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38 Top Opening and Closing Remarks for Meetings

By: Grace He | Updated: March 18, 2024

You found our list of opening and closing remarks for meetings .

Opening and closing remarks for meetings are statements that introduce and wrap up workplace get-togethers. The purpose of these remarks is to set the tone of the subject matter and summarize topics covered during the meeting. Examples of opening and closing remarks for meetings include quick welcomes to attendees, announcements explaining the reason for the meeting, and conclusions that wrap up the content covered.

Utilizing opening and closing remarks is among the top public speaking tips for employees . You can use conference jokes or conference quotes as your opening or closing remarks. These icebreaker jokes are a great addition to your conference agenda .

This list includes:

short opening remarks for a meeting
opening remarks for a virtual meeting
chairman opening remarks in a meeting
opening remarks for a seminar
sample closing remarks for a meeting
sample closing remarks for an event
simple closing remarks

Here we go!

Short opening remarks for a meeting

Welcome, everyone. Thank you for taking the time to attend our meeting this morning. This meeting will address some announcements we think you will find interesting. We have a lot to cover, so we will get started without further ado.
Good morning, folks. We appreciate you blocking out your calendar so we can discuss some important topics with you. We promise to get through this as quickly as possible so you can get back to your day.
Hey, everyone! Great to see so many shining faces in the room, especially for the early hour! Apologies for calling this meeting on such short notice. We have some significant announcements to make, so we will get right to it.
Hi, team. Thank you for making an effort to be here today. Some serious developments occurred over the weekend, and we wanted to inform you of the details before you heard any worrisome rumors. Here is everything we can tell you so far.
Hello, all! Glad you could make it on such short notice. We have some exciting news to share, and we just could not wait to spill the beans! Rather than wasting any time, we can get right to the good stuff.
Good afternoon. Thanks for making time to be here today. As you know, we hit some important milestones this week. We thought sharing the success and discussing what comes next would be helpful. Away we go!
Greetings, everybody! Here we are at another super exciting monthly meeting, our chance to share the highs and lows we all have been through since the last time we met. Would anyone like to get things started for us?
Well, hey there! It has been a long time since our last meeting. We have all been quite busy, as you know. We have a lot to catch up on, so how about we jump right in and get started?

Opening remarks for a virtual meeting

Good morning to everyone on our video call today. We have participants joining today from locations all over the world. Before we get started, we would like to take a moment to share our appreciation for everyone lining up their schedules across the time zones in this way. We understand how difficult it was to coordinate this meeting so all major stakeholders could attend. We promise to make it worth your while. If anyone on the call knows of a colleague who cannot attend, please feel free to share our discussion with them when you can. You should have a meeting deck in your email to help you follow along. Feel free to open it, and we will get started.
Cyberteam: Assemble! Cheers to our remote crew, tuning in from the various workspaces around town and throughout the country. It is truly incredible that technology allows us to get together, even if only in digital form. You may have heard about some developments across several departments. We will address those topics and field any questions or concerns you may have. We will also discuss future developments in as much detail as possible. Much of what we will cover is still in the works, so we do not have as much information for you as we would like. However, we promise to do our best to get you up to speed and keep you informed as we learn more.
Good afternoon, team. You may have seen the email announcing our new project calendar. This timeline includes tasks spanning multiple teams, so we have a coordinated effort. We wanted to get everyone on a call to brainstorm ways to approach our rollout of various tasks. Depending on the needs, you may find your name on multiple lists, or you may not appear on any lists. Our hope is to distribute the work as fairly as possible among the team to minimize potential overload. Because you are the players involved, we want you to have a say in how we assemble the list.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for firing up your cameras and getting online this morning. We have a few special announcements to go over as well as updates on items we left in limbo during our last meeting. We also have a special guest joining us today. This guest speaker has information about making the most of your remote work experience. I know we have discussed workplace wellness in the past, and I thought we should hear from an expert on the subject. They will hop on for the last 30 minutes, which gives us the first 30 minutes to cover everything else. I will dive right in so we can have time for Q&A before our guest appears.
Hey, crew! We have gotten away from our meeting schedule as of late, and for a good reason. Great job on catching up on the backlog! Now that we are ahead of the curve again, I would like us to pick back up on our semi-monthly schedule to stay informed in a more unified setting. I think it is also a good idea for us to see one another’s shining faces every so often so we can remember what we all look like! More sincerely, our remote team needs face-to-face interaction, which is what these meetings are all about. I will put new items on our calendars to keep us on track through the end of the year.

Chairman opening remarks in a meeting

I am pleased to be speaking to all of you today. As the leader of this board, it is my duty to bring us together when necessary. This task can be challenging, considering our other obligations. I would like us to take this opportunity to review developments that occurred since our last meeting and cover several lingering action items.
Good morning, fellow board members. It is a privilege to address you all this afternoon for such a fortunate occasion. It is not often that the board has the opportunity to honor the accomplishments of its own members. Today, we will celebrate the successes of a long-standing trustee who has reached the pinnacle of personal and professional achievement. Before we start, please join me in welcoming our esteemed member with a round of applause.
Thank you all for attending. As chairman, I would like to begin this meeting by reviewing the minutes from our last session before covering our new agenda. You all know how quickly the new corporate strategy is unfolding. We have a growing list of issues to address, so we should get started.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all in attendance today. As your newly appointed chairman, I think it best to begin this meeting by introducing myself and explaining my background before having each member do the same. Once introductions are complete, we will review the charter and attend to any new business.

Opening remarks for a seminar

Welcome, everyone, and thank you for being with us today. For those who may not know, this seminar is our opportunity to share our latest developments and explain how this progress will lead us into our next phase. We have laid out a roadmap that puts us on solid footing the whole way through. We are eager to share the details and get your input on what improvements we can make. As key stakeholders in the business, your viewpoints count as much as anyone on the team. We hope you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts.
There are few moments in which our group can assemble for a subject as important as improving our culture. We feel the need is critical enough to halt operations and bring us all together. This company remains dedicated to the well-being of every employee, but dedication means nothing without action. We have created a seminar-style meeting that presents information intended to help make the most of your experience in the workplace. This is your space, after all, and we will do all we can to create an enriching culture for all of us.
I can think of few workplace developments less stressful than learning new software. Unfortunately, we have outgrown our old platform and have no choice but to move to a bigger and better model. After a great deal of deliberation, we have chosen a package that will make your current work much easier while also accommodating future growth. To get a head start on learning, we have put together this seminar with a representative from the software company. This speaker will provide an overview of the system and its functions before going into detail about how each feature fits in with our current system. Please feel free to ask questions and share your insight as we proceed.

Sample closing remarks for a meeting

We have covered a lot of material in a short time. If you need more details, you can schedule one-on-one time with your supervisors, who will have additional information shortly. Please write down any questions that arise so you can get answers and feel settled about our next steps.
I hope you enjoyed our brainstorming session. We are off to a great start and should have a great second meeting. I will add an item to the calendar to continue with our planning phase. If everyone will kindly send me their notes, then I will create a master folder we can all access. I will also email today’s meeting minutes out so we can create a living document as we go. More to come!
As you can understand, this meeting is only a first step. We will continue business as usual until we receive further word about new developments. Once we know more about the acquisition, we will put together another meeting for updates. You may have questions and concerns before then, which you may discuss with your manager, of course. To avoid creating unnecessary anxiety, we would ask that you refrain from speculating on details we have yet to disclose. I appreciate your cooperation.
I hope you can all agree that it is important for our team to spend quality time together outside of our usual tasks. These team building meetings are a perfect forum for showing off other sides of our personalities and connecting in fun and exciting ways. This meeting is the first of many! To ensure everyone feels a sense of ownership, I would like you all to send me your ideas for events we can include in future meetings. If you know of any games or icebreaker activities we should include, please send me a note or drop by my office to chat. The more input we have, the better variety of activities we can draw from.

Sample closing remarks for an event

We hope you enjoyed attending our event as much as we enjoyed putting it together. As always, we are ready to assist our clients in any way possible. If you have concerns after you head out, please get in touch with your account manager or a supervisor and let us know how we can help. We truly appreciate serving you and cannot wait to see where we go together next. Thank you for coming!
Thank you for coming to our get-together. We know breaking away from your busy day can be challenging, and we do not take it for granted. That said, it is always great to see our team come together for time away from the daily grind! We would not be able to do what we do without you. You are all integral to this organization’s success, and we are grateful to have you.
We have come a long way since the last time we were all together. The organization has grown considerably, and we know more growth will come. We hope we have clarified what comes next for this company and how we intend to achieve our goals. The agenda may seem ambitious, but we have no doubt that the people in this room are the right people to make the effort successful. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and dedication to our cause. We hope to see you again next time.
Before we all head out, I would like to thank everyone who showed up tonight. You really came through and made this event a smashing success! I would also like to give a shout-out to our event team, who put together everything from decorations to catering without falling behind on their daily tasks. This team is phenomenal, and the credit for such a winning event goes to them. Please join me in showing our appreciation for all they have done.

Simple closing remarks

Thank you all for coming. Enjoy the rest of your day!
This meeting went quicker than expected, so I will give you 30 minutes back.
Apologies for this meeting taking longer than scheduled. I appreciate you taking the extra time needed to finish up.
If you have any questions after the meeting, please feel free to come to my office.
Anyone needing more information can reach out to the contacts listed on the calendar item for this meeting.
We have much more to discuss, so I will schedule a follow-up meeting for a week from now.
As you can see, we have some serious challenges ahead of us. But I know that our usual team spirit will help us rise to the occasion.
This topic is highly sensitive, so we ask that you treat it with the proper discretion.
As a thank-you for your time and attention, there are treats in the breakroom. Feel free to drop by and grab a few!
You all put the “dream” in “dream team.” Thank you for your incredible effort and amazing output during such a demanding time!

Preparing opening and closing remarks will provide definitive starting and ending points for your meetings. You can set the tone while alerting attendees to the main topic as well as sharing a list of agenda items. These remarks also create an opportunity to open your meeting with a warm welcome and close on a note of gratitude and encouragement.

Next, read about virtual workshop ideas and virtual brainstorming ideas , and team meeting tips .

Book wildly fun team building events with expert hosts

FAQ: Opening and closing remarks for meetings

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about opening and closing remarks for meetings.

What are opening and closing remarks for meetings?

Opening and closing remarks for meetings are introductions and conclusions that bring a sense of organization to your agenda. You can use opening remarks to announce the topic of your meeting, while closing remarks will provide a wrap-up and alert attendees to any follow-up meetings or actions needed.

Why are good opening and closing remarks important?

Good opening remarks are important because they set the tone for the meeting, set goalposts, and keep listeners engaged. Similarly, good closing statements summarize essential topics, establish goals for future sessions, and provide calls to action.

What are some good opening statements for meetings?

Some options for good opening remarks include quick reasons for the meeting and brief rundowns of topics you will cover. Choosing an opener that matches the tone of the topics you want to address is essential.

How do you create good closing remarks for meetings?

Preparing good closing remarks can be as simple as reiterating information already covered and assigning the next steps. Additionally, these remarks should leave meeting attendees with a sense of understanding and accomplishment. Examples of some good closing remarks include thank yous to workers for attending, confirmations of the following steps, and reminders of follow-up items.

Author: Grace He

People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at teambuilding.com. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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Learn how to deliver a great self-introduction that makes a positive first impression at any meeting.

You’ve just started a role you’re thrilled about. Now, it’s time for your first team meeting—and time to introduce yourself. A good professional self-introduction is your first chance to show your new team that you have a lot to contribute. And it’s perfectly normal if you’re a little nervous.

Just like every other professional mountain you’ve climbed, though, learning how to introduce yourself in a meeting at work is a skill you can practice. Once you’ve mastered these effective self-introduction tips, you can apply them anywhere—from meeting people at networking events to pitching to new clients. Read ahead for advice on how to introduce yourself in a meeting for the first time, including what to share and how to feel confident.

The importance of introducing yourself in a meeting

Pitfalls to avoid when introducing yourself in a meeting

How to introduce yourself in a meeting
Meeting introduction examples

Introduce yourself confidently with Fellow

The importance of introducing yourself in a meeting .

First impressions are everything, especially in new roles. They set the tone for your relationship with everyone else as they get a first glimpse of what you bring to the table. It’s your first chance to showcase your personality and explain your unique talents—and meetings offer a great opportunity to start off on the right foot. Here are some of the ways a strong introduction helps you build a solid foundation for positive professional connections.

Demonstrate your leadership skills . Effective public speaking is an important leadership skill. Show your new team that you can motivate and inspire with a clear, concise, and engaging introduction.
Facilitate productive collaborations . The great thing about introducing yourself in a meeting is getting the chance to detail your new role to everyone all at once. When exciting projects pop up that are relevant to your responsibilities and talents, they’ll know to reach out to you.
Break the ice . It’s normal to be a little nervous as you learn the ins and outs of the group with which you’re meeting. Introducing yourself in a meeting provides the perfect space to start the conversation.

Make introductions less awkward and more productive

Master the art of introducing yourself in meetings with Fellow. Leverage collaborative agendas to effortlessly create agendas that include a section for introducing yourself, ensuring you make a strong impression and demonstrate your capabilities.

You want to give an introduction that wows everyone in the room. Here are some tips for avoiding common mistakes so your introduction stands out for only the right reasons.

Be positive . Speaking negatively is almost never a good professional look, but avoiding complaints during your initial impression is especially important. If you have anything critical to say, keep it tactful or keep it to yourself.
Stay present . You don’t want to come off as distracted before, during, or after your introduction. Even if you’ve got tons of onboarding paperwork to fill out for HR, it can wait until after the meeting. Stay engaged in your introduction and give all speakers in the meeting the same courtesy.
Keep it professional . A quick personal anecdote is a great opportunity for your personality to shine. That said, be mindful of oversharing information that’s not appropriate for the workplace.
Get to the point. Your introduction is just the opening chapter. You don’t have to tell the whole story right away. Keep your introduction short and sweet.

Pro tip for team leaders : Set new team members up for success with an order of introductions using one of Fellow’s team meeting agenda templates . This way, you avoid a messy, disorganized gathering with rushed introductions.

How to introduce yourself in a meeting

Here’s how to craft an introduction that will win over the whole room.

Leverage pre-loaded meeting templates
Write out your introduction
Explain your role in the company
Practice your introduction
Follow proper meeting etiquette
Discuss your career history
Pay attention to your body language
Follow the “present, past, and future” framework
Ask if anyone has questions

1 Leverage pre-loaded meeting templates

You only have one chance to make a lasting first impression. Fellow’s New Manager First Team Meeting Template or First Meeting with New Team Agenda Template both come with designated introduction sections built in, ensuring you have time blocked out to establish yourself as an effective and capable leader from the start.

2 Write out your introduction

If you’ve got several years of experience to draw from, it can be difficult to narrow down exactly what to include in your introduction. Writing everything out makes it much easier to edit and refine so that you’re well prepared by meeting time. You can organize your thoughts and decide what’s relevant before the spotlight is on you.

3 Explain your role in the company

After your name, the most important thing for team members (or clients during a client meeting ) to learn is your title. Start your introduction with your new role and a sentence or two describing your responsibilities and goals. It doesn’t hurt to briefly mention how you’re excited to contribute to everyone’s shared mission either.

4 Practice your introduction

Introducing yourself in a meeting is a lot like practicing an instrument and building muscle memory for a performance. If you’ve shared your introduction out loud before, the words will flow much easier when it’s time for your meeting. Plus, you can hear how your writing sounds when speaking and make adjustments as needed. Pump yourself up and practice alone, or ask a trusted friend to listen and offer feedback.

5 Follow proper meeting etiquette

Your conduct throughout your meeting plays a role in your first impression. Following proper meeting etiquette , such as arriving on time and actively listening, shows your new team you respect them. Being polite and professional is also a great way to demonstrate you’re pleasant to work with.

6 Discuss your career history

You were chosen for this role because of your strengths. Take the opportunity to tell your fellow meeting attendees about the path that led you here. To keep it brief, try to think of major accomplishments that relate to your work. For example, if you boosted your previous team’s sales by 10 percent year-over-year, let your team know you’re great at closing deals.

7 Pay attention to your body language

It’s important to choose the right words for your introduction, but what you express nonverbally makes an impact too. Body language is an essential component of meeting communication—you’ll want to project confidence and show your friendly demeanor. Good posture, eye contact, and appropriate hand gestures (or none at all) are all key when delivering your introduction.

You should also consider your attire. You don’t have to be overly formal, but you do want to wear a clean and professionally appropriate ensemble when you give your introduction. Every detail of how you present yourself makes a difference.

8 Follow the “present, past, and future” framework

There’s a very simple structure to follow if you’re unsure of how to order the information in your introduction. Andrea Wojnicki of the Harvard Business Review details the “present, past, and future” model for seamless meeting introductions. Start with a present-tense fact about yourself, which can simply be your name and title. Follow that up with a little bit about your past experience.

After a brief overview of your past accomplishments, you’ll wrap up with a sentence or two about what you’re looking forward to in the future. Start on the right note and tell everyone how excited you are to work with them on innovative solutions.

9 Ask if anyone has questions

To give your new team the chance to get to know you better, close your introduction by providing space for questions. If time in the meeting is short, you can always encourage questions by email or a one-on-one after the meeting . This could be the perfect opportunity to spark a productive conversation with future project collaborators.

Meeting introduction examples

It’s always easier to write an introduction when you have some inspiration to guide you. Here are some examples of professional introductions for a few common meeting scenarios.

Introducing yourself in a meeting with your new team

Introducing yourself in a cross-team meeting, introducing yourself in a meeting with clients.

