Sometimes a news item provides the right peg on which to hang your talk. Be careful not to use an item which has only just appeared in the news bulletins, as your listeners may not have heard it. You can find this opening useful if you are visiting a town and you refer to a local story; clients will feel that you are taking an interest in their area and not just passing through. However, do be careful to comment in a favorable way.
2 Give them the benefits
Once you have gained your listeners’ attention, you must tell them why they should continue to listen to you. In other words, show them what’s in it for them. This only needs a few words but it reinforces the impression that you are worth their mental energy. Refer back to your audience research to find out what their needs and wants are, because when you describe the benefit it must be specific to them.
Here is an example of how a general manager began his talk when he was addressing a sales conference. “We are going to double your commission and halve your targets this year. You may think that I have got that round the wrong way. I’m going to describe a new product which is so good that you’ll only need to put in half the effort for twice the rewards.”
At a client presentation the manager of a mailing house company described to his client how he had reduced a competitor’s mailing costs by half and promised that he could do the same for them.
In both these instances the audience may only half believe what they hear but nevertheless they are prepared to pay attention to the speaker. I had the experience of attending a conference for trainers where one of the speakers told us that she could show us how to save an hour a day if we followed her method of time management. I certainly want an extra hour in my day and so I could see the benefit in listening to what she had to say.
3 Show them your credentials
In your next sentence you should tell them why you are qualified to speak on that subject, what your experience is. A few words usually suffice to demonstrate that you are the right person. For instance, a systems analyst was addressing a school board.
During the last four years I have personally supervised the computerization of records in eight large schools in the region so I know the kind of problems that you are facing here.” At an insurance investigators conference a speaker explained his experience to the audience like this. “While I was in the
States I researched the methods being used there to detect fraud in insurance claims so that I am now in a position to compare their methods with ours.” You can use your opening sentences to establish a rapport with the audience and possibly overcome any prejudices which they may have toward you, as this speaker did. “Like you, I have not been to college but I have done every job in this factory, so you can be sure I’m not going to suggest any changes that won’t work.” By reaching out towards the audience, the speaker was helping them to accept his proposals.
Tell them what you are going to say, say it and then tell them you’ve said it. The audience wants to know what’s coming and it will make it easier for them to follow your talk if you share your map with them. It’s not necessary to be very formal in this, as you will see from this extract from a warehouse manager’s talk. “I have two suggestions which I hope will show you how we can improve the layout of our department.” A distribution manager chose to preface her talk like this. “The problem of incorrect deliveries has to be tackled in three ways:
• One, why do they occur?
• Two, what can we do to stop them?
• Three, how much will it cost?”