium and enjoy owning a tropical fish.

Whenever you discuss a topic, importance of which may not be clear to the audience, you should think about demonstrating its significance in the Introduction part of your speech.

3. Startle the Audience.

A sure way to arouse interest quickly is to startle the listeners with an arresting or intriguing statement. Everyone in the audience paid close attention after this speaker’s introduction.

Think of the four important people to you. Who comes to mind? You brother? Your sister? Your wife or husband? Your best friend? Now guess which one of them will need a permanent psychologist during his lifetime. According to the Department of Kazakhstan Health Association every fourth citizen of our country needs a psychologist to lead a normal lifestyle.

Notice the gradual buildup to the speaker’s arresting statement, “Now guess which one of them will need a permanent psychologist during his lifetime.” This statement startles the audience and drives home at a personal level the problem of psychological problems of the closest people to them. The effect would have been much less if the speaker said, “Psychological issues are a very serious problem in our life.”

This technique is highly effective and easy to use. But the speaker must make sure that the startling introduction relates directly to the topic of the speech. If a strong opening is chosen simply for its shock value and then the speaker goes on talk about something else, the audience will be confused and possibly may even get annoyed.