“Hello, my name is [your name] and I’m thrilled to join the marketing team as your new communications director. In my 10 years of experience, I’ve spearheaded multiple campaigns that helped my previous organizations increase customer engagement and loyalty. I’m excited to work with everyone to increase brand awareness for [current organization]. Let me know if you have any questions about the initiatives I’ve led in the past. I’d love to chat about how we can apply these strategies to [current organization]’s work!”

“Hi everyone! My name is [your name] and I just joined the sales team as an account manager. I’m joining [current organization] after five years with [previous organization], where I started as an account associate. I look forward to learning more about your roles and how we can work together to increase revenue for [current organization].”

“ Hello, I’m [your name] and I just joined [current organization] as a customer success manager. I’ve been in the customer support field for nearly a decade and I love working with clients to develop effective solutions for their needs. I’m thrilled to work with [client name or organization]. Are there any areas your organization is focused on growing right now?

Introducing yourself in meetings sets the tone for productive and professional relationships. And Fellow is here to help! With collaborative meeting agendas , you can seamlessly add dedicated sections for introducing yourself to the meeting agenda. Plus, you can allow others to introduce themselves, as well! Utilize the collaborative agenda to jot down brief bios or interesting facts about yourself and each participant. This can be a fun and engaging way for everyone to introduce themselves beyond just their name and job title. Get started today with Fellow to make a lasting impression!

Parting advice

Coming up with a great self-introduction is easy when you follow these tips. A brief summary of your new role, past experience, and future wishes is all you need. If you need a little extra support, Fellow’s meeting agenda templates and note-taking features streamline your meeting introductions. With agenda templates, you’ll know exactly when to introduce yourself and what to say, and you can store everyone’s introductions in your notes. It’s a great way to figure out how you’ll present yourself and give everyone permanent reminders of who you are.

The art of one-on-one meetings for business leaders and managers 36 min read

Cross-Functional Meetings: Best Practices to Get Them Right 6 min read

Staff Meeting Agenda Blueprint: Best Practices and Checklist 8 min read

How to Introduce Yourself to a New Team (+ Examples)

See how leaders in 100+ countries are making meetings more productive and delightful.

Say goodbye to unproductive meetings. Fellow helps your team build great meeting habits through collaborative agendas, real-time notetaking, and time-saving templates.

End every meeting knowing who is doing what by when. Assign, organize, and prioritize all your meeting action items in one place.

Give and get feedback as work happens. Request and track real-time feedback on meetings, recent projects, and performance.

Opening a Meeting

Whether you are holding the meeting or attending the meeting it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. You should discuss things unrelated to the meeting, such as weather, family, or weekend plans.

Sample Dialogue:

Once everyone has arrived, the chairperson, or whoever is in charge of the meeting should formally welcome everyone to the meeting and thank the attendees for coming.

Well, since everyone is here, we should get started.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming today.
I think we'll begin now. First I'd like to welcome you all.
Thank you all for coming at such short notice.
I really appreciate you all for attending today.
We have a lot to cover today, so we really should begin.

Sample Welcome:

Pierre : I think we'll begin now. First I'd like to welcome you all and thank everyone for coming, especially at such short notice. I know you are all very busy and it's difficult to take time away from your daily tasks for meetings.

Introductions

If anyone at the meeting is new to the group, or if there is a guest speaker, this is the time when introductions should be made. The person in charge of the meeting can introduce the new person, or ask the person to introduce him or herself.

I'd like to take a moment to introduce our new tour coordinator.
I know most of you, but there are a few unfamiliar faces.
Stella, would you like to stand up and introduce yourself?
Hi everyone. I'm Judy Strauss. I'll be acting as Amanda's assistant while Nancy is away on maternity leave.

Roll Call/Apologies

If the meeting is a small group, it is probably unnecessary to take attendance out loud. The person who is taking the minutes will know everyone personally and can indicate who is present and who is absent. In a larger meeting, it may be necessary to send around an attendance sheet or call out names. If an important figure is absent, it may be necessary for the chairperson to apologize for his or her absence and offer a brief explanation for it.

It looks like everyone is here today.
If you notice anyone missing, please let Jane know so that she can make a note of it.
Unfortunately, Ken cannot join us today. He has been called away on business
Mike will be standing in to take the minutes today, as Lisa is home with the flu.

Some people who hold meetings prefer to pass around copies of the agenda, and others will post a large copy on a wall, or use an overhead projector. No matter which format is used, attendees should be able to follow the agenda as the meeting progresses. Before beginning the first main item on the agenda, the speaker should provide a brief verbal outline the objectives.

Sample Introduction to the Agenda:

How to Order

Speech Writing

Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech- Tips & Examples

10 min read

What is an Introduction Speech?

An introduction speech, or introductory address, is a brief presentation at the beginning of an event or public speaking engagement. Its primary purpose is to establish a connection with the audience and to introduce yourself or the main speaker.

This type of speech is commonly used in a variety of situations, including:

Public Speaking: When you step onto a stage to address a large crowd, you start with an introduction to establish your presence and engage the audience.
Networking Events: When meeting new people in professional or social settings, an effective introduction speech can help you make a memorable first impression.
Formal Gatherings: From weddings to conferences, introductions set the tone for the event and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

In other words, an introduction speech is simply a way to introduce yourself to a crowd of people.

How to Write an Introduction Speech?

Before you can just go and deliver your speech, you need to prepare for it. Writing a speech helps you organize your ideas and prepare your speech effectively.

Here is how to introduce yourself in a speech.

Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial. Consider their interests, backgrounds, and expectations to tailor your introduction accordingly.

For instance, the audience members could be your colleagues, new classmates, or various guests depending on the occasion. Understanding your audience will help you decide what they are expecting from you as a speaker.

Opening the Speech with a Hook

The best speech introduction starts with a hook or opening line that grabs your audience's attention. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking question about yourself or the occasion.

Introduce Yourself

Introduce yourself to the audience. State your name, occupation, or other details relevant to the occasion. You should have mentioned the reason for your speech clearly. It will build your credibility and give the readers reasons to stay with you and read your speech.

Keep It Concise

So how long is an introduction speech?

Introduction speeches should be brief and to the point. Aim for around 1-2 minutes in most cases. Avoid overloading the introduction with excessive details.

Highlight Key Points

Mention the most important information that establishes the speaker's credibility or your own qualifications. Write down any relevant achievements, expertise, or credentials to include in your speech. Encourage the audience to connect with you using relatable anecdotes or common interests.

Rehearse and Edit

Practice your introduction speech to ensure it flows smoothly and stays within the time frame. Edit out any unnecessary information, ensuring it's concise and impactful.

Tailor for the Occasion

Adjust the tone and content of your introduction speech to match the formality and purpose of the event. What works for a business conference may not be suitable for a casual gathering.

Introduction Speech Outline

To assist you in creating a structured and effective introduction speech, here's a simple speech format that you can follow:

Here is an example outline for a self-introduction speech.

Outline for Self-Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech Example

So if you are wondering what to say in an introduction speech we have you covered! We have compiled introduction speech examples to help you understand how to put your ideas into practice for different scenarios.

Introduction Speech Writing Sample

Short Introduction Speech Sample

Self Introduction Speech for College Students

Introduction Speech about Yourself

Student Presentation Introduction Speech Script

Teacher Introduction Speech

New Employee Self Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech for Chief Guest

Moreover, here is a video example of a self-introduction speech. Watch it to understand how you should deliver your speech:

Want to read examples for other kinds of speeches? Find the best speeches at our blog about speech examples !

What Are Some Famous Introduction Speeches?

Here are the best introduction speeches for students to get inspired:

Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (2014) : Malala's speech upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize introduced her advocacy for girls' education and youth empowerment globally.
Elon Musk's Presentation on SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System (2016) : Elon Musk introduced SpaceX's ambitious plans for interplanetary travel, outlining a vision for the future of space exploration.
Michelle Obama's Democratic National Convention Speech (2008) : Michelle Obama's speech introduced her as a potential First Lady, sharing personal stories and values that resonated with the audience.
J.K. Rowling's Harvard Commencement Speech (2008) : Rowling's speech introduced themes of failure, imagination, and resilience, drawing from her personal journey as an author and philanthropist.

Introduction Speech Ideas

So now that you’ve understood what an introduction speech is, you may want to write one of your own. So what should you talk about?

The following are some sample introduction speech topics and ideas that can provide an engaging start to a presentation, meeting, or social gathering.

Personal Story: Share a brief personal story or experience that has shaped you.
Professional Background: Highlight your career achievements and expertise.
Hobby or Passion: Discuss a hobby or passion you're enthusiastic about.
Volunteer Work: Talk about your involvement in volunteer work or community service.
Travel Adventures: Share anecdotes from your travel adventures.
Books or Literature: Provide an introduction related to a favorite book, author, or literary work.
Achievements and Milestones: Highlight significant achievements and milestones in your life or career.
Cultural Heritage: Explore your cultural heritage and its influence on your identity.
Social or Environmental Cause: Discuss your dedication to a particular social or environmental cause.
Future Aspirations: Share your future goals and aspirations.

You can deliver engaging speeches on all kinds of topics. Here is a list of entertaining speech topics to get inspiration.

7 Tips for Delivering the Best Introduction Speech

Now that you know how to write an effective introduction speech, let's focus on the delivery. The way you present your introduction is just as important as the content itself. Here are some valuable tips to ensure you deliver a better introduction speech:

Tip# 1: Maintain Eye Contact

Make eye contact with the audience to establish a connection. This shows confidence and engages your listeners.

Tip# 2: Use Appropriate Body Language

Your body language should convey confidence and warmth. Stand or sit up straight, use open gestures, and avoid fidgeting.

Tip# 3: Mind Your Pace

Speak at a moderate pace, avoiding rapid speech. A well-paced speech is easier to follow and more engaging.

Tip# 4: Avoid Filler Words

Minimize the use of filler words such as "um," "uh," and "like." They can be distracting and detract from your message.

Tip# 5: Be Enthusiastic

Convey enthusiasm about the topic or the speaker. Your energy can be contagious and inspire the audience's interest.

Tip# 6: Practice, Practice, Practice

Rehearse your speech multiple times. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself or seek feedback from others.

Tip# 7: Be Mindful of Time

Stay within the allocated time for your introduction. Going too long can make your speech too boring for the audience.

Mistakes to Avoid in an Introduction Speech

When crafting and delivering an introduction speech, it's important to avoid common pitfalls that can reduce its impact. Here are some mistakes to watch out for:

Rambling On: Avoid making the introduction too long. Keep it short and sweet to set the stage without stealing the spotlight.
Lack of Preparation: Not preparing enough can lead to awkward pauses or losing your train of thought. Practice your speech to feel more confident.
Using Jargon or Complex Language: Steer clear of technical jargon or complicated language that might confuse the audience. Keep it simple and clear.
Being Too Generic: A bland introduction can set a dull tone. Make your speech specific to the event and the speaker to keep it engaging.
Using Inappropriate Humor: Be careful with humor. Avoid jokes that could offend or alienate the audience.
Overloading with Background Information: Providing too much background information can overwhelm the audience. Offer just enough to give context without bogging down the introduction.

To Conclude,

An introduction speech is more than just a formality. It's an opportunity to engage, inspire, and connect with your audience in a meaningful way.

With the help of this blog, you're well-equipped to shine in various contexts. So, step onto that stage, speak confidently, and captivate your audience from the very first word.

Moreover, you’re not alone in your journey to becoming a confident introducer. If you ever need assistance in preparing your speech, let the experts help you out.

MyPerfectWords.com offers a custom essay service with experienced professionals who can craft tailored introductions, ensuring your speech makes a lasting impact.

Don't hesitate; hire our professional speech writing service to deliver top-quality speeches at your deadline!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a speech introduction be.

A speech introduction should be concise, typically lasting about 1 to 2 minutes. It should set the stage, capture the audience's attention, and provide a clear direction for the rest of the speech.

What Is the Best Speech Introduction Greeting?

The best greeting for a speech introduction depends on the formality of the event. Some examples include:

Formal: "Good morning/afternoon/evening, distinguished guests."
Semi-formal: "Hello everyone, thank you for being here today."
Informal: "Hi everyone, thanks for coming."

What Word to Start a Speech?

Starting a speech with an engaging word or phrase can capture the audience's attention. Here are a few speech starting lines:

"Imagine..." to prompt the audience to visualize something.
"Today..." to ground the speech in the present moment.
"Have you ever..." to ask a thought-provoking question.
"In our lives..." to make a personal connection.
"Picture this..." to create a vivid mental image.

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Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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The Right Way to Start a Meeting

Liane Davey

Make a good first impression.

We all know there’s a price to pay for a making bad first impression: A limp handshake conveys low confidence; a wrinkled suit makes you seem lazy; oversharing comes across as emotional instability. But do you ever think about the first impression your meetings make? Frequently restarting meetings for stragglers sends the message that participants have more control than you do. Issues opened for discussion with no clear purpose get hijacked by participants with a clearer agenda than yours. Monologues validate everyone’s fears that your meeting is going to be about as valuable (and as scintillating) as watching an hour of C-SPAN.

LD Liane Davey is a team effectiveness advisor and professional speaker . She is the author of The Good Fight and You First , and the coauthor of Leadership Solutions . LianeDavey

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How to Run Introductory Meetings (+ Practical Examples)

Are you ready to turn a simple introduction into a lasting professional relationship?

Are you seeking effective ways to establish a connection with a new team or wondering how to set the right tone from the get-go?

These dilemmas are prevalent across various industries. In this blog, we'll delve into these questions and more, exploring practical solutions and insights.

What Is An Introductory Meeting?

An introductory meeting is an important gathering, particularly for managers getting to know their new teams, but its principles are equally applicable in a variety of other settings.

Often the first opportunity for individuals to meet, these meetings are essential in professional, social, or academic contexts for establishing new connections. This could be within a team, at a networking event, or in a one-on-one session with a potential client.

During these meetings, participants generally introduce themselves, discuss their backgrounds, and collectively determine the goals of the meeting. This process is pivotal in laying the foundation for effective communication and robust relationship building.

For managers and others alike, a successful introductory meeting hinges on setting a clear agenda, mastering the skill of active listening, and effectively establishing rapport.

Typically, these meetings last between 30 to 60 minutes, balancing thoroughness with efficiency to maximize productivity and engagement.

How to Conduct an Introductory Meeting

Successful introductory meetings are a blend of strategic planning and interpersonal skills. Central to this is active listening and demonstrating genuine interest, which are crucial in fostering personal connections and trust.

The success of these meetings hinges on more than just information exchange; it's about creating an environment of support and trust, paving the way for future collaborations and shared visions.

A brief overview for a productive meeting:

Develop a detailed agenda that highlights critical discussion points and aligns expectations, ensuring a mutual understanding from the outset.
Introduce yourself and sharing your professional information. Personal life details can enhance your relatability to the audience.
Allocate time for questions and answers , clarifying any uncertainties for all participants.
Follow-up steps are essential after an introductory meeting because they ensure relationship building with participants.

(1) Setting Clear Objectives and Creating an Agenda

Begin your introductory meeting by setting clear and specific goals, such as:

Articulate your expectations and vision: Whether it's to enhance strategy or apply your expertise to advance the company, make your purpose and long-term plans for the team clear.
For different contexts, share pertinent information: In business settings, discuss products or services, while job interviews might center around company values.

Documenting these objectives can effectively shape your presentation.

To ensure a focused and efficient discussion, organize the meeting with a detailed agenda. This preparation covers all essential topics and maintains the meeting's productivity.

(2) Introduce Yourself

Begin your introductory meeting with a personal touch by talking about yourself, even if you've met some attendees before. Start with your name, professional background, and experience in the industry.

Sharing personal details like your hometown, family, or hobbies can help you connect with your audience on a more personal level. A well-crafted introduction sets a positive tone, demonstrating confidence and engaging your audience.

In smaller meetings, encourage team members to introduce themselves, sharing both professional and personal information. This fosters a sense of community and helps everyone understand each other's roles and backgrounds.

Tips for Introducing Yourself:

Talk about your experience: When detailing your professional experience, go beyond just your last job title. Share the duration of your tenure with previous employers, key accomplishments, and how the skills you acquired there will contribute to your effectiveness as a manager.
Embrace authenticity: Being genuine in your introduction is essential. Express your true self by talking about your personal interests or unique experiences.
Smile: A smile can communicate confidence, positivity, and friendliness. Maintain a smiling demeanor to create a welcoming and confident atmosphere.
Keep eye contact: Establishing eye contact with each member of your team during the meeting can enhance trustworthiness and approachability.
Dress appropriately: Dressing professionally is crucial as it influences first impressions. Familiarize yourself with the company's dress code to ensure your attire is appropriate for the meeting.
Remain composed: While it's normal to feel nervous, appearing calm can boost your perceived confidence. Use techniques like speaking clearly and at an adequate volume to demonstrate composure.
Be mindful of your speech: Speak clearly and at a suitable volume, ensuring everyone understands you, especially if English isn't their first language. Adjust your speaking pace to be inclusive and understandable.

(3) Q&A

In your introductory meeting, allocate time for a Q&A session, a crucial step in ensuring clear communication and building rapport, especially in team meetings and client interactions.

Inform participants at the outset about this opportunity for queries, giving them ample time to prepare their questions.

When addressing these questions, practice active listening and seek clarification if needed, demonstrating your genuine interest and commitment.

Q: "With our current team size and the complex nature of the project, how do we plan to meet deadlines without sacrificing quality, especially considering potential tech compatibility issues with our older systems?"

