how do you start an introduction line for a speech

How to Start a Speech: 7 Tips and Examples for a Captivating Opening

By Status.net Editorial Team on December 12, 2023 — 10 minutes to read

1. Choosing the Right Opening Line

Finding the perfect opening line for your speech is important in grabbing your audience’s attention. A strong opening line sets the stage for the points you want to make and helps you establish a connection with your listeners.

1. Start with a question

Engage your audience from the very beginning by asking them a thought-provoking question related to your topic. This approach encourages them to think, and it can create a sense of anticipation about what’s coming next.

• “Have you ever wondered how much time we spend on our phones every day?”

2. Share a personal story

A relatable personal story can create an emotional connection with your audience. Make sure your story is short, relevant to your speech, and ends with a clear point.

• “When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me that every kind deed we do plants a seed of goodness in the world. It was this philosophy that inspired me to start volunteering.”

3. Use a quote or a statistic

Incorporate a powerful quote or an intriguing statistic at the outset of your speech to engage your audience and provide context for your topic.

• “As the great Maya Angelou once said, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'”

4. Make them laugh

Injecting a little humor into your opening line puts everyone at ease and makes your speech more memorable. Just make sure your joke is relevant and doesn’t offend your audience.

• “They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!”

5. Paint a mental picture

Draw your audience in by describing a vivid scene or painting an illustration in their minds. This creates an immersive experience that makes it easier for your audience to follow your speech.

• “Picture this: you’re walking down the beach, and you look out on the horizon. The sun is setting, and the sky is a breathtaking canvas of reds, oranges, and pinks.”

2. Using a Personal Story

Sharing a personal story can be a highly effective way to engage your audience from the very beginning of your speech. When you open your talk with a powerful, relatable story, it helps create an emotional connection with your listeners, making them more invested in what you have to say.

Think about an experience from your life that is relevant to the topic of your speech. Your story doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic, but it should be clear and vivid. Include enough detail to paint a picture in your audience’s minds, but keep it concise and on point.

The key to successfully using a personal story is to make it relatable. Choose a situation that your audience can empathize with or easily understand. For example, if you’re giving a speech about overcoming adversity, you could talk about a time where you faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge and overcame it.

Make sure to connect your story to the main point or theme of your speech. After sharing your experience, explain how it relates to the topic at hand, and let your audience see the relevance to their own lives. This will make your speech more impactful and show your listeners why your personal story holds meaning.

3. Making a Shocking Statement

Starting your speech with a shocking statement can instantly grab your audience’s attention. This technique works especially well when your speech topic relates to a hot-button issue or a controversial subject. Just make sure that the statement is relevant and true, as false claims may damage your credibility.

For example, “Believe it or not, 90% of startups fail during their first five years in the market.” This statement might surprise your listeners and make them more receptive to your ideas on how to avoid pitfalls and foster a successful business.

So next time you’re crafting a speech, consider opening with a powerful shocking statement. It could be just the thing to get your audience sitting up and paying full attention. (Try to keep your shocking statement relevant to your speech topic and factual to enhance your credibility.)

4. Using Humor

Humor can be an excellent way to break the ice and grab your audience’s attention. Opening your speech with a funny story or a joke can make a memorable first impression. Just be sure to keep it relevant to your topic and audience.

A good joke can set a light-hearted tone, lead into the importance of effective time management, and get your audience engaged from the start.

When using humor in your speech, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Be relatable: Choose a story or joke that your audience can easily relate to. It will be more engaging and connect your listeners to your message.
• Keep it appropriate: Make sure the humor fits the occasion and audience. Stay away from controversial topics and avoid offending any particular group.
• Practice your delivery: Timing and delivery are essential when telling a joke. Practice saying it out loud and adjust your pacing and tone of voice to ensure your audience gets the joke.
• Go with the flow: If your joke flops or doesn’t get the reaction you were hoping for, don’t panic or apologize. Simply move on to the next part of your speech smoothly, and don’t let it shake your confidence.
• Don’t overdo it: While humor can be useful in capturing your audience’s attention, remember that you’re not a stand-up comedian. Use it sparingly and focus on getting your message across clearly and effectively.

5. Incorporating a Quote

When you want to start your speech with a powerful quote, ensure that the quote is relevant to your topic. Choose a quote from a credible source, such as a famous historical figure, a well-known author, or a respected expert in your field. This will not only grab your audience’s attention but also establish your speech’s credibility.

For example, if you’re giving a speech about resilience, you might use this quote by Nelson Mandela: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Once you’ve found the perfect quote, integrate it smoothly into your speech’s introduction. You can briefly introduce the source of the quote, providing context for why their words are significant. For example:

Nelson Mandela, an inspirational leader known for his perseverance, once said: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

When you’re incorporating a quote in your speech, practice your delivery to ensure it has the intended impact. Focus on your tone, pace, and pronunciation. By doing so, you can convey the quote’s meaning effectively and connect with your audience emotionally.

Connect the quote to your main points by briefly explaining how it relates to the subject matter of your speech. By creating a natural transition from the quote to your topic, you can maintain your audience’s interest and set the stage for a compelling speech.

In our resilience example, this could look like:

“This quote by Mandela beautifully illustrates the power of resilience. Today, I want to share with you some stories of remarkable individuals who, like Mandela, overcame obstacles and rose every time they fell. Through their experiences, we might learn how to cultivate our own resilience and make the most of life’s challenges.”

6. Starting with a Question

Opening your speech with a question can be a great way to engage your audience from the start. This strategy encourages your listeners to think and become active participants in your presentation. Your opening question should be related to your core message, sparking their curiosity, and setting the stage for the following content. Here are a few examples:

• For a motivational speech : “Have you ever wondered what you would do if you couldn’t fail?”
• For a business presentation : “What’s the biggest challenge your team faces daily, and how can we overcome it?”
• For an educational talk : “How does the way we use technology today impact the future of our society?”

When choosing the right starting question, consider your audience. You want to ask something that is relevant to their experiences and interests. The question should be interesting enough to draw their attention and resonate with their emotions. For instance, if you’re presenting to a group of entrepreneurs, gear your question towards entrepreneurship, and so on.

To boost your question’s impact, consider using rhetorical questions. These don’t require a verbal response, but get your audience thinking about their experiences or opinions. Here’s an example:

• For an environmental speech : “What kind of world do we want to leave for our children?”

After posing your question, take a moment to let it sink in, and gauge the audience’s reaction. You can also use a brief pause to give the listeners time to think about their answers before moving on with your speech.

7. Acknowledging the Occasion

When starting a speech, you can acknowledge the occasion that brought everyone together. This helps create a connection with your audience and sets the stage for the rest of your speech. Make sure to mention the event name, its purpose, and any relevant individuals or groups you would like to thank for organizing it. For example:

“Hello everyone, and welcome to the 10th annual Charity Gala Dinner. I’m truly grateful to the fundraising committee for inviting me to speak tonight.”

After addressing the event itself, include a brief personal touch to show your connection with the topic or the audience. This helps the audience relate to you and gain interest in what you have to say. Here’s an example:

“As a long-time supporter of this cause, I am honored to share my thoughts on how we can continue making a difference in our community.”

Next, give a brief overview of your speech so the audience knows what to expect. This sets the context and helps them follow your points. You could say something like:

“Tonight, I’ll be sharing my experiences volunteering at the local food bank and discussing the impact of your generous donations.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective opening lines for speeches.

A powerful opening line will grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for the rest of your speech. Some effective opening lines include:

• Start with a bold statement: “The world needs your creativity now more than ever.”
• Share a surprising fact: “Did you know that the average person spends (…) years of their life at work?”
• Pose a thought-provoking question: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
• Tell a short, engaging story: “When I was 10 years old, I discovered my passion for baking in my grandmother’s kitchen.”

Can you provide examples of engaging introductions for speeches?

• Use humor: “As a kid, I believed that 7 pm bedtime was a form of torture. Now, as an adult, I find myself dreaming of 7 pm bedtime.”
• Share a personal experience: “On a trip to Italy, I found myself lost in the winding streets of a small village. It was there, amidst my confusion, that I stumbled upon the best gelato I’d ever tasted.”
• Use an analogy: “Starting a new business is like taking a journey into the unknown. There will be challenges to overcome, and you’ll need resilience, determination, and a strong compass.”

Which speech styles can make a powerful impact on the audience?

Different speech styles will resonate with different audiences. Some styles to consider include:

• Inspirational: Motivate your audience to take action or overcome challenges.
• Storytelling: Share personal experiences or anecdotes to illustrate your points and keep listeners engaged.
• Educational: Provide useful information and insights to help your audience learn or grow.
• Persuasive: Present a compelling argument to convince your audience to adopt a particular perspective or take specific action.

How do successful speakers establish a connection with their listeners?

Establishing a connection with your listeners is key to delivering an impactful speech. Some ways to connect with your audience include:

• Show empathy: Demonstrating understanding and concern for your audience’s feelings and experiences will generate a sense of trust and connection.
• Be relatable: Share personal stories or examples that allow your audience to see themselves in your experiences, thus making your speech more relatable.
• Keep it genuine: Avoid overrehearsing or coming across as scripted. Instead, strive for authenticity and flexibility in your delivery.
• Encourage participation: Engaging your audience through questions, activities, or conversation can help build rapport and make them feel more involved.

What are some techniques for maintaining a friendly and professional tone in speeches?

To maintain a friendly and professional tone in your speeches, consider these tips:

• Balance humor and seriousness: Use humor to lighten the mood and engage your audience, but make sure to also cover the serious points in your speech.
• Speak naturally: Use your everyday vocabulary and avoid jargon or overly formal language when possible.
• Show respect: Acknowledge differing opinions and experiences, and treat your audience with courtesy and fairness.
• Provide useful information: Offer valuable insights and solutions to your audience’s concerns, ensuring they leave your speech feeling more informed and empowered.
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50 Speech Opening Lines (& How to Create Your Own) l The Ultimate Guide

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Ask a million people how to start a speech with a bang and you will get a million different answers.

While some prefer to start their speech with the good old charm of a quote, others prefer to put on their hats of creativity to discover new ways to capture the attention of their audience.

So, yes! There’s not just one best way to start your speech with a bang but you have a whole spectrum of ways- each unique on its own!

Sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and relax as I highlight 50 Powerful Speech Opening Lines from some of the World’s Most Influential Speeches along with guidance on how to use each of these techniques in your next speech/presentation.

Alright, let’s dive in!

How to Start your Speech/Presentation?

The attention span of your audience is at its peak at the very beginning of your speech. Shouldn’t you use this to your advantage? Of course, yes!

A strong opening remark captures the attention of your audience, sets the theme of your speech, and most importantly, instills curiosity for the remainder of your speech in the minds of your audience.

Before we analyze each of these speech opening lines, let me provide you with a quick list of techniques (all of which we are going to discuss in great depth!) for you to start your speech/presentation:

• 1. Don't just "Say!" Sing A Song

2. Uniqueness of An Unpopular Opinion

3. the power of a prop, 4. quest of a question, 5. hint of humor, 6. share a story, 7. surprise, surprise, surprise, 8. foster interest with facts.

• 9. Let's Visualize with "Visuals"

10. Capture Interest with your Clothes

11. activity for the audience, 12. element of fear, 13. invite them into your imagination, 14. quintessential quality of a quote, 100 best speech opening lines (the ultimate resource), 1. don’t just “say” sing a song.

Now, you must be thinking that I’m crazy to even suggest this but hear me out.

Doing something entirely different on stage just makes you stand out from the usual crowd. Because let’s admit it, we expect the speaker to simply start talking and when the speaker does something different, it surprises us and makes us intrigued for the remainder of the talk.

Having said that, singing is any day a safer bet since we all love to swing by the music.

But, if you are not at all confident about your singing skills, don’t go for it! Instead, you can try channeling the power of poetry, something very similar to singing but still light on your vocal cords. Don’t be confused! We’ve written an entire article on Getting Your ‘Wordsworth’: Poetry in Public Speaking , just for you! Do check it out.

How to Use A Song as your Speech Opening?

Step 1: Pick a relevant yet famous song related to the theme of your speech/presentation

Step 2: Choose how you wish to use the song to present your point. Do you wish to agree with the lyrics? Or disagree with the lyrics?

Step 3: Pick a few lines (not more than 2-3 lines) that suits your theme the best

Step 4: Craft a statement to explain the connection of the song with the topic of your speech/presentation

Step 5: What are you waiting for? Go ahead, warm up your vocal cords, and start singing

Examples of Speeches that Used Songs as Speech Openings

1. it is okay not to have a plan by mithila palkar.

(Sings the Song) “Some of you must have seen the video of this song online, and I’ll tell you the story of how I made it.” Mithila Palkar

Budding Indian Actress and Singer, Mithila Palkar started her TED Talk by singing a Marathi Song, a song that went viral on the internet and made her famous.

Instead of simply talking about how she marked the transition from a viral singing star to a renowned actress, she made her audience live her journey by singing the exact same song.

Two things happened here:

• Most of the audience members were able to recognize the song, which in turn, established her credibility as a speaker
• The song hooked the audience from the very beginning of her talk

No matter how much we deny it, humans are judgemental beings!

We have expectations for every single thing on this planet and when someone challenges these expectations, we’re left shocked.

And as a result, they’ve all our attention. That is exactly my mantra here, “Shock the audience to get their attention!”

How to Use An Unpopular Opinion as your Speech Opening?

Step 1 : Ask yourself, “Who is my audience?” Look for the basic information on their average age, level of education, pre-conceived notions, and cultural background. Still confusing, right? The Importance of Knowing Your Audience When Delivering a Speech is an article that carries the step-by-step guide, just for you.

Step 2 : Based upon this audience analysis, figure out their set expectation regarding the topic you are about to deliver your speech on.

Step 3 : Shred that expectation by challenging that set expectation in your opening remark. Remember not to be offensive and play by the rule of your moral compass

Examples of Speeches that Used Unpopular Opinions As Opening Remarks

1. grit: the power of passion and perseverance by angela lee duckworth.

“ When I was 27 years old, I left a very demanding job in management consulting for a job that was even more demanding: teaching “ Angela Lee Duckworth

When using this strategy in your speech, it’s critical that you do your research so that you can come up with an unpopular viewpoint on the subject.

Present that unpopular viewpoint as your introductory words, and then gradually (it must be a progressive process) lead your audience to the realization, which is your speech’s main goal. Just like this speaker did!

Visuals overpower our auditory senses! Why not use it to the best of our advantage?

As our immediate reflex, we first see and then, listen. Bringing a unique prop/placard onto the stage would intrigue the audience even before you “actually” start speaking.

Without any further delay, let’s discuss the steps to use props/placards the right way.

How to Use A Prop/Placard as your Opening Remark?

Step 1: Prepare a list of props/placards that resonate the best with the theme of your speech/presentation. Don’t just bring anything on the stage!

Step 2: From this list, remove the generic options. For instance, if you are delivering a speech on environmental conservation, bringing a plastic bag on stage is too generic and won’t instill curiosity in the audience’s minds

Step 3: Now, out of all the relevant props/placards, which one do you think is the most convenient and affordable to bring on the stage? And, you have your answer!

Step 4: Once you have decided on the prop, craft a statement to establish the connection between the prop and the theme of your speech

Examples of Speeches that Used Props As Opening Remarks

1. why i live a zero waste life by lauren singer.

(brings a jar filled with waste and speaks) “This is all of the trash that I’ve produced in the past 3 years!” Lauren Singer

When you witness the speaker, Lauren, showcasing a jar filled with all of the trash that she has produced in the past three years, you can’t help wonder, “Is this for real?”

Because even the packaging of all the junk food items that we consume every week can easily overflood this jar.

Taking advantage of this embedded curiosity, Lauren structured the rest of her talk talking about all of the steps that she takes to lead a zero-waste life.

2. Plus-size? More Like My Size By Ashley Graham

(stands in front of a mirror and speaks) “You are bold, you are brilliant and you are beautiful. There is no other woman like you. You are capable…” Ashley Graham

Breaking the norms of a traditional speech, Ashley Graham, instead of staring at the audience, stares at a mirror and speaks a few lines on self-affirmation.

Let’s admit it, most of us are critical of our own bodies, and standing in front of a mirror, we tend to focus upon all the possible flaws.

To set an example of positive self-affirmation, Ashley Graham takes upon herself to set an example with the help of a live exercise.

3. 25 Chemistry Experiments in 15 Minutes By Andrew Szydlo

*does chemistry experiments* Andrew Szydlo

Watch this TED Talk and I’m sure you’ll find all the presence, of all those chemical equipment on stage, fascinating!

When the audience witnesses the efforts you are taking to deliver your talk, they are impressed and trust me, you are halfway there at capturing the attention of your audience.

Now, of course, it doesn’t mean that you put all your heart and soul into getting that perfect prop on stage.

If it’s not feasible, don’t! But if you can, that’s a great way to win your audience!

4. I See Something By Dananjaya Hettiarachchi

*smells flower* Dananjaya Hettiarachchi

In the previous example, we saw how bringing a grand prop captures the attention of our audience.

But the power of a prop goes WAY beyond this!

When a simple prop is connected with a meaningful yet unique message, the impact manifolds.

In this TED Talk, the speaker uses a rose to explain how each individual is unique in terms of his personality. A powerful message is delivered with the use of a simple prop.

A tried and tested trick that psychologists swear by to awaken the distracted minds is to “shoot a question”.

You could do that too in your next speech/presentation.

How to Use A Question As An Opening Remark?

Step 1: Think of all the questions that can help you to set the theme of your speech

Step 2: Make a point to not include close-ended questions and questions that are simply TOO GENERIC

Step 3: The last element that your question must include is the element of curiosity. The purpose is to make the audience curious enough to listen to your entire speech looking for answers to that question. But while you are at it, make sure you don’t overpromise and your speech does have the answers to that question.

Examples of Speeches that used Questions as Opening Remarks

1. every argument against veganism by ed winters.

“So, when I say the word ‘Vegan’ to you, what do you think of?” Ed Winters

Just by hearing this question, our first thought is to run all the possible definitions of veganism and the audience of this speech did the same.

This question is very clever and I’ll tell you why. So, every time a definition would come into the mind of any audience member, the speaker would be presenting his arguments against veganism forcing the audience to align their thoughts with his thought process.

Without any possible digression, the speaker Ed Winters presents his thoughts on Veganism in a convincing manner with the help of the rhetoric of questions.

Now, this type of question sends the audience on a possible quest for answers but that’s not the only purpose that this technique serves. Next in order, let’s look at how questions set the theme of a speech.

2. Why Do We Ask Questions? By Michael “Vsauce” Stevens

“What is the best type of cheese to use to catch a bear?” Michael “Vsauce” Stevens

In this TED Talk, the speaker uses this technique as a rhetorical question and answers this question with the help of a cheese pun.

Moving ahead, he goes on unearthing the science behind asking questions. So, it only made sense for him to begin his speech with a question too to set the overall vibe and theme of the topic.

3. Marriage Material By Nina Donovan

“So from a glance, do I look like marriage material?” Nina Donovan

In this TED Talk, we shall discover the strength of an interrogative remark in generating curiosity regarding the theme of your speech.

Since time immemorial, society has been setting “so-called” norms to determine if an individual is a potential marriage material (mostly, in the case of women).

To fit under this category of “marriage material”, one has to behave as per the so-called expectations of the society, and anything that defies the norm fails to fit in.

With the help of her powerful voice, the speaker here challenges the notion of this concept of “Marriage Material” and highlights the importance of individuality.

And by asking if the audience perceives her as marriage material, she surprises the audience while cultivating a sense of curiosity in them.

4. After watching this, your brain will not be the same By Lara Boyd

“So how do we learn? And why do some of us learn things more easily than others?” Lara Boyd

Admit it or not- we’ve always wondered why some people learn things better than us. What exactly is their secret?

And when you throw this question at the audience, they become intrigued to know this very secret with the help of your talk.

Curiosity is what makes us stick to the remainder of any talk. So, it’s high time we channelize it!

5. The Value of Asking Questions By Karen Maeyens

“Do you know the people that are asked the most questions? Have A Guess!” Karen Maeyens

An open-ended thought-provoking question like this forces the audience to activate their minds in the search for answers.

As they become more active, they listen better and focuses better on what you have to offer.

