Imagine starting a speech with any of the following statements:
"I don't know how to begin."
"I'm a bit nervous about speaking to an audience like this."
"Sorry I'm late. I got held up by traffic."
"I've never spoken to such a large group of people before."
"I'm feeling tense. Please bear with me."
"I didn't really prepare for this talk but I'll see what I can do."
"This is my first time of doing this."
"I'm shy to be standing before such an august audience."
"Forgive me if I make mistakes."
"I hope I don't bore you."
"Where do I start from?"
"I was called at the last minute."
What kind of impression would you communicate with the above opening words? Confidence? Trust? Excitement? I don't think so. These are 12 examples of how NOT to begin a speech. And it doesn't matter how you really feel. Do not start with an excuse, a confession or an apology. You put yourself at an immediate disadvantage from which you may not be able to recover. So what's the best way to take off?
You are better off launching on a strong note with a question, a statistic, a quote, a proverb or a story. That will get your audience thinking about your talk and not wondering why you're still hanging around after giving them one excuse or the other.
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