A: "Great question. To manage workload and maintain quality, we're planning to outsource some tasks to specialized vendors. Regarding the tech compatibility, we're aware of the limitations and are initiating an upgrade to our existing systems to support the new project. We'll be forming a task force to tackle these specific challenges, and I encourage those interested in these areas to join and contribute to the planning and execution."

(4) Follow-Up Steps

As you conclude your introductory meeting, it's crucial to outline the subsequent steps, affirming the meeting's role as the foundation for ongoing collaboration.

Here are the essential steps:

Express your intention to schedule individual meetings with team members, which will facilitate deeper connections and understanding.
Share your contact details, inviting open communication for any further inquiries or discussions. A gesture of gratitude, combined with enthusiasm for future collaboration, leaves a lasting positive impression.
Commit to following up with a detailed summary email or message. By recapping key points and agreed-upon actions, you will ensure that everyone is aligned and accountable. If time is limited for summarizing all the information, consider using Wudpecker to assist with its automatically AI-generated meeting notes.

Begin your introductory meeting with engaging icebreakers to establish a relaxed atmosphere, promoting open communication and reducing any initial tension. This strategy enhances the effectiveness of future meetings and supports rapport building. For larger teams, brief icebreakers are ideal, followed by individual meetings for deeper connections.

For virtual settings, consider using interactive tools like digital whiteboards for collaborative activities or online quizzes related to team interests. These virtual icebreakers can be both fun and engaging, helping new team members feel welcomed and valued in their roles.

Such techniques are crucial in creating a welcoming atmosphere and ensuring open lines of communication, which are key to successful team management.

Practical Examples of Virtual Icebreakers and Interactive Tools

1. Two Truths and a Lie: Each participant states two true facts and one false fact about themselves, and others guess which is the lie. This can be done via video conference, with participants typing their guesses in the chat.

2. Online Polls and Quizzes: Use tools like Google Forms or Slido to create fun quizzes related to your industry, the company, or general trivia. This keeps attendees engaged, ideal for creating a relaxed atmosphere.

3. Photo Sharing: Ask team members to share a photo of their workspace, pet, or favorite travel destination and briefly talk about it. This personalizes the experience, helping in establishing connections.

4. Interactive Whiteboards: Platforms like Miro or Jamboard facilitates collaboration and effective communication on projects and ideas using real-time digital whiteboard, brainstorming ideas or mapping out plans together.

These activities not only break the ice but also help in building rapport and easing into more formal meeting agendas.

Mastering the art of the introductory meeting is essential for fostering effective communication and strong professional relationships.

By setting clear goals, engaging in active listening, and employing innovative techniques, you lay the groundwork for successful collaborations and team dynamics.

Remember, the key to a productive introductory meeting lies in preparation, authenticity, and the ability to connect with your audience.

By following the strategies outlined in this blog, you're well-equipped to lead meetings that not only achieve their objectives but also build a foundation for future success.

Let your introductory meeting be the first step towards a journey of impactful and meaningful professional interactions.

How do you prepare for an introductory meeting?

Preparing for an introductory meeting involves several steps:

Start by setting clear objectives and crafting a detailed meeting agenda.
Understand the background of the attendees, whether it's a team meeting, one-on-one, or a meeting with a potential client.
Prepare talking points relevant to the meeting goal, focusing on building relationships and effective communication.

What do you talk about in an introduction meeting?

In an introductory meeting, topics are about discussing your role, experience, and background, and inviting others to do the same to establish rapport. Cover the meeting agenda, focusing on specific projects or goals, and encourage active listening and genuine interest to understand each attendee's perspective.

What is called as introductory session?

An introductory session, or introductory meeting, is the initial meeting aimed at getting acquainted, sharing information, and setting expectations for future interactions. It's essential for establishing personal connections and aligning the team or participants.

Is it introduction or introductory session?

An introduction refers to the act of presenting oneself or others, while an introductory session is the entire meeting or event where introductions and initial discussions take place. An introductory session is more comprehensive and may include various activities to build trust and find common ground.

Date: [Insert Date]

Time: [Insert Time]

Location: [Insert Location or Virtual Meeting Link]

Duration: [Insert Expected Duration]

Opening Remarks (5 Minutes)

Greet participants.
Summarize the meeting's purpose and establishing basic guidelines.

Introduce Yourself (20 Minutes)

Take time to introduce yourself, sharing your name, role in the organization, and a brief professional background.
Encourage the sharing of an interesting personal fact or hobby to foster a more relaxed and personal atmosphere.

Q&A (5 Minutes)

Open the floor to any questions participants might have about the meeting's content, objectives, or any organizational updates.
If time allows, address individual questions or concerns.

Follow-up Steps (10 Minutes)

Recap the main points of the meeting and any important information shared during introductions.
Provide information on ways to stay connected, such as contact details, team communication channels, or scheduling tools.

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How to smoothly start a meeting (when you’re in charge)

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Tell me: What are your own tips to conduct a smooth meeting?

Write your answer down in the comments! It’s a great way to practice, and share with the world!

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More good stuff...

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My tips to conduct a good meeting is to speak slow and clear. I am from Denmark. If I speak too fast, people can’t understand my accent or words.

Hi Philip, Great tips, thanks! Yes, often people think they need to speak fast to speak well, but often it is the opposite! Just think of how difficult it is to talk with Americans because they speak fast. The goal is clear communication, not fast speech. Thanks for reminding us of that!

Thanks! This is really helpful

I think choosing the proper words Is important. Also, prevent some ambiguous words, in case there is any misunderstanding.

Absolutely, Hank!

Thanks so much!

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How to Lead Introductions in Business Meetings

Source: Tim Cordell on Cartoonstock.com

Many years ago I was asked to represent my company on a national committee. I had to fly from Portland, Oregon to Washington D.C. for the meeting, find my way around the city wearing an actual business suit and heels, then walk into this room and make a good impression.

I was prepared for the content of the meeting – I knew my stuff – but I was far from comfortable. The 30 or so other members of the committee came from Microsoft, the Department of Defense, and a host of big organizations; I worked for a 20-person web software vendor no one had ever heard of. Most of the committee members were much older than I was, and there were very few women.

Soon enough, the gavel pounded and the chair began the meeting. After a brief greeting, he said:

“Go around the room and tell the group a bit about yourself, starting with Don here.”

Tell them about me? What am I supposed to say in this room of dour-looking, experienced people?

I knew that if I wanted any shot of making an impact in the meeting, the other people in the room had to take me seriously, and this introduction was my chance to make that oh-so-important good first impression. But what could I say that would impress this room? I felt like I was at an awful interview, and I began to sweat.

In this case, I needn’t have sweated the introductions (or my blouse) so much. Don stood up and calmly stated his name and the organization he represented, then sat back down. Simple. As it went around the room, each person followed this short pattern, and I began to relax.

My name and where I work? That’s it? Those are questions I can answer easily! Why hadn’t the chair been clearer about what he wanted people to say?

Poor leadership creates undue anxiety

Introductions in meetings are meant to help people get comfortable speaking together. It’s a meeting after all, which means it only works well if those in attendance talk to each other. That’s hard to do when you don’t know someone’s name or you’ve been put on the defensive by an inappropriate question.

For many people, those first minutes of a meeting will always be nerve-wracking. How the meeting leader handles those opening minutes can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of the conversation that follows.

For that committee meeting, I spent the first 15 minutes unclenching from the adrenaline overdose and had no idea what they talked about. In an online setting, if you lose someone’s attention like that for 15 minutes, they’ve missed half the meeting!

How should that committee chair have started the introductions, then?

Let’s start with some basics.

The Cardinal Rules of Leading Business Meeting Introductions

Rule 1: make sure everyone gets introduced..

If someone is important enough to be invited, they must be introduced. Business introductions make sure the people in the meeting know who they’re talking to. They provide critical context for the discussion, giving everyone a sense for the range of perspectives and experience in the room. With an online meeting, having everyone introduce themselves also reveals any issues with audio or language differences.

This goes for latecomers and other people who walk into the room, too. While you shouldn’t interrupt someone to introduce a new attendee, make sure use the next pause to quickly do so. If you’re on a conference call and the CEO walks into the room behind you, the people on the other side of the phone deserve to know that the audience just changed.

Rule 2: Provide clear direction.

Tell people specifically what you want them to share with the group, and provide an example by introducing yourself first. This was the big mistake in the committee meeting I attended; the leader left it up to the group to figure out how to introduce themselves. For someone new to the group and inexperienced like me, he might as well have pointed my way shouting “Dance, monkey, dance!”

Not sure what you should ask? You’ll find example questions below.

After explaining what you want to hear, cover the order in which people should speak. For online meetings, go top-to-bottom through the attendee list.

Rule 3: Keep it safe.

If you give clear instructions and provide an example by introducing yourself first, you’ll have a great start on alleviating anyone’s anxiety.

To further ensure you don’t inadvertently shut someone down:

Never ask people to share potentially sensitive information in a business setting. Stay clear of topics that get too personal; not everyone has happy childhood memories, and lots of adults just don’t have a favorite band or ice cream flavor any more. If you must delve into the personal, save it for your team-building exercises and off-sites.
Don’t ask questions that make people feel they have to justify their right to be in the meeting. You may need to understand the skills and expertise of the people present, but there are ways you can find this out without making someone feel like they’re being interviewed.

This doesn’t mean you have to keep introductions terse (Name & rank, attendee!) or boring (How’s the weather there, Steve?). Instead, craft an introduction question based on rule #4.

Rule 4: Make introductions relevant to the meeting.

Context (not content) is key. The best introductions will help everyone understand how each participant relates specifically to the situation at hand.

Are they there just to listen, or do they have an agenda of their own? Are they an expert in subject, or is this all completely new? Will they be in charge of decisions, or expected to carry them out?

Include at least one question in your introductions that ties directly to the goal of the meeting and reveals some of this context.

The Basic Business Introduction Questions

For business and professional meetings, introductions should always include:

Each person’s first and last name

Then, context, context, context!

The company or department they represent This is their business context.

Current location (for remote attendees) This is their personal context; important for understanding time zone concerns, possible connection issues, and background noise.

Why they’re at the meeting This is their meeting context.

To get at this last one, you might ask:

What’s the most important thing you want to get out of this meeting?
What are you hoping to learn here today?
What prompted you to be here today?
What excites you most about the work we’re doing here?
What skills can you contribute to the team that may not be obvious to the rest of us?

Related: The Essential Project Kickoff Meeting Agenda

When you have more time: Introduction Activities

Most introductions run like an icebreaker’s disapproving neighbor. They’re in the same general area, but definitely living different lifestyles.

These activities dip their toes into the team-building waters, bringing a little more game-feel to the meeting, while still keeping it all very professional.

Gifts and Hooks

We’ve talked about this one before , and bring it up here again because this is the best example we know of a non-fluffy, clearly useful introductory game for working teams.

In Gifts and Hooks, the leader explains that team members bring gifts to the table (their skills, knowledge, etc.), but they also need hooks — things the person needs in order to remain fully engaged. Team members write down both their gifts and their hooks, then go around the room to share them.

You can get a detailed description of Gifts and Hooks by Michael Wilkinson on the IIF site.

Alliteration Alleviates Anonymity

To increase the energy in a group and help stir the creative juices, Denise Grissom Bradford suggests asking people to introduce themselves using an alliteration (i.e. Dancing Denise from Duluth or Jolly John joins jauntily).

With the right group, and especially as a start for brainstorming or other creative meetings, this approach is fun without pushing the goofy too far out of bounds. And, since one of your goals is to help people learn each other’s names, alliteration definitely makes members memorable.

Other variations: Limericks! Haiku!

Questions from the group

Instead of coming up with the questions yourself, ask the group what they want to know about each other. This works best if you go over the meeting purpose first, and provide an example.

If you’re meeting online, ask people to type their questions into chat, or put them on cards if you’re face-to-face. Remind everyone that the questions shouldn’t be embarrassing or difficult to answer.

Then, go around the room and ask each person to state their name and answer one or two of the questions posed by the group.

Related: 5 Icebreakers for Distributed Team Meetings

Final tip: You don’t need to start with introductions

Introductions usually come near the beginning of the meeting, but they shouldn’t always come first.

For most meetings, you’re better off starting by confirming the meeting purpose and goals. Welcome everyone, clarify why you’re meeting and what the team is meant to accomplish, and THEN go through introductions.

Starting with the meeting purpose FIRST establishes the all-important context for the introductions that follow.

Introverts, newbies, and meeting-avoiders:

What other tips would you give meeting leaders to help make introductions go more smoothly for you? Let us know in the comments here or on Twitter , #bettermeetings.

Categories: leadership & facilitation tips & techniques

Elise Keith

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How to write a speech introduction

12 of the best attention getters to start a speech

By: Susan Dugdale | Last modified: 01-12-2023

The audience settles in their seats. The lights dim. You walk out to the center of the stage. You pause, take a deep breath, open your mouth and begin.

What you say over the next 30 seconds to introduce your speech or presentation is crucial.

That's how much time you have to make a positive impression on your audience. In it they will decide whether or not you have anything relevant or useful to say. Those first impressions count!

So how do you write an effective speech introduction to grab and hold their attention?

Begin by finding out how to choose the right opener.

What's on this page:

how to choose the right opener for your speech

12 of the very best ways to start a speech

3. What if?

5. Key fact

7. Rhetorical

9. Headlines

10. History

11. Challenge

Retro Label: 12 ways to hook an audience.

How to choose the right opener for your speech

The better way to make your choice of opener is after you have carefully considered who you are talking to and why you're talking to them.

One size does not fit all. Different audiences will respond differently. If you are giving the same speech multiple times think about what you may need to change to fit.

To work well your opening needs to be aligned with:

the type of speech you're giving
your main purpose for giving it
your target audience and,
their interests or needs

Both the hook * to catch their attention and your topic must be relevant to them. Unless they're a captive audience, they've come freely to listen to you and they're expecting something of value from you.

How are you going to let them know they're in the right place? Why should they listen? What are they going to get or gain through listening?

Out of all the different ways to open, what attention getter is absolutely the best way?

The only way I know to work out what is best is to go through each of them, and as you do, consider your audience. Make a short list of those you think might work then try them out before making your final choice.

* hook – an opening statement that immediately captures the audience's attention just like a well baited hook on a fishing line catches a fish.

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1. Use imagination to create mind pictures

Ask the audience to use their imagination. Get them to build evocative compelling images in their minds. Make them large. Add vibrant color, sound and movement.

For example:

“Let's take a break. Make yourself comfortable. Now close your eyes for a moment. Take a deep breath, and you're there, in the place where you feel the most at ease, the place where all the tensions, all the demands of your normal everyday life disappear. Look around you. See it. Feel it. It's so good, it's perfect."

“Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and a moment to picture in your mind the people dearest to you, the people you feel you could not live without. Now when did you talk to them, or spend real time with them last?"

2. Use an item to build a connection

Choose an image or an object related to your speech, for instance a pair of shoes, to trigger interest and build a connection.

For example, if I were giving a speech on the lives of upper-middle class 19th century women I could open by holding up a pair of ornately decorated kid leather pumps.

“What's the name of the young woman who wore these? Listen. Can you hear the rustle of her silk skirts? And hear her heart beat bom-biddy-bom as the beau of the ball stepped her way? Would he, or wouldn't he ask her to dance?”

3. Ask a 'What if...?' rhetorical question

'What if...?' invites an audience to consider the possibilities of something becoming real. They can be positive somethings or negative, trivial or something that would have a significant impact if it came to pass.

The power of a 'what if...?' rhetorical question as an opener lies in the potency of the images and feelings it triggers. A well-chosen 'what if...?' will immediately have an audience wanting to hear the rest of your speech.

"What if we don't find a way to successfully manage climate change?"
"What if we really did solve the affordable housing crisis?"
"What if questions of race and color ceased to matter?"
"What if medicines were freely available to everybody who needed them?"
"What if the person sitting next to you turned, looked into your eyes and said they loved you? Truly. Madly. Deeply."

4. Try a quotation from someone who's impacted your life in some way

To be effective a quotation doesn't have to be the clever quip or snippet of enduring wisdom: a famous quote from a well known person. It's origin could be personal, something someone important in your life said that's remained with you.

For example, my Mother answered all initial wails of outrage, pain or hurt from any of her five children with a command. "Breathe!" That was repeated, interwoven with encouraging asides, until whoever it was, was able to talk clearly and be understood. "It's OK.", she'd say. "Breathe. Come on. You can do it. Breathe. That's it. Keep going. Good."

Or I could use this line from one of my high school reports which read, "...with further maturity she should do well." (Thank you Mr Phillips. Your prediction was right on target.)

Or this from our son aged four as he watched me getting ready for another day of teaching: "When I grow up I'm going to wear pretty dresses and go to school just like you."

5. Use an interesting key fact

Choose an interesting key fact as an attention getting device: one of the most rarely known, or a shocking statistic from the body of your speech to open with.

For example: "Take a guess at what the most powerful and frequently used word is in the English language?

It's not one of those usually thought of candidates. Love? No. Money? Nope. Neither is it any member of your family... Mum, Dad, brother, sister, son, or daughter.

It's a three letter word, so common it's overlooked and taken for granted. 'The'. It's the humble 'the'."

(For more see this BBC article: Is this the most powerful word in the English language?

Or: "Between 2020/21 and 2021/2022, Americans consumed about 11 million metric tons of sugar, up from about 10 million metric tons in 2009/2010. Can you even begin to imagine the size of that sweet white mountain?"

(For more see: US sugar consumption statistics )

6. Share personal stories

Share a personal story related to your specific topic as the beginning of a speech. Done well, it lets the audience know you understand their situation and helps establish your credibility: your right to talk on the subject.