When Karen asked her audience who are the people that are asked the most questions, different minds pondered different answers and when she herself answered the question, those who thought of different answers were intrigued to listen to her justification and as a result of this, they stuck by!

6. Two Easily Remembered Questions that Silence Negative Thoughts By Anthony Metivier

“How would you like to completely silence your mind?” Anthony Metivier

We, humans, have restless minds- always pondering over something or the other.

So, what’s likely to happen when someone asks us if we would like to silence our minds? Ironically, we’ll be restless to know the answer. That’s what the speaker did through his TED Talk.

The next time you are giving a speech, you can consider opening it with a question that would result in a similar effect of restlessness in the minds of the audience.

For this to truly happen, make sure that your question is not generic. Otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain.

Ain’t we tired of listening to the phrase, “Laughter is the best medicine”?

I’m sure we all are but the reason why it’s still so prevalent is because of its universality.

Of course, laughter is the best medicine to an opening remark too. It makes your audience laugh and who doesn’t love a good laugh? We all do!

Humor puts the minds at ease and makes you sound more human, because of which, the audience perceives you as a credible speaker.

How to Use Humor In An Opening Remark?

Step 1: Know your audience well. Your joke must resonate with them so as to make the desired impact. For instance, if you are addressing a school crowd and you make a joke about workplace communication mistakes. It won’t make the audience chuckle, would it?

Step 2: Puns? Self-deprecating humor? Or Funny Anecdotes? Identify the types of humor and figure out which one suits your personality in the best way. If you are not sure what types of humor are there and wish to seek a step-by-step guide on including humor in your presentation, make sure you read A Guide To Using Humor In Your Speech . Remember to choose the type of humor in alignment with your personality otherwise, it will look forced and won’t result in the impact you desired

Step 3: Step out and do a pilot survey! Try out the opener on a few folks who are similar to your target audience. Examine their reaction and, if required, adjust the joke

Step 4: Keep in mind that once you begin your speech with a pinch of humor, your audience will be expecting a few moments of laughter throughout the rest of your speech too. So, make sure you save 2-3 jokes (not more than that) for the remainder of your speech to meet those expectations

Examples of Speeches that used Humor in Opening Remarks

1. thoughts on humanity, fame and love by shah rukh khan.

“I’m a movie star. I’m 51 years of age. And I don’t use Botox as of yet.” Shah Rukh Khan

This TED Talk right here is the perfect case in point for you to witness all the four steps to humor (as discussed in the previous section) in action.

Known for his great performance in doing justice to a number of family roles in Bollywood films, the actor Shah Rukh Khan, in his TED Talk used the power of humor to make himself sound more human to align his talk with his perceived personality.

A humorous take on the drug, Botox, not only relates to the speaker’s professional credibility but also established the relatability quotient.

2. Ellen DeGeneres’ 86th Oscars Opening

“It’s been a tough couple of days for us. It has been raining. We’re fine. Thank you for your prayers.” Ellen DeGeneres

Two lessons on humor can be perfectly drawn from this talk:

• Make sure you include humor when the event calls for it in its truest sense.

Since Ellen DeGeneres was hosting the Oscars Opening Ceremony, nobody expected her to be all serious in terms of her talk. The audience is expecting a more relaxed and chill vibe from the speaker.

So, starting her talk with a piece of humor not only sounded like a safer bet but also the most effective one.

• Humor must align with the personality of the orator

What’s the thought that comes to your mind when you listen to the name, “Ellen DeGeneres”? I’m sure for most of us, it’s someone who’s great at presenting her opinions in a convincing manner with the help of comedy.

And that’s what you expect from her personality: Humor!

3. How Indian Parents Make You Tougher By Hasan Minhaj

“Do you know when brown kids get slapped? Every brown birthday party.” Hasan Minhaj

The element of surprise won’t work if your audience is familiar with what you are about to tell them.

So, make sure that you are addressing the right element of surprise to the right audience to make them chuckle. And Hasan Minhaj did it absolutely right!

In this TED Talk, Hasan Minhaj told a piece of surprising cultural information about Indian teens to the American Audience and not the Indian Audience (because they will be familiar with it and it won’t be a shock).

4. The Clues to A Great Story By Andrew Stanton

“A tourist is backpacking through the highlands of Scotland, and he stops at a pub to get a drink. And the only people in there is a bartender and an old man nursing a beer. And he orders a pint, and they sit in silence for a while. And suddenly, the old man turns to him and goes, “You see this bar? I built this bar with my bare hands from the finest wood in the county, gave it more care and love than my own child. But do they call me McGregor the Bar Builder? No.” Points out the window. “You see that stone wall out there? I built that stone wall with my bare hands. Found every stone, placed them just so through the rain and the cold. But do they call me McGregor the Stone Wall Builder? No” Points out the other window. “You see that pier on the lake out there? I built that pier with my bare hands, drove the pilings against the tide of the sand, plank by plank. But do they call me McGregor the pier builder? No. But you fuck one goat…” Andrew Stanton

When humor is combined with effective storytelling, a great laugh is expected from the intrigued minds sitting in the audience.

Remember how we used to tell small anecdotes as kids while telling any joke? That’s what needs to be done here.

Build up the curiosity with the help of a story and end that story by bringing in an element of surprise to make your audience chuckle. Unexpected humor is always welcome!

We’ve all grown up listening to bedtime stories.

As we approached our teenage years and adulthood, we switched to narrating anecdotes from our lives to our friends, family, and colleagues.

In a nutshell, it’s the stories that connect us and will continue to serve this very purpose.

Hence, it’s only fair for us to channel this magic of storytelling into our public speaking events as well.

How to Narrate A Story in An Opening Remark?

Step 1: Pick a story from your life or narrate something that happened to someone you know or simply form a gripping story. Whatever it might be, just make sure you are not exaggerating to come off as a relatable speaker. Most importantly, the story you choose has to be related to the theme of your speech

Step 2: Now that you have the story in mind, pick a narrative to design the structure of your story. Wait, don’t know what storytelling narrative structures are? Read 9 Storytelling Approaches For Your Next Speech or Presentation to know different ways to effectively narrate a story

Step 3: Use simple language while writing your story and be descriptive enough to help them imagine. Keep in mind that your audience should relate and it’s possible only when they can understand your story in its truest sense

Examples of Speeches that used Stories As Opening Remarks

1. life begins at the end of your comfort zone by yubing zhang.

“It’s a cold and foggy winter morning and I’m standing on the world’s tallest bungee platform. The platform I’m standing on is so tiny that I’ve to stand on my toes and balance myself against the wind…” Yubing Zhang

While highlighting how stepping out of one’s comfort zone is crucial, the speaker narrates a personal anecdote of her bungee-jumping experience.

To form a connection with the overall theme, she goes on to narrate how one bungee cord leap taught her the biggest lesson of her life.

Through the remainder of her talk, she then focuses upon sharing her lessons and guidance on how one can step out of his/her comfort zone to facilitate personal growth.

2. How to Figure Out What You Really Want By Ashley Stahl

“It was 2:45 pm on a rainy friday in Los Angeles. My dad was just brewing a cup of coffee in the kitchen when he answered a call from an unknown number…” Ashley Stahl

While the previous example on storytelling taught us to build a connection with the overall theme of our speech, this TED Talk by Ashley Stahl teaches the significance of body language and voice modulation in effective storytelling.

Observe how she narrates this story with effective pauses and uses inflection to create a sense of drama and suspense.

That’s something we all should keep in consideration while narrating any story.

Storytelling is only effective when conveyed properly with the help of facial expressions, body language, and vocal tonality. This is all done to appeal to the sentiments of the audience because eventually, it is what will make our talk all the more persuasive.

3. How “SHE” became an IAS Officer By Surabhi Gautam

“My story starts from a small, sleepy village of Madhya Pradesh with a population of barely a thousand people…” Surabhi Gautam

You don’t necessarily have to focus all your energy on writing your story with a proper build-up.

If you are using a story to build your credibility as a speaker as well as intrigue your audience, one simple way could be to just begin your speech with something as simple as, “My story starts from…”

Just like this speaker did!

Nothing fancy, nothing over the board but still manages to captivates the interest of the audience because of the following reasons:

• She communicates in the language of people by using simple words
• Starting with something like, “My story starts from…” sent an indication that she’s about to narrate the story of her life and as a matter of fact, we all are intrigued naturally to listen to different people’s life stories

4. Speaking Up Without Freaking Out By Matt Abrahams

“Panic. Embarassed. Exposed. No, that’s not how I’m feeling right now. Those are the feelings I had when I was a fourteen year old boy…” Matt Abrahams

Let’s be honest for a moment- we all have been through the feeling of “Panic, Embarrassed, Exposed” (just how Matt puts it) when asked to speak on stage.

By narrating a story that most of the audience members can relate to, Matt won the hearts of a majority of his audience members and established his credibility as a speaker.

5. The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything By Josh Kaufman

“Two years ago my life changed forever. My wife and I welcomed our daughter Lela in the world…” Josh Kaufman

“This has been the turning point of my life”

How do you feel when someone says something like this to you? Intrigued to know more?

This is the power that the speaker used here. He narrated a story of how being a parent changed his life and eventually, relates this experience to the topic of his speech, which to be honest, is fascinating to witness!

6. The Happy Secret to Better Work By Shawn Achor

“When I was seven years old and my sister was just five years old, we were playing on top of a bunk bed. I was two years older than my sister at the time — I mean, I’m two years older than her now — but at the time it meant she had to do everything that I wanted to do, and I wanted to play war. So we were up on top of our bunk beds. And on one side of the bunk bed, I had put out all of my G.I. Joe soldiers and weaponry. And on the other side were all my sister’s My Little Ponies ready for a cavalry charge. There are differing accounts of what actually happened that afternoon, but since my sister is not here with us today, let me tell you the true story –“ Shawn Achor

A descriptive story narrated using stylistic language has the strength to move the audience and immerse them into a fictional world.

In terms of storytelling, this technique is by far the most effective yet simplest way.

It’s commonly used while giving out persuasive speeches as it helps the speaker to align the audience’s thoughts with the speaker’s point of view. That’s what Shawn did through the help of his childhood story.

Of course, we all love surprises. Who doesn’t, right?

So, here’s a crazy idea! Why not surprise your audience with your opening remark?

Here’s how you can do so.

How to Surprise your Audience through your Opening Remark?

Option 1: Go up on that stage, say something totally unexpected and blow the minds! Now, your job doesn’t end here. Once you are done speaking your opening remark, provide your audience as to why you said what you said and what more are you going to offer through the rest of your content. Look at the first example in the next section to see its application.

Option 2: Another thing that you can do is to tell your audience something completely unknown related to the topic of your speech. Something that would make them go like, “Wait, what?” You can either present a shocking piece of information, an unknown taboo of that culture, or even a shocking habit of that cultural population.

Option 3: Tell something unknown not about the culture you are talking about but about yourself. We as humans are always attracted to gossip about other people’s lives. Of course, the audience would be interested in knowing something shocking about your life. But through the content of your speech, do remember to build that connection with your speech.

Examples of Speeches that Surprises its Audience through its Opening Remarks

1. how to start a speech by simon lancaster.

“Who wants to get high? Yeah, you up for some? Should we really get this party started?” Simon Lancaster

Who comes up on stage and asks the audience, “Who wants to get high?”

It’s purely unexpected and shocking!

But in this TED Talk, as the speaker focuses upon highlighting the steps to crafting a strong opening remark (just like we are discussing at this moment), he took it upon himself to use this very element of surprise to capture the audience’s attention.

2. Why I Don’t Use A Smart Phone By Ann Makosinski

“The last time I used a flip phone was 3 hours and 24 minutes ago.” Ann Makosinski

Now, after listening to her opening remark, do you want to know why is she still using a flip phone in the 21st Century? (At least, I do)

And that is the strength of a strong opening remark.

After generating this needed curiosity in the minds of her audience, the speaker focused the remainder of her talk telling these reasons to the audience, one by one.

So, yes! We can safely say that starting our speech with an unpopular opinion is an elegant yet simple way to kick-start our speech.

3. How to Control Emotion and Influence Behavior By Dawn Goldworm

“I can control your emotions and influence your behaviour without showing you anything, without touching you and without saying a word to you.” Dawn Goldworm

Hearing this opening remark is not just shocking but scary too!

I’m sure, just like me, you wish to unearth this secret to control and influence behavior so that you can control minds too.

It’s natural for you to listen to the remainder of the talk for this sole reason.

This way, capturing the attention of her audience was made easy for the speaker, Dawn Goldworm.

4. Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable By Luvvie Ajayi Jones

“I’m a professional troublemaker!” Luvvie Ajayi Jones

Listening to this opening remark, “what is your reaction?”

Are you thinking how exactly is she a troublemaker just like me? If yes, then the speaker has successfully inculcated this curiosity in us.

But what we all are also wondering is what does that have to do with the theme and the speaker does establish this connection in her follow-up statement right after her opening remark.

So, make sure the next time you are out there presenting a shocking remark, do follow it up with context, always.

5. How to Spot A Liar By Pamela Meyer

“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. Also, the person to your left is a liar.” Pamela Meyer

While delivering a TED Talk on “How to Spot A Liar”, Pamela begins by spotting a few liars from the audience itself making everyone think, “How did she do that?”

And naturally, with minimum efforts, she lured her audience in to listen to her entire talk as she unfolds different ways in which we all can spot a liar.

6. The Art of Being Yourself By Caroline McHugh

“So, the chances are you have looked in at least one mirror today. You’ve had a shave or you combed your hair or maybe you checked your teeth for spinach after lunch, but what you didn’t know is the face that you’re looking at is not the face that everyone sees.” Caroline McHugh

A shocking way to surprise your audience is to simply begin with some obvious observations and follow them up with a unique observation about the very same things- leaving them surprised by catching them completely off-guard.

To get better at this technique, draw some inspiration from this TED Talk by Caroline McHugh as she does a similar thing.

It is so far the easiest way to start your speech with a bang!

Present a fact to elicit the shock value in the minds- be it positive or negative.

But incorporating the right fact in the right way is an art in itself. Let’s dive right into it!

How to Use Facts as your Opening Remark?

First things first, make sure that your fact is not too generic. It has to be shocking in one way or the other to grip the audience’s attention.

Step 1: Present the fact using simple language. Avoid using technical terms here.

Step 2: Take a pause, give the audience a moment to ponder over it (But don’t wait for TOO LONG!). Next, present an extension of that fact, if you have any, or simply break down the fact by telling the audience how does this fact affects them. Give them the reasons.

Examples of Speeches that used Facts as its Opening Remarks

1. can we not let our breakups break us by tasha jackson.

“I want you all to know that you are loved because today we can be surrounded by so many people but feel profoundly alone. 68% of Gen Z feels like nobody knows them. An average American has only one close friend and one in four feels like no one.” Tasha Jackson

While presenting facts, it’s important that we go from covering a larger umbrella to the smaller one

This way, the audience knows the exact way in which they are getting affected by this piece of information.

That’s exactly how the speaker, Tasha, rolled her TED Talk.

Once the audience was aware of the intensity of how breakups are affecting each one of them, they were all the more intrigued to know how they can not let breakups affect them to such a drastic extent.

It is this incentive that made the listeners pay attention to her talk as she unfolded all the solutions to this, one by one.

2. How to Increase Love in Your Relationship By Jonathan Ljungqvist

“In Sweden, where I come from, we have 40 thousand marriages a year and each year we have around 20 thousand divorces.” Jonathan Ljungqvist

Create the illusion of an audience poll with your piece of fact, just like this speaker did in his TED Talk.

After highlighting the drastic extent of failed marriages in Sweden, Jonathan took a pause to let that information sink in and in his follow-up statement, he started shooting a few questions at the audience.

After waiting for a few seconds (2-3 seconds is the ideal time duration to wait), Jonathan answered and highlighted the problem at hand.

This made the audience respect and agree with his fact, all the way more.

Through the remainder of his talk, he then went on highlighting the steps to increase love in any relationship.

3. I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying By Dr. Christopher Kerr

“I read a recent survey, and what Americans fear most is public speaking and dying.” Dr. Christopher Kerr

How do we perceive death as an individual? It’s a question that most of us have a unique answer to.

In an attempt to establish the relevance of his topic, the speaker uses a fact that highlights how feared death is.

It’s what capitalized the attention of the audience and forced them to listen to what different perspectives he had to offer on the topic from a medical standpoint.

4. Saudi Arabia: Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

“Saudi Arabia has been engulfed in a massive diplomatic crisis over the gruesome killing of Washingto Post Journalist Jamal Khashoggi” Hasan Minhaj

Now, stating facts doesn’t mean that you just go on telling statistical figures. It also includes different pieces of information, particularly news events!

In this talk, Hasan Minhaj recalls one such news event to set the theme of his talk.

Recalling news events makes our talk relevant while establishing the context. It signifies that as a speaker you are up-to-date with the information that you have to offer. So, the audience looks forward to hearing a talk devoid of redundancies.

5. Can We Not Let Our Breakups Break Us By Tasha Jackson

We live in a world where dating is the equivalent of buying a new pair of shoes.

Very often, with each dating experience comes the trauma of heartbreaks. As the speaker in this TED Talk rightly said, “breakups break us”.

But how to overcome it has always been a flaming question, particularly among the teens.

But to bring to light the intensity and ever-increasing prevalence of the situation, the speaker took the help of the statistics.

6. Teach Every Child About Food By Jamie Oliver

“ 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. “ Jamie Oliver

Here, while throwing light upon an alarming issue (hunger), the speaker considered presenting harrowing stats to get that desired ‘concerned mood’.

Similarly, when you wish to highlight an opportunity (say, the positive side of social media), present positive stats showcasing the success of people through social media.

9. Let’s Visualize with “Visuals”

Visuals are always gripping and easy on our minds.

Show respect towards your audience by giving them a needed break from the monotony of “just listening”.

Be a respite and engage them through the power of visuals for a change. Here’s exactly how you can do this.

How to Connect Visuals with your Opening Remark?

Step 1: Get in touch with the tech team of your public speaking event and see if the needed technical support is there to facilitate the screening of an image/video.

Step 2: Now, find a visual interesting enough to arise the curiosity but not too generic to make it too predictable for the audience- all related to your theme.

Step 3: Craft a short, concise, and to-the-point follow-up statement to explain the relevance of that visual using simple language.

Examples of Speeches that used Visuals as Opening Remarks

1. don’t believe everything you think by lauren weinstein.

*shows picture of an elephant.* Lauren Weinstein

In this TED Talk, Lauren draws a beautiful comparison between elephants and the nature of humans by showcasing a few visuals.

She does this through the use of storytelling. Narrating how despite all the strength an elephant has, it doesn’t attempt to break its chains of captivity.

After establishing this, she goes on to connect this act with the thesis of her speech, that is, how one should not always believe everything they think.

What we can take away from this TED Talk is, when visuals are effectively supported by storytelling and the rhetoric of drawing comparison, the impact increases manifold.

2. The History of Our World in 18 Minutes By David Christian

*plays a video about scrambled eggs* David Christian

In this unique TED Talk, David Christian explains the origin of the history of our world through the video of a scrambled egg. Unique, isn’t it?

That is exactly what we need to learn here.

We don’t necessarily need to find a visual that directly relates to the theme of our speech. Instead, we can go for a visual that we can use as an aid to explain a similar topic, that is, the theme of our speech.

3. How Breathing and Metabolism are Interconnected By Ruben Meerman

*shows image of himself in the sea* Ruben Meerman

This TED Talk right here is an example of how you can establish a direct correlation between the visual and your topic- all through the use of storytelling.

Ruben Meerman began his speech by showing a few pictures of himself to talk about his health transformation.

When the audience witnessed the transformation right in front of their eyes, they were curious to know the secret behind it so that they can apply it to their respective lives.

That’s the power of a gripping visual!

YES! You read it right.

No matter how shallow it sounds but the outfit is the first thing we notice every time a speaker walks up that stage.

And if you are dressed differently than the rest of the speakers, you naturally capture the eyes of your audience.

By this, I don’t mean that you go to a branded store and buy the most expensive outfit from there and wear it for your event. What I mean is to put serious thought into deciding what to wear for your event.

Ideally, one should go for an outfit that is unique yet related to the theme of your speech but doesn’t hurt the dress code of the event too. Here’s how.

How to Connect Clothes with your Opening Remark?

