How to start strong and end strong!
Attention Getter (Link) Motivator Thesis (Credibility or Good Will ) Preview Example: /watch?v=Ggnfh2RFGP4 /watch?v=Ggnfh2RFGP4 NOTE: Your intro for this speech should be ______ long.
Quote from famous person Quote from song lyrics Analogy A Story Unusual Statement Rhetorical Questions (a bit weak) Humor A Shocking Statistic Combination Your Unique Idea
An analogy compares the known to the unknown, helping the audience better understand the unknown. Example: “Continuing to use this technology is like being on a lake in a rowboat full of holes—instead of patching the holes, all your time is consumed with scooping the water out of the boat.” Source: tips/index.pl?page=3;read=114
Topic: The benefits of a 24 hour Nurse Line. Example: “All of us have had frightening medical situations where the help of a registered nurse could come in handy. Let me tell you about a young mother, Marie, who was terrified when her two-month old infant son Sam woke up screaming in the middle of the night. He was burning up with a high fever and Marie didn’t know what to do.
So she called the Nurse Line and they directed her to put him in a cool bath to bring his body temperature down. They stayed on the line with her until she was comfortable that she could handle the situation herself. Imagine having that kind of support available to you at all times of the day and night.” Source: bin/employment-tips/index.pl?page=3;read=114
One dark summer night in 1849, a young woman in her 20's left Bucktown, Maryland, and followed the North Star. What was her name? Harriet Tubman. She went back some 19 times to rescue her fellow slaves. And as James Blockson relates in a 1984 issue of National Geographic, by the end of her career, she had a $40, price on her head. This was quite a compliment from her enemies. Source:
Example: Follow the drinking gourd. That's what I said, friend, follow the drinking gourd. Have you ever heard this phrase? Well, it was used by slaves as a coded message to mean the Big Dipper, which revealed the North Star, and pointed toward freedom. Pretty interesting, huh?
Rhetorical questions do not require a response. Never ask just one question. Connect it to another one or another type of attention getter. They should be thought provoking Example: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel back in time and see how the American pioneers lived? Have you ever thought about what it was like to travel in a horse drawn wagon for months? Example:
Humor enhances the audience’s positive perception of you. When an audience laughs with you, chances are good they are also FOR YOU! The safest type of humor is stories or anecdotes that are uniquely yours. Example: A dinner disaster. One reminder worth mentioning--only use humor when you can relate it to the subject matter—irrelevant jokes are not suitable presentation openers.
Example: “There is nothing more humbling than the honest opinion of a five year old. I was feeling really good about this outfit this morning (even preening a little in front of the mirror) when my five year old daughter came up to me and said, mommy, are you going to wear that table cloth to work?”
Start with a deep or profound or humorous statement said by a famous person. Make sure it connects with the audience. Make sure they will be ‘drawn’ into the speech with what you are saying.
Use research to ‘prove’ you are knowledgeable OR Including yourself in the topic. Audience connects to you. Finish the statement: “I have….” Finish the statement: “When my friend…” Finish the statement: “Recently, I….”
Motivators get the audience to connect to your topic or your speech. Ask yourself, why should they care? Finish the statement: “We have all ….” Finish the statement: “If you’re anything like me…”
Transition Into Conclusion Restate Preview Restate Thesis Wrap it up (tie back into attention getter if possible )
Now look at the three examples. Underline the thesis the motivator Decide which one is the best and why.