As an example here's the opening of a speech I gave about the impact of suicide on families and friends:

“One fine Spring day I biked home from school and found a policemen guarding our backdoor. Through it came sounds I'll never forget: my quiet Mother screaming. He said, "You can't go in."

I kicked him in the shins and did. It was the 15th of September, three days before my thirteenth birthday and my father was dead. Killed by his own hand. Suicide.”

(If you want to find out more about the speech and read it, it's here: After they're gone . It's an example persuasive speech using the five steps of Monroe's Motivated Sequence.)

7. Rhetorical questions

These are questions that although they are asked, they're never really intended to be answered by anyone other than the person asking them. * Their principal function is to act as a segue, or lead in, to what the person intends to say next. For instance, the first main point of your introduction.

Examples: "What if I were to say to you that there was no such thing as public speaking fear?"

"What do you think the main benefits of being able to speak up in public are?"

* Although there's bound to be someone in your audience who will. Be ready for them, and move on.

8. An empathetic question, aligning yourself with the audience and eliciting a response

These questions bring speaker and audience together, establishing a common ground, a mutual understanding, which is an effective way to ease into a speech. If your question 'works' you'll see heads nodding in agreement.

"Have you ever experienced the butterflies in your stomach turning into a herd of rampaging elephants, just before you step up to give your presentation?"
"Have you ever wanted a good day to never end?"
"How often have you 'lost' your car in the supermarket car park?"
"How often have you ever wanted to shout, NO? You want me to prepare a new presentation by tomorrow? NO. You want me to stay late, again? NO."

9. It's in the news

Take headlines from what's trending in media you know the audience will be familiar with and see.

Using those that relate to your speech topic as the opening of your speech is a good way to grab the attention of the audience. It shows how relevant and up-to-the-minute the topic is.

For example: "'Death toll soars to 76 in Florida after Hurricane Ian demolished entire communities.' 'Noru became a super typhoon in 6 hours. Scientists say powerful storms are becoming harder to forecast.' 'Hurricane Orlene strengthens into Category 4 storm as it heads toward western Mexico.'

Three front page headlines from CNN just today. Climate change. Let's do what we can."

10. This day in history

If you're giving a speech to celebrate a special birthday or an anniversary, consider using several carefully selected events that occurred on the same day as a speech opening. They could be either funny or serious, depending on the specific purpose of your speech. They're a great way to place the person in a much wider context and often with exalted company.

For example: "What do the 1863 National Thanksgiving Day proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, National Boyfriend Day, and Gwen Stefani have in common with Joe? Yes, the 3rd of October! It's a great date made better by being Joe's birthday. And we say Gwen is truly privileged to have the same one as him."

11. Issue a challenge

Let the audience know first thing, at the beginning of the speech, what action you expect they'll be able to take by the time your presentation is complete. Then when you come to the final points, repeat the call to action, or challenge, as part of your closing statement.

For example: "I've a challenge for you. That's to sign up for our public speaking course. Right now you may not see yourself doing that. Public speaking? Me? I'd rather have a root canal done, without painkillers. However, by the end of the presentation...well, let's see. There's a first time for everything!"

Use a startling statement, a fact, or a series of facts, to jolt the audience into paying attention.

"Covid. We've had 1.06 million of us die in the US, so far. Today there are nearly 60,00 new cases. More mothers, fathers, friends, colleagues, children – people. People ill. People who might die. So why have we stopped wearing masks?"

For more: Google: Covid stats US

Other speech writing resources

how to end a speech effectively : explanations with examples showing how to close a speech with impact
how to write a speech : a detailed guide with examples covering audience analysis, planning, writing oral language, transitions, how to use an outline...

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How to Start a Speech: The Best Ways to Capture Your Audience

You’ve heard the saying, “First impressions are lasting; you never get a second chance to create a good first impression” — right?

The same is true when talking about how to start a speech…

The truth is, when you start your speech, you must focus everything on making a positive first impression on your audience members (especially if you are doing the presentation virtually ). Capturing the audience’s attention from the very beginning is crucial to prevent them from being distracted, losing interest, or forming negative opinions.

The introduction is the formal greeting for speeches, so let’s be sure to get this right to hook the audience. Understanding the importance of speech openings can significantly impact making a strong first impression. Planning and delivering the first words with confidence and relevance is essential, as they set the tone for the entire presentation and ensure you deliver a professional start, free from hesitation or irrelevance.

Here are 15 different ways to start a speech as well as 2 extra BONUS tips at the end.

1) Thank the Organizers and Audience

You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak.

Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience.

This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and connects you to the audience like an electrical plug in a socket.

2) Start With a Positive Statement

A presentation tip at the start is to tell the audience members how much they will like and enjoy what you have to say.

For example, you might say:

“You’re really going to enjoy the time we spend together this evening. I’m going to share with you some of the most important ideas that have ever been discovered in this area.”

Remember that speaking is an art, so be an artist and take complete control of your performance,

3) Compliment the Audience

You can begin by complimenting the audience members sincerely and with great respect.

Smile as if you are really glad to see them as if they are all old friends of yours that you have not seen for quite a while.

You can tell them that it is a great honor for you to be here, that they are some of the most important people in this business or industry, and that you are looking forward to sharing some key ideas with them.

You could say something like:

“It is an honor to be here with you today. You are the elite, the top 10 percent of people in this industry. Only the very best people in any field will take the time and make the sacrifice to come so far for a conference like this.”

4) Start Your Speech With the First Sentence Referring to Current Events

Use a current event front-page news story to transition into your subject and to illustrate or prove your point. You can bring a copy of the newspaper and hold it up as you refer to it in your introduction.

This visual image of you holding the paper and reciting or reading a key point rivets the audience’s attention and causes more people to lean forward to hear what you have to say.

5) Refer to a Historical Event

For many years, I studied military history…

Especially the lives and campaigns of the great generals and the decisive battles they won. One of my favorites was Alexander the Great. Standing in the symbolic shadow of such historical figures can provide a powerful and engaging start to any speech, especially when drawing parallels to contemporary challenges.

One day, I was asked to give a talk on leadership principles to a roomful of managers for a Fortune 500 company.

I decided that the campaign of Alexander the Great against Darius of Persia would make an excellent story that would illustrate the leadership qualities of one of the great commanders in history.

I opened my talk with these words:

“Once upon a time there was a young man named Alex who grew up in a poor country. But Alex was a little bit ambitious. From an early age, he decided that he wanted to conquer the entire known world. But there was a small problem.

Most of the known world was under the control of a huge multinational called the Persian Empire, headed by King Darius II. To fulfill his ambition, Alex was going to have to take the market share away from the market leader, who was very determined to hold on to it.

This is the same situation that exists between you and your major competitors in the market today. You are going to have to use all your leadership skills to win the great marketing battles of the future.”

6) Refer to a Well Known Person

You can start by quoting a well-known person or publication that recently made an interesting or important statement.

One of the subjects I touch upon regularly is the importance of continual personal development.

I will say something like:

“In the twenty-first century, knowledge and know-how are the keys to success. As basketball coach Pat Riley said, ‘If you are not getting better, you are getting worse.’”

7) Refer to a Recent Conversation

Start by telling a story about a recent conversation with someone in attendance.

For instance, I might say:

“A few minutes ago, I was talking with Tom Robinson in the lobby. He told me that this is one of the very best times to be working in this industry, and I agree.”

8) Make a Shocking Statement With a Startling Fact

You can start your talk by making a shocking statement of some kind.

For example, you might say something like:

“Here’s a startling fact: According to a recent study, there will be more change, more competition, and more opportunities in this industry in the next year than ever before. And 72 percent of the people in this room will be doing something different within two years if they do not rapidly adapt to these changes.”

Click here If you want to learn more techniques to wow your audience.

9) Quote From Recent Research

You can start by quoting a relevant, recent research report.

One example is:

“According to a story in a recent issue of Businessweek, there were almost 11 million millionaires in America in 2018, most of them self-made.”

10) Start Your Speech With a Strong Opening By Giving Them Hope

The French philosopher Gustav Le Bon once wrote, “The only religion of mankind is, and always has been hope.”

When you speak effectively, you give people hope of some kind.

Remember, the ultimate purpose of public speaking, is to inspire people to do things that they would not have done in the absence of your comments.

Everything you say should relate to the actions you want people to take and the reasons that they should take those actions.

11) Be Entertaining

Bill Gove used to walk onto the stage after his introduction if he had just finished talking to someone on the side and was breaking off to give his talk to the group.

The audience got the feeling that his entire talk was one continuous conversation, devoid of meaningless filler words .

Bill would often go to the edge of the stage and then drop his voice in a conspiratorial way, open his arms, and beckon the audience members to come a little closer.

He would say, “Come here, let me tell you something,” and then he would wave them forward as though he was about to tell a secret to the entire room.

The amazing thing was that everyone in the room would lean forward to hear this “secret” that he was about to share. People would all suddenly realize what they were doing and break out in laughter. It was a wonderful device to get the audience into the palm of his hands.

12) Ask a Question

You can open by making a positive statement and then pose a rhetorical question to engage your audience and set the stage for your presentation.

Try something like this:

“This is a great time to be alive and in business in America. But let me ask you, what does it truly mean to be self-employed in today’s economy?”

Raise your hand to indicate what you want people to do. I have used this line, and after a moment of thought, I then say to someone who looks intrigued in the front, “How many people here feel truly self-employed?”

Invariably, someone will say, “We all do!”

I then compliment and affirm the answer: “You’re right! We are all self-employed, from the time we take our first jobs to the day that we retire; we all work for ourselves, no matter who signs our paychecks.”

Similarly, a 17-year-old science fair winner effectively engaged their audience with a question at the beginning of their TED Talk, showcasing the power of this technique.

13) Open With a Problem

You can start with a problem that must be solved. If it is a problem that almost everyone has in common, you will immediately have the audience’s complete and undivided attention.

For example, you could say:

“Fully 63 percent of baby boomers are moving toward retirement without enough money put aside to provide for themselves for as long as they are going to live. We must address this problem and take action immediately to ensure that each person who retires will be able to live comfortably for the rest of his or her natural life.”

Introducing a new idea at this point can be a powerful way to engage your audience further, by promising a solution that is both innovative and beneficial.

14) Make a Strong Statement, Then Ask a Question

You can start by making a strong and powerful statement and then ask a question. You then follow with an answer and ask another question. This gets people immediately involved and listening to your every word.

Here’s an example:

“Twenty percent of the people in our society make 80 percent of the money. Are you a member of the top 20 percent? If not, would you like to join the top 20 percent or even the top 10 percent? Well, in the next few minutes, I am going to give you some ideas to help you become some of the highest-paid people in our society. Would that be a good goal for our time together today?”

15) Tell a Personal Story

You can start your talk with a personal story. Some of the most powerful words to capture the complete attention of the audience and make a personal connection are, “Once upon a time…”

From infancy and early childhood, people love stories of any kind. When you start off a presentation with a personal anecdote using the words, “Once upon a time…” you tell the audience that a relatable story is coming. People immediately settle down, become quiet, and lean forward, eager to hear how your experience might mirror their own or offer them new insights.

When I conduct full-day seminars and I want to bring people back to their seats after a break, I will say loudly, “Once upon a time there was a man, right here in this city…”

As soon as I say these words, people hurry back to their seats and begin to listen attentively, connecting with the story on a personal level.

Incorporating a personal story is very effective.

In fact, it’s probably one of the best public speaking tips I’ve learned to this day.

Bonus Tip: Tell Them About Yourself

Very often, I will start a serious speech or presentation to a business, sales, or entrepreneurial group by saying:

“I started off without graduating from high school. My family had no money. Everything I accomplished in life I had to do on my own with very little help from anyone else.”

It is amazing how many people come up to me after a talk that began with those words and tells me that was their experience as well.

They tell me that they could immediately identify with me because they too had started with poor grades and limited funds, as most people do. As a result, they were open to the rest of my talk, even a full-day seminar, and felt that everything I said was more valid and authentic than if I had been a person who started off with a successful background.

Building a bridge like this is very helpful in bringing the audience onto your side.

Bonus Tip: Get Them Talking to One Another

You can ask people to turn to the person next to them to discuss a particular point.

For instance, you could say:

“Tell the person next to you what you would like to learn from this seminar.”

Whatever you ask your audience members to do, within reason, they will do it for you. Your commands and your thought leadership will easily influence them, as long as you ask them with confidence.

By following any one of these tips for starting your speech, you are sure to grab your audience’s attention every time. How do you start a speech? Let me know in the comments.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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Opening A Meeting Effectively In 7 Easy Steps

By Simon Kennell on April 19, 2022

Strong openings are the key to productive meetings. Starting a meeting effectively helps you set the tone, introduce the main topic, set expectations, and make a good first impression. In this new episode of Talaera Talks, you will learn an effective step-by-step roadmap to open your meetings and set them up for success.

Opening A Meeting In 7 Steps

The beginning of a meeting is more important than one may think. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting through a meeting without really seeing the point. A meeting opening should be informative , so make sure you let the participants know the purpose and goals of the meeting. But not only that – it should also get participants excited and involved by showing them why this meeting is important to them. To cover all the important points, follow the steps below.

1. Preparation and agenda

When you set up a meeting, stop for a moment and think. Consider the goal of the meeting and what key outcomes you want to get out of it. Then, send out an agenda (ideally a week in advance) with the major points that you’d like to cover during the meeting. The agenda should include the objectives of the meeting, some questions for participants to start thinking about, and potentially some key homework and takeaways that they should be considering.

2. Small Talk

In business, it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. Although the length of small talk varies depending on the culture and the context, a good rule of thumb is to allow between 3 and 7 minutes. Let people get into the feel of the meeting, see each other, and chat a bit before diving into the main topic. Learn how to win at small talk – Surviving the First 5 Minutes of a Virtual Meeting .

3. Welcome and thank everyone for joining

Once all the participants have arrived, the person in charge of the meeting should welcome the attendees and thank them for joining. Choose at least one of the phrases below:

Alright, it seems we’re all here. I see we’re all set and ready to go. Thank you for taking the time to meet today.
Thank you for joining.
Since everyone is here, we should get started.
I really appreciate you all for attending this meeting today.
Thank you for joining us today. It’s great to see you all.

At this point, you may need to introduce yourself in a professional way and potentially other participants.

4. Follow up from last meeting’s points

If you have any important points from the previous meeting, now it’s the time to follow up.

In our previous meeting, we discussed points A, B, and C. And we decided on points one, two, and three.
As you all know, we’ve been working on the new feature based on the discussion we had last week.
In our previous meeting, we briefly touched on our business strategy, and today I’d like to discuss this topic more in depth.
Last month, we talked about how we could implement a better workflow for new users.

5. Context (Why are we meeting?)

Provide the context of why the meeting is happening. Now, if they’re good attendees, they may have read the prep work and agenda that you sent beforehand but it is always good to provide some context. Clearly tell them the reason why you invited them. This step will help you keep everyone involved and interested in the meeting.

Before we dive into the meeting today, I’d like to set some context for the topic that we’ll be discussing.
Over the past week or so, our team has been discussing this point, and we felt that it was a great opportunity to get everybody together and discuss it in depth.

6. Objectives and expectations

Set very clear objectives and state the type of action items you would like to define by the end of the meeting. Be specific about the purpose of each agenda item and tell them why you are meeting and what you want to get out of it. You will want to use verbs and action words for this section ( generate ideas, find a solution, decide the budget).

The goal of our meeting today is to identify what steps we can take to more effectively utilize the marketing budget. So we’ve gathered you all here today to brainstorm some ideas and we’re hoping that by the end of today, we’ll have a few action items that can get us to the next place or where we want to be.
Our main goal today is to gather status reports from the team. This will allow us to see where we stand and what the next steps should be.

7. Meeting roadmap

The last step is to provide a clear roadmap for the meeting. Explain the dynamics and put time markers on it if you think it makes sense.

I’d like to start by answering any questions that you may have about the budget and any for me to shed some more light on this topic. I think it would be really helpful to open up the discussion to any ideas that the team may have based on the points that I sent last week. From there, after we’ve identified a few action items, I like for us to split up the tasks to make sure that, before the next meeting, we’re all set on what we need to accomplish.
I’d like to start the meeting by answering any questions for about 5 to 10 minutes. Hopefully, that can provide you with some clarity. And then from there, I think it’d be helpful to have about 15-20 minutes of open discussion and brainstorm on any of the ideas that our team may have. I want to make sure that we leave about five to seven minutes at the end so that we’re all clear on what the next action items are before our next meeting.

Before scheduling a meeting, think about why you need it and what you would like to get out of it. Then, send some preparation materials to participants before the meeting. Allow a few minutes for some small talk, welcome and thank everyone for joining, and follow up on the points from the previous meeting. Make sure you provide context (why we you meeting?), set very clear objectives or goals for what you want to accomplish, and end with a clear roadmap of all the different points that you will be covering throughout the meeting.

It may seem that there are quite a few steps to open a meeting, but it is one of those things that once you try it a few times, it will come naturally. So check it out. Try it a few times. Use the notes. And tell us your best tips to start a meeting effectively.

This article works as supporting material for our podcast episode 44. You can read the transcript below. Make sure you check out all our other Talaera Talks episodes and subscribe to get new episode alerts.

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If you enjoyed this article, keep reading:

How To Start a Presentation: Follow These 4 Easy Steps
6 Tricks The Best Public Speakers Use To Captivate Their Audience
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8 Little Changes That’ll Make A Big Difference With Your Presentations
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Tips on Effective Communication That Actually Work [Podcast]

Talaera Talks – Transcript Episode 44

If you are learning English, including new English words and expressions will help you with effective communication. Remember to check out our other episodes on how to make small talk, how to deliver engaging presentations, how to speak English fluently, and many more: visit the podcast website . Listen to it on your favorite platform.