Step 1: The most basic step is to check with the admin if there is any particular dress code that the speakers need to adhere to. If not, feel free to put on your hat of creativity by following the next steps

Step 2: Pick an outfit that connects with the theme of your speech but is still unique enough for the audience to go like, “Wait, what outfit is this?”

Step 3: Go on the stage wearing that outfit, take a pause, let the audience wonder. After a meaningful silence of 2-3 seconds, start speaking. Open up by telling the audience the significance of the outfit that you are wearing

Examples of Speeches that Connect Clothes with Opening Remarks

1. we are all different- and that’s awesome by cole blakeway.

(comes on stage weaing two different pair of socks and shoes) “Hi, my name is Cole and over the next few minutes, I’m going to teach you that it’s okay to be different. Since a young age, I’ve worn different colored socks and two different shoes.” Cole Blakeway

Fascinating opening remark, isn’t it?

Something as simple as wearing different pairs of socks can instill curiosity and help the speaker make his point, “we all are different”.

Since biblical times, we as humans try to fit in different situations. Be it a workplace, college, or even a social gathering for that matter.

In this TED Talk, Cole attempts to shed light on the lesson of embracing our true selves and how there’s nothing wrong with being different.

The tone of such a powerful talk was set just by wearing different pairs of socks.

2. Looks aren’t Everything. Believe me, I’m a Model By Cameron Russell

(switches to a different outfit and speaks) “This is the first outfit change on the TED Stage, so you guys are pretty lucky to witness it, I think.” Cameron Russell

Of course, the traditional way to pull this technique off is to come on stage wearing a unique outfit.

But Cameron Russell finds her very own unique way of a live outfit change wherein she brings a wrap-around skirt and wears over her dress to make a simple point that appearance is not everything, it goes way beyond that.

Seeing a model by profession mark this unlikely outfit transition made the audience trust her thesis all the way more.

They say that communication is a two-way street.

Yet, more often than not, we forget to keep this in mind during all the public speaking events.

We tend o go on speaking and speaking. While sometimes we manage to keep the audience interested, the rest of the time we simply bore the audience to sleep.

To save you here, an easy bet is to organize an activity for your audience towards the very beginning of your speech.

How to Connect An Audience Activity with your Opening Remark?

Step 1: Familiarize with your audience. What’s the average age of your audience? What’s their educational and work background? Getting these basic details will help you structure an activity that would ensure maximum participation from them. For instance, if you are addressing a bunch of school students, your activity can involve more physical exercises and less mental exercise. Also, ask yourself, “What is the size of my audience?” This will help you decide on the extent of interactivity.

Step 2: Find an activity that is not too basic. Your activity should make the audience curious about your content. Something that makes the audience wonder, “What does this activity have to do with the theme?” But then they are left amazed as soon as you begin to connect the relevance of the activity with your speech.

Step 3: Don’t make it TOO LONG! Keep it short and sweet.

Step 4: Write a vivid description of the steps involved in the activity so that the audience is not left confused about what to do.

Examples of Speeches that Used Audience Activities as Opening Remarks

1. are you a giver or a taker by adam grant.

“I want you to look around the room for a minute and try to find the most paranoid person here and then I want you to point that person out for me. (waits and then says) Okay, don’t actually do it.” Adam Grant

Given that Adam’s audience was comprised of more adults, he made them perform a mental exercise as it’s most likely for them to participate in a mental exercise rather than expecting them to move up their seats to do something.

And that’s what happened. The audience participated! Because all they had to do was simply move their heads around to find out a paranoid person.

Most importantly, the activity wasn’t too generic for the audience for them to predict its relevance. So, it made them curious enough to listen to the remainder of Adam’s TED Talk to witness him unravel its relevance.

2. Girl Up: The Secrets to an Extraordinary Life By Courtney Ferrell

“Okay, I need a favor. I need all the girls who are between the age of 17 and 24 to stand up.” Courtney Ferrell

Audience Matters! I know, I’ve been saying this A LOT but it’s the key to a great speech opening.

Even in this TED Talk, the speaker made all the girls between the age group of 17 to 24 stand up since she knew that more than 50% of her audience would stand up.

It’s a win-win situation, I’ll tell you how.

When Courtney confessed that she’s about to tell the secret to channel the creative spirit of women and how to empower them.

Those who stood up felt directly connected to the theme and the rest were curious enough to know the secret to see if it can benefit them or someone they know.

3. What It’s Like To Grow Up Desi in 2019 By Hasan Minhaj

“Alright, real quick- say your full name and then say the way white people say your name. So, my name is Hasan Minhaj. I would get a Ha-sen Min-haj-a” Hasan Minhaj

Two important lessons here, my friends!

• Interactivity is Influential

Since Hasan was addressing a comparatively smaller crowd of around 7 teens, he could incorporate an interactive activity, giving each of his audience members an opportunity to speak.

• Lead the Activity Ladder

Before asking each of his audience members to speakers, Hasan himself initiated the act of participation from his end.

This way, the audience was all the more thrilled to speak.

Because when you participate, your audience sees it as an incentive and feels more confident to participate seeing that you as a speaker are making an effort too.

4. How to Triple your Memory By Using This Trick By Ricardo Lieuw On

“So, I have a little test for you. Don’t panic, I’m not here to judge you…” Ricardo Lieuw On

“Awaken the competitive nature of your audience members!” This should be your motto here.

But first, make sure that you are clear with the explanation of the rules so that it’s easier for everyone to follow.

Look how the speaker has introduced a competitive activity here to awaken the minds.

This serves two purposes:

• Your audience is intrigued to listen to the rest of your talk
• Even if a few members are distracted, you can win them back

Do you remember all the times when your mom used to make you eat green vegetables by instilling some sort of fear?

Be it the fear of dull skin or even poor eyesight for that matter, it eventually made you take that action.

Isn’t this aim of public speeches too? To persuade the audience to take some action after your speech ends? A hundred percent, yes!

So, let’s jump into how we can incorporate fear in our speech opening to make our audience listen to us.

How to Use Fear as your Opening Remark?

Step 1: At the fear of reiterating myself, “Begin with analyzing your audience”. The Best Guide to Audience Analysis is an article for you to help you do just that.

Step 2: Done with analyzing your audience after reading the article? Now, make a list of their potential fears related to the theme of your speech.

Step 3: Figure out that one fear that is not too triggering. Here, ask yourself, “If I were to listen to this, would I be triggered to a huge extent?” If the answer is yes, leave that fear and choose one that is slightly less triggering but

Examples of Speeches that used Fear as its Opening Remarks

1. why the secret to sucess is setting the right goals by john doerr.

“We’re at a critical moment Our leaders, some of our great institutions are failing us.” John Doerr

While highlighting how important it is to set the right goals for development, John Doerr begins his speech by pointing at how the institutions are failing their citizens by setting the wrong objectives.

When you are told that someone is failing you, you feel a sense of disappointment, and you are naturally drawn to know the reason behind it to figure out if there’s something you can do to improve the situation.

This is the exact feeling that we are going for here!

In this technique, we are looking forward to getting our audience to daydream without boring them.

This art of imagination works the best for persuasive speeches. Here’s how!

While delivering a persuasive speech, our aim is to align the audience’s thoughts with our thought process but there needs to be a bridge, right? A bridge that the audience can take to step into your thought process.

This bridge is the art of imagination.

How to Use Imagination as your Opening Remark?

Step 1: Decide the emotion that you want your audience to feel. Do you wish to go for a negative emotion or a positive one? My suggestion for you would be to go for a negative one since negative emotions overpower the positive ones, psychologically speaking.

Step 2: Once you have decided on the type of emotion, craft a descriptive outline for the piece of imagination that is related to the theme of your speech.

Step 3: Using simple yet descriptive language, write down your piece of imagination. Remember to write in a chronological order detailing each and every step otherwise your audience won’t truly immerse in that imaginary world. To explain to you in simpler terms, if a few steps are missing from the bridge, you cannot walk to reach the other side, can you?

Step 4: Focus the rest of your speech telling the audience what to do to avoid the situation (in case of a negative imagination) and what to do to reach the situation (in case of a positive imagination).

Examples of Speeches that used Imagination as Opening Remarks

1. the barrier between us by tvisha bandhu.

“Picture this. You’re in the MRT, you’re scrolling through your phone, and you take notice of this lady walking through the cabin saying ‘hello, hello.'” Tvisha Bandhu

This speech is the perfect example of how one can kick start his speech through the power of closed imagination (one wherein you provided step-by-step details on what to imagine).

Look how the speaker, Tvisha Bandhu, uses her body posture and gestures to emote every sense of feeling encompassed within that imagination.

It works perfectly in sync with her descriptive writing. It’s so descriptive that she has even written the exact dialogues for the characters involved in her imagination such as “Hello, Hello” for the lady who walked through the cabin.

Descriptive writing backed by powerful body language and vocal tonality can increase the impact manifold.

2. Why Do We Fear Speaking On Stage? By Pratik Uppal

“If I ask you to come on the stage right now & deliver a speech, think what kind of excuses would you come up with.” Pratik Uppal

The second example is of an open imagination.

You don’t necessarily need to provide step-by-step details for the audience to make them imagine a situation

One easy way is to simply tell them to ponder over their reaction to a particular situation and then, go on providing a brief of what exact situation they are put in.

In this TED Talk, the speaker asked the audience to imagine all the excuses that they can come up with to dread a public speaking event. Now, pause! Even you think! I’m sure you too can come up with many without anyone telling you what to imagine exactly.

This is what we call open imagination. Widespread usage of this technique can be seen in movies with open endings wherein the end is treated as possibly the beginning.

3. The Surprising Secret that Solves your Problems Quickly By Collins Key

“Imagine if you could take your brain and turn it inside out and then have access to the information to be able to virtually solve any problem. It sounds pretty cool, right?” Collins Key

In the previous sections, we discussed the examples for two commonly-used types of imagination- open and closed.

Here, we shall discuss an example of how you can ask the audience to imagine something out of the world.

If you are a Potter-head, you know the strength that this technique entails. The entire series is based upon fiction encompassing a world where everything goes larger than life, even life itself but you still can’t seem to snap out of it because you are that engrossed.

In this TED Talk, Collins opened up his talk with one such piece of imagination wherein he asked the audience to imagine how would they feel if they could simply take their brain out and turn it inside out to find a solution in the blink of an eye instead of spending hours overthinking for it.

Fascinating, right? This intrigued the audience to listen to the rest of his speech in the search of a secret to solve their problems in the quickest way possible.

4. How to Present to Keep your Audience’s Attention By Mark Robinson

“Imagine it’s Wednesday 28th of August, 1963 & we’re in the United States Of American, specifically Washington DC.” Mark Robinson

Imagination is only effective if you catering the right piece of imagination to the right audience.

Now, take the example of this TED Talk. Had this TED Talk been delivered to an audience who is not aware of the significance of the person being spoken about, Martin Luther King Jr, his speech would have been totally ineffective.

So, make sure that whatever piece of imagination you have to offer is within the understanding of your audience.

This technique doesn’t require any fancy introduction.

For the longest time, great orators have been starting their respective speeches with one quote or the other to persuade their audience through the art of rhythm.

But the inclusion of this technique as an opening remark is easier said than done. Make sure you follow the steps in the next section.

How to Use A Quote as an Opening Remark?

Before we begin, remember not to use a quote that is too common. Use a quote that is less heard of!

Option 1: The easiest and safest bet is to use a famous quote related to the context of your speech. If the propounder of that quote is associated with the topic of your speech in one way or the other, it’s even better since it establishes the credibility of the quote.

Option 2: The other effective way is to make a quote of your own instead of relying upon someone else’s quote. It’s simpler than it sounds. An easier hack is to use alliteration (occurrence of similar sound at the beginning of adjacent words in a phrase) in the phrase you wish to highlight as your opening remark. For instance, even the title of this section, “Quintessential Quality of A Quote” uses this technique. Read Getting Your ‘Wordsworth’: Poetry in Public Speaking to know how exactly you can write a quote using alliteration and similar techniques.

Examples of Speeches that Used Quotes as Opening Remarks

1. increase your self-awareness with one simple fix by tasha eurich.

Tennessee Williams once told us, “There comes a time when you look into the mirror and you realize that what you see is what you’ll ever be. And then you accept it. Or you kill yourself. Or you stop looking in mirrors.” Tasha Eurich

To see the application of the first alternative in action, watch this TED Talk by Tasha Eurich.

While using someone else’s quote, attribution to the speaker is necessary. You can do so by simply saying something like, “As NAME OF THE SPEAKER rightly said…” Nothing too fancy, simplicity works the best.

Talking about the credibility of the original speaker of the quote, since this TED Talk is focused upon “Self-awareness”, it made Tennessee Williams who was a great playwright in Hollywood, a credible speaker to trust.

2. Mistakes Make the Man By Mathew George

“Man makes mistakes & mistakes make the man.” Mathew George

Now, let’s talk about making a quote on our own. Shall we?

The most basic step we discussed under the “how-to” section was alliteration and that’s what the speaker, Mathew George, used in the creation of his opening remark too.

Alliteration provides a rhythm to your speech opening line and makes you sound persuasive naturally.

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We hope that you have found some value here in your journey as a public speaker!

If you wish to know about more such amazing speech opening lines, make sure you check out 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (& How to Create Your Own) .

Not just that! We’ve written a similar article on 50 Speech Closing Lines (& How to Create Your Own) l The Ultimate Guide . Make sure you read that to END YOUR SPEECH WITH A BANG!

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8 Opening a Speech: Get Their Attention from the Start!

Get the audience’s attention, or the rest of your speech is a waste. I mean it!  Most people spend the majority of their speech preparation time working on the body of their speech and then they tack on an opening and a closing last minute.

The opening and closing deserve the most attention. Why?  If you don’t get the audience’s attention and get them to pay attention to you instead of…  the thoughts in their heads, their grocery lists, their neighbors, their social media…then all the rest of your brilliant content is wasted because they will never hear it. Lisa Marshall of Toastmasters International stresses the opening words are so important that “I spend 10 times more time developing and practicing the opener than any other part of the speech.”

Look at the description of Person A and Person B and tell me which person you like more.

Person A envious, stubborn, critical, impulsive, industrious, and intelligent

Person B intelligent, industrious, impulsive, critical, stubborn, and envious

If you are like most people, you have a preference for Person B.  This illustrates a study by Solomon Ashe. He had subjects rate these two people using a string of descriptive words. Now look back at the descriptions. Look closely and you will notice they are the same words in a different order. Most people put the most emphasis on the first three words in determining how they will create the person. Like Asche’s subjects, your audience will be evaluating those first three words. Let’s bring it back around to speechmaking. The first sentence out of your mouth is crucial and the first three words are especially important.

I am sure you are not surprised to know that people form opinions quickly. To prove this, researchers showed subjects either a 20-minute clip of a job applicant or a 20-30 second clip of a job applicant. They were asked to rate the person on likeability and self-assurance. People were able to form an opinion in under thirty seconds. Not only that but they were able to form the same opinions from a 30-second clip as a 20-minute exposure.

The Battle for Attention

Remember that every piece of content in our modern era is part of an attention war. It’s fighting against thousands of other claims on people’s time and energy. This is true even when you’re standing on a stage in front of a seated audience. They have deadly distracters in their pockets called smartphones, which they can use to summon to their eyes a thousand outside alternatives. Once emails and texts make their claim, your talk may be doomed. And then there’s that lurking demon of modern life, fatigue. All these are lethal enemies. You never want to provide someone with an excuse to zone out. You have to be a savvy general directing this war’s outcome. Starting strong is one of your most important weapons. Chris Anderson, TED Talks, The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking.

“People don’t pay attention to boring things,” according to John Medina, author of Brain Rules, “You’ve got 30 seconds before they start asking the question, ‘Am I going to pay attention to you or not?'” It is important to get your audience’s attention right away. In this chapter, I will share with you several ways to win the war for attention and to start your speech right. I will show you the basic opening and closing structure of speeches and give you many examples of what that looks like.  A speech, like an airplane, needs a good take-off and a good landing. Now it’s time to prepare to have a strong take-off and learn everything that goes into a speech introduction. This chapter is full of examples from a variety of talks. I included quotes from those introductions, but I also included links to each of those talks hoping you will be interested enough to want to listen.

Ways to Start a Speech

Chris Anderson likens this to battle. “First there is the 10-second war: can you do something in your first moments on stage to ensure people’s eager attention while you set up your talk topic? Second is the 1-minute war: can you then use that first minute to ensure that they’re committed to coming on the full talk journey with you?”

When thinking about your speech, spend a lot of time thinking about how to win the battle for their attention. Your introduction should make your audience want to put down their phones and listen. Your introduction should be so compelling they stop their wandering minds and turn their thoughts to you and you alone. Your introduction should start with three strong words where they form a strong opinion of you and your speech.  Let me share how to accomplish this. 

Capturing the audience through the story is one of the most powerful ways to start a speech. A story engages the brain in powerful ways and causes the audience’s brains to sync with the speakers. A well-told story will allow the audience to “see” things in their mind’s eye and to join the speaker’s emotions.

Watch this clip by Ric Elias for how he begins his speech with a powerful story. Particularly notice his first four words, “Imagine a big explosion.” 

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. I was the only one who could talk to the flight attendants. So I looked at them right away, and they said, “No problem. We probably hit some birds.” The pilot had already turned the plane around, and we weren’t that far. You could see Manhattan. Two minutes later, three things happened at the same time.

Ric Elias, Three Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed. 

Consider these other examples and notice how the speaker uses a story.

More powerful introductions using story:

I love you, I believe in you and it’s going to be OK. The three things that I needed to hear three years ago when I felt more abandoned than ever. I remember that day as if it happen this morning. It was Sunday and I had just woken up early at a brisk 12:30 in the afternoon. Ryan Brooks, Honesty, courage, and the importance of brushing your teeth.  When I was nine years old I went off to summer camp for the first time. And my mother packed me a suitcase full of books, which to me seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. Because in my family, reading was the primary group activity. And this might sound antisocial to you, but for us, it was really just a different way of being social. You have the animal warmth of your family sitting right next to you, but you are also free to go roaming around the adventureland inside your own mind. And I had this idea that camp was going to be just like this, but better. Susan Cain. The Power of Introverts. I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia. Jill Bolte Taylor, My Stroke of Insight. A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails. I’m not quite sure how, but it turned up in my inbox, and it was from a guy called Solomon Odonkoh.  James Veitch This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email. Eleven years ago, while giving birth to my first child, I hemorrhaged and was transfused with seven pints of blood. Four years later, I found out that I had been infected with the AIDS virus and had unknowingly passed it to my daughter, Ariel, through my breast milk, and my son, Jake, in utero. Elizabeth Glaser,  Address to the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

Good stories immediately set the stage and introduce you to the place and to the people. Doing this helps your brain can form a structure where the story takes place. It helps you see the story unfold in your mind.  If you need help starting a story, Vanessa Van Edwards suggests these prompts:

• Once upon a time.
• I’m here for a reason, and it’s an interesting story.
• The best thing that ever happened to me was.

There is an entire chapter on the Power of Story that can be found here.

Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood. – Mary Hirsch

  When Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane spoke at Harvard Commencemen t in the rain, he started with “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electrical equipment.” People laughed, people smiled, and the speech was off to a strong start. Humor works because it gives the audience a hit of the feel-good hormone dopamine. That is … if you are funny. If you decide to use humor, make sure you are funny. Test your humor on honest friends. In addition, the humor you use should fit your personality and your audience. Be warned, some groups would find humor inappropriate, do your research.

Watch this clip for how Tshering Tobgay begins his speech with humor. 

In case you are wondering, no, I’m not wearing a dress, and no, I’m not saying what I’m wearing underneath. (Laughter) This is a go. This is my national dress. This is how all men dress in Bhutan. That is how our women dress. Like our women, we men get to wear pretty bright colors, but unlike our women, we get to show off our legs. Our national dress is unique, but this is not the only thing that’s unique about my country. Our promise to remain carbon neutral is also unique, and this is what I’d like to speak about today, our promise to remain carbon neutral.

Tshering Tobgay, This Country Isn’t Just Carbon Neutral–Its Carbon Negative. 

