stageMost speakers think that their job begins when they get on stage and open their mouths to utter their first words.  Most discussions of how to start a speech begin there – obviously enough – with the first words you say.

But in truth, your relationship begins well before that.  There’s your introduction, which sets up your connection, for good or ill, with the people soon to be in front of you.   How does that present you?  You get to control what you send to the conference organizers for your introducer to read.  I’ve heard many more weak introductions than strong ones, and they’re often not well delivered by the V-P of Whatever that gets the assignment to introduce you.

You should take the opportunity to craft a strong introduction that tells the audience what’s special about you so that you don’t have to do it yourself at the start of the talk.  It’s much less effective that way.  It doesn’t sound like bragging if someone else does it.

Then there’s what actors call the “offstage beat.”  That’s the attitude you walk on stage with.  What are you thinking about just before you go on?  If you’re thinking about your nerves, then you’re going to bring that on stage for the first moments, at least, and infect your beginning with a bad attitude.  Instead, you should focus on an emotion you would like to share with the audience during the first point you make.  Are you excited?  Passionate?  Angry?  Amused?  Whatever the appropriate emotion is, focus on that as you’re waiting to go on.  Then bring that on stage to open your talk.  Your attitude will show up in the way you walk and stand, and it will help you connect with the audience if you connect it to your opening material.

Finally, there’s the opportunity to mingle with the audience before the talk.  How possible that is depends on the way the conference is structured, of course, and it depends on how you, the speaker, feel about it.  Some speakers need the time in the green room before the talk to prepare and focus.  Others draw energy from the audience, and if that’s you, it’s a great way to connect with an audience, build rapport, and anticipation for the talk.  Once you start, you have allies in the audience who will feel like they have a special relationship with you and will be rooting for you to succeed.

Three ways to build a connection with your audience before you open your mouth to start your speech.  What will you make of the opportunities?