Intro Welcome to Talaera Talks , the business English communication podcast for non-native professionals. My name is Paola and I am co-hosting this show with Simon. In this podcast, we’re going to be covering communication advice and tips to help express yourself with confidence in English in professional settings. So we hope you enjoy the show! 0:24 Welcome back to another episode of Talaera Talks. This is your host, Simon, coming to you from Copenhagen, Denmark. I hope wherever you are, you’re having a great day and tuning into this Talaera Bit. So let’s get started. What are we talking about today? One of those kind of transition things that you need to do can be a little bit awkward. How do you do it when we’re opening a meeting? What are the steps to take to do it in a professional way to do it in a way where you make sure that everybody is comfortable and on the right track that you’re going to get the meeting going and in an organized way? So if you are very smart, you will do a little bit of preparation beforehand. So whether you’re meeting in person, or whether you’re meeting online, it may be a good idea to send out an agenda, possibly a week in advance with a few of the major points that you’d like to cover during the meeting. So this could involve Yeah, the objectives of the meeting, it could also involve some questions that you would like people to start thinking over with some key kind of homework and takeaway that they should be considering.

1:52 So you get to the day of the meeting. And a lot of times, you want to allow maybe 5-6-7 minutes of some small talk, let people kind of get into the feel of the meeting, get to get to see each other get to discuss and chat a little bit. And then when it gets to a reasonable pause, you can start the meeting. And the first thing you want to do is thank everyone for joining. So you could say something like, ‘Okay, we’re all here, I see we’re all set and ready to go. Thank you for taking the time to meet today’, or ‘thank you for joining’.

2:32 And then if you do have points from the previous meeting, you can use that time to follow up and just say okay, ‘so in our previous meeting, we discussed points A, B, and C. And we decided on points one, two, and three’. From there, you want to provide the context of why are we meeting today. Now, if they’re good attendees, they may have read the prep work that you sent beforehand. But it’s always good to just provide some context. So you can say something like, ‘Okay, before we dive into the meeting, today, I’d like to set some context for the topic that we’ll be discussing’. Or you could say, ‘well, over the past week or so our team has been discussing this point. And we felt that it was a great opportunity to get everybody together and really discuss it in depth’. So you’re providing that reason for why people are meeting that’s very important.

3:41 Then from there, you want to set the objective. Why? Why are we meeting today? What what is what is the goal? What are we trying to get out of the meeting today? What expectations are we setting? So you could say something like and being very clear, ‘The goal of our meeting today is to identify what steps we can take to more effectively utilize the marketing budget. So we’ve gathered you all here today to brainstorm some ideas and we’re hoping that by the end of today, we’ll have a few action items that can get us to the next place or where we want to be’. So what I did there was I just set some very clear objectives that by the end of our meeting today, we want to have action items, which is a great way to say we want to have actionable items, things that we need to do that are using verbs that we’re going to have done before our next meeting.

4:48 Now, when setting expectations, you could also say ‘we’re all here today to review the points that I sent out last week in the prep material that I sent out’. And you want to make sure that the objective isn’t too big to where it’s going to be something that’s not realistic for the meeting. You want to make sure that it’s realistic.

5:14 And then the last step is to provide a roadmap for the meeting. So you could say something like, ‘I’d like to start by answering any questions that you may have about the budget and any clarity that I can provide around that. And then I think it would be really helpful to open up the discussion to any ideas that the team may have based on the points that I sent last week. From there, after we’ve identified a few action items. I like for us to kind of split up the tasks to make sure that before the next meeting, we’re all set on what we need to accomplish’. So there, I gave a very clear roadmap of what we’ll be doing throughout the meeting. And of course, if it makes sense to put some time markers on it, you can do that. So you could say, ‘I’d like to start the meeting by answering any questions for about five to 10 minutes. Hopefully, that can you provide some clarity. And then from there, I think it’d be helpful to have about 15-20 minutes of open discussion and brainstorm on any of the ideas that our team may have. I want to make sure that we leave about Yeah, five to seven minutes at the end so that we’re all very clear on what the next action items are before our next meeting’.

6:36 So what did we do today? We made sure to identify some preparation material we can send before the meeting, we allowed for some small talk, we thanked everyone for joining, followed up on the last meetings points. We made sure to provide context, which is the why we are meeting, we set very clear objectives or goals for what we want to accomplish. And then we made sure to provide a roadmap of all the different points throughout the meeting that we’ll be covering. So opening the meeting, it sounds like there’s several steps, but really, it’s one of those things that once you try it a few times it will come very naturally. So check it out. Try it a few times, use the notes. And as always, keep learning.

7:48 And that’s all we have for you today. We hope you enjoyed it, and remember to subscribe to Talaera Talks . We’ll be back soon with more! And visit our website at talaera.com for more valuable content on business English. You can also request a free consultation on the best ways for you and your team to improve your communication skills. So have a great day and keep learning!

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Introduction Speech Examples That Increase Speaker Credibility

Introduction speeches examples - Main speaker

You may be called upon to introduce yourself in a speech or introduce a speaker, a guest, an employee, a product, or a concept. Your job is to grab the audience’s attention so that they are ready to receive the main message. Here are some introduction speech examples to help you.

Table of Contents

What Is A Speech Of Introduction?

In public speaking, a speech of introduction introduces someone to the audience members. It can also be a self-introduction speech wherein the speaker does the introduction.

Whether the speaker will deliver an informative speech, persuasive speech, or any type of speech, the speech of introduction aims to help establish the speaker’s background. Who are they? What do they do? What makes them credible to talk about the topic they will discuss?

How Do I Start A Speech To Introduce Someone?

If your job is to introduce someone before their speech or presentation, the first fundamental thing to remember is to keep things short and sweet. Your goal is to set the tone and entice the crowd to listen to the rest of the speech the speaker will deliver.

When writing such a speech, you must bear in mind the following:

You must grab the audience’s attention. Though it depends on the setting and theme of the occasion, the general rule is to have an upbeat opening that will help you grab the audience’s attention. You can begin with a simple “Good morning/Good evening, ladies and gentlemen”; then state the purpose of your speech — introducing the topic, the purpose of the speech, and the guest speaker.
You must effectively establish the speaker’s qualifications. Introduction speeches are considered commemorative speeches in the sense that they celebrate the achievements and milestones of someone. In your speech, you must concisely provide an overview of the qualifications, expertise, and relevant accomplishments of the individual you’re introducing. This is a way to establish credibility and entice the audience to listen attentively.
You must make the speaker welcome. As someone tasked to introduce the speaker, you serve as the bridge that helps connect them with the audience. However, your goal isn’t just to prepare the audience for the speech. You must make the speaker also feel welcome with an enthusiastic tone and body language. If you have personal anecdotes or connections to share, you can do so — briefly and with the utmost authenticity.

Introduction speeches examples - introducing the speaker

What Is A Welcome Speech, And Can It Be Used to Introduce Someone?

A welcome speech or address is a type of speech that sets the mood for a specific event.

While it can serve as an excellent introduction to the guest speaker, it’s also an opportune time to emphasize what the event is all about and acknowledge the organization or individual behind the occasion. An excellent welcome speech can also preview what the attendees can expect — apart from the remarks by the speaker.

How Do You Introduce Yourself In Speech Examples?

In speech writing and public speaking, knowing how to introduce the speaker properly is essential. In some instances, speakers briefly introduce themselves before their speech proper. They can also incorporate it into their speech opening.

In any self-introduction speech example (check out this TED Talks compilation of intros), you will observe that there are common ingredients behind an effective self-introduction speech.

This speech must help the audience get to know you, showcase your qualification (without sounding boastful), establish connections with and create value for your listeners, and introduce your speech topics and main points. This portion aims to give your audience a reason to stick with you and hear the rest of your speech. Also, note that first impressions last, so you must ensure your intro is impactful and engaging.

See the examples below to give you an idea of how to introduce yourself while still having effective attention-getters (e.g., a rhetorical question, an anecdote, a statistic, or a bold statement).

“Good morning/afternoon/evening. I’m X, and I’m here to talk about Y. To begin, I’d like to share a story…”
“Have you heard about X? I’m Y, and today, I’ll share with you my thoughts about…”
“What if overcoming your biggest fear doesn’t have to be as hard as you thought it would be? My name is X. And I’m a testament to how….”
“Hi, I’m X, and I wanted to know: How many of you have experienced Y?”
“Did you know that X? My name is Y, and I was asked to discuss…”

What Are Introduction Speech Examples For?

When you look for speech examples for a short introduction of speech or a self-introductory speech, you’ll find that this type of speech has a great variety.

You can use it to introduce a public speaker and a guest. In a business setting, you can also use an introduction speech to introduce an employee or present a product. Even in academe or civilian environments (e.g., you’re a high school public teacher or a personal development coach), you can count on an introduction speech to introduce a concept.

Here’s a template you can follow.

A public speaker or a guest

Attention-getter
State your role
Introduce the speaker/guest
Note the speaker/guest’s credibility and contributions
State the topic
A personal connection, story, or experience
What can the audience expect/ how can the speaker provide value
Transition to the speaker

An employee

Introduce the employee
Highlight their tenure/experience, achievements, skills, and qualities
State what the employee will be discussing
State the significance of the employee’s work/impact on the audience
Transition to the employee

A product or a concept

Attention-getter
State the purpose of your speech
Introduce the product or concept
Share its significance
Share its benefits
Showcase the key features
Do a demonstration
Explain the potential impact
Cite supporting facts
Deliver a strong call to action
Transition to the next phase or proportion of the event

No matter who or what you’re introducing in your speech, the key is to create a concise yet comprehensive one. Your speech must prepare the audience and make the speaker feel welcome. While remaining factual and genuine, you must write and deliver this piece in a way that generates interest and sets an excellent tone for the speech proper — and the rest of the event.

Five of the Best Speech Opening Lines

Great opening lines to a speech get us curious and can set the direction for a powerful talk. In those first few seconds you have the chance to gain your audience’s attention, earn their trust, and persuade them you are someone worth listening to. The best introductions to speeches are a mile away from the standard welcomes and thank yous that set the snoozometer to max. Get it right, and those initial words can captivate the crowd from the off, creating a connection with every individual in the room. But how do you go about opening your speech with something different and memorable? A great place to start is looking at examples of introductions to successful speeches to see what you can learn from them. To show you what we mean, we’ve picked some of our favourite opening lines from TED talks, home to some of the best conference speeches in the world. From funny stories to hard-hitting introductions, TED talks show the art of the possible when it comes to getting your speech off to a kick-ass start. Have a go at guessing the speaker, or the focus of the rest of their talk (hint…we give you the answers later on).

Do you want to improve your public speaking? Why not view our Public Speaking Courses !

Guess the Speech: Five of the best speech opening lines

Speech A: Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.

Speech B: For a long time, there was me, and my body. Me was composed of stories, of cravings, of strivings, of desires of the future. Me was trying not to be an outcome of my violent past, but the separation that had already occurred between me and my body was a pretty significant outcome. Me was always trying to become something, somebody. Me only existed in the trying. My body was often in the way.

Speech C: Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat.

Speech D: Okay, now I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. (Laughter) Also, the person to your left is a liar. Also the person sitting in your very seats is a liar. We’re all liars. What I’m going to do today is I’m going to show you what the research says about why we’re all liars, how you can become a liespotter and why you might want to go the extra mile and go from liespotting to truth seeking, and ultimately to trust building.

Speech E: Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.

Giving a good introduction to a speech is key

Answers: Who delivered these great opening lines?

These examples pack a punch for very different reasons. There’s absolutely no chance of the audience zoning out when the speaker goes straight in with such a powerful start. So, who gave these speeches, and why are the introductions so good? Time for the big reveal….

A: Sir Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

Deceptively simple, the opening lines for this speech set the tone for what has become the most viewed TED talk of all (currently nearly 57 million views). Far from being just ‘throat clearing’, Sir Ken’s funny introduction cleverly paves the way for a talk that will gently but profoundly show us a new way of looking at education. It’s as if we are at a dinner party, being hosted by Sir Ken – he makes us feel comfortable, interested and open all at once. We are not being lectured to (which is always a possibility when education is the subject matter of choice), we want to learn and hear more. Very skilful indeed.

Ginger tip: funny introductions

Using humour in your introduction can be a great way to get your speech off to a flying start – but only if you do it in a way that feels natural. This example shows how you can make people laugh without telling a joke. It’s about finding your own funny and feeling totally comfortable with what you’re saying. If it feels a bit forced to you, it definitely will to your audience. You don’t have to make people roll around on the floor laughing, but light-hearted and amusing anecdotes can add energy and engagement to your talk – which is especially needed if you’re in the dreaded after-lunch slot . Remember, when you open your speech with something funny, you are setting the tone for the rest of your talk – so you’ll need to pepper humour throughout.

Extra Ginger nuggets

How to write a funny speech Funny inspiring speakers talks

B: Eve Ensler: Suddenly, my body

As you’d expect from a the writer of the Vagina Monologues, the start of this speech opening was profound, stark in its honesty and inviting. We empathize and want to know more. Unfortunately this speech suffered from a common affliction that writers face; in getting focused on the precise words of the speech (in this instance, Eve Ensler read her speech), we can get disconnected from the full power of the material. Whilst the words were powerful, we would have enjoyed the rest of this speech more if Eve had given herself permission to find the right words in the moment, rather than needing to be perfectly scripted.

Ginger tip: going unscripted

You want it to be perfect. You’re worried about forgetting something vital. You’re scared of doing it wrong. These are common and perfectly understandable reasons why people opt to script their speech and read it word for word. But rather than delivering a foot-perfect performance, you’re more likely to lose the vital connection with the audience. Not to mention risking plunging yourself into the dreaded ‘I’m sorry I’ve lost my place’ scenario. More than anything, people want you to be human and to speak from the heart. It takes confidence to ditch your notes, but with some simple techniques, you can prepare and remember your speech in a way that allows you to deliver a clear, compelling and authentic talk.

How to start a speech with power and confidence How to remember a speech without notes

C: Jamie Oliver’s TED Wish: Teach every child about food

This is one of our favourite ever TED talks, and it doesn’t pull its punches from the very first line. Jamie Oliver manages to balance preparation (statistics, stories, well-developed ideas) with heart in his TED talk. This speech opening line both makes our jaws drop to the ground in shock at such a statistic and opens our hearts to the human side of the story. Powerful stuff.

Ginger tip: punchy facts

Opening your speech with a hard-hitting fact can quickly add credibility to your talk and demonstrate the scale of an issue. It’s best to keep statistics simple and make them as relevant to the audience as possible, so it feels memorable rather than dry. Resist the urge to stuff the rest of the speech with stats. Try to stick to a few powerful facts and bring them to life with real examples.

Extra Ginger nuggets:

The key to presenting data…is not to present data How to make a powerful point with your speech

D: Pamela Meyer: How to spot a liar

We love talks that balance humour and connect us to the subject matter in hand – and Pamela Meyer does this perfectly in her TED talk opening line. By bringing a challenge straight to us, in our very seats, Pamela engages us and makes sure the talk is about ‘me’ the audience member. We’re laughing and ready to listen. Great job.

Ginger tip: setting up a problem

Setting up a problem at the start of your speech immediately creates a reason for listening and a direction for your talk. And if you involve the audience in the problem, it’s even more powerful. It doesn’t have to be something completely new, in fact telling us what we already know and explaining why that’s a problem can be a really engaging way to start. Depending on the subject matter, you can frame the problem in different ways – from serious to humorous. And it gives a natural structure to the rest of your talk as you explore how to solve the issue.

The best way to engage your audience Five methods to master audience interaction

E: Ric Elias: 3 things I learned while my plane crashed

Wow, what an opening! Who wouldn’t want to know more? Ric Elias showed here how powerful it is to jump straight into a story, with no fussing around with thank yous and throat clearing. Unfortunately after the winning start, the rest of the talk lacked some of the gusto and drama of its opening lines. What can we learn from this? Start with power, but make sure you structure your talk to include a journey that will continue to keep us involved all the way through.

Ginger tip: start with a story

Stories are one of the most effective ways to inspire others. We’re hard wired to connect with stories and your experience of the world is one of the most valuable speaking tools that you possess. Telling a story is a popular way to open a speech because it can quickly build that all-important human connection with your audience. If you have a message that’s personal, or if you’re trying to influence your audience to make a change, a story is a great place to start.

Why is it so important to tell your story? 3 storytelling secrets for public speaking

Research the best speech opening lines before you start

Creating the best introduction for your speech

We hope these examples of great opening lines demonstrate that you don’t have to conform to the ‘safe’ introductions we’re all used to hearing at corporate conferences. In fact, at Ginger, we dare our speakers to rip up the ‘rulebook’, to be courageous, and to take a different approach to setting the scene. You can find even more tips in our free guide, The 10 best ways to start your talk . We’d love to hear your thoughts on these and other examples of great opening lines – so please share your ideas in the comments below.

Beyond introductions

Of course, it’s all very well creating a captivating introduction, but you don’t want the rest of your talk to fall off a cliff edge after you’ve built it up so spectacularly. Maintaining the audience’s attention for the rest of your speech is just as important. We’ve developed the TED-style Talk Guidebook to help you through the process of writing a brilliant speech. Whether you’re crafting a short talk or a keynote, it will help you create a speech that’s as good as a TED talk – so you can wow your audience from the first word to the final thank you. If you’d like to get hands-on support with becoming a better public speaker, then take a look at our training courses. There’s something for every level, from nervous beginners to becoming a leading speaker on the world stage. We’d love to welcome you along.