More powerful introductions using humor

I didn’t rebel as a teenager.   I started late and was still going at it the summer I turned thirty. I just became an American citizen, I divorced my husband, I got a big tattoo of a bat on my arm, and I joined a New York City punk band. Danusia Trevino, Guilty I need to make a confession at the outset here. A 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. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school. Dan Pink, The Puzzle of Motivation.  It is really interesting to be a woman and to get to 45 and to not be married yet and to not have kids, especially when you have pushed out your fifth kid on television. Tracee Ellis Ross, 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year. I am not drunk …but the doctor who delivered me was.” (reference the shake she has due to a botched medical procedure at birth causing her cerebral palsey). Maysoon Zayid, I’ve Got 99 Prolbems and Cerebral Palsey is Not One of Them .

Salutation followed by humor

Oh boy, thank you so much, thank you so much.   Thank you, President Cowan, Mrs. President Cowen; distinguished guests, undistinguished guests, you know who you are, honored faculty and creepy Spanish teacher.   And thank you to all the graduating Class of 2009, I realize most of you are hungover and have splitting headaches and haven’t slept since Fat Tuesday, but you can’t graduate ’til I finish, so listen up. When I was asked to make the commencement speech, I immediately said yes.   Then I went to look up what commencement meant which would have been easy if I had a dictionary, but most of the books in our house are Portia’s, and they’re all written in Australian.   So I had to break the word down myself, to find out the meaning. Commencement: common, and cement, common cement.   You commonly see cement on sidewalks.   Sidewalks have cracks, and if you step on a crack, you break your mother’s back.   So there’s that.   But I’m honored that you’ve asked me here to speak at your common cement Ellen DeGenres, Commencement Speech at Tulane. Well, thank you. Thank you Mr. President, First Lady, King Abdullah of Jordan, Norm, distinguished guests. Please join me in praying that I don’t say something we’ll all regret. That was for the FCC. If you’re wondering what I’m doing here, at a prayer breakfast, well so am I. I’m certainly not here as a man of the cloth, unless that cloth is — is leather. Bono at  the  54th annual National Prayer Breakfast.  

Starting your speech by sharing a little-known fact, can be powerful. For this to fully work, you need to have the audience’s attention from the very first word. Read on for how these speakers started strong.

Powerful introductions using facts

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. Jamie Oliver, Teach Every Child About Food. So I want to start by offering you a free, no-tech life hack, and all it requires of you is this: that you change your posture for two minutes. Amy Cuddy, Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are. 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 lie spotter and why you might want to go the extra mile and go from lie spotting to truth seeking, and ultimately to trust building. Pamela Meyer, How to Spot a Liar. You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.  Jane McGonigal. The Game That Can Give You Ten Extra Years of Life. There are 900,000 divorces   in the United States of America every year.   Fewer than 10% of them   ever talked to anybody about their relationship.   So why would you need a science?   Well, we need a science to develop effective treatment   and understanding of how to make love work.   Why?   Why should we care about having great relationships?   Well, it turns out that in the past 50 years,   a field called social epidemiology has emerged,   and it shows that great friendships,   great love relationships between lovers and parents and children   lead to greater health – mental health as well as physical health –   greater wealth, greater resilience,   faster recovery from illness,   greater longevity –   if you want to live 10 to 15 years longer, work on your relationships,   not just your exercise –   and more successful children as well.   John Gottman. The Science of Love.  This room may appear to be holding 600 people but there is actually so many more because within each of us there is a multiple of personalities. Elizabeth Lesser,  Take the Other to Lunch.

Using a physical object can draw the audience’s attention. Make sure you plan the timing of the prop, and you practice with it. It is important that it is large enough for the audience to see and they can see it well enough that they are not frustrated. Depending on your speech, it may be appropriate to put it away, so it is not distracting.

Powerful introductions using props

Darren Tay walks onto the stage and stares at the audience. He pulls a pair of underwear out of his pocket and puts them on over his suit. “Hey loser how do you like your new school uniform. I think it looks great on you. Those were the words of my high school bully Greg Upperfield. Now if you are all wondering if the underwear that Greg used was clean, I had the same questions. Darren Tay, Outsmart, Outlast. Toastmasters 2016 World Champion of Public Speaking . Mohammed Qahtani walks onstage, puts a cigarette in his mouth … then looks up as if noticing the audience and says, “What?” As the audience laughs, he continues. “Oh, you all think smoking kills? Ha-ha, let me tell you something. Do you know that the amount of people dying from diabetes are three times as many [as the] people dying from smoking? Yet if I pulled out a Snickers bar, nobody would say anything.” He goes on to say, his facts are made up and his real topic is about how words have power. Mohammed Qahtani, Toastmasters 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking

JA Gamach blows a train whistle and then starts his speech as if he were a conductor, “All aboard! It’s a bright sunny day and you are taking a train. You are wearing a pair of sandals you proudly made yourself. As you board the train one of your sandals slips off and falls beside the track.  (J.A. loses one sandal that falls down the platform.)  You try to retrieve it. Too late. The train starts to pull away. What would you have done? I would have cursed my bad luck, mad at losing a sandal. JA Gamache, Toastmasters 2007 World Championship. 

Use a Quotation

Powerful introductions using quotes.

Rules for using quotes

• Be sure to use the quote purposefully and not just as placeholders.
• Quotes can just take up valuable space where you could put content unless they are not properly used.
• Let the quote be more important than the author. When using a quote at the opening, say the quote first and then the author. When using a quote at the end of a speech, say the author first and then the quote.
• Keep it short and sweet. Use a quote that gets to the point quickly.
• If you must use long quotes–put them on your slide.
• If you project a quote, read it to the audience. Never expect them to read it while you talk about something else. Never say stupid things like, “You can read, I’ll let you read this for yourselves” or “Your adults, I’ll let you process this.”
• Check the authorship and authenticity of the quote. There are so many quotes on the internet that are misattributed and misquoted. For example, who wrote the quote: “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel”?
• Do not go for the overused quote or your audience is prone to dismiss it.  Instead of quoting an overused “I have a dream quote” do as Jim Key, the 2003 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking did and pick an equally great but lesser-used Martin Luther King Quote: “The time is always right to do what is right!”

Watch Nate Stauffer at a Moth Grand Slam as he uses poetry to start and carry his story.

Watch this clip for how Andrew Solomon opens with a quote to make us think about depression. 

Andrew Solomon, Depression, The Secret We Share. 

Reference the Occasion

Ceremonial speeches often call for acknowledgment of those in attendance or a mention of the occasion. Here is how Martin Luther King Junior set up his famous speech. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Martin Luther King Junior, I Have a Dream.

Get the Audience Involved

Having the audience stand, raise their hand, or even nod in encouragement can cause them to focus on your message. This can be particularly helpful if the audience has been sitting for a while. Let me show you a few examples of how that works.

Ask a Question

You can involve the audience from the start by asking them a question.

Watch the first few minutes of Amy Purdy’s speech and how she starts with a question, “ If your life were a book   and you were the author,   how would you want your story to go?” 

More powerful introductions using a question

I’m here today to talk about a disturbing question, which has an equally disturbing answer. My topic is the secret of domestic violence and the question I’m going to tackle is the one everyone always asks. Why would she stay? Why would anyone stay with a man who beats her? Why Domestic Violence Victims Don’t Leave- Leslie Morgan Steiner Here’s a question we need to rethink together: What should be the role of money and markets in our societies? Today, there are very few things that money can’t buy. If you’re sentenced to a jail term in Santa Barbara, California, you should know that if you don’t like the standard accommodations, you can buy a prison cell upgrade. It’s true. For how much, do you think? What would you guess? Five hundred dollars? It’s not the Ritz-Carlton. It’s a jail! Eighty-two dollars a night. Eighty-two dollars a night. Michael Sandel, Why We Shouldn’t Trust Markets with Our Civic Life.

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? For example: Why is Apple so innovative? Year after year, after year, after year, they’re more innovative than all their competition. Simon Sinek, How Great Leaders Inspire Action.  Can you remember a moment when a brilliant idea flashed into your head? Darren LaCroix,  Ouch! World Champion of Public Speaking.

Have the Audience Participate

If you ask a question you want the audience to answer, be sure to give them time to respond. If they raise their hands, be sure to acknowledge their response. You might have the answer by standing, by raising their hands, by speaking to their neighbor. You might call on one member of the audience to answer for the group.

If you ask a question you want the audience to answer, don’t let your presentation slide give away the answer. For example, one speaker had a slide behind him that said, “Lesson 1: Don’t Worry About IQ.” He has the audience raise their hand if they want to improve their grades then he asks, “So can I get a show of hands, how many would say IQ is going to be the most important to get those marks to go up?” Very few people responded because the answer was “written on the wall” literally.

Watch this clip as Allan Pease engages the audience.

Everybody hold your right hand in front like this in a handshaking position. Uncross your legs. Relaxed position. Right hand in front. When I say the word, “Now” here’s what we’re going to do. I am going to ask you to turn to someone besides you, shake hands as if you’re meeting for the first time, and keep pumping till I ask you to stop. Then you’ll stop and freeze it and we’re going to analyze what’s happening. You got that? You don’t have time to think about this. Do it now. Pick anybody and pump. Pump, everybody. Freeze it. Hold it. Stop. Hold it. Freeze it. Keep your hands locked. Keep them locked. The person whose hand is most on top is saying “I’ll be the boss for the rest of the day.” Allan Pease, Body Language, the Power is in the Palm of Your Hands. 

More powerful introductions using audience participation

I have a confession to make. But first, I want you to make a little confession to me. In the past year, I want you to just raise your hand if you’ve experienced relatively little stress? Kelly McGonigal, How to Make Stress Your Friend. So I’d like to start, if I may, by asking you some questions. If you’ve ever lost someone you truly loved, ever had your heartbroken, ever struggled through an acrimonious divorce, or being the victim of infidelity, please stand up. If standing up isn’t accessible to you, you can put your hand up. Please stay standing and keep your hand up there. If you’ve ever lived through a natural disaster, being bullied or made redundant, stand on up. If you’ve ever had a miscarriage, if you’ve ever had an abortion or struggled through infertility, please stand up. Finally, if you or anyone you love has had to cope with mental illness, dementia, some form of physical impairment or cope with suicide, please stand up. Look around you. Adversity doesn’t discriminate. If you are alive, you are going to have to, or you’ve already had to, deal with some tough times Thank you, everyone. Take a seat. Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People.  Advice from Moth Storytelling Club Have a great first line that sets up the stakes and grabs attention No: “So I was thinking about climbing this mountain. But then I watched a little TV and made a snack and took a nap and my mom called and vented about her psoriasis then I did a little laundry (a whites load) (I lost another sock, darn it!) and then I thought about it again and decided I’d climb the mountain the next morning.” Yes: “The mountain loomed before me. I had my hunting knife, some trail mix and snow boots. I had to make it to the little cabin and start a fire before sundown or freeze to death for sure.”  

Arouse Suspense or Curiosity

Watch this clip for how Kathryn Schulz creates curiosity by showing us Johnny Depp’s tattoo and then talks about her tattoo of regret. We hang on to her every word wondering, “Where is all this going and how bad can her tattoo really be?”

So that’s Johnny Depp, of course.   And that’s Johnny Depp’s shoulder.   And that’s Johnny Depp’s famous shoulder tattoo.   Some of you might know that, in 1990,   Depp got engaged to Winona Ryder,   and he had tattooed on his right shoulder   “Winona forever.”   And then three years later —   which in fairness, kind of is forever by Hollywood standards —   they broke up,   and Johnny went and got a little bit of repair work done.   And now his shoulder says, “Wino forever.”

Kathryn Schulz, Don’t Regret, Regret. 

  Saying unexpected things or challenging assumptions can get a speech started off right. A herd of wildebeests, a shoal of fish, a flock of birds. Many animals gather in large groups that are among the most wonderful spectacles in the natural world. But why do these groups form? The common answers include things like seeking safety in numbers or hunting in packs or gathering to mate or breed, and all of these explanations, while often true, make a huge assumption about animal behavior, that the animals are in control of their own actions, that they are in charge of their bodies. And that is often not the case. Ed Yong. Zombie Roaches and Other Parasite Tales. TED Talk

 Keys to Success

Memorize your first sentence so you can deliver it with impact. Memorize your whole speech opening if possible. Make sure your first three words have an impact.

Typical Patterns for Speech Openings

• Get the audience’s attention–called a hook or a grabber.
• Establish rapport and tell the audience why you care about the topic of why you are credible to speak on the topic.
• Introduce the speech thesis/preview/good idea.
• Tell the audience why they should care about this topic.
• Give a transition statement to the body of the speech.

Step Two: Credibility

First, you hook the audience with your powerful grabber, then you tell them why you are credible to speak on the topic and why the topic is important. If they know your credentials, you would not need to tell them your credibility but you may still want to tell them why you are interested in the topic. Here are a few examples of how some speakers included credibility.

Tell Why You Are Credible

I’m a doctor, but I kind of slipped sideways into research, and now I’m an epidemiologist. Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science.  I started studying resilience research a decade ago at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It was an amazing time to be there because the professors who trained me had just picked up the contract to train all 1.1 million American soldiers to be as mentally fit as they always have been physically fit. Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People.  What I’m going to do is to just give a few notes,   and this is from a book I’m preparing called   “Letters to a Young Scientist.”   I’d thought it’d be appropriate to   present it, on the basis that I have had extensive experience   in teaching, counseling scientists across a broad array of fields.   And you might like to hear some of the principles that I’ve developed in doing   that teaching and counseling. EO Wilson: Advice to a Young Scientist. 

Step Three: Tell Why it is Important

Early on in your speech, you should tell the audience why they should care. You should connect the speech to things they care about. This is where you answer, so what, who cares?

You know, I didn’t set out to be a parenting expert. In fact, I’m not very interested in parenting, per se. It’s just that there’s a certain style of parenting these days that is kind of messing up kids, impeding their chances to develop.  Julie Lythcott-Haims, How to Raise Successful Kids – Without Over-Parenting

Step Four: Tell the Purpose of the Talk (aka Preview/ Thesis)

“If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.” – Harvey Diamond, author

Tell the audience your purpose, clearly give them an overview of the main points.  MIT professor, Patrick Winston says one of the best things to add to your speech is an empowerment promise. You want to tell people what they will know at the end of your speech that they didn’t know at the beginning. It’s their reason for being here.  His empowerment promise was, “Today you will see some examples of what you can put in your armory of speaking techniques and it will be the case that one of those examples–some heuristic, some technique, maybe only one will be the one that will get you the job. By the end of the next 60 minutes, you will have been exposed to a lot of ideas, some of which you will incorporate into your own repertoire, and they will ensure that you get the maximum opportunity to have your ideas valued and accepted by the people you speak with.” Notice that this statement told you what to expect and why it mattered.

Here are examples of how various speakers accomplished this.

For years, I’ve been telling people, stress makes you sick. It increases the risk of everything from the common cold to cardiovascular disease. Basically, I’ve turned stress into the enemy. But I have changed my mind about stress, and today, I want to change yours. Kelly McGonigal, How to Make Stress Your Friend.   We’ve been sold the lie that disability is a Bad Thing, capital B, capital T. It’s a bad thing, and to live with a disability makes you exceptional. It’s not a bad thing, and it doesn’t make you exceptional. Stella Young, I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much

What I’m going to show you is all of the main things, all of the main features of my discipline, evidence-based medicine. And I will talk you through all of these and demonstrate how they work, exclusively using examples of people getting stuff wrong. Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science.  I would like to think that we (Arab women) poor, oppressed women actually have some useful, certainly hard-earned lessons to share, lessons that might turn out useful for anyone wishing to thrive in the modern world. Here are three of mine. Leila Hoteit, Three Lessons on Success from an Arab businesswoman We are often terrified and fascinated by the power hackers now have. They scare us. But the choices they make have dramatic outcomes that influence us all. So I am here today because I think we need hackers, and in fact, they just might be the immune system for the information age. Sometimes they make us sick, but they also find those hidden threats in our world, and they make us fix it. Keren Elazari. Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System Try This — Inspired by TED Master Class After you write your thesis, send it to three people with the question, “Based on what you read here, what do you think my speech will be about?”  

Putting It All Together

At this point, you know you need to have a grabber, a preview, a credibility statement, and a so-what-who-cares statement.  Let’s take a look at one of the top TED talks of all time by Jamie Oliver. This speech is a good illustration of everything we’ve been talking about so far and how all this works together.

“Everybody close your eyes.”

I don’t want to close my eyes; it makes me feel awkward and exposed to be in a group of people with my eyes closed. Because of that, I keep my eyes open. The problem is  when I keep my eyes open, I feel like some sort of horrible nonconformist rebel. I feel awkward with my eyes closed and I feel guilty if they are open. Either way, I just feel bad. Besides, half of the time when speakers tell audience members to close their eyes, they forget to tell us when we can open them. If you are wanting me to imagine a story, just tell me to imagine it, don’t make me close my eyes (rant over).

“Can everybody hear me?”

You should plan your opening to be intentional and with power. “Can everybody hear me” is a weak and uncertain statement and this is not the first impression you want to leave. Do a microphone check before the audience members arrive and have someone stand in different corners of the room to make sure you can be heard. Don’t waste your valuable speech time with questions that you should already know the answer to.

“How long do I have to speak?”

You should know that before you begin. Even if the presentations for the day are running over and you are the last speaker, you should ask the MC before you begin. Always plan your first words with power.

“Can you read this?”

You should make your slides big, really big. Test out your slides in advance of your speech, walk all around the room and make sure you can read them. Have a friend check them out as well. You should know they are big enough because you planned for it and tested it.

“Turn off your cell phones and laptops.”

People really hate having things taken away, not to mention that your audience may want to take notes on their devices. Chances are you are speaking to adults, let them determine if it is appropriate to have out their technology.

“I’m sorry, I’m losing my voice.” “I’m stopped up.” “I’m under the weather.”

Stop apologizing! Stop making excuses!  While these lines may be true, they just come of as excuses and can make the audience either feel like you don’t want to be there, or they just feel sorry for you.

“I’m so nervous right now.”

Talking about your nervousness will make you more nervous and will make them look for signs of your nervousness. Just start your speech.

“So, Um, Ok.”

Do not start with hesitation. Plan the first words, memorize the first words, practice the first words.  Do not start with “Ok, so um, now I’d like…” Plan strong and start strong.

Do Not Discuss Your Business with People Watching…Really! I Mean It! Many of us are giving and listening to presentations in an online format.  I have attended numerous presentations this year through Zoom where I have to sit and watch while the organizers engage in personal small talk or deal with the details of the presentation. This is how the speech I recently attended began. “Donna, you are going to share your screen, right?” “Yes. I have my PowerPoint ready to go. Will you push “record” when I give the signal?” “Sure. Where did you say that button is again? Do you think we should wait five more minutes, I think we had more who were coming? Dave, what was the total we were expecting?” “Yeah, we had 116 sign up, but the reminders went out late so this may be all we have. We can give them a few more minutes to log on.” “Donna, How is your dog? Is she still struggling with her cone since her spay surgery? My dog never would wear the cone –she tore her stitches out and broke her wound open. It was terrible. Well, it looks like it is about time to begin, thank you everyone for coming.” If you are organizing an event online, hosting a speech online, giving a presentation online–please keep it professional. Most platforms will allow you to keep the audience in a waiting room until it is time to start. If you have a business to deal with, keep the audience out until you have everything ready to go. Once the audience is in the meeting, you should engage the audience in group-type small talk or you should just start the presentation. In professional settings, you should start the meeting on time. Why punish those who showed up on time to wait for those who aren’t there yet?

A Conversation Over Coffee with Bill Rogers

I asked my long-time friend, Bill Rogers, to write an excerpt to add to the book.  I met Bill when he was the Chief Development Officer for a hospital in Northwest Arkansas and I met him again when he was reinventing himself as a college student getting a Master’s Degree in the theater.  He would love to share a symbolic cup of coffee with you and give you advice about public speaking. 

Perfect morning for a walk, isn’t it? Join me for a cup of coffee? Wonderful. Find us a table and I’ll get our coffee.

There you go; just like you like it. There’s nothing like a great cup of coffee on the patio of your neighborhood coffee shop, is there?

Now that you’re settled in your favorite chair, take a sip, and let that glorious caffeine kick in and do its stuff. Okay, let’s talk.

So, you were asking me about public speaking.

Well, let’s see. Where do we begin?

