My last post was about a compelling opening. This time I want to talk about the whole issue of making an impact when you start your speech.
Remember that almost everyone is nervous when they stand up to speak, whether it’s to a few people at a meeting or a huge conference. Nerves will give you an edge and make you perform better, but they can also wipe your memory clean at the critical moment!
You shouldn’t need to remember any housekeeping – if you’ve organised things properly someone else will make those announcements and introduce you. We’ve already established that you probably don’t need to start with ‘Good morning, ladies and gentlemen’. So you have your opening sorted out – but how well do you really know it?
This first minute or two is critical – it’s where you take the audience with you or have them wondering how long it’s going to take.
My advice is to learn the first two or three paragraphs of your presentation word perfect, complete with gestures and movements (any walking around you plan to do). Practise this over and over until you can do it in your sleep! This will ensure that even if your memory suffers from fade as you walk out, your subconscious will kick in and those words will flow out without any hesitation.
It’s all downhill from there! Don’t forget to smile when you get that big round of applause at the end.