UK based? Here’s some courses that you might enjoy:

Presentation Skills and Essentials
Leadership and Communications
TED Talk Presentations

Ginger Leadership Communications

This showcase of inspiring female speakers is part of Ginger’s work with game changing leaders.

15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
Not be something that is fairly obvious
Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage.

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking.

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking.

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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Conference Call Script Samples: 5 Ways to Make Your Next Meeting Productive

This conference call script sample covers meeting introduction, goal making, speaking order, discussion steering, and call summary.

Let's face it: Conference calls aren’t always the most efficient way to communicate.

Confusion about who is speaking, participants talking over each other, how to start a conference call, unclear goals, and irrelevant side conversations can all waste time and frustrate participants.

Avoid these pitfalls and chair your next meeting with confidence with these five conference call script samples and guidelines.

1. Introduce Speakers, Meeting Introduction

Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself and all the presenters. Make sure to introduce participants who are new to the group.

Hello everyone. This is Larry from Microdot Technology. I'm calling in with Jimmy Wayne, Susan Francis, and Lou Denver. [Pause to allow them to greet]. We also have the Chief Financial Officer, Michael Chen, calling in from LA.

However, if you’ve got a larger conference call (more than 10 people), it’s not going to be efficient for you to run through a list of names during the meeting introduction. In fact, people may tune out. Instead, just acknowledge there are a lot of people and only introduce key speakers.

Hey everyone, Juan from Centurion Marketing here. I wanted to take a second to remind everyone to stay on mute during the presentation. Please hold your questions until the end, as there’ll be time for questions and answers. Without further ado, I’d like to introduce our speakers: Justin Davids and Priti Gupta from Passenger Technology.

2. Get to the Point

Next, open with a brief summary of why you’re meeting and what you hope to accomplish during the call.

Okay. So we want to come up with a strategy for the Cutlass Software buyout. We need to iron out how we're going to finalize the contract and secure the funds. Our legal team will coordinate details with our financial officers, and then I need to sign the paperwork. This is going to be a team effort for all of us on the call.

3. Plan Speaking Order Ahead of Time

Plan out the order that each person will speak in. If you’ve got multiple departments, consider arranging speakers by department in an order that makes sense for your topic. Think about emailing an agenda ahead of time so there's no uncertainty about who speaks and when. That way you can avoid dead air, talking over each other, and generalized confusion that can disrupt the call.

You can even go a step further and add estimated speaking times in the agenda. This will give speakers an idea of how long they have, as well as give participants a sense of forward momentum.

Let's get started with our Legal Counsel, Susan Francis. She's been working on the buyout contract for the past month. Susan, what can you tell us... [allow conversation] Thanks, Susan. The next speaker on our agenda is from our financial services department, James Fitzpatrick. James, tell us what the banks need from us... [allow conversation] So that's all for legal and financial. I'm going to say a few words about where Microdot Technology is headed... [allow conversation]

4. Steer Discussion Successfully

You can plan a discussion all you want, but conversations can have a life of their own and go in many different directions. So you’re going to have to shape the flow in a polite way. An effective way to do this is to acknowledge the previous person’s point and then offer to continue their conversation in another venue, whether offline or in a different conference call.

Susan, can we discuss your concern in a few minutes? Lou will present the logistics schedule next. James, that's a valid point, but let's take it offline after the meeting. These are all good ideas, but we only have 15 minutes left and need to focus on the main goal. I’ll arrange another call to go do some more brainstorming. Lou, we can save that for the presentation we're giving the shareholders next week. That's a fair point. But we don't need to finalize a public announcement until the buyout has been announced to Cutlass shareholders next quarter.

5. Summarize the Call

To wrap up your call, give a brief summary of what was discussed. It’s good practice to highlight how the call brought your team closer to the goals you outlined in step 2. This will make people feel like it was a productive meeting.

Then provide some guidance on what the next steps are. If you need another meeting, set a tentative date. Tell participants that you’ll follow up and share any new or outstanding action items with them. And don’t forget to thank everyone for their time.

Alright, nice call everyone. We decided to rewrite the contract, so Susan, please get started on that ASAP. And with the banks, James will determine if we should use our own capital to buy out the 8% share remaining with Cutlass Software or apply for a loan. Susan and James, please send your documents to the board of directors and me by Friday. We'll meet again when the contract gets finalized. Thanks, everyone. Have a good day, and talk to you soon.

For more ideas on how to start a conference call and how to conduct productive calls, read our blog posts about how to chair a conference call  and  conference call etiquette . And for those participants who are calling in from home, check out our blog on remote work tips to improve call quality.

12+ Opening Speech Examples for Presentations & Quick Tips

Last updated on June 7th, 2024

Opening Speech Samples for Presentations

These days, most of the audience prefers an informal approach in presentations, but at the same time, it must sound professional. When people prepare for any type of presentation, they often face this dilemma: how to start a presentation? What should be the opening speech? How much time should we take for the introduction part?

The first three minutes of your presentations are crucial to get to your audience with an engaging message and make the overall presentation effective. With the proper opening speech for your presentation, you can hook your audience, win the audience’s attention and get them audience interested in what you have to say. Check out some speech introduction examples to get familiar with this topic. Undoubtedly, if the beginning of your presentation is solid and exciting, the chances of success of your presentation increase. Opening your persuasive speech entirely depends upon your style and choice because when you are giving a presentation, you are required to be yourself and avoid putting artistic elements. So, choose something with which you are entirely comfortable.

If you are looking on how to start a speech then this article can help you to get some ideas. Here is a list of opening speech examples that you can use to prepare your presentations with a persuasive speech that convinces the audience. Find useful starting lines of speech, phrases and strategies to make your presentation a success:

1. Opening Speech with Greetings

This is the very basic, common and important step in which you need to greet your audience by wish them good morning/afternoon or evening (as per the time of session in which you are giving presentation). How to start a speech? Check out some of the examples below including a simple but effective speech introduction greeting example.

Example of Opening Greetings

Hello, everyone. I’d like, first of all, to thank the organizers of this meeting for inviting me here today.

Another example of opening Greeting speech.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am honored to have the opportunity to address such a distinguished audience.

2. Open the Speech by Giving Compliment & Show Gratitude towards your Audience

Secondly, just after wishing greeting to your audience give them compliment and choose some words which show that you are delighted to see them there.

Example:

It’s great to see you all, Thank you for coming here today.

3. Give your introduction: Introduce Yourself

How you introduce yourself during a presentation is important. There are many ways to introduce yourself. Here we will see some examples on how to introduce yourself in a presentation. First of all, give your introduction start from telling your name. You can show some casual attitude by telling your short name or nick name, and then tell the audience more about your background and what you do.

For example, a good way to start introducing yourself could be:

My name is Louis Taylor, friends call me Lee sometimes.

Then introduce yourself professionally and give quite information about what you do and why are here today. For Example:

I am a software engineer by profession and working in ABC Corp. Today, I am here to provide you some exciting information about new technology, which is going to be very beneficial for you in future.

Another example of self-introduction speech:

For those of you who don’t know me already, my name is Louis Taylor, and I’m responsible for the software department at ABC Corp.

Using a self-introduction template and slide in your presentation, you can support your speech while presenting the information about you in the projection. You can also visit self introduction speech examples to find out some examples on how to introduce yourself and download self-introduction templates for PowerPoint & Google Slides.

4. Opening with the Topic of the Speech

Next is the part where you introduce the topic of your presentation or speech. Here are some examples of good opening speech for presentations examples on a specific topic.

What I’d like to present to you today is…

Or here is a simplified example of a good introduction for presentation in which we try to get the audience’s attention over the screen where you are presenting the content of your PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation.

As you can see on the screen, our topic today is…

5. Signpost

Put all your information in front of them and then put your proposal and its related information and key point by which you can implement and utilize that idea effectively. Now let collect these points to make a summary and concise illustration. Here is an example of presentation starting speech that you can use:

“Good afternoon every one, it’s great to see you all here, thank you for coming. My name is Louis Taylor, friends call me Lee sometimes. I am a software engineer by profession and working with ABC Ltd. Today we are here to know about new software so that we can take most of it. Firstly, we will look how it work, next we will discuss where can we use it, then we will learn what are its advantages and finally we will discuss what precautions are required to kept in mind while implementing it.”

6. Creating an Emotional Connection in Your Opening Speech

An effective opening speech is not just about presenting information or stating facts; it’s about forging an emotional connection with your audience. Building this connection can make your presentation more engaging, relatable, and memorable. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

Storytelling: One of the most powerful ways to establish an emotional connection is through storytelling. Sharing a personal anecdote or a relevant story can evoke emotions and draw your audience into your presentation. Make sure your story aligns with the overall theme of your presentation and adds value to your message.

Example of speech opening:

“Good morning, everyone. When I was a little boy, I used to watch my grandfather work tirelessly on his old typewriter. The clacking of the keys was a lullaby that lulled me into dreams of creating something impactful. Today, I am here to talk about the evolution of technology and its effect on communication, from typewriters of old to the smartphones of today.”

Relatability: Find common ground with your audience. This could be based on shared experiences, values, or aspirations. Doing so helps to humanize you, making it easier for your audience to relate to your message.

“Like many of you, I too struggle with maintaining a work-life balance in this fast-paced digital world. Today, I’ll share some strategies I’ve discovered that have significantly improved my quality of life.”

Utilizing Emotions: Use emotions like humor, surprise, curiosity, or inspiration to engage your audience. Different emotions can be used depending on the tone and purpose of your presentation.

“Did you know that the average person spends two weeks of their life waiting for traffic lights to change? That certainly puts our daily commute in a new light, doesn’t it?”

Remember, authenticity is crucial in building an emotional connection. Be yourself, share your experiences, and speak from the heart. This helps to gain your audience’s trust and keeps them engaged throughout your presentation.

7. Harnessing the Power of Visual Aids in Your Opening Speech

Visual aids are a potent tool in any presentation, particularly in your opening speech. They can grab your audience’s attention with a visually appealing cover slide, support your message, and make a lasting impression. Here are some ways you can utilize visual aids in your opening speech.

Images: An image is worth a thousand words, they say, and it’s true. An impactful or relevant image can pique the curiosity of your audience and set the tone for your presentation. Ensure the image aligns with your topic and contributes to your overall message.

“As you can see on the screen, this is an image of a barren desert. It may surprise you to learn that this was once a thriving forest. Today, I’ll be talking about climate change and its irreversible effects.”

Short Videos: A short video can be a great way to engage your audience. This could be a brief clip that illustrates your topic, a short animation, or even a quick introductory video about you or your organization.

Example of a presentation opening statement:

“Before we start, let’s watch this brief video about the incredible journey of a raindrop.”

Infographics and Charts: If you are sharing statistical data or complex information, infographic slides or charts can simplify and clarify your message. They are visually engaging and can help your audience understand and remember the information.

“Take a look at this chart. It shows the exponential increase in cybercrime over the last five years, a topic that we will delve into further today.”

Slides: A well-designed slide can provide a visual structure for your opening speech. It should be clean, easy to read, and should not distract from your speech. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text or complex graphics.

“According to the infographic on the screen, we can see the three core areas we’ll be focusing on in today’s presentation.”

Remember, the goal of using visual slides is to enhance your message, not overshadow it. They should complement your speech and provide visual interest for your audience. Always test your visual aids beforehand to ensure they work properly during your presentation.

8. Engaging Your Audience with Rhetorical Questions

A rhetorical question is a powerful tool you can use in your opening speech to provoke thought and engage your audience. By posing a question that doesn’t require an answer, you can pique your audience’s interest, make them think, and steer their focus towards your presentation’s key points. Here’s how to use rhetorical questions effectively in your opening speech:

Spark Curiosity: Use a rhetorical question to spark curiosity about your topic. This question should be thought-provoking and relevant to your presentation.

“Have you ever stopped to wonder how much of your life is influenced by social media?”

Highlight Key Issues: A rhetorical question can help highlight the key issues or problems that your presentation aims to address. This will help your audience understand the importance of your topic.

“What would happen if our natural resources were to run out tomorrow?”

Encourage Reflection: Encourage your audience to reflect on their personal experiences or beliefs. This will make your presentation more relatable and engaging.

“How many of us truly understand the value of our mental health?”

Set the Tone: You can also use a rhetorical question to set the tone of your presentation, whether it’s serious, humorous, or contemplative.

“Is there anyone here who doesn’t love pizza?”

Remember, rhetorical questions are meant to stimulate thought, not to put anyone on the spot. Make sure your questions are relevant to your topic and are appropriate for your audience. With the right questions, you can grab your audience’s attention, keep them engaged, and guide their thinking throughout your presentation.

9. Leveraging Statistical Data in Your Opening Speech

Using statistical data in your opening speech is a powerful way to capture the audience’s attention and lend credibility to your message. Surprising or impactful statistics related to your presentation’s topic can instantly make your audience sit up and take notice. Here’s how you can incorporate statistical data effectively in your opening speech:

Relevant and Interesting Data: Choose statistics that are directly relevant to your topic and are likely to pique your audience’s interest. This data should enhance your message and provide valuable context for your presentation.

“Do you know that according to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting over 264 million people?”

Simplify Complex Data: If you’re presenting complex or dense data, make sure to simplify it for your audience. Use percentages, comparisons, or visual aids like infographics or charts to make the data easily understandable.

“Look at this chart. It represents the staggering 80% increase in cybercrime incidents over the past five years.”

Credible Sources: Always ensure your data comes from credible and reputable sources. This not only adds legitimacy to your presentation, but it also boosts your credibility as a speaker.

“According to a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Science, air pollution contributes to 1 in 8 deaths worldwide.”

Shocking or Surprising Data: If you have statistics that are surprising or counter-intuitive, they can be an excellent way to grab your audience’s attention and spark curiosity about your presentation.

“Can you believe that, according to the United Nations, we waste approximately 1.3 billion tons of food every year, while one in nine people worldwide go hungry?”

Using statistical data in your opening speech can help to highlight the significance of your topic, draw your audience in, and lay a solid foundation for the rest of your presentation. Remember to present your data in a clear, accessible way, and always cite your sources to maintain credibility.

10. Creating a Powerful Hook with Anecdotes and Quotations

Anecdotes and quotations can be a powerful tool in your opening speech, serving as hooks that draw your audience into your presentation. They can provide a human element to your topic, connect with your audience on an emotional level, and add depth to your message. Here’s how you can effectively incorporate anecdotes and quotations in your opening speech:

Relevant Anecdotes: Sharing a relevant anecdote, whether personal or related to your topic, can make your presentation more relatable and engaging. Your anecdote should be brief, interesting, and serve to illustrate a point related to your topic.

“When I was a teenager, my family’s home was destroyed by a fire. That experience ignited in me a passion for safety measures and awareness, which brings us to today’s topic: fire safety in residential areas.”

Inspiring Quotations: A well-chosen quote can add depth and perspective to your topic. It can inspire, provoke thought, or set the tone for your presentation. Presenting it with a visually appealing quote slide increases the chances to make a lasting impression. Make sure the quote is relevant to your topic and from a credible source.

“Albert Einstein once said, ‘The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.’ This leads us into our discussion today on the importance of mindset in personal development.”

Humorous Anecdotes or Quotations: Depending on the formality of the setting and the topic of your presentation, a funny anecdote or quote can help to relax the audience, making them more receptive to your message.

“Mark Twain once said, ‘I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.’ As a fellow writer, I can relate to this sentiment, which brings us to our topic today: the art of concise writing.”

Remember, your anecdote or quote should serve to enhance your message, not distract from it. It should be interesting, relevant, and appropriately timed. With the right anecdote or quote, you can create a powerful hook that engages your audience from the outset.

11. Integrating Storytelling in your Opening Speech

Storytelling is a compelling method to make your opening speech memorable and engaging. A well-told story can create a strong emotional connection with your audience, making your presentation more impactful. Here’s how to effectively weave storytelling into your opening speech:

Choosing the Right Story: The story you tell should be relevant to your topic and capable of illustrating the point you’re trying to make. It could be a personal experience, a case study, or a historical event.

“Years ago, I worked on a project that, at the outset, seemed destined for success. But due to a lack of clear communication within the team, the project failed. Today, we will be discussing the importance of effective communication within teams.”

Creating Suspense: Build suspense in your story to hold your audience’s attention. You can do this by posing a problem or a conflict at the beginning of your story, which gets resolved by the end of your presentation.

“One day, as I was walking through a remote village in Africa, I came across a scene that profoundly changed my perspective. But before I reveal what it was, let’s discuss the issue of clean drinking water in underdeveloped countries.”

Showing, Not Telling: Make your story more vivid and engaging by showing, not telling. Use descriptive language and paint a picture with your words to make your audience feel like they’re part of the story.

“As the sun rose over the bustling city of Tokyo, I found myself in a small sushi shop tucked away in a quiet alley, experiencing what would become a pivotal moment in my culinary journey.”

Relatable Characters: If your story involves characters, make them relatable. Your audience should be able to see themselves in your characters, or at least understand their motivations and challenges.

“Meet Sarah, a single mother of two, working two jobs just to make ends meet. Her struggle is the reason we’re here today, to discuss the issue of minimum wage in our country.”

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can bring your presentation to life. A well-told story can captivate your audience, making your message more memorable and impactful. Be sure to select a story that aligns with your overall message and is appropriate for your audience.

12. Incorporating Interactive Elements in Your Opening Speech

Involving your audience from the get-go can make your presentation more engaging and memorable. By integrating interactive elements into your opening speech, you can foster a sense of participation and connection among your listeners. Here’s how you can do it:

Audience Polling: Modern presentation software often includes real-time polling features. You can ask your audience a question related to your topic and display the results instantly.