One of the first pieces of advice I ever received was to imagine that every member of your audience is sitting there in their underwear! Yeah, right. That never worked for me. I tried it once with a local civic group of community leaders both male and female. If the intent of that tidbit is to make you relax, it certainly didn’t work for me. It just made me more self-conscious…and more nervous. I not only got distracted, but I also lost my train of thought, I started sweating, and, of course, imagined myself standing there without clothes. Needless to say, that speech was a disaster and I’ve never used it again. I suggest you don’t either.

In the early days, I also relied very heavily on my typed-up speech. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that unless you find yourself reading it word for word as I did. Nothing is more boring nor puts an audience to sleep quicker than a speaker with their nose down reading a speech. There’s no connection and connection with your audience is key.

As you know, I love theatre and I’ve done a bit of acting over the years. Early on, I learned that the quicker I learned my lines, the more I could play, experiment, and shape my character. It relaxed me and gave me enormous freedom. It led me to find a mantra for myself: “With discipline comes freedom.” This freedom will allow you to improvise as your audience or situation dictates while still conveying the core message of your presentation. That discipline and its resulting freedom apply to public speaking of any kind and, I think, will serve you well.

Another old adage we’ve all heard is Aristotle’s advice. You know the one. No? Well, roughly, it’s to tell your audience what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you just said. That’s the basic formula for public speaking. And it works as a good place to start.

However, effective speaking is much more and, to me, it starts with a story or even a simple sentence.

You know the feeling you get when you read the first sentence of a good book and it just reaches out and grabs you? That should be your goal with every presentation. One sentence to capture your audience’s attention. Something that causes them to lean forward. Something that sparks their imagination.

It doesn’t have to be all that profound either. It can be something very simple. A personal story that relates to your topic. A relevant fact or statistic that defines or illustrates the issue or subject matter at hand.

A couple of classics come to mind. The first is Alice Walker’s, “The Color of Purple.”

“You better not tell nobody but God.”

And the second one is from my favorite novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee.

“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm broken at the elbow.”

Both sentences hook you immediately. A few simple words speak volumes. After reading or hearing those words, you naturally lean in. You want to learn more. You want to find out what happens next. Every effective speech or presentation does the same thing.

Of course, make sure that the first and last thing you say to your audience is both relevant and appropriate. I share this out of an abundance of caution. I once worked for an internationally recognized and well-respected children’s research hospital and I was given the privilege to speak at a national educational convention. The room was filled wall to wall with teachers. I thought I’d be cute and add a little levity. I opened my presentation with this line, “You know, I’ve had nightmares like this…” Instead of the roars of laughter, I was expecting, a wave of silence ensued. Not only was the line not funny, but it was also wholly inappropriate and I immediately lost my audience. Not my best day. Learn from my mistakes.

Finally, let’s touch on the importance of approaching a speech as a conversation. You and I are sitting here enjoying our coffee and having a friendly, relaxed conversation. Strive for that every chance you get. You may not always have that luxury. Some speeches and presentations simply demand formality. But even in those cases, you can usually make it somewhat conversational. I always try to write my speeches in a conversational style. Like I’m talking to a friend…or trying to make a new one.

So, to recap: tell a story, learn your lines, hook your audience with a simple sentence, close with a question or call to action, use repetition, keep it conversational, treat your audience as a friend, and give yourself permission to relax.

Above all, be yourself. Allow yourself to be as relaxed as you are with those closest to you. If you’re relaxed, if you try to think of your audience as a friend, then, in most cases, they too will relax and they will root for you. Even if they disagree with what you are telling them, they will respect you and they will listen.

How about another cup?

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

• The most important part of your speech is the introduction because if you don’t get their attention, they are not listening to the rest of what you have to say.
• To get attention, tell a story, use humor, share a quote, tell a startling fact, show a prop, ask a question, reference the occasion.
• In addition to the grabber, a good introduction should establish rapport and tell the audience why you are credible.
• An introduction often includes a “so what who cares statement” to tell the audience why this should matter to them.
• The thesis/preview should be clear enough that someone could read just that sentence or couple of sentences and know what the speech is about.

Please share your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas.

I want to hear from you. 

Do you have an activity to include? Did you notice a typo that I should correct? Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it? Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?

Click here to share your feedback. 

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7 ways for opening a speech! The ideal speech introduction to grab your audience’s attention

Maybe you know this: you may or must give a speech, but how do you start? Whether you’re giving a speech as an employer or to your colleagues, or you’re an external keynote speaker, the principles are always the same. Likewise, your preparation is not much different: whether it’s a keynote at a kick-off event , the festive speech at the company Christmas party , a motivational speech at a team event or even a laudatory speech at an awards ceremony – the search for the right begining should not be left to chance.

How do you get your audience’s attention so that they want to listen and can follow you easily? How do you sound interesting? In this article you will get the necessary tips for your ideal start for your next speech to inspire your audience. I have collected these speech introductions and examples in my work in the field of public speaking as a presenter and keynote speaker in front of over 5 million people.

Why is the beginning, i.e. the first few minutes of a presentation, so important? This is where the first impression is being made. Your audience intuitively decides within a few seconds whether they like the speaker and want to follow. After that, you still have up to three minutes to pick up your audience with the content of your speech.

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The first impression is crucial for further success

There’s a saying that goes, “ There’s no second chance for a first impression. ” It takes between 100 milliseconds and 7 seconds for your audience to get the same impression of you. If you as a speaker fail to make that first impression, no matter how impressive your speech, it will be very difficult to pick up your audience. 

US comedian Jerry Seinfeld , one of the most famous American comedians of the 90s, said that his fame only gives him a starting bonus for the first three minutes – at the latest then he has to deliver. If you don’t enjoy the celebrity bonus in your speeches, that means you have to deliver right from the get go to win over your audience.

Requirements for the ideal introduction for your speech

Before you can wow people as a speaker and give any thought to content, you need to set the stage. If you want to give a good speech and move your audience from A to B, two things are essential: you need to know where you want to go and where your audience is coming from .

Know the outcome of your speech

If you don’t know in which direction you want to move your audience, then no amount of tips will get you there. So before you tinker with the ideal introduction, you need to be clear about what your outcome is .

 What feeling do you want the audience to have when you leave the stage? What impression do you want to convey as a speaker? Even more public speaking tips you can find here.

Know your audience members

If you want to catch a fish, you have to use a bait that tastes good to the fish, not to the fisherman . The same applies to presentations: who decides what is a top speech? That is, of course, in the eye of your audience. Therefore, it is all the more important to know who the people are, listening to your speech. 

An American proverb says that your audience doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Your audience won’t pay attention to you until they see that your speech is relevant to them. As a speaker, do you bring examples and tips and answer questions in your main points that matter to the audience? Do your main ideas strike a cord?

Tip: Try to find out as much as possible to know in advance what moves your audience and why people are here today. If you have the opportunity, use the time for successful networking and listen to their needs.

The goal of an ideal introduction to your speech

Only after you know your outcome and your audience you can focus on how to start your presentation, because now you know as a speaker in which direction your ship should sail. If you want to give a speech, you need to get your audience interested in you and your main points. For this to happen, you need the attention of your audience.

Speaker Tip: First create attention , then develop interest in your message and your main points to make it worth listening for your audience.

Giving a speech: seven perfect speech introductions

Now let’s look at tips and examples of how you as a speaker can inspire your audience. These tips should give you a guideline from where you can successfully transition from your chosen introduction to the main part and final part of your speech.

1. He who asks, leads – starting with a question

An elegant way to begin a speech is with a question . The goal is to engage your listener directly in your opening and generate interest. In order for the question to be effective, it must be tailored to your target audience. The question may be provocative, surprising or even make you smile, but it must be relevant.

For example, if you’re speaking to a group of retirees, a question like “Which one of you went to a disco last weekend?” would be just as out of place as asking a group of Wall street brokers “Which one of you has been involved in stocks?”. Your audience needs to feel like you know who you’re dealing with.

“Who remembers what they did last Saturday night?” was an opening I chose many years ago when giving a speech. Of course, after that, there was a story about my Saturday night that fit right in with the theme of my speech. People were immediately involved and everyone was thinking. Because just about everybody did something last Saturday and so it was relevant… even if many didn’t even remember it. 

With questions that fit the topics, you are sure to get the attention of the participants. However, always pay attention to what you trigger in your audience with a question and, if requested, also provide the appropriate answer.

Another speaking tip: When you ask a question, give your audience time to respond . Whether out loud, with a show of hands, or silently, people need time for what you say to have an impact. Of course, questions can also be used during your speech.

2. Start your speech with a quote

Using the words of another person in your speech is a proven way. The art of building a good speech is to pick up your audience where they are. A pointed quote that gets to the heart of your ideas or the occasion is the basic premise for choosing someone else’s statement as your lead-in. If people are familiar with the name of the person you are quoting, it gives you added credibility as a speaker.

Very similar to a quote is using a proverb to start your speech. Again, there is often a deeper wisdom behind it. Link this to the idea of your speech and you have a great introduction.

Again, I’ll give you an example from my own experience when I was asked to give a presentation on the topic of corporate mission statements many years ago. I decided to start with a quote, but the number of quotes on this topic are manageable. However, the corporate mission statement compares very well with the soul for people, and so on this occasion I found a quote on the subject of the soul and then drew the analogy with the corporate mission statement. “Outside the box” solutions are also the speaker’s friend. 

3. Inspire your audience with storytelling

A particularly powerful way to start is to share a story or personal real life experience with your audience at the beginning of your presentation. With a personal story, you create compelling moments and build an emotional connection with your audience. However, this is also where the biggest danger lies: your story must absolutely correspond to the facts and at the same time should have a connection to the topic of the event. The audience has a good nose for it, if you serve them a “suitably made” story.

Of course, storytelling is not limited to stories you have experienced yourself. You can also draw on a current or even historical event. Important, as mentioned above, is the connection to the goal of your presentation. Also, make sure that you start right in the relevant event and do not begin with Adam and Eve. Especially extroverted people like to get into narration and then it can happen that you lose the drive to your actual presentation and your audience is no longer on the point.

One of my stage coaching clients, for example, took his audience into a situation right at the beginning of his speech when he was at the start of his first triathlon. He immediately built up a tension, because he put his audience directly into it instead of talking about preparation and planning for the triathlon. Because he also found the right tone, the speech went down great. Bonus tip for your speech: Stories absolutely need to be rehearsed and tailored to your audience and the occasion. This does not mean, as already mentioned, that you add things, but that you leave out unnecessary things. Don’t just tell from memory, but really practice.

4. Start with an open loop

Starting with an open loop is something like the supreme discipline. Here, you start with a story, but don’t finish telling it until the end of your speech . This type of introduction is certainly a bit unusual and, in my opinion, more suitable for experienced speakers, especially to keep the tension high.

You start with the open loop in the same way as with storytelling and take your audience along until the point where the tension is at its highest. Instead of the resolution, you lead into the topic of your speech and then come to the main part, where the content is presented with further examples. Only at the end do you pick up the ball of your introductory story again and close the open loop.

As an example, I start one of my keynote speeches with such an open loop: I take the audience on my experience at the New York City Marathon. Since my preparation for it was far from ideal due to injuries, I wasn’t sure until the start how far I would run that day. My speech started with the thoughts going through my head at the start, with my uncertainty but also anticipation. The start of the marathon was then the Open Loop, which I only resolved at the end of the speech.

5. Enchant the audience with parables

A parable is a very short to short story which might not even have a plot of its own. While a parable can be told with action, as if something has actually taken place, it can also be about something hypothetical: “Imagine…” or “Suppose…”. In both cases, the point is that we want to make a connection to the content. 

The purpose of parables is to pick up the audience as they enter your presentation and provide an emotional experience that immediately introduces them to the topic through your words.

6. Facts, figures and statistics as an introduction for the speech

The FFS introduction is particularly useful if you have facts, figures or statistics that are not familiar to your audience and are also unusual. In addition, it must of course fit your topic and possibly support your thesis. A personalized statistic works best to meet your audience’s needs.

When we were designing the outline for one of my Executive Legacy Coaching clients’ investor pitch, we made a conscious decision to start with a number that would probably come as a surprise to many listeners. To back up the pain point that his product solves, he asked the panel how much they thought that an unhappy employee costs a company per year. Starting with that number was so effective because the audience’s estimates were all substantially lower than the true number, creating an a-ha effect.

7. Looking back

Another way to start your speech is with a look back . This variant is particularly suitable if you are to give a speech on the occasion of an anniversary or birthday. In your preparation, you should pay special attention to who is sitting in your audience: what connection do they have to the person or the company or the occasion and, above all, have they experienced the period themselves.

Some time ago, I had the privilege of being on stage at a company’s 20th anniversary. In order to give the audience as emotional an experience as possible, I first had to find out who was in the audience. Have people lived through these last 20 years, and are they likely to remember the moment from 20 years ago? Since my audience was mostly over 35 years old I assumed that was the case. Thus I dove into the world of 20 years ago: how did the world look and what moved people at the time? Immediately the people were in the emotions of the memories and from that I could then draw a bow to the company anniversary: “much has changed, but one thing has remained the same…”.

Giving a speech: here’s what you should avoid when getting started

Jokes are for comedians.

There are talented joke tellers and there are those who always flub the punch line. If you feel uncomfortable in the role of the joker, don’t do it. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t spice up the introduction with a little humor. Humor arouses positive emotions and loosens the atmosphere. A humorous introduction, which also works without a joke, signals to the participants that the event will not be dry as dust and that it is worth staying for.

Bonus tip: Humor is different in different regions and works best when you approach your audience with respect and humility.

Stay away from provocative introductions

A provocative introduction is like riding on a razor blade: very dangerous. You have to have an incredible ace up your sleeve to win your audience back. As a rule, I would strongly advise you not to use provocative introductions. If your audience perceives you as an unsympathetic person, no matter how ingenious the content of your speech, it will not bring the desired success.

Start with an apology

Some insecure speaker starts his speech with an apology for his insecurity or God knows what else. Please don’t do that. For one thing, the audience usually doesn’t notice it anyway, and for another, it immediately takes something away from your first impression. You might get sympathy for it, but in the rarest cases you will get the attention for your speech.

One of the most important tips I once received was that your audience wants you to win . That’s right, you read that correctly. Your audience wants you to be good. No one sits in the audience hoping for a boring speaker to come on now. Your audience wants you to do your job well. If you feel anxiety on the way to the stage, keep reading.

The way to the stage and the first seconds

The key to a perfect introduction lies not only in the preparation for your speech, but also in the emotional preparation in the moments before public speaking. Especially if you are nervous or even feel speech anxiety , it is even more important that you, to present convincingly, are in an ideal state.

Take a deep breath just before your performance, send positive emotions to your audience and off you go. Many speakers also like to take index cards with their notes to be prepared in case of an emergency. The phrase for the introduction as well as for the conclusion I would always write in full. For the main points, keywords are enough here.

When you finally arrive on stage, at first be aware of your audience . Before you begin, start with eye contact and confident body language to radiate stage presence . Only then, when you feel the attention of your audience, you start to talk. This confidence will automatically boost your credibility.

Bonus tip: if you’re unsure about your voice, a little voice training will help.

The ideal start for your virtual speech

Of course, the principles for your ideal start also apply at virtual events. So if you hold a webinar or a virtual presentation or are on stage at a hybrid event , nothing will change in the structure of your preparation. The main point in the virtual space is that you have to speak in front of the camera and this should be practiced. The specific elements of structuring your presentation stay the same.

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Feeling ready for your next speech?

In this article you have learned how to start your speech in an ideal way. Do you already have an idea which structure you like best? Remember that you always start with your outcome and your audience before you create a thread for your presentation.

The tone makes the music. Former American writer Maya Angelou summed it up this way: “Your audience won’t remember exactly what you said, but they’ll always remember how it made them feel.” Whatever the occasion, take your audience on an emotional journey.

If you feel that you still need help for your next speech or keynote , feel free to contact me  or just write me an e-mail ! Together many things are easier.

Which introduction appeals to you the most? Which start to a speech have you learned about here and would like to try out for your next performance? Please leave a comment below and share this article with someone who you think will profit from it. All the best for your next speeches.

There is no second chance for a first impression . The first impression is created in the first few seconds of perception and is crucial to whether your audience perceives you as likeable or unlikeable. If you mess up the first impression, the next few minutes will be a steep uphill climb to get the audience back on your side.

First, take three deep breaths and consciously put a smile on your face. Stand up straight, shoulders back, head up and visualize your audience and your goal. The important thing here is to move as quickly as possible from an internal focus (thinking about you) to an external focus (thinking about your audience). Imagine how your audience will benefit from your speech. For even more tips, I recommend you read my blog post Persuasive presentations: 3 Steps to Your Ideal State in Front of an Audience.

Ideally, you were introduced by a presenter who has also given some interesting background information about you to the audience. However, it always makes sense to leave nothing to chance here and, on the one hand, to discuss your introduction with the presenter upfront and, on the other hand, to include the most important points in your speech. I would always start with an introduction into the topic to get the audience interested and then introduce myself. The best way to find the right introduction is to read this article.

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How to Start a Speech: The Best (and Worst) Speech Openers

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One of the hardest things about public speaking is knowing how to start a speech. Your opening line is your first impression. It’s how you capture attention. It’s how you captivate the audience. So how do you make sure you nail it every time?

The best way to know how to open a speech is to look at what has worked in the past. When we examined the top speeches of all time and the most popular TED talks of all time, we found some interesting speaking patterns.

Time has identified the top 10 greatest speeches of all time. They are:

Opening Lines of the Top 10 Greatest Speeches of All Time

#1: Socrates – “Apology”

#2: Patrick Henry – “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”

#3: Frederick Douglass – “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”

#4: Abraham Lincoln – “Gettysburg Address”

Opening Line: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

#5: Susan B. Anthony – “Women’s Rights to the Suffrage”

#6: Winston Churchill – “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat”

#7: John F. Kennedy – “Inaugural Address”

Opening Line: “We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning — signifying renewal, as well as change.”

#8: Martin Luther King, Jr. – “I Have a Dream”

#9: Lyndon B. Johnson – “The American Promise”

#10: Ronald Reagan – “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate”

How do all of these historical greats start their speeches? Is there a difference between these and some of the more modern top TED talks?

Before we dive in, let’s recap with some critical do’s and don’ts when opening a speech:

Opening Lines of the Top 10 TED Talks of All Time

Here are the opening lines to the top 10 Ted Talks of all time according to view count:

#1: Sir Ken Robinson – “Do schools kill creativity?” Opening Line: “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.”

#2: Amy Cuddy – “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” Opening Line: “So I want to start by offering you a free, no-tech life hack, and all it requires of you is this: that you change your posture for two minutes.”

#3: Simon Sinek – “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”

#4: Brene Brown – “The Power of Vulnerability” Opening Line: “So, I’ll start with this: a couple years ago, an event planner called me because I was going to do a speaking event.”

#5: Mary Roach – “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Orgasm” Opening Line: “All right. I’m going to show you a couple of images from a very diverting paper in The Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.”

#6: Julian Treasure – “How to Speak so that People Want to Listen” Opening Line: “The human voice: It’s the instrument we all play.”

#7: Jill Bolte Taylor – “My Stroke of Insight” Opening Line: “I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia.”

#8: James Veitch – “This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email” Opening Line: “A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails.”

#9: Cameron Russell – “Looks Aren’t Everything; Believe Me, I’m a Model” Opening Line: “Hi. My name is Cameron Russell, and for the last little while, I’ve been a model.”

#10: Dan Pink – “The Puzzle of Motivation” Opening Line: “I need to make a confession at the outset here.”

What can we learn from these opening lines? There are some patterns that can help us. First, let’s start with what you shouldn’t do. Have you ever made one of these cardinal speaking sins?

Never Start a Presentation with…

Anything technical! This is a big mistake people make when they have not done a tech check ahead of time or are feeling nervous. Never start with these openers:

• Is this microphone working?
• Can you hear me?
• Wow, these lights are bright!

Your nervousness. Many people think it is vulnerable to start with how nervous they are about speaking — you can mention this later, but it should not be the first thing. Why? People will then only be looking for signs of your nervousness. Don’t start with:

• I’m so nervous right now!
• Wow there are so many people here.
• I’m not a great public speaker.

A lackluster or non-believable nicety. It’s great to be grateful to the person who introduced you, but it’s not a great way to include the audience. It’s ok to thank the audience for being there—but do it at the end (not as your opening line). These are all too boring:

• Thanks for having me.
• Thanks for that intro.
• Nice to be here.

