Public
Speaking: Openings & Closings
The
first words and the last words you say are the
most important words that will come out of your
mouth because it's what people will most remember.
With
that in mind, here's some very important tips:
THE
GRABBER:
A "grabber" is a shocking opening. It
makes the groups say "what??", or "No
way!" or "I can't believe that".
Grabbers
"grab" their attention and force them
to listen.
WHY
USE GRABBERS:
Most people start their seminar or talk in a boring
way. They thank everyone for coming, or the host
for having them... Bo-ring!!
HOW
TO CREATE GRABBERS:
One of the easiest ways it so overturn a popularly-held
belief. Everyone knows that asbestos is toxic,
right? So you come out and say asbestos is as
safe as peanut butter, you're going to grab their
attention!
Now,
of course, I'm not saying you should come out
with a grabber that's a complete lie, don't make
up stuff that's not true. But think about the
generally held beliefs that your group has - is
there some way you can overturn one of them in
a dramatic way?
YOUR
LAST WORDS:
Again, this is where most speakers and presenters
fail miserably. Their last words are weak and
not memorable at all.
HOW
TO FIX THAT PROBLEM:
Never trail off with some weak words of thanks
to your group, or some fuzzy instructions or directions.
Tell them EXACTLY what you want them to do.
Do
you want them to buy your product? Tell them to
go to the back of the room and buy it now!
Do
you want them to make an appointment? Tell them
to do it now.
Whatever
action you want them to take, give them clear
instructions on what you want them to do.
And,
make sure your voice tone and facial expressions
match and are congruent with your message.
Don't
fall apart and get all weak at the end! - prevent
that by memorizing your opening grabber, and your
exact closing words. Note: don't memorize the
rest of your presentation, just the opening and
closing statements.
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