“To start, I’d like to ask you all a question. (Show poll on screen) How many of you think that Artificial Intelligence will significantly change our lives in the next ten years?”

Questions for Thought: Pose a thought-provoking question to your audience at the beginning of your speech. It can stimulate curiosity and get your listeners thinking about your topic.

“Before we delve into today’s topic, I want you to ponder this: what would you do if you had only 24 hours left to live? Keep that in mind as we discuss the importance of time management.”

Physical Engagement: Depending on the formality and size of your audience, you can incorporate physical engagement. This can range from a simple show of hands to engaging activities.

“By a show of hands, how many of you have ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of information available on the internet? That’s what we’ll be discussing today: information overload in the digital age.”

Interactive Quizzes: Quizzes can be a fun and interactive way to engage your audience and test their knowledge on your topic. It can also serve as a hook to introduce your topic. You can use a free Quiz PowerPoint template to ease the job of creating a quiz for your presentation.

“I have a quick quiz for you all (show quiz on screen). Let’s see who can guess the most common fear among adults. The answer will lead us into our topic of discussion today: overcoming fear.”

Remember, the goal of incorporating interactive elements is to engage your audience, so it should be relevant and add value to your presentation. Tailor your interactive elements to suit the needs and preferences of your audience, and you’ll have a winning opening speech.

What are the Objectives of Preparing a Good Introduction and Opening Speech?

As we mentioned earlier, the first minutes of your presentation are crucial to hook the audience and let them pay attention to the message you want to convey. This will depend on the type of presentation (if it is persuasive presentation, informative presentation or a presentation for entertaining the audience), but in general terms, when presenting we need to:

Capture the audience’s attention
Present information, opinions, ideas to the audience.
Present important details about a specific topic.
Sell an idea.
Make the information memorable so it can persist over the time.
Get your audience to take action, a Call to Action. E.g. purchase a product, enroll to something, fundraise, etc.

Real-Life Examples of Effective Opening Speeches

Barack Obama started his speech in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner saying: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

In same cases, humour can be a great companion for your speech. If you can use humour in a positive way, then getting a laugh in the first seconds of a presentation can get your audience hooked. It is a great way to open your speech.

Final Thoughts

Try to make habit of starting your presentation this way, it will sound great. You may come across several more opening speech examples for presentation but, once you implement this you yourself will realize that this is the best one. Alternatively you can learn more on quotes for presentations & speech topics to use during your presentation in PowerPoint, learn how to close your presentation , or find other relevant speech introduction greeting examples.

49 comments on “ 12+ Opening Speech Examples for Presentations & Quick Tips ”

thank you very much

Hi Kavishki, we hope the article was useful for you. Will be great to learn more about how you have used the speech examples. If you need more speech ideas, I’d recommend you free Persuasive Speech topics .

hi,good morning all of you.i’m shadi.now i’m going to do a panel discussion.we want some informations from you we believe all will support us.

Hi Kavishki, good morning. Can please provide more information about the Panel Discussion needs and if it involves a PowerPoint presentation? We’d be happy to be of help!

This was very useful to me! But i need more speech ideas!

Being a content person myself,i’ve gotta be honest.Now this was assisting,you bet…great stuffow.

Thank you so much. It’s very helpful. Keep it up.. Good luck <3

plesae i would like u my pleasure to help me with some opening celebration word,s specially greeting to the audience

It would be appreciable if you share more speech about this.thank you.

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I do thank you for the tips you provided me with on how to make speeches/presentations.

a very gud thanks for such tips

Thank you for the information. Very good tips.

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Good tips on how to start a presentation.

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This tips makes me more confident . Thank you very much and break a leg guys !

Hi, I’m Gayathiri. I would like to thank you for giving such a helpful tips. I will defenitely use this tips in my speech/presentation.So, I hope my friends also use this tips for their presentation.

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Thank you for your note and tip… It can change me to be a good student..

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Thank you for the information about the introduction during pesentation.Truely,i really need to study lot about how to start my presentation so that the audience are interesting to hear what i want to talk about and do not feel bored.

it’s is very usefull article that can use as our revision in upcoming for the next presentation.Thank you..

Thank you miss because of this article, it can help me on my next presentation.

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Thanks for the useful information. Can I ask how can I improve my self-confidence so as not to be embarrassed when presenting? Any idea? Thank you.

thank you..i’ll try to use those information for my presentation so i’ll be the best presenter in my class

this information very nice and useful to me.i get many new thing and tips after i read this article.this information can help me to make a good and better presentation later.thank you for useful information and meaningful for me

first of all, thank you for the help. there are a lot of great idea for me to use for my next presentation

Hi please i would like you to help me write an introduction for a speech about myself to my teacher

It’s help my presentation

Thank you so so much I will tell this at the UNIVERSITY presentation

please i really love your speech but can you please throw more light on the introduction

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Introduction Speech Samples

A speech is a series of sentences used for the explanation, motivation, or the act of informing a large group of people through speaking in person. In shorter terms, a speech is essentially speaking in person to a large group of people. A speech is necessary whenever we wish to inform a large group of people about a topic of interest such as politics, an introduction of a new invention, or even for the mourning of a deceased loved one. You may also see salutatorian speech

Introduction Speech Sample

Sample self introduction speech examples - 6+ documents in pdf, speech examples - 23+ download free documents in pdf , word, sample introductory speech example - 9+ free documents in pdf ....

44+ Speech Samples
36+ Introduction Speech Examples

In most cases, starting a speech requires you to primarily introduce yourself, so as to catch the attention of the crowd and to give them the perspective or feel of knowing who you are, which in turn will create a sense of friendliness and familiarity between crowd and speaker. A speaker must try to motivate the crowd so as to make them more aware and responsive to your speech. You may also see tribute speech examples.

Download Introduction Speech Bundle

Introduction Speech For Public Speaking

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, distinguished guests,

It is my profound honor to stand before you today at this momentous occasion, the annual conference of [Event Name], held here in the vibrant city of [City Name]. My name is [Your Name], and I am [Your Job Title or Role] at [Your Organization or Company].

Today, I am here to discuss a topic that resonates with each of us here: [Briefly mention your topic]. This subject is not just timely but is pivotal to our understanding and progression in the field of [Related Field or Industry].

In the next few minutes, I invite you to journey with me as we explore compelling insights and share groundbreaking ideas that promise not only to enlighten but also to inspire action towards [General Goal of Speech, e.g., enhancing innovation, improving community health standards, etc.].

As we delve into this discussion, I encourage each of you to think about how these ideas reflect on our work and lives, influencing the way we think, the decisions we make, and the future we are striving to create.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Let’s begin this exciting exploration together.

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Introduction Speech to Client

Good [morning/afternoon/evening], [Client’s Name],

It’s a pleasure to meet you today. My name is [Your Name], and I am the [Your Position] at [Your Company Name]. I’ve been looking forward to our meeting, as I believe our collaboration offers great potential for both sides.

At [Your Company Name], we specialize in [briefly describe your company’s services or products], and we’re proud to have supported many clients in achieving their goals, especially in areas like [mention any specific relevant areas of expertise related to the client’s needs].

Today, I am eager to learn more about your needs and discuss how we can support your goals at [Client’s Company Name]. I’m confident that our team’s expertise can provide valuable solutions that align with your visions and requirements.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss how we can work together. I am confident that our discussion will be both productive and insightful.

Introduction Speech on Stage

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good [morning/afternoon/evening], and welcome! It’s my absolute pleasure to be here with you today at [Event or Venue Name]. My name is [Your Name], and I am [Your Job Title or Role] at [Your Organization or Company]. Today, I have the privilege of discussing [Topic or Purpose of the Event].

We are gathered here to explore themes that are not only pivotal to our industry but also crucial in shaping the future landscape of [Specific Field or Topic]. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the field, today’s discussions will provide valuable insights and actionable knowledge.

In the next few hours, we’ll hear from some of the brightest minds in [Field or Industry]. They will share their experiences, challenges, and successes, offering us a unique opportunity to learn from the best and apply these lessons in our own contexts.

Before we dive into our packed agenda, I’d like to take a moment to thank our sponsors, [Name Sponsors if applicable], and all of you for being here. Your enthusiasm and commitment make events like this possible.

Without further ado, let’s begin this journey of learning and discovery. Thank you for your attention, and I hope you find today’s event both enriching and inspiring!

Introduction Speech to Team

Hello everyone,

First off, I want to express how thrilled I am to be here with you today. My name is [Your Name], and I am joining [Company Name] as the new [Your Position]. It’s truly an honor to be part of such a dynamic and talented team.

I come to you with [number] years of experience in [your industry or field], where I’ve had the privilege of [mention a few key achievements or roles that are relevant to your new role]. I’m passionate about [briefly describe your professional passions related to the team’s goals], and I’m looking forward to bringing this passion to my work with all of you.

In the coming weeks, I plan to meet with each of you individually. I want to learn about your professional journeys, the challenges you face, and the ideas you have for our future work together. My goal is to foster an environment where we all feel valued, supported, and motivated to excel.

I believe in open communication and transparency, and I encourage you to come to me with any suggestions, concerns, or thoughts you might have. Together, I am confident that we can achieve great things and continue to build on the solid foundation that makes [Company Name] a leader in our industry.

Thank you for welcoming me into your team. Let’s make this a successful journey together!

Browse More Templates On Introduction Speech

Self-introduction speech in pdf.

Size: 143 KB

Self-Introduction Speech for Interview

Size: 159 KB

Importance of Introduction Speech

An introduction speech plays a crucial role in various contexts, whether it’s at social events sample , professional meetings, or public gatherings. Here’s why an introduction speech is so important:

1. First Impressions Matter

An introduction speech is often your first opportunity to engage with an audience. It sets the tone and establishes the first impression, which can significantly influence how you are perceived by others. A strong, clear, and confident introduction can help ensure that this first impression is a positive one.

2. Establishes Credibility

By effectively introducing yourself and highlighting your background, achievements, and expertise, you establish your credibility. This helps build trust and respect with your audience, which is especially important in professional and public speaking scenarios.

3. Clarifies Purpose

A good introduction speech clearly outlines the purpose of the event or the main topics of discussion. This helps to set expectations for the audience, ensuring they are mentally prepared for what is to come and can follow along more effectively.

4. Engages the Audience

An engaging introduction captures the attention of the audience right from the start. By sparking interest with intriguing facts, questions, or anecdotes, you can keep the audience invested in your subsequent messages.

5. Smooth Transition

Introduction speeches provide a smooth segue into the main content of your presentation, discussion, or meeting. They help transition the audience from their initial curiosity to focused attention on the subject matter at hand.

6. Facilitates Connection

By sharing personal stories, goals, or visions in your introduction, you can connect with your audience on a more personal level. This emotional connection can make your messages more impactful and memorable.

7. Promotes Inclusivity

In larger settings or events, a well-crafted introduction speech can make the audience feel included and valued, particularly if it acknowledges their presence, contributions, or participation.

8. Motivates Action

Particularly in persuasive speeches or calls to action, the introduction can motivate the audience by laying the groundwork for the arguments and inspiring enthusiasm for the topics discussed.

9. Manages Anxiety

For the speaker, the introduction is an opportunity to manage any nervousness by starting with prepared remarks. Getting through the introduction often builds confidence for the remainder of the speech.

Overall, the introduction speech is not just a formality but a foundational element that supports the effectiveness of your communication, whether you’re leading a meeting, giving a lecture, or speaking at a social event. It’s an essential skill that can enhance both personal and professional interactions.

Self-Introduction Speech for Students

Size: 13 KB

What Is an Introduction Speech and What to Say in an Introduction Speech?

An introduction speech is basically a form of introducing oneself to a crowd of individuals in the hopes of gaining the crowd’s attention to one’s speech. It primarily consists of what you would normally find in a basic introduction when meeting a person for the first time. When speaking to a large group of people, we tend to get nervous and forget what to say when we begin to speak in front of a crowd; however, there is a basic list of what to say when in the crowd. It is simple enough to remember and it doesn’t take much effort. You may also see introductory speech .

1. Always open with a sudden loud noise

You may think making a loud noise or sound before starting a speech to be counterproductive. For the most part it is, but the purpose of the sound is to shake up your crowd and gain their immediate attention and making them wide awake. You may also see speech writings .
When making the loud noise however, it is best to try and make it seem accidental so as to not sound so strict.

2. Start the introduction with a simple greeting

Depending of the time of day, greet the crowd with the appropriate salutation.
Greeting the crowd will remind them of the time of day and will give the impression of you being approachable and friendly with a sense of formality.You may also see ceremonial speech .

3.Identify yourself to the crowd

After the greeting, immediately identify yourself by stating your name, age, occupation, and the reason why you are presenting in front of the crowd on that day and time. You may also see student council speech .
This will give off a sense of familiarity, which will in turn make the crowd more comfortable with your presence and may even listen attentively.

4.Crack a joke or two

Never underestimate the power of a few good jokes. They can increase the crowd’s or audience’s mood, provided you stated a non-offensive joke.
Jokes can keep people awake and entertain them.You may also see salutatorian speech
Jokes can also be a good way to relieve tension and stress as you are presenting in front of a crowd or audience.
But do keep mind on when and where you state you jokes, some individuals in the crowd or audience may find it offensive.You may also see welcome speech .

5.Share something about yourself

Share an interesting fact about yourself so as to create an even further sense of familiarity or friendliness between you and the crowd or audience.
Psychologically speaking, a large group of individuals will be less likely to ignore someone if they are more familiar of with someone, so being more familiar allows others to listen and respond to you more.You may also see presentation speech .
For the most effect, try to select an interesting fact about yourself relevant to the topic; this will make the audience pay more attention to you and your speech.

6. Give a short summary of the main speech

Similar to how movies work, give a short “sneak peek” of what your topic is about so as to have the same effects of movie trailers.
It can give them an idea of your speech.You may also see wedding speech .
People who would enjoy your topic will pay even more attention toward your speech topic.

7.Start the actual speech

After you have done all of the steps above, you may start your speech topic knowing full well that your audience will be paying attention to whatever your topic maybe.You may also see campaign speech .

Short Introduction Speeches

Short self-introduction speech sample.

Size: 83 KB

Short Speech About Yourself

short introduction speech about yourself

What You Should Avoid When Starting an Introduction Speech

Starting an introduction speech effectively is crucial to capturing and retaining the audience’s attention. There are several common pitfalls to avoid that can undermine your impact right from the beginning:

1. Starting Without a Clear Focus

Avoid beginning your speech without a clear and concise opening. Lack of focus can confuse the audience about the purpose and direction of your talk.

2. Using Clichés or Overused Openings

Steer clear of overused phrases like “Webster’s dictionary defines…” as they can seem uninspired and might cause the audience to disengage.

3. Apologizing

Starting with an apology for your nervousness or lack of preparation can undermine your credibility and authority right from the start. Unless there is a significant issue or mistake to address, it’s best to keep the tone confident and positive.

4. Overloading with Details

Bombarding the audience with too much information, statistics, or complex jargon at the beginning can be overwhelming. Keep the introduction simple and gradually build into more detailed content.

5. Speaking Too Fast

Avoid rushing through your introduction. Speaking too quickly can make it hard for the audience to follow along and absorb what you’re saying.

6. Failing to Engage the Audience

Do not ignore the audience by failing to make eye contact or engage them early in your speech. The first few minutes are crucial for establishing a connection, so address the audience directly and warmly.

7. Lack of Enthusiasm

Avoid a monotone delivery; it can make your speech sound boring and unengaging. Your enthusiasm is contagious, and showing excitement about your topic can help captivate your listeners.

8. Ignoring the Context or Setting

Don’t start speaking without acknowledging the context or setting, especially if it’s unique or relevant to your speech. Whether it’s a conference, formal dinner, or a casual meeting, tailoring your introduction to the setting can enhance its effectiveness.

9. Being Unprepared

Starting your speech without proper preparation can lead to a disjointed and ineffective presentation. Ensure you have practiced and are familiar with your opening lines to deliver them confidently.

10. Long-Windedness

Avoid a lengthy introduction that delays getting to the main points. Keep the introduction brief and impactful to maintain the audience’s interest.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can start your introduction speech on a strong note, setting the stage for an engaging and effective presentation.

Debate Introduction Speeches

Introduction speech for debate competition.

Size: 223 KB

Debate Introduction Sample Speech

Size: 42 KB

Ceremony Introduction Speeches

Graduation ceremony speech.

Size: 28 KB

Award Ceremony Speech

Size: 197 KB

Tips For an Introduction Speech

Crafting an effective introduction speech can set the tone for your entire presentation and significantly influence the engagement and responsiveness of your audience. Here are some practical tips to ensure your introduction speech is impactful:

1. Prepare and Practice

Spend time crafting a clear, concise introduction. Rehearse your opening remarks multiple times to enhance your delivery and ensure fluency, reducing the likelihood of nervousness affecting your performance.

2. Start with a Hook

Begin with an attention-grabbing statement such as a startling statistic, a provocative question, or an engaging anecdote. This hook should be relevant to your main topic and designed to intrigue your audience immediately.

3. State Your Purpose

Clearly articulate the purpose of your speech early on. Let your audience know exactly what to expect and why it matters to them. This clarity helps to maintain their interest and focus.

4. Establish Credibility

Briefly introduce yourself and explain why you’re qualified to speak on the topic. This might include your experience, education, or any personal connection to the subject matter.

5. Connect with Your Audience

Aim to establish a rapport with your audience. Use inclusive language, and consider acknowledging the presence of notable individuals or expressing gratitude for the opportunity to speak.