Boring, shmoring! I have an exception here if you can make it funny. Ken Robinson started with a nicety and then turned it into a joke. He said, “ “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.”

More Public Speaking Resources

Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:

• 10 Presentation Ideas that will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills
• 6 Public Speaking Apps to try Before Your Next Presentation
• My Top 5 Favorite Public Speakers
• 15 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips To Become a Master Speaker
• How to Give Captivating Presentations
• How to Give an Awesome Toast

How to Start a Presentation

A story. The absolute best way to start a presentation is with a story. There is nothing better to capture the imagination and attention of an audience. Try to use these speaking openers as fill-in-the-blanks for your speech.

• I’m here for a reason. And it’s an interesting story…
• The best thing that ever happened to me was…
• Once upon a time…

In his talk, “The lies our culture tells us about what matters,” David Brooks started off with a great opening line AND a story. He said, “So, we all have bad seasons in life. And I had one in 2013. My marriage had just ended, and I was humiliated by that failed commitment.” Makes you want to watch right…

And if you need help on storytelling basics, be sure to check out some of my top 5 favorite speakers .

A BIG idea. Sometimes you want to share your big idea right up front. This can be helpful because it is intriguing and gets people clued in right away. All TED speakers try to integrate their big idea early.

• You’re here for a reason. It’s…
• The single most important thing I want to share with you today is…
• Today, I want to share a big idea…

I love how Stacy Smith starts off her talk with her big idea framed in an interesting way. She said, “Today, I want to tell you about a pressing social issue. Now, it’s not nuclear arms, it’s not immigration, and it’s not malaria. I’m here to talk about movies.”

Special Note: Be very careful to NOT deliver your one-liner by re-reading your title slide. You also want to position it as exciting and intriguing. For example, don’t say, “Today I am going to talk about body language.” Instead say, “Today I am going to teach you the single most important thing you can do to improve your charisma… and it starts with your body.”

A quirky one-liner. If you can use humor — do it! Humor or curiosity is a great way to start a speech on a high. You can get creative with these! Think of an interesting fact about you, your audience or your topic that can lead you into your content.

• One thing most people don’t know about me is…
• A teacher, a mother and a duck walk into a bar…
• I want to tell you something surprising.

When I gave my TEDx London Talk I started off with a quirky one-liner that immediately got a few laughs. It was “Hi, I’m Vanessa and I am a recovering awkward person.” It worked so well it is also the first line of my book, Captivate . 

II love the way Eve Ensler opens her speech with an interesting one-liner: “For a long time, there was me, and my body.”

This is a great tip from Conor Neill. He says that it is great to start with a question that the audience is asking themselves or would be very curious to know the answer to. This might be phrasing a pain point or worry for your audience.

• Do you ever worry about…?
• Have you ever wondered…?
• You might have always thought…

See Cono Neill’s examples here: 

Did you know…? Any interesting factoid or curiosity is bound to intrigue your audience. This is great if it leads into your content or a story. I like to start with did you know… Here are some that I use. You will have to fill in the blank for your audience:

• Did you know that it takes less than a second to make a first impression ?
• Did you know that your nonverbal communication is 12.5 times more powerful than your words ?
• Did you know that we are lied to 200 times a day ?

Jamie Oliver does this amazingly in his TED Talk. He starts with this mind-blowing fact, “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat.”

Hopefully these opening lines will give you some ideas to use to open your speech.

How to End a Speech: My Favorite Closers

Do you know how to end on a high? Leave a lasting impression in your presentation? Science tells us that the first and last parts of your presentations are the most important. Get our FREE download to get our closer guide.

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20 thoughts on “how to start a speech: the best (and worst) speech openers”.

Love your material

didnt help me but still good stuff

Thank you Vanessa. I’ve been a public speaker for 25 years and I’m impressed with your content here. Thank you. Looking forward to a deep dive into more of your material. With gratitude.

Found these examples super informative. Can’t wait to mix match the examples to see which one will work best for my presentation!

I am preparing to make a presentation on Public Speaking and came across your article. This is very instructive and timely too.Many thanks.

Comments are closed.

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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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Make A Speech Introduction That Grabs Audience Attention

The speech introduction is the first part of a speech and the first opportunity to grab the audience’s attention. The speaker should state the topic, make it relatable to the audience, establish credibility and preview the main points. You should write or finalize your introduction at the end so that it reflects what you actually said.

Listen up, audience!

No matter whether you are giving an informative speech to enlighten an audience about a certain topic or a persuasive speech aims to convince the crowd to adopt a particular viewpoint. But whichever type of speech you’re writing or delivering, one thing is true:  You must create an attention-grabbing speech introduction.

Table of Contents

What Is The Best Way To Start A Speech?

Whether in speech writing or public speaking, the role of a good intro cannot be understated.  It is your best chance to captivate your audience’s attention and entice them to be with you until the rest of your speech. 

It’s also your opportunity to introduce the topic and thesis statement and set up the points you’ll discuss later.  So, keep in mind that you emphasize the relevance of your subject matter to the audience and contextualize it properly. 

These are some of the best ways to make a compelling introduction speech. 

• State a quote or use a historical event reference.  Analyze your target audience and look for a powerful quote from a relevant figure or a historical event that will resonate with listeners and relate it to your topic. A notable quotation can immediately establish a strong connection. On the other hand, an important event will help you illustrate your point or paint a scenario better. 
• Share a personal story.  Sometimes, you don’t have to search far and wide to demonstrate a point. You can tap into your personal experience and share something about yourself. Generally, audience members enjoy hearing stories as they pique their interest and get a glimpse of who the speaker is. Your anecdotes will also make you more human and accessible.
• Start with an “Imagine” or “What if?” scenario.  Want to make your audience engaged? Let their imagination run. In many speeches over the years, some of the most successful ones used this technique. Speakers transport the audience to the future or a scenario wherein their proposed idea or belief reigns. For example, “What if we live in a world where everyone can access healthcare?”
• Count on a video or any other visual aids.  If you’re a public speaker keen to use technology, you may also want to commence your speech with visual aids. For instance, you can show a pre-prepared video to draw the crowd’s attention right before you speak. If you’re talking about hunger and food security, you can show footage of how such issues take a toll in many third-world countries.
• Tell surprising statistics.  One of the most effective ways to shock — and, ultimately, grab your audience’s attention is by telling real, hard facts. If you’re looking for a good attention-getter, you can rely on surprising statistics about your topic. For instance, if your topic is bullying, you can mention that in the US,  around 3 million students are victims of bullying.
• Ask the audience a question.  Another way to hook your audience is by asking them a question. It can be a direct one (e.g., “Who among here are…” then ask for a show of hands). It can also be a rhetorical question (e.g., “What is the meaning of life?”). The key is interacting with the crowd to get their attention and effectively introducing your subject matter. 

What Should You Include In the Introduction?

When you look at intro samples and templates on the web,  you’ll find that effective speech introductions contain key elements. And one of the most important is your attention-grabber, which will compel your audience to listen to your speech and narrative.

You must also introduce your speech topic and indicate why it matters to your audience. You should also share something about yourself, especially your credibility, to discuss a particular subject matter. 

Once you’ve laid out these foundations,  state your central idea or thesis statement.  Tell the audience members the point of view you want them to adopt, and  give them a preview of the main points you’re discussing if you’re giving a persuasive speech.  If you’re writing or delivering an informative one, you can provide them with a brief speech outline or the key points you’ll touch upon throughout the body of the speech.

What Are The Best Lines To Introduce A Speech?

One of the most common public speaking tips you’ll encounter is to have a good introduction. To help you capture the audience’s attention, here are some ideas you can use in your speech.

• A famous quote (For example, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” by Steve Jobs)
• A song lyric (“Imagine there’s no countries/ It isn’t hard to do/ Nothing to kill or die for/ And no religion, too,” from “Imagine by John Lennon)
• A line from a poem (“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise,” from “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou)
• A line from a movie (“Greed, for a lack of a better word, is good,” from “Wall Street”)
• Reference to a historical event (“Two hundred years ago, one of the most important proclamations was made. Through the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln, the enslaved Black people were given freedom.”
• Reference to a notable figure (“Stan Lee, the man behind iconic Marvel characters, was hired as an editorial assistant at a comics company after graduating high school.”).
• A bold statement (“Prostitution must be legalized.”)
• A serious statement (“Climate change is a pressing issue.”)
• A humorous line (“Don’t underestimate me. That’s the job of my mom.”)
• A shocking statistic (“If you’re consuming too much fast food and baked goods, did you know that you are 51% more likely to be depressed?”)
• A direct question (“Who among here plays violent video games?”)
• A rhetorical question (“Is there a more powerful feeling than love?”)
• A personal story (“Back when I was a fresh college graduate, I busied myself applying to the top multi-national companies.”)
• An anecdote (“Long ago, there was a man — an old but healthy man — who dared climb Mount Everest. He was 80, and he succeeded.”)
• A what-if scenario (“What if there were no poor people?”)

How Do You Introduce Yourself In A Speech?

Whether you’re a first-time speaker or a veteran, how you approach introducing yourself in a speech is important in establishing your credibility. To avoid getting called boring, you might want to shy away from the usual “Hi, everyone. I’m (your name). I (your credentials), and today I will be talking about (points of the speech).”

Usually, someone else may have given your name and background. This gives you the liberty to begin your speech more interestingly. 

You can start by stating any of the introduction lines listed above, then transition to why listening to you will matter to them. For example, if you’re talking about mental health and depression, you can follow up a surprising statistic with something like, “I know because I was a part of that statistic. Now, I’ve studied to become a therapist myself.”

To further create an air of authority, you must be mindful of your body language  (taking a deep breath before speaking can help you shake off your nervousness and tension).  Additionally, you must make eye contact and speak words clearly. 

How Do You Introduce A Speaker?

Now, if you’re tasked to introduce the one who will deliver the speech, it’s your responsibility to set the right atmosphere and build excitement. 

One of the first things to do is know how to pronounce the speaker’s name and ensure that what you’ll say about the speaker’s credibility is factual.  Since you’re only introducing the speaker, keep things simple and concise. If you want to enrich your introduction, you can ask the speaker what they want to be highlighted (Do they have a new book? Which prestigious groups are they affiliated with?). 

Like what the speaker would do, you must also make eye contact to engage the audience. Practice and have a run-through before you take the stage to guarantee a smooth delivery. 

What Is An Example Of A Speech Introduction?

Speakers and speech writers know how challenging it is to grab an audience’s attention.  Here’s a good example of an introductory speech that uses statistics. This is from English restaurateur  Jamie Oliver  who delivered a TED Talk about food:

“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. 

My name’s Jamie Oliver. I’m 34 years old. I’m from Essex in England, and for the last seven years, I’ve worked fairly tirelessly to save lives in my own way. I’m not a doctor; I’m a chef, I don’t have expensive equipment or medicine. I use information, education.”

What Is The Introduction For A Speech On Bully

Looking for inspiration for a good introduction where your topic is bullying? Check out this sample intro from actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador  Millie Bobby Brown  during World Children’s Day in 2019:

“In world capitals — in buildings like this — adults talk about children’s rights. But today, young people don’t want to be talked about. They want to do the talking.

 Millions of people responded to UNICEF surveys and petitions about what the Convention on the Rights of the Child meant to them. In the words of one young person: ‘Be an active voice. Don’t let things go unnoticed. So today, I want to talk about an issue that is very personal to me. Something that so often goes unnoticed — but causes real suffering. Bullying.”

What Are Some Other Examples Of Speech Introductions?

Below are some more speech introduction examples you can take inspiration from. 

• “Three things I learned while my plane crashed” by Ric Elias : “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.”
• “How to find and do work you love” by Scott Dinsmore : “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

“How great leaders inspire action” by Simon Sinek : “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?”

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How to Start a Speech: 27 Key Tips to Captivate Your Audience from the Get-Go

Do you wonder how to start a speech here are some cool tips to captivate your audience.

Public speaking is an essential skill for leaders, educators, and professionals across various fields. It is a powerful tool for sharing ideas, influencing others, and building a strong personal brand. While many people find it intimidating, mastering the art of public speaking can be achieved with the right techniques, practice, and mindset. One of the most crucial aspects of delivering a successful speech is nailing the opening, as it sets the tone for the entire presentation and can make or break audience engagement.

Whether you are a seasoned orator or a novice presenter, starting a speech effectively can be challenging. After all, first impressions matter, and the first few minutes of your presentation determine whether your audience will be engaged, bored, or indifferent. To help you captivate your audience from the start, we have compiled a comprehensive list of 27 key tips to consider when crafting your speech opening. These tips, combined with relevant examples, will guide you in creating an impactful and memorable introduction.

Understanding your audience, identifying the purpose of your speech, and maintaining a clear structure are all essential elements to consider. However, the true magic lies in the delivery. It is important to practice and refine your skills to ensure a confident and captivating performance. The following tips have been meticulously curated to provide a roadmap for success, enabling you to transform your speech from ordinary to extraordinary.

This blog post aims to provide you with a wealth of knowledge and examples, empowering you to overcome your public speaking fears and conquer the stage. By implementing these tips, you will be well on your way to delivering a powerful, engaging, and persuasive speech that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

27 Key Tips for Better Speech with Relevant Examples:

• Begin with a strong opening line: Your opening line should be engaging and thought-provoking. For example, “Imagine a world where poverty is a distant memory.”
• Use a quote: Start your speech with a relevant and powerful quote. For instance, “As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.'”
• Tell a story: Share a personal or anecdotal story that relates to your speech topic. This will create an emotional connection with your audience.
• Utilize humor: Make your audience laugh with a tasteful joke or amusing anecdote. This can help break the ice and make your audience more receptive to your message.
• Ask a rhetorical question: Pose a question that encourages your audience to think critically about your topic, e.g., “What if I told you that a single decision could change your life forever?”
• Share a shocking statistic: Present a surprising fact or figure to grab your audience’s attention, such as, “Did you know that 1 in 4 people will experience mental health issues in their lifetime?”
• Use a prop or visual aid: Show your audience something tangible that relates to your topic, like a product, a photograph, or a diagram.
• Employ the power of silence: Pause for a few seconds before beginning your speech to build anticipation and capture your audience’s attention.
• Connect with your audience: Make eye contact, smile, and be personable. This will help you establish rapport and trust with your listeners.
• Address your audience directly: Refer to your audience as “you” to make your speech feel more personal and engaging.
• Establish your credibility: Briefly mention your expertise, background, or accomplishments related to your speech topic to establish your authority.
• State the purpose of your speech: Clearly outline the objective of your presentation and what you hope your audience will take away from it.
• Preview your main points: Give a brief overview of the key points you will cover during your speech, so the audience knows what to expect.
• Use a metaphor or simile: Make a comparison that illustrates your main point, such as, “Conquering your fears is like climbing a mountain – it may be difficult, but the view from the top is worth it.”
• Employ repetition: Repeat a key phrase or message to emphasize its importance and help your audience remember it.
• Share a personal experience: Connect with your audience by sharing a relatable experience that demonstrates your vulnerability and authenticity.
• Create suspense: Build intrigue by hinting at a compelling revelation or insight that will be shared later in your speech.
• Invoke emotion: Appeal to your audience’s emotions by using vivid language and descriptions that evoke feelings such as happiness, sadness, or excitement.
• Reference current events: Relate your speech topic to a recent news story or event to demonstrate its relevance and timeliness.
• Use an anecdote from history: Share a historical event or figure that relates to your speech topic, such as referencing Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address when discussing the power of public speaking.
• Start with a bold statement: Capture your audience’s attention with a controversial or thought-provoking assertion, like, “Our education system is failing our children.”
• Use a call to action: Encourage your audience to take action, whether it’s to support a cause, change a behavior, or adopt a new perspective.
• Address potential objections: Acknowledge any counterarguments or concerns your audience may have, and address them in your opening.
• Incorporate a relevant pop culture reference: Connect with your audience by referencing a popular movie, TV show, or song that relates to your topic.
• Use alliteration or rhyme: Craft a memorable opening line by using alliteration or rhyme, such as, “The power to persuade starts with the perfect presentation.”
• Offer a surprising insight: Share an unexpected fact or revelation that challenges your audience’s assumptions and piques their interest.
• Demonstrate vulnerability: Show your human side by admitting your own fears or struggles related to your speech topic.

The art of starting a speech effectively is a skill that can be honed with practice and dedication. By incorporating these 27 tips into your speech preparation and delivery, you can set the stage for a captivating and memorable presentation. Keep in mind that each audience is unique, and you may need to adjust your approach depending on your listeners’ needs and expectations. Nevertheless, these tips will provide a strong foundation for you to build upon, ensuring that you make a powerful first impression.

As you continue to refine your public speaking skills, remember that the key to success lies in engaging your audience, being authentic, and delivering a message that resonates with them. By doing so, you will not only captivate your listeners but also leave a lasting impact that goes beyond the stage.

In conclusion, delivering an exceptional speech begins with a strong and engaging opening. With these 27 tips and examples, you now have the tools to craft a compelling introduction that will set the tone for an unforgettable presentation. So, embrace your inner orator and step confidently onto the stage – your audience awaits!

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Speech introductions

The introduction and conclusion of a speech are essential. The audience will remember the main ideas even if the middle of the speech is a mess or nerves overtake the speaker.  So if nothing else, get these parts down!

Introduction

The introduction gives the audience a reason to listen to the remainder of the speech. A good introduction needs to get the audience’s attention, state the topic, make the topic relatable, establish credibility, and preview the main points. Introductions should be the last part of the speech written, as they set expectations and need to match the content.

Attention getters

The first few sentences of a speech are designed to catch and maintain the audience’s attention. Attention getters give the audience a reason to listen to the rest of the speech. Your attention getter helps the audience understand and reflect on your topic.

• Speaker walks up to stage with notes stuck to hands with jelly.
• Did you know there is a right way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
• Rob Gronkowski once said, “Usually, about 2 hours before a game, I stuff in a nice peanut butter and jelly [sandwich] with chocolate milk.”
• A little boy walks in from a long day at school, telling his mom that he is starving. His mom is confused because she knows she sent him to school with a full lunch. As she opens his lunch box, she sees his peanut butter and jelly, with the grape jelly smeared on the side of the bag. She realizes there has to be a better way to make a PB&J.
• Bring in a clear sandwich bag with jelly seeping through the bread of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Logical orientation

Once the audience is invested in the speech, logical orientation tells the audience how the speaker will approach and develop the topic.

• Peanut butter on both sides of the bread with jelly in the middle is the best way to make a PB&J.
• PB&Js have developed a bad reputation, because of the jelly making the bread soggy and hands sticky.

Psychological orientation

Like the logical orientation of a speech, the psychological orientation is also going to provide the audience with a map for how and why the topic is being presented.

• Most of us remember our moms – dads too – packing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in our lunches. We also remember how the jelly did not just stay in the sandwich, but became a new stain on our shirts and the glue that held all the playground dirt to our hands.
• We can end this torture for future generations by making sure all parents are aware of the best way to make a PB&J.
• I have eaten numerous PB&Js myself, but my real authority on the topic comes from being a mom of two boys and the maker of many PB&Js.

Both the logical and psychological orientations give the audience a road map for the speech ahead as well as cues for what to listen to. This will help the audience transition from the introduction to the main points of the speech.

Beebe, S. A., & Beebe, S. J. (2012). A concise public speaking handbook . Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Lucas, S. (2012). The art of public speaking . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Sprague, J. & Stuart, D. (2013). The speaker's compact handbook, 4th ed . Portland: Ringgold, Inc.

Vrooman, S. S. (2013). The zombie guide to public speaking: Why most presentations fail, and what you can do to avoid joining the horde . Place of publication not identified: CreateSpace.

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• How to write an introduction speech

Introduction speech for a guest speaker 

How to write a good introduction speech step by step

By:  Susan Dugdale  

If you've been asked to give the introduction speech for a guest speaker you're in the right place.

Everything you need to prepare it is here. Follow the steps and you'll have an introductory speech you'll be proud to deliver.

What you'll find on this page:

• an overview of the purpose of an introduction speech for a guest speaker
• the content you're expected to cover
• an organizational pattern or template to follow  
• an example introduction speech
• 6 important tips to use to ensure your speech is a success

The function of an introduction speech

Let's start with the purpose of the speech. When you understand what the speech is supposed to achieve you'll find it much easier to write.

