Beginning and Ending the Speech

Just as musical plays need appropriate beginnings and endings, so do speeches. The beginning, or introduction, prepares listeners for what is to come. The conclusion ties up the speech and alerts listeners that the speech is going to end. Ideally, it is a satisfying conclusion.

The Introduction

In most speech situations, the introduction has four objectives:

■ Get the attention and interest of your audience.
■ Reveal the topic of your speech.
■ Establish your credibility and goodwill.
■ Preview the body of the speech.

GET ATTENTION AND INTEREST

Look directly at the audience without saying a word.

Relate the Topic to the Audience

By using vivid language to describe something all his classmates had experienced, the speaker made sure of an attentive audience.

State the Importance of Your Topic

Presumably, you think your speech is important. Tell your audience why they should think so too.

Whenever you discuss a topic whose importance may not be clear to the audience, you should think about ways to demonstrate its significance in the introduction.

Startle the Audience

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

Arouse the Curiosity of the Audience

People are curious. One way to draw them into your speech is with a series of statements that progressively whet their curiosity about the subject of the speech.

Question the Audience

Asking a rhetorical question is another way to get your listeners thinking about your speech. When using this technique, be sure to pause for just a moment after each question.

Begin with a Quotation

Notice that both of the quotations used here as examples are relatively short.

Tell a Story

Like many good introductions, this one does a double job—it arouses the
interest of the audience and gets listeners emotionally involved in the speech.

REVEAL THE TOPIC

If you beat around the bush in your introduction, you may lose your listeners.

ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY AND GOODWILL

Credibility is mostly a matter of being qualified to speak on a given topic—and of being perceived as qualified by your listeners.

Establishing your goodwill is a slightly different challenge. It is often crucial
outside the classroom, where speakers have well-established reputations and may
be identified with causes that arouse hostility among listeners. In such a situation, the speaker must try to defuse that hostility right at the start of the speech.

PREVIEW THE BODY OF THE SPEECH

Even good listeners need all the help they can get in sorting out a speaker’s ideas.

TIPS FOR THE INTRODUCTION

1. Keep the introduction relatively brief. Under normal circumstances it should not constitute more than 10 to 20 percent of your speech.
2. Be on the lookout for possible introductory materials as you do your research. File them with your notes so they will be handy when you are ready for them.
3. Be creative in devising your introduction. Experiment with two or three different openings and choose the one that seems most likely to get the audience interested in your speech.
4. Don’t worry about the exact wording of your introduction until you have finished preparing the body of the speech. After you have determined your main points, it will be much easier to make final decisions about how to begin the speech.
5. Work out your introduction in detail. Some teachers recommend that you write it out word for word; others prefer that you outline it. Whichever method you use, practice the introduction over and over until you can deliver it smoothly from a minimum of notes and with strong eye contact.
6. When you present the speech, don’t start talking too soon. Make sure the audience has quieted down and is focused on you before you begin. Establish eye contact with the audience, smile, and then launch into your opening words. Give yourself every chance to make sure your introduction has the desired impact.

The Conclusion

No matter what kind of speech you are giving, the conclusion has two major functions:
■ To let the audience know you are ending the speech.
■ To reinforce the audience’s understanding of, or commitment to, the central idea.

SIGNAL THE END OF THE SPEECH

Both the crescendo and the dissolve endings must be worked out with great care. Practice until you get the words and the timing just right. The benefits will be well worth your time.

REINFORCE THE CENTRAL IDEA

Summarize Your Speech

Restating the main points is the easiest way to end a speech.

End with a Quotation

Make a Dramatic Statement

Rather than using a quotation to give your conclusion force and vitality, you may want to devise your own dramatic statement.

Refer to the Introduction

TIPS FOR THE CONCLUSION

1. As with the introduction, keep an eye out for possible concluding materials as you research and develop the speech.
2. Conclude with a bang, not a whimper. Be creative in devising a conclusion that hits the hearts and minds of your audience. Work on several possible endings, and select the one that seems likely to have the greatest impact.
3. Don’t be long-winded. The conclusion will normally make up no more than 5 to 10 percent of your speech.
4. Don’t leave anything in your conclusion to chance. Work it out in detail, and give yourself plenty of time to practice delivering it. Many students like to write out the conclusion word for word to guarantee it is just right. If
you do this, make sure you can present it smoothly, confidently, and with feeling—without relying on your notes or sounding wooden. Make your last impression as forceful and as favorable as you can.