6. Be Concise

Keep your introduction brief. It should be long enough to cover essential points but short enough to keep the audience interested and not detract from the main content of your speech.

7. Preview Main Points

Give a brief overview of the main points you will cover in your speech. This roadmap can help your audience follow along more easily and understand the structure of your presentation.

8. Use Appropriate Language and Tone

Match your language and tone to the audience and occasion. A formal gathering will require a different approach compared to a casual meeting, so adjust your language and demeanor accordingly.

9. Check for Clarity

Ensure that your introduction is clear and understandable. Avoid jargon or technical terms without explanations, especially if they might not be familiar to all members of your audience.

10. End with a Transition

Conclude your introduction with a smooth transition that naturally leads into the body of your speech. This can help maintain the flow and keep your audience engaged.

By following these tips, your introduction speech will not only capture the attention of your audience but also set a strong foundation for the points you wish to convey throughout your presentation.

Opening Ceremony Speech

Size: 101 KB

Master of Ceremony Speech

Size: 176 KB

Birthday Introduction Speeches

Birthday speech sample.

Size: 45 KB

Mother’s Birthday Party Introduction Speech

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Parent Birthday Speech

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Business Introduction Speeches

Annual business meeting speech.

Size: 281 KB

Commercial Speech

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Business School Speech

business presentation introduction speech

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Company Introduction Speeches

Company introduction example.

Size: 47 KB

New Company Introduction

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Company Introduction Sample

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Chairman Introduction Speech

Chairman speech sample.

Size: 311 KB

Event Introduction Speeches

Charity event introduction.

Size: 10 KB

Introduction for College Event

Introduction for Cultural Event

Formal Introduction Speeches

Formal self-introduction speech.

Size: 40 KB

Formal Introduction Sample Speech

Farewell Introduction Speeches

Farewell party speech.

Size: 133 KB

Speech for School Farewell

Size: 32 KB

Guest Introduction Speeches

Chief guest introduction.

Size: 12 KB

Guest Introduction in PDF

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Graduation Introduction Speeches

High school graduation speech.

high school graduation introduction speech

Size: 136 KB

Preschool School Graduation Speech

preschool school graduation introduction speech

Meeting Introduction Speeches

Opening town meeting speech.

Annual General Meeting Speech

annual general meeting introduction speech

Size: 22 KB

Sales Meeting Introduction

Size: 141 KB

What Makes a Good Introduction Speech and How to Start It?

Basically, a good introduction speech can just be a simple introduction of the speaker to the audience. You can modify your speech in a variety of ways so as to catch the attention of the audience. However, a good speech would require that the speaker “befriends” the audience in the sense that the speaker will try to make himself seem more friendly and familiar to the audience so as to gain their attention and involvement to the speech. Now, how to start an introduction speech? It is almost similar to what to say in an introduction speech, but unlike what to say in an introduction speech, there are only a few things you need to know:

1. Greeting the audience

This is the most important part of any speech. If you do not greet the audience immediately and properly the moment you are in front, the audience will begin to feel distant from you and may choose to ignore you throughout the entire speech.You may also see figure of speech example
Greet the audience firmly and confidently. This will show the audience that you are prepared for the presentation and therefore they must be prepared for the presentation as well.
Try not to stammer or sound too “small.” Stammering is a sign of nervousness, and when you are nervous, people will tend to mock or insult you in a way that may cause you to forget about your topic and quite possibly “choke” or stand on the stage quietly.You may also see commemorative speech

2. Stating your name and reason for being in front of them

Following a proper greeting, you must state your name immediately starting from the family name then the first name then the second name (if you have more than one first name), then you may or may not state your middle initial. The reason for stating your name in this order is to create an even further sense of formality, which may cause the audience to behave more likely.You may also see impromptu speech
This will give them a sense of formality that will make them more likely to respect you as a person and at the very least sit quietly without disturbing your presentation.
After stating your name, you should explain as to why you are standing in front of the audience on that very day and time. This must be done so as to keep things formal and to help you remember the topics.You may also see telegraphic speech

3. State problems relevant to your presentation topic

This is complementary to your short summary of your topic.
It will make the audience feel more important and more informed, which will more likely cause them to discuss among themselves about the problems relevant to your presentation topic.You may also see father of the bride speech

4. Give a short summary of your topic

Giving a short summary of your topic will “tease” the audience into curiosity and make them ask what your topic is about and what is its relevance.
It may also attract individuals in the crowd who may have an interest in your topic, which the interested individuals may influence the non-interested individuals to listen to your topic.You may also see commemorative speech

Employee Introduction Speeches

Employee self-introduction speech.

Size: 149 KB

New Employee Introduction

Professional Introduction Speeches

Professional introduction sample.

Size: 997 KB

Professional Self-Introduction Speech

Size: 53 KB

Pageant Introduction Speeches

Beauty pageant introduction.

Size: 80 KB

Pageant Contest Introduction

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Seminar Introduction Speeches

College seminar introduction.

Seminar Self-Introduction

Size: 111 KB

Simple Introduction Speeches

Simple introduction sample speech.

Size: 64 KB

Wedding Introduction Speeches

Wedding reception introduction.

Wedding Ceremony Speech

Size: 50 KB

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Church Wedding Speech

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Welcome Introduction Speech

Welcome party introduction.

Size: 34 KB

Student Introduction Speeches

Sample introduction outline speech.

Size: 67 KB

Student Council Introduction

Size: 211 KB

How to End an Introduction Speech?

Now we have been discussing how to start an introduction speech or how to make a good introduction speech, by now you should be familiar with how to start an introduction speech or what you should write in it and you may even be able to figure out how your speech or actions affect the audience, but now we are going to discuss how to end an introduction speech. As the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” By that saying, everything that has a beginning must eventually end so as to allow the audience to share what they learned during the speech with other individuals.You may also see informative speech

Now to end an introduction speech, you need to do the following:

1. State the summary

Stating the summary of your speech will allow the audience to likely remember the speech.
This will clarify anything the audience may misunderstand from the speech.
It will allow the audience to take down notes about the topics of the speech.

2.Appreciate the audience

You should also thank the audience for their cooperation and for the time they used in listening to your speech willingly and diligently.
This will give the audience a sense of accomplishment and making it more likely that they will attend your next speech.You may also see freedom of speech example

3.Give a closing remark

The closing remark need not be related to the actual speech; it may serve as a way of keeping the audience actively listening and awake.
It is a way to show that you are about to end the speech and that the audience must prepare themselves to leave the vicinity.You may also see mla outline samples
It also means that the audience may ask any questions relevant to the speech.

4.Then greet the audience out

As you will end your speech, you should greet the audience out, meaning that you should allow the audience to exit the area before you leave the stand so as to allow the audience the opportunity to ask question as they are leaving the vicinity.You may also see Elevator Speech
This will increase how much your audience enjoyed your speech.

How do you start an introduction for a speech?

To start an introduction for a speech, clearly state your topic, engage the audience with a question or startling fact, and briefly outline what your speech will cover.

What is a good sentence to start a speech?

A good sentence to start a speech might be: “Did you know that every minute, one million plastic bottles are bought around the world?”

What are 3 ways to start a speech?

Three ways to start a speech include using a provocative question, sharing a compelling anecdote, or presenting a surprising statistic to capture immediate interest.

How do you greet everyone in a speech?

To greet everyone in a speech, you might say: “Good morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and fellow participants, thank you for joining me today.”

Can a speech be 1 minute?

Yes, a speech can be 1 minute; these are often designed to be succinct and impactful, focusing on delivering one clear, persuasive message or idea effectively.

In conclusion, an effective introduction speech sets the tone, establishes rapport, and captures the audience’s interest. It should leave them eager to learn more about the speaker while providing a seamless transition into the main content of the event or presentation.

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Welcome Speech for Conference

Welcome speech generator for conference.

Speech . This word can either give you the creeps or a sense of excitement. It can also give you that sense of nostalgia, remembering your college days when you were told to make any type of speech and present it in class. Speech is a part of every person’s daily life. Even when you are already a professional, you would still encounter some if not most types of speeches. For some events like a graduation, a wedding or a conference, welcome speeches are the most common type to use. Sometimes we often find it difficult to write a good welcome speech but that issue can be solved. This article right here will help you make a good welcome speech. So check it out.

9+ Welcome Speech for Conference Examples

1. welcome speech for consumer conference.

Size: 21 KB

2. Welcome Speech for International Conference

Size: 29 KB

3. Printable Welcome Speech for Conference

Size: 361 KB

4. Welcome Speech for Conference in PDF

Size: 81 KB

5. Welcome Speech for Opening Conference

Welcome Speech for Vienna Energy Conference

Size: 85 KB

6. Welcome Speech for Conference Template

Size: 370 KB

7. Example of Welcome Speech for Conference

8. Welcome Speech for Annual Conference

Size: 192 KB

9. Opening and Welcome Speech for Conference

Size: 101 KB

10. Welcome Speech for Inaugural Conference

Size: 170 KB

Defining Speech

Speech is a way of expressing or communicating your ideas and thoughts through spoken words. A dialect that individuals speak. A public discourse between people who communicate their opinions to each other or to an audience.

Defining Conference

A conference is an important meeting between members of a company or an organization. In addition to that, it is also a meeting between two companies that merge together to discuss important matters that may concern both parties.

Definition of Welcome Speech

A welcome speech is a kind of speech given during a special or any type of event. Whether it may be a wedding, a conference, a graduation, or a simple college event. This type of speech is given to show gratitude towards the people who made an effort to go to the event.

Importance of Welcome Speech

The importance of making a welcome speech is to draw attention to your listeners. Your welcome speech is important because it addresses everyone, it addresses the reason why you are also attending the event. Your welcome speech must not be too short to bore your audience nor too long that it may drag. Rather, let it be enough to address everyone important in the room like distinguished guests, managers and the people who will be talking.

Tips for Writing Welcome Speeches

When it comes to writing welcome speeches, the things that you need to consider are:

Length of speech : When you are making your welcome speech, one thing to reconsider is the length . How long is too long and how short is too short. By understanding the correct length of writing a welcome speech, you are able to formulate a good one. One thing to remember is that your welcome speech must not be too short that you miss out on the important details. Nor should it be too long that it may drag and bore your audience.
Information: Your welcome speech must include the information it needs . Just like the names of the chairpersons, the CEO, the vice president, distinguished guests and the topic to be discussed. Without these types of information, your welcome speech is lacking.
End the speech nicely: End it on a positive note. Make sure what you need to say has all been said .
Watch your grammar and spelling: Once you have made your speech, you should also be weary of your spelling and grammar. Check once in a while.
Revision: Revise your work before you present it. There is nothing wrong with revising what you have written. It is surely better to revise knowing you have written a well deserved masterpiece to perfection than to ignore the revision and there were a lot of mistakes made.

What is a welcome speech?

A welcome speech is a type of speech that you use to welcome people to an event.

Can I wing a welcome speech?

If you wish to “wing” a welcome speech, chances are you are going to miss the important information that is needed when making this speech.

How many paragraphs are there to make a welcome speech?

The estimated number of paragraphs are three full paragraphs. But you may go over more than three paragraphs. As long as the information you need is present.

How long should a welcome speech be presented?

If possible, not more than five minutes. The reason for this is to lessen the loss of interest from your listeners.

Now that we have gone over the things to consider about making a good welcome speech, you are now ready to write and prepare one for your next welcome speech conference. Good luck!

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How to write a welcoming welcome speech for conference attendees

Crafting a welcome speech for conference that sets the tone

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FREE 51+ Introduction Speech Samples & Template in PDF, Word
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FREE 36+ Introduction Speech Samples in PDF

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Introduction speech for guest speaker
Introduction Speech for Fundamentals of Oral Communication 2024
How To Write Welcome Speech In English. || Sample welcome speech For Students || #writing #english
Presentation Tips
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COMMENTS

38 Top Opening and Closing Remarks for Meetings
38 Top Opening and Closing Remarks for Meetings
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Meeting Introduction Examples: The Power of First ...
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How to Introduce Yourself in a Meeting: 8 Tips ...
Opening a Meeting
Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming today. I think we'll begin now. First I'd like to welcome you all. Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I really appreciate you all for attending today. We have a lot to cover today, so we really should begin. Sample Welcome: Pierre: I think we'll begin now.
Welcome Speech for Meeting
Always make sure that all details needed are within your reach or that you already have them down as notes. 2. Write a Short Draft of Your Speech. Draft it out. It may sound as simple as that, and it really is, but to make a good welcome speech, one must at least learn to draft out what you need to say.
How to Write an Introduction Speech: 7 Easy Steps & Examples
How to Write an Introduction Speech: 7 Easy Steps & Examples
Introduction Speech
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The Right Way to Start a Meeting
How to Run Introductory Meetings (+ Practical Examples)
Opening Remarks (5 Minutes) Greet participants. Summarize the meeting's purpose and establishing basic guidelines. Introduce Yourself (20 Minutes) Take time to introduce yourself, sharing your name, role in the organization, and a brief professional background.
How to Smoothly Start a Meeting as a Chair
Hello everybody, and thanks for joining. I'm Michelle Carter, project manager at Antiveo, and I'll be chairing the meeting today. Of course, being a chair here means that you're the person in charge of conducting the meeting, not a piece of furniture. Now you can announce the subject of the meeting. Add its duration as well! Example:
How to write a welcome speech in 3 steps (with sample speech)
How to write a welcome speech in 3 steps
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How to Lead Introductions in Business Meetings
How to write a speech introduction: 12 of the best ways to start
8. An empathetic question, aligning yourself with the audience and eliciting a response. These questions bring speaker and audience together, establishing a common ground, a mutual understanding, which is an effective way to ease into a speech. If your question 'works' you'll see heads nodding in agreement. Examples:
How to Start a Speech: The Best Ways to Capture Your Audience
1) Thank the Organizers and Audience. You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak. Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience. This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and ...
Opening A Meeting Effectively In 7 Easy Steps
2. Small Talk. In business, it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. Although the length of small talk varies depending on the culture and the context, a good rule of thumb is to allow between 3 and 7 minutes. Let people get into the feel of the meeting, see each other, and chat a bit before diving into the main ...
Introduction Speech Examples That Increase Speaker Credibility
See the examples below to give you an idea of how to introduce yourself while still having effective attention-getters (e.g., a rhetorical question, an anecdote, a statistic, or a bold statement). "Good morning/afternoon/evening. I'm X, and I'm here to talk about Y. To begin, I'd like to share a story…".
Five of the Best Speech Opening Lines
Deceptively simple, the opening lines for this speech set the tone for what has become the most viewed TED talk of all (currently nearly 57 million views). Far from being just 'throat clearing', Sir Ken's funny introduction cleverly paves the way for a talk that will gently but profoundly show us a new way of looking at education.
15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)
Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary. Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you. 4.
Opening Speech
Doing this will give you an idea of how to catch the attention of your listeners. 2. Acknowledge The Guests. Of course, one of the purposes of giving an opening speech at every event is to welcome the guests. Convey how thankful the organizers are for their acceptance of the event invitation. Also, do not forget to thank them for sparing time ...
Conference Call Script Samples: 5 Ways to Make Your Next ...
5. Summarize the Call. To wrap up your call, give a brief summary of what was discussed. It's good practice to highlight how the call brought your team closer to the goals you outlined in step 2. This will make people feel like it was a productive meeting. Then provide some guidance on what the next steps are.
12+ Opening Speech Examples for Presentations & Quick Tips
12+ Opening Speech Examples for Presentations & Quick ...
Introduction Speech Samples
An introduction speech plays a crucial role in various contexts, whether it's at social events sample, professional meetings, or public gatherings. Here's why an introduction speech is so important: 1. First Impressions Matter. An introduction speech is often your first opportunity to engage with an audience.
Welcome Speech for Conference
Welcome Speech for Conference

38 Top Opening and Closing Remarks for Meetings

Short opening remarks for a meeting

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Opening remarks for a seminar

Sample closing remarks for a meeting

Sample closing remarks for an event

Simple closing remarks

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FAQ: Opening and closing remarks for meetings

What are opening and closing remarks for meetings?

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How to introduce yourself in a meeting

1 Leverage pre-loaded meeting templates

2 Write out your introduction

3 Explain your role in the company

4 Practice your introduction

5 Follow proper meeting etiquette

6 Discuss your career history

7 Pay attention to your body language

8 Follow the “present, past, and future” framework

9 Ask if anyone has questions

Meeting introduction examples

Introducing yourself in a meeting with your new team

Parting advice

Opening a Meeting

Roll Call/Apologies

Introduction Speech- Tips & Examples

What is an Introduction Speech?

How to Write an Introduction Speech?

Introduction Speech Outline

Introduction Speech Example

What Are Some Famous Introduction Speeches?

Introduction Speech Ideas

7 Tips for Delivering the Best Introduction Speech

Tip# 1: Maintain Eye Contact

Tip# 2: Use Appropriate Body Language

Tip# 3: Mind Your Pace

Tip# 4: Avoid Filler Words

Tip# 5: Be Enthusiastic

Tip# 6: Practice, Practice, Practice

Tip# 7: Be Mindful of Time

Mistakes to Avoid in an Introduction Speech

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best Speech Introduction Greeting?

What Word to Start a Speech?

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The Right Way to Start a Meeting

Partner Center

How to Run Introductory Meetings (+ Practical Examples)

What Is An Introductory Meeting?

How to Conduct an Introductory Meeting

(1) Setting Clear Objectives and Creating an Agenda

(2) Introduce Yourself

Tips for Introducing Yourself:

(3) Q&A

(4) Follow-Up Steps

Practical Examples of Virtual Icebreakers and Interactive Tools

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