The job of an introduction speech is to:

• introduce your guest speaker,
• give them a warm welcome, 
• and create ready-and-motivated-to-listen anticipation in the audience.

Essentially you are the warm-up act. Your task is to focus and unite the audience members, to get them ready for what is to come.

Return to Top

To prepare your introduction speech you'll need:

• the guest speaker's name and, if they have one, their title. For example; Judge, Sir, The Right Honorable... Do make sure you can say their name properly and easily! If you're in doubt get the correct pronunciation from your guest speaker and practice. Also ask if they have personal pronoun preferences. Eg: they/them, she/her, he/him... 
• the guest speaker's biography or the credentials of the speaker Sometimes you'll be given what the guest speaker wants said about themselves. If that isn't provided select events, achievements and qualifications to support establishing him/her as an authority within the context of the occasion. And do check that your guest is happy with what you are preparing to say about them.
• attention getters or a surprise to delight the audience, something that is not commonly known, and something revealing the personality or humanity of the person. 

How to organize your material

• Build excitement or interest by adding one piece of information after another.
• Make the speaker's name and their speech title, the climax and end of your speech.

To show you how it's done I've put together an...  

Introduction speech example

Let's put the speech in context to help you make sense of it.

The setting for this fictitious introduction speech is a conference for an organization called " Women in Leadership" . The audience are primarily women drawn together through an interest in leadership roles. 

At the end of the speech, the speaker will lead the clapping as Rose Stephenson, the keynote speaker being introduced, takes center stage.

Now here's the introduction speech text.

Now here's the introduction speech text

" She's been a stalwart member of "Women in Leadership" for the last ten years. Over that time she's served in every office: secretary, treasurer, chairperson, chief fundraiser, education officer... to name just a few, and in some roles several times over.

Her passionate dedication to promoting public speaking as an important component of empowerment is inspiring. We estimate that she has personally mentored at least 100 new speakers and has set an extraordinary "yes, you can" example for many more. We see her as capable, confident and fluent: never at a loss for words. But what you probably don't know is that this women once stuttered, stammered and blushed.

Yes, she was often temporarily paralyzed, struck dumb by the mere thought of standing in front of an audience to speak.

How she got from awkward tongue tied silence to becoming an eloquent front line spokesperson is the story she will share with us tonight.

Ladies, without further ado, it's with great pleasure, I give you... Rose Stephenson on "Speaking To Lead!"

Say the speech out loud! Use it as a template!

Try saying it out loud to get the flow of it.

If you like it, use it as a model for the introduction speech you need to write.

6 tips to make your introduction speech successful

1. consider tone and language use.

Is what you've prepared appropriate for the occasion, audience and your guest speaker? Have you avoided using a string of clichés?

2. Check the length of your speech

Pertinent and pithy: a short speech is what you want. One to two minutes should be enough.

Test it out loud with a timer and trim if necessary.

My example speech is 171 words long. That will take approximately 1 minute 30 seconds to say depending on the speaker's rate of speech.

For more on: the number of words per minute in a speech . (This page has estimations for the number of words per minute spoken at a slow, medium and fast rate for speeches from 1 - 10 minutes long.)

3. Resist exaggerating or "puffing up" the speaker's achievements

First impressions count. You don't want to talk about your guest in a way that may embarrass and cause the audience to question their right to be there.

4. Always check your facts 

Beware the horror of getting your facts muddled and, if you wish to mention something that may be sensitive, ask permission before you announce it in front of an audience.

5. Remember you are not the main speaker, or the star of the show

You've done a good job when you cover just enough to make the coming speech eagerly anticipated. 

Please do not stray into telling the audience what the guest speaker's speech will cover in detail. That's terribly unfair on the speaker!

6. Rehearse your speech

Practice out loud until you are confidently fluent and able to convey the pleasure or enthusiasm the audience needs to get them in the right frame of mind.

For more: how to rehearse a speech well

For more: how to use your voice expressively

Other related pages you may find useful:

• How to give a self-introduction speech  (with an example of a brief speech to introduce yourself to fellow workshop participants)
• How to write a welcome speech (with an example of a short welcome speech to open an event)

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7 memorable ways to open a speech or presentation.

After hours of preparation, the moment to deliver your speech has arrived. You’re standing before the podium, all eyes on you, with confidence that no one could take away. Then you begin…

“Hello, everyone. Thank you for having me. My name is ______ _______, and I am going to be speaking to you today about _______. To begin, _______ is important because…”

Suddenly people begin shifting in their seats, checking their phones, reading the program, talking to one another and doing anything but paying attention to you.

Your opening often determines how long the audience will “tune in” to your presentation.   If you bore your audience right from the start, there is little chance that your message will effectively get across.

How do you effectively open a speech or presentation to prevent this from happening? Here are seven effective methods to open a speech or presentation:

• Quote Opening with a relevant quote can help set the tone for the rest of your speech. For example, one that I often use to open a presentation dealing with public speaking: “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain
• “What If” Scenario Immediately drawing your audience into your speech works wonders. Asking a “what if” question invites the audience to follow your thought process. “What if we were all blunt? How different would our everyday lives be? What would happen if we said what was on our minds, all day every day?”
• “Imagine” Scenario A similar method, but more relevant for sensational examples.  It puts your audience members directly into the presentation by allowing each member to visualize an extraordinary scenario. “Imagine jumping out of a skydiving plane and discovering your parachute doesn’t work. What memories would flash before you? Now imagine the parachute opened. How differently would you act when you landed?”
• Question Ask a rhetorical or literal question. When someone is posed with a question, whether an answer is called for or not, that person intuitively answers. “Who wouldn’t want to live on an exotic island?”
• Silence A pause, whether two seconds or 10 seconds, allows your audience to sit and quiet down.  Most audiences expect a speaker to begin immediately. An extra pause brings all the attention right where you should want it – on you.
• Statistic Use a surprising, powerful, personalized statistic that will resonate with the audience to get your message across right away. It has the potential to trigger the audiences’ emotional appeal. “Look to your left. Now look to your right.  One of your seatmates will  ___________.” “In this room, over 90 percent of us are going to _________.”
• Powerful Statement/Phrase A statement or phrase can catch the audience’s attention by keeping them guessing as to what you’re about to say next. Implementing the silence technique afterwards also adds to the effect. “We can not win.  We can’t win…” (Pause) “… That’s what every newspaper in the country is saying.”

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• How to Calm Your Nerves Before Speaking
• Leadership Skills: The 5 Essential Speaking Techniques
• 5 Ways to Captivate an Audience
• The Body Language Rules: 12 Ways to be a More Powerful Speaker
• 4 Characteristics of an Influential Speaker
• 6 Skills Building Exercises for Effective Body Language
• 7 Tips for Overcoming Audience Resistance
• 5 Rules for Succeeding with PowerPoint
• Great Speaking? – It's About Performance Over Content!
• 5 Key Tools of Vocal Dynamics
• 5 Secrets of Powerful Body Language
• 10 Ways to Stay Fully Focused when Speaking
• 25 Words or Phrases to Avoid in Speeches and Presentations
• 6 Rules of Effective Public Speaking
• 7 Key Components of Successful Presentations
• 12 Easy Ways to Achieve Presence and Charisma
• 6 Skills Building Exercises Video

Gary Genard's

Speak for success.

"Be a voice not an echo." - Albert Einstein

How to Start a Speech — 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!

Want to move audiences? Develop a powerful opening! Here is how to start a speech, including 12 foolproof ways to grab audiences in public speaking.

Let's talk about how to start a speech. When it comes to persuading, inspiring, or influencing an audience, your opening is by far the most important moment in your performance.

So how do you begin a presentation in ways that  will get an audience on your side and start you on the road to speaking memorably?

Learn this skill and 101 tips and tricks for more successful speaking in my Public Speaking Handbook, How to Give a Speech . Also available as an Amazon bestseller!

Let's imagine that you're finally pitching to that audience of decision makers. It's the high-stakes opportunity you've been waiting for, and you've put together a killer presentation. There's just one problem: how do you start the thing off with a bang? Remember, anyone can give an ordinary presentation. It's your job to stand out from the crowd for career success.

Your Opening Sets the Tone of Your Presentation

You probably already know you need to begin with power and purpose. You're just not sure  how  . . . or for that matter, exactly why.

The answer is that, when it comes to influencing listeners in speeches and presentations, two concepts explain why your beginning and ending need to be particularly strong. I'll discuss both concepts here, then provide some powerful tools for your opening gambit: your speech Introduction .

Ready to set your audience on fire?

This article is available as a free PDF .  Click here to download "How to Start a Speech - 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!" Learn and practice starting out powerfully!

Your Introduction and Conclusion Need to Be Strong

The two concepts concerning why you need to start and end strongly, are  primacy  and  recency . Primacy states that people remember most vividly what they hear at the beginning of a speech. Recency  says those same people will strongly recall what you say at the end. In terms of public speaking, this translates into your introduction and conclusion. And you really do need to start early.   Here's  how to create an opening your audience will remember .

In more practical terms, there are three specific reasons why your introduction needs to be engaging and interesting immediately :

(1) Audiences make judgments about you and your message in the first minute. After that point, you'll be able to change those opinions about as easily as you can change a hamster into a ham sandwich. So here's  how to be strong in the first 60 seconds of your speech .

(2) Your opening sets the entire tone of your presentation (including whether you'll be interesting or not).

(3) This is when you introduce your message and tell the audience why they should listen.

Sound like a tall order? It isn't, if you use the seven key components of successful presentations . Your audience needs to be both fully engaged and predisposed favorably toward you and your message. Neither will happen unless you can  grab   their  attention,  so they're onboard when you spin your verbal magic. Keep reading to learn how that's done. 

Ready to boost your influence with stakeholders? Grab your copy of my book, Speak for Leadership . Learn an executive speech coach's secrets! Get it today here or on Amazon .

Using Creativity in Business Presentations

Achieving the objective of a 'grabbing' opening takes thought, a bit of imagination, and yes, a little creativity. The good news is that since you know your topic well and you're psyched up for the big game (it's an audience of decision-makers, remember?), you should be well positioned to succeed.

Primacy won't have much of a chance to operate, though, if you use what I call the 'Today, I'm going to talk about . . .' opening. This is boring! Be on the lookout instead for something that will pique the interest of your listeners, and perhaps surprise them. And here's something else you absolutely need to know: 20 ways to connect with an audience for lasting influence .

A few minutes of focused thinking should be all you need to know how to come up with an effective opening. And remember to avoid that I call introducing your introduction. That sounds like this: 'Let me start out with a story . . .', or, 'I heard a very funny joke the other day . . . ' Or even the inexplicable 'Before I begin . . . ' since you've already begun!

Just  tell  us the story, the joke, or the in-the-know reference that will delight your listeners. But if you signal your effect beforehand, you water down its potency and its power to surprise.

So how can you be completely focused and on your game?

12 Powerful Ways to Start a Speech or Presentation

As a springboard to launching your presentation with verve and originality, here are a dozen rhetorical devices you can use. Each of them is an effective 'speech hook that you can use to start any speech or presentation:

• Startling statement
• Personal anecdote or experience
• Expert opinion
• Sound effect
• Physical object or demonstration
• Testimony or success story

You could literally think of dozens more from your own experience or that of your audience. Remember, the best grabbers engage an audience immediately, both intellectually and emotionally. Interestingly, these same devices can be used to conclude in a way that keeps your audience thinking about what you said. It's all part of my six rules for effective public speaking .

Coming up with an exciting grabber and clincher involves some work on your part. But the rewards if you're successful more than justify the effort.

Famous Speech Openings  

How about a few examples? Here are four great openings that illustrate some of the grabbers listed above:

Jesus , Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." — Startling statement.

Bill Clinton , 1993 speech in Memphis to ministers (after having heard himself introduced as "Bishop Clinton"): "You know, in the last ten months, I've been called a lot of things, but nobody's called me a bishop yet. When I was about nine years old, my beloved and now departed grandmother, who was a very wise woman, looked at me and she said, 'You know, I believe you could be a preacher if you were just a little better boy.'" — Humor

Jane Fonda in her TED Talk "Life's Third Act":  "There have been many revolutions over the last century, but perhaps none as significant as the longevity revolution. We are living on average today 34 years longer than our great-grandparents did. Think about that: that's an entire second adult lifetime that's been added to our lifespan." — Statistic.

Steve Jobs , 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford University: "Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it, no big deal—just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another eighteen months or so before I really quit. So why'd I drop out? It started before I was born." — Story, with a seamless transition into his speech. 

Like historical mysteries? — Discover my Dr. William Scarlet Mystery Series!

A haunted young artist. A trail of bodies. What is terrorizing London? Scotland Yard surgeon and psychic Dr. William Scarlet pursues a serial killer in Red Season ! Also on  Amazon .

You should follow me on Twitter  here .

Gary Genard   is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers  live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching   and corporate group training worldwide. He was named for nine consecutive years as  One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals , and also named as  One of America's Top 5 Speech Coaches .  He is the author of the Amazon Best-Sellers  How to Give a Speech  and  Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence . His book,  Fearless Speaking ,  was named in 2019 as  "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time."   He is also the author of the  Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries .   Contact Gary here.  

Tags: leadership skills , public speaking training , public speaking , business presentations , public speaking tips , Speaking for Leadership , Public Speaking Techniques , how to start a speech , how to give a speech , speech introduction , how to persuade an audience , how to open a speech , speech coach , speech coaching , public speaking for leadership , presentations , The Genard Method , Dr. Gary Genard , CEO , speak for leadership , public speaking training company , executive coaching , keynote speaker training , how to start a presentation , motivational speaker training , TEDx speaker training , public speaking coaching , speech hooks , speech training , speech expert , online public speaking training , executive coach , public speaking books , leadership books , books on leadership , leadership expert , leadership authors , executive speech coaching , speech for leadership , public speaking for doctors , public speaking for lawyers , public speaking for engineers , public speaking for IT professionals , public speaking for data scientists , public speaking for scientists , public speaking for business , how to win friends and influence people , public speaking for business executives , talk like TED , Red Season , Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries

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Speech Writing

How To Start A Speech

How to Start A Speech - 13 Interesting Ideas & Examples

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First impressions are crucial in public speaking, and starting a speech well is often the hardest part. It's the moment to capture your audience's attention or risk losing it. 

Many find this difficult, as a poor start can lead to disinterested listeners and missed opportunities. In this blog, we'll explore simple and creative ways to begin your speech, ensuring you engage your audience right from the start. 

Keep reading to find effective techniques to start your speech!

• 1. Different Ways to Start a Speech
• 2. How To Start Different Types of Speeches
• 3. What Not To Do While Starting a Speech
• 4. How to Start a Speech Examples

Different Ways to Start a Speech

When it comes to inspiring, persuading, and influencing audiences, your speech’s most essential element is the opening. 

So how do you start your speech in a way that will get the audience on your side?

Here are ten effective ways to start your speech successfully every time.  

Begin with a Quote

Quotes are gems of wisdom that resonate with people. They inspire and motivate while being easy to remember. 

Well-thought-out words of history’s best orators can sometimes be the ticket for your successful speech. 

One good example is: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams.

Start with Statistics

Statistics are the proof that can add weight to your words. 

By opening with compelling and personalized statistics, you can add a quantifiable and persuasive aspect to your message. It provides you the basis for building your argument, supporting your claim, and proving it right.

An example could be: “72% of adult internet users use Facebook”.

Pose a Rhetorical Question

Rhetorical questions are engaging and thought-provoking. They invite your audience to think and participate in your presentation. These questions can captivate your listeners and lead them down the path of your message.

A very famous rhetorical question of all times by William Shakespeare is:

“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not get revenge?” - The Merchant of Venice.

Open with a 'What If' Scenario

Creating a "what if" scenario sparks curiosity and imagination. You can use this technique to encourage your audience to envision a different perspective or a unique situation related to your topic.

For example: “What if you were blind for your life and today you just got to see the world? How have you imagined the world so far? And how do these colors attract you? By the way, is there anyone who is color blind?”

Make an Interesting Statement

You can start your speech with a powerful and catchy statement without asking the audience to pay attention to you. Interesting statements are very useful in engaging the audience and persuading them to listen and agree with you. 

A famous statement from Amy Cuddy’s Ted talk “ Your Body May Shape Who You Are ” is:

"So I want to start by offering you a free, no-tech life hack, and all it requires of you is this: that you change your posture for two minutes."

Share a Personal Anecdote or Experience

Sharing personal experiences creates a genuine connection with your audience. It allows them to relate to you on a human level and sets the stage for a compelling narrative.

For example: “I was in high school when I first fell in love…..”

People love stories of any kind from infancy and childhood. As soon as people learn that you are going to tell a story, they immediately settle down, become quiet and lean forward like kids around a campfire.

Give Meaningful Pauses

Pauses are the unsung heroes of a speech. Well-timed silence can emphasize your message and create an impact that words alone cannot.

Take a little pause every time you need to emphasize something. Knowing where to take a pause helps you make your message effective. 

For example: 

“Lyla is dead.”

“But they don’t know it yet.”

Envision a Scenario

By using the word "imagine," you can transport your listeners into your narrative. According to Frank Luntz, “One word automatically triggers the process of visualization by its mere mention: imagine.”

“Imagine” scenarios put the audience directly into the presentation by allowing them to visualize the extraordinary scenes. For example:

“Imagine you are hiking on Mount Everest, and you are just about to reach the peak, but suddenly you slip and roll down to the ground. How would you feel at that moment?”

Refer to the Historical Event 

You can capture your audience’s attention by referring to a historical event related to your speech. Well-known historical events are good reference points to get the audience to use their imagination. 

For example: “During the 1960s and ’70s, the United States intervened in the civil strife between North and South Vietnam. The result was a long running war of attrition in which many American lives were lost, and the country of Vietnam suffered tremendous damage and destruction.”

Start with Humor

Humor, when used thoughtfully, can instantly connect with your audience. It lightens the mood and draws people in, but it's essential to tread carefully to avoid offense.

An example of a humorous beginning is: “Speak when you are angry – and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” - Dr. Laurence J Peter.

Usage of humor is a genius trick to get your audience involved in your speech.

Create Suspense

Starting your speech with suspense can immediately capture your audience's curiosity and keep them engaged as they eagerly anticipate what comes next. This technique is effective for drawing your audience into a story, a mystery, or a problem that needs solving.

Example: "As the clock struck midnight, and the footsteps echoed in the darkness, she knew that her life was about to change forever. But, what was waiting for her beyond that door?"

Open with a Definition

Defining key terms or concepts at the beginning of your speech can set the stage for a clear and focused discussion. This is especially useful when your topic involves technical or specialized terms that your audience may not be familiar with.

Example: "Today, let's begin with a clear understanding of 'sustainable development.' It refers to the practice of using resources in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Invoke a Contradiction

Opening with a contradiction can intrigue your audience by presenting two seemingly conflicting ideas or statements. This encourages them to explore the topic further and seek resolution.

Example: "In a world where we often believe that 'time is money,' today, we'll explore a paradox – how sometimes, time spent without rushing can be the most valuable time of all."

These opening techniques can help you capture your audience's attention and set the tone for a successful speech. The choice of which one to use will depend on your topic, audience, and the overall tone you want to convey.

How To Start Different Types of Speeches

Speech openings are not one-size-fits-all; they should be tailored to the specific type of speech you're delivering. 

Here, we'll explore how to start various types of speeches , providing examples to illustrate each approach.

How to Start a Graduation Speech

Starting a graduation speech is a unique opportunity to inspire and reflect on the journey of the graduates. A great way to begin is by acknowledging the significance of the moment. For instance:

Example: "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed faculty, proud parents, and, of course, the brilliant Class of 2023 - today, as we stand on the precipice of our future, we are not just marking the end of an educational journey but celebrating the beginning of countless new adventures."

How to Start a Persuasive Speech

In a persuasive speech , your aim is to influence your audience's thoughts, beliefs, or actions. Begin with a statement that grabs attention and introduces your persuasive intent:

Example: "Picture this: a world where every individual makes small, conscious choices every day to reduce their carbon footprint. Today, I'm here to persuade you that we can create that world, one step at a time."

How to Start a Presentation Speech

Starting a presentation speech requires a balance between engaging your audience and previewing the content. Open a speech or presentation with an engaging fact or question related to your topic:

Example: "Did you know that in just the last five years, the world has generated more data than in all of human history before that? Today, we're going to delve into the fascinating world of data analytics and its impact on our lives."

In each of these examples, the opening lines are designed to fit the specific type of speech. 

Remember that a well-crafted opening not only captivates your audience but also makes the rest of your speech more impactful.

What Not To Do While Starting a Speech

Starting a speech can be daunting, and it's easy to make mistakes that can undermine your credibility or fail to engage your audience. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

1. Avoid Starting with Apologies Opening your speech with an apology, such as "I'm sorry if this is boring" or "I'm not a great speaker," sets a negative tone and diminishes your authority. Instead, begin with confidence and enthusiasm to captivate your audience from the start.

2. Don’t Use Overused Clichés Starting with clichés like "Webster's dictionary defines..." or "Since the dawn of time..." can make your speech sound unoriginal and uninspiring. Aim for a fresh and unique opening that grabs attention.

3. Avoid Overloading with Facts and Statistics While facts and statistics can be powerful, bombarding your audience with too many at the start can overwhelm and disengage them. Instead of starting straight with data-heavy facts, create a seamless speech format that weaves in fact and information smoothly. 

4. Steer Clear of Irrelevant Jokes Humor can be an excellent icebreaker, but starting with an irrelevant or inappropriate joke can backfire. Ensure that any humor used is relevant to your topic and suitable for your audience.

5. Don’t Read Directly from Your Notes Reading verbatim from your notes or slides can make your opening seem rehearsed and impersonal. Practice enough to deliver your opening naturally, making eye contact with your audience to establish a connection.

6. Avoid Long-Winded Openings A lengthy opening can lose your audience's attention quickly. Keep your introduction concise and to the point, leading smoothly into the main content of your speech.

7. Don’t Start with Negative Statements Beginning with negative statements or criticisms can alienate your audience. Focus on positive and engaging statements that draw listeners in and set a constructive tone for your speech.

8. Avoid Technical Jargon Starting with complex technical terms or industry jargon can confuse and alienate your audience. Use simple, clear language that everyone can understand, especially in the opening.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create a strong and engaging opening that sets the stage for a successful speech.

How to Start a Speech Examples

Here is an example of how to start a speech on stage:

Here are some more samples of how to start a speech for students:

How to Start a Speech Introduction Example

How to Start a Speech About Yourself?

How to Start a Speech In School?

How To Start A Speech In English

How To Start A Speech In English For Students

How To Start A Speech For Kids

How To Start A Speech In School Assembly

Need more examples? Have a look at these speech examples and get inspired!

Now that you've learned various ways to start your speech and make a strong impression, you're well-prepared for your speaking journey.

Not quite the perfect writer? Don’t worry! Whether you have ' do my essay for me ' request or 'write my speech' request MyPerfectWords.com has got you covered.

Our experts are here to ensure you receive high-quality speeches, debates, essays, or any other type of writing.

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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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How to Start a Speech

Last Updated: January 12, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 397,187 times.

The best way to start a speech depends on the type and topic of the speech, your audience, and the overall tone of the event. The best way to ensure a successful speech is to grab your audience’s attention in the beginning of the speech; if you do so, they will likely stick with you to the very end. While there is no one way to capture an audience’s attention, there are several methods that may work. Choose the one that is the best fit for the event and your own personality.

Winning Your Audience’s Attention

• At an event held in honor of a particular person, you might tell a humorous story involving you and the person being honored. Just make sure that the story or joke is not embarrassing or potentially offensive.
• Try out your joke on a few different people before delivering it in your speech. If the joke falls flat or is offensive, cut it from your speech. [2] X Research source

• Try something simple that cuts to the chase, like “Seat belts save lives.”

• If your speech is about mood disorders, you might make a statement along the lines of, “Depression, manic depression, and mood disorders of a similar strain can have deadly side effects.”
• If you are giving a speech on self-defense, you could say something like, “If you're out alone and suddenly assaulted, your reaction in the first few seconds can be the difference between survival and death.”

• For a speech about dogs, you could describe the standard characteristics or daily life of a dog using a first person point of view, and end with the statement, “I am a dog.”

• A statistic about declining or increasing birthrates in a specific region or country could alert people to population issues.

• For a speech in which you are trying to persuade the audience to take protective measures against the sun, you can bring up a statistic relating to the number of people who die from skin cancer on an annual year.

• For a speech about maternity care in the United States, you could tell a story about an experience related to maternity care that you or someone you know went through.
• If you were delivering a speech about how to bake a cake to kids or teens, you might describe a situation in which a child made a cake for a parent or loved one for a special occasion. Include details about how the recipient appreciated the gesture.

• Try to choose a quote from a well-known source, since more people will likely respond to it if they recognize who spoke it.
• Inspirational quotes are a popular way to open a graduation speech. Usually, the speaker would choose a quote that talks about dreams, education, looking toward the future, or building character.
• Quotations are not often used to start demonstrative speeches.

• If you are trying to persuade an audience about the importance of forming healthy eating and exercising habits, you might start with a statement made by a well-known expert on the matter to engage the audience.

• For a speech about how to lose weight, you could begin by showing before and after pictures of people who used the method you are about to describe.

• If you are trying to persuade an audience to buy a specific language learning program, you could give an example of someone who used that program and who now lives in a country that speaks the language learned.

Engaging Audience Participation

• For a speech about how to winterize your car, you could ask the audience something like, “How many of you have ever felt your car slipping on an icy street? Or who here has had their car stall on the side of the road during freezing temperatures?”

• If you are giving a speech about holiday traditions, you could ask, “What was your favorite holiday tradition growing up?”

• For example, if you’re giving a speech about booking a dream vacation, you might start with: “Imagine you are on a tropical beach. Feel the sand under your feet and the sun beating down on your shoulders. You can hear the ocean waves and wind swishing through the palm trees.”

• If you’re giving a speech about teaching online classes versus in-person classes, you might ask, “What’s your biggest concern about teaching an online class?” Call on a few people to hear their concerns. Chances are, you’ll be addressing their concerns in your speech already.

• You might say to the audience, “Turn to your neighbor and tell them your favorite kind of exercise.”

• If you are trying to explain why the audience should buy a certain kitchen utensil, open by describing a common scenario that might happen in the kitchen for which that utensil could be used.

Improving Your Ethos

• This is most often seen at eulogies and weddings. The speaker introduces himself or herself and begins to explain who they are in connection to the subject being addressed. If you are delivering a wedding toast, you might begin by talking about your connection to the bride, groom, or couple getting married.
• It can also be used at an event being held by an organization. In that case, the speaker might explain her position within the organization.

• For example, if your speech is about the lack of women working in technology, you might find a recent story about how girls are being discouraged from pursuing science in high school.

• If you were giving a speech at a Christmas party or fundraiser, you could talk about your Christmas memories or something you love about the season.

Understanding Types of Speeches

• The tone of an informative speech is usually fairly flexible and often dependent on the topic of the speech. For instance, a speech about cancer would demand a serious start and serious tone, while one about the history of the yo-yo would be very lighthearted.

• Demonstrative speeches are often on the lighthearted and non-academic side, so the openings of such speeches tend to be more relaxed. That said, if you do end up dealing with a serious topic, such as how to stay safe in a hurricane or tornado, make your introduction and overall speech fairly serious.

• These types of speeches can be the most difficult to deliver because, as the speaker, you have to be engaging enough to "sell" your opinion to those listening in.
• Persuasive speeches are often serious and may use a serious opening, especially if the speaker is trying to persuade an audience to take a certain beneficial action or to adopt a new perspective about a topic. The only time that a persuasive speech might take on a more casual, lighthearted tone is when the speaker is trying to sell an actual product.

• A serious or sorrowful occasion will usually call for a somber or nostalgic tone, but a celebratory occasion demands an opening and a speech that is entertaining or uplifting. For instance, a speech delivered at someone's wedding should be a lot more lighthearted than one delivered as a eulogy, and both will be very personal. A graduation speech must be general enough to relate to a wide audience.

Delivering the Speech

• This will ensure that you’re comfortable with the speech and you’ll be able to relax a bit.
• Memorize the first sentence of your speech. This will help you overcome anxiety of starting out the speech strongly. Bring a hard copy of your speech with you as well.

• If you are giving a brief speech, you likely won’t need to drink any water in the middle of your speech. If your speech is longer, then you might want to find a good moment to pause and take a small sip. Don’t gulp the water down; you will risk spilling it on your shirt or making yourself cough.

Expert Q&A

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• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/attention-getters-for-speeches
• ↑ http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/Start-Your-Speech-Out-Right.aspx
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/9-2-the-attention-getter-the-first-step-of-an-introduction/
• ↑ http://libguides.lamar.edu/content.php?pid=23277&sid=2818461
• ↑ Lynn Kirkham. Public Speaking Coach. Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-publicspeakingprinciples/chapter/using-testimony/
• ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/how-to-engage-your-audience-and-keep-them-with-you
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/18-2-special-occasion-speeches/
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/chapter/11-1-informative-speeches/
• ↑ http://www.comm.pitt.edu/persuasive-speaking
• ↑ http://www.comm.pitt.edu/commemorative-speaking
• ↑ https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/public-speaking-know-your-audience
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/09/how-to-rehearse-for-an-important-presentation
• ↑ < https://opentextbc.ca/studentsuccess/chapter/presentation-aids/
• ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/eye_contact_tips_to_make_your_presentations_stronger
• ↑ https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/speaking-audience

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How you start a speech will depend a lot on what it’s about, but you should always aim to grab your audience’s attention. You should start by introducing yourself and explaining your connection to the topic. For example, if you’re giving a wedding toast, talk about how you know the married couple. Speak in a clear, loud voice, which will encourage your audience to pay attention. Telling a joke can be a good way to break the ice and focus your audience on what you’re saying, but make sure humor is appropriate for the occasion first. Alternatively, make a startling statement about your topic. For instance, you could begin a speech about self-defense by saying, “If you’re out alone and get assaulted, the way you respond in the first few seconds can make the difference between life and death.” As you speak, look out at the audience and maintain eye contact, which will make your speech more engaging. For tips on how to prepare to deliver your speech, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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COMM 101: Fundamentals of Public Speaking - Valparaiso

• Delivery Skills
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• Body Language / Non-Verbal Communication
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• Speech Outline Examples
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A basic speech outline should include three main sections:

• The Introduction --  This is where you tell them what you're going to tell them.
• The Body -- This is where you tell them.
• The Conclusion -- This is where you tell them what you've told them.
• Speech Outline Formatting Guide The outline for a public speech, according to COMM 101 online textbook  The Public Speaking Project , p.p. 8-9.

Use these samples to help prepare your speech outlines and bibliographies:

• Sample Speech Preparation Outline This type of outline is very detailed with all the main points and subpoints written in complete sentences. Your bibliography should be included with this outline.
• Sample Speech Speaking Outline This type of outline is very brief and uses phrases or key words for the main points and subpoints. This outline is used by the speaker during the speech.
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How to Write an Introduction Speech for Public Speaking

by Nicole LaMarco

Published on 2 Nov 2018

The first 30 seconds of any introduction speech seem like the scariest. It doesn’t take long, however, for the fire of the speech to take hold and you get absorbed in the words along with your audience. The first step is to write an intro that caters to your audience while setting the tone you wish to convey. The idea is to open strong in a way that will have you feeling confident and your audience riveted.

Start with a Question

Presenting a rhetorical question is a welcoming way to write an introductory speech. It allows for your audience to feel included in what you have to say, building a sort of rapport. For example, “Have you ever wanted to pack up your house, quit your job and move to the other side of the world? I did. Then I found this technique for applying business principles to happiness.” By starting your intro speech with a question you allow for a lead-in to present what you want to talk about all while engaging your audience.

Start with a Story

A well-recited story draws the audience in and incites compassion. People remember personal stories far more easily than other facets of public speeches. Think back to a touching story someone told you. You can probably remember not just the details of the story but who told you, where you were when you heard it and even small details like the colors of the clothes each of you were wearing. For example, “When I was a child we had a huge dog that protected me from a stranger coming into our yard.” It paints an immediate visual your audience can relate to. That is how impactful a story can be and that is why it is an excellent introduction speech example. Relate the story to the point of your speech for an easy segue into the rest of your talk.

" id="start-with-a-shock " class="title"> Start with a Shock

Begin your introduction speech with an attention-grabbing statement that shocks the audience into focusing on what you have to say. Sometimes called the pace and lead approach, you issue a startling statement and then lead your audience to how such a statement can be resolved. “When I was 15 I was in an auto accident that left me unable to walk unassisted for two years.” That sort of thing grabs an audience by the hand and pulls them closer. Public speaking is about being able to focus the attention spans of dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of people at the same time. Beginning your intro speech with a shocking statistic, anecdote or piece of news will have them wondering what else you might say in the rest of your speech.

When writing an introduction speech for public speaking, consider first what tone you are trying to convey and to what type of audience. That will allow you present a speech that people will not only listen to with rapt attention but also remember long after you’ve left the stage.

How to Start a Presentation in English: 12 Slide Ideas

• By Judhajit Sen
• September 9, 2024

Starting a presentation effectively is vital to its success. The beginning of your presentation sets the tone for the entire session and determines whether your audience will stay engaged. A strong opening captures attention immediately, making sure your message stands out amid the noise of other content vying for their focus.

A common mistake many presenters make is starting with a lackluster introduction. This often includes an awkward greeting, a quick thank you, and a mumble about the topic, which can diminish even the most compelling message. Instead, think of your opening as a powerful preview, much like a movie trailer. If your initial moments are engaging, they will create interest and keep your audience attentive. If not, you risk losing their attention right from the start.

Regardless of your presentation’s setting—whether in-house, at a conference, or during a sales pitch—a captivating start is essential. It not only draws your audience in but also sets the stage for what follows. By beginning with a strong, well-thought-out introduction, you ensure that your audience is interested and ready to listen, making the rest of your presentation much more effective.

Key Takeaways

• Engage Early: Start with a strong introduction to capture your audience’s attention and set the tone. A compelling story, surprising fact, or striking visual can make a memorable first impression.  
• State Your Objective Clearly: Clearly outline what your presentation will cover and what your audience will gain from it. This helps keep your audience focused and prepared for the information to come.
• Use Engaging Techniques: Incorporate elements like humor, personal stories, or interactive activities to create a connection with your audience. These techniques help maintain interest and make your presentation more engaging.
• Create a Strong Opening: Avoid dull beginnings. Instead, use techniques like asking provocative questions or presenting a striking visual to ensure your audience is engaged from the start.

How to Start a Presentation in English: Slide Ideas

Introduce Yourself

Beginning your PPT with a strong introduction helps establish trust and connect with your listeners. Begin with a warm welcome and share your name. Depending on the setting, you may want to adjust your greeting to fit your audience. As a presentation introduction example, if you’re speaking to coworkers who already know you, try: “Hello, [name] here. I’d like to thank you all for your time today. As you know, I’m [your job title], and I look forward to discussing [your topic].”

If your audience doesn’t know you, use an introduction for a presentation example like: “Hello everyone, it’s nice to meet you all. My name is [name], and I am the [your job title]. I’m glad you’re here today.” 

A creative way to introduce yourself is by sharing a brief, engaging personal story that connects to your presentation’s topic. This can make you more relatable and grab your audience’s attention right away.

Finally, if you’re introducing team members, first explain their roles or contributions. This not only highlights their expertise but also helps the audience understand their relevance to the presentation.

State the Objective of Your Presentation

Start your PPT by clearly stating its objective. In just a few sentences, let your audience know what the presentation is about and what they can expect to gain from it. This will help set the tone and keep your audience engaged throughout.

Think about the main takeaway you want for your audience. Are you looking to inform them about a topic, encourage them to buy a product, or inspire them to take action? Whatever your goal is, craft a purpose statement that aligns with it. Keep it concise — one to three sentences will do. 

As an example of a good introduction for a presentation, you could begin with: “Today, I want to discuss…”, “Let’s dive into…”, or “By the end of this presentation, you’ll understand…”. A clear, direct opening helps your audience focus on what’s important and prepares them for the information to come.

How to Start a Presentation Speech: Open with a Hook

Open your PPT with a hook that immediately grabs attention. Whether it’s a surprising fact, a bold statement, or a thought-provoking question, a strong opening creates intrigue and makes the audience want to know more.

Think about saying something unexpected — like a surprising statistic or an unusual story. For instance, instead of a standard greeting, try a line no one expects: “Did you know companies waste over $1.2 billion each year on unsold clothes?” A jolt like this wakes up the room and sets the tone for what’s to come.

Another effective way is to ask a rhetorical question: “Are you among the 20% of people with undiagnosed ADHD?” This makes the audience reflect silently, engaging their curiosity and keeping them tuned in to hear more.

To further connect, consider using an interactive element such as a quick poll or a short video. The goal is simple: get your audience engaged from the start by making them think, wonder, or even gasp.

Use a Compelling Visual

Start your PPT with a strong visual to grab your audience’s attention right away. Instead of using text, consider using a striking image, a relevant photo, a clear chart, or an engaging infographic on your first slide template. Visuals are processed by the human brain faster than text, making them a better way to communicate your main idea quickly.

An eye-catching visual can set the tone for your presentation and create a positive first impression. The right image or graphic adds appeal to your slides, helps your audience imagine your message, and makes it more memorable. Think of it as creating a “wow” moment that keeps everyone engaged from the start. 

Choose visuals that relate to your topic and help tell your story. Whether it’s a picture that evokes emotion, a prop that adds excitement, or a graphic that simplifies complex data, a compelling visual can make your presentation stand out.

Use the Word ‘Imagine’

Beginning your PPT with the word “imagine” is a powerful way to grab your audience’s attention. Words like “imagine,” “picture this,” or “think of” prompt your listeners to engage their minds and visualize the scenario you are describing. This technique helps set the stage for a compelling story that can make your presentation more memorable.

Stories have a unique power to draw people in. Our brains respond to stories, especially those filled with emotion and tension. When your audience imagines a story with a relatable hero or a high-stakes situation, they are more likely to pay attention, feel the emotions of the characters, and even mimic their actions later. It creates a connection between you and your listeners, making them more open to your message—whether that’s supporting a cause or considering your proposed solution.

So, next time you start a presentation, try saying, “Imagine this…” and see how quickly you can create a bond with your audience.

Leverage the Power of Silence

Opening the presentation with silence can be one of the most powerful tools in a speaker’s arsenal. Imagine standing before an audience and remaining quiet for a few seconds—no words, just you and the audience in complete silence. This unexpected pause can capture everyone’s attention, much like a magician building suspense before revealing a trick. The audience’s curiosity is piqued, and they are more inclined to focus, anticipating something important.

Using silence deliberately gives the audience a moment to absorb their surroundings and prepares them for what’s to come. It sets a tone of confidence and control, signaling that you have something vital to share. As you hold the silence, avoid the urge to fill the gap with unnecessary words. Instead, embrace the pause. A moment of silence not only helps build anticipation but also allows you to project calmness and authority.

However, this technique is most effective when used by experienced presenters who can maintain their composure and control the room. If done right, silence can quickly draw all eyes to you and create a powerful opening for your presentation.

Begin with a Story

Open your PPT with a story that grabs attention and connects to your main message. Stories are powerful tools that can enthrall your audience’s hearts and minds. Think about starting with a phrase like, “On my way to [location] the other day…” or “On my way here, I was reminded of…,” then follow with a story that relates to your topic.

Organize your slides to support the story in a logical sequence, and use visuals that enhance the narrative and stir emotions. Tell a story that makes your presentation memorable, helping your listeners to understand and remember your key points.

Starting the first slide in a presentation with humor can set a positive tone and immediately capture your audience’s attention. A witty joke or a clever remark can break the ice. Humor is especially useful if your audience has already sat through multiple presentations — it brings a refreshing change that makes them want to hear more.

Including a lighthearted or surprising fact is another way to kick things off on a fun note. This approach can spark curiosity and encourage the audience to engage more with your content.

Humor also adds a personal touch, making your presentation more memorable. If you’re presenting as a group, involve your team members in the fun to create a collaborative and enjoyable experience for everyone. Just make sure your humor is relevant to your topic to keep the focus on your message. With the right dose of humor, you’ll start your PPT on a high note and build a strong connection with your audience.

Interact with Your Audience

To begin a presentation that grabs attention, focus on engaging with your audience right from the beginning. One way to do this is by involving them in an activity, like a quick game, puzzle, or group exercise related to your topic. This can help break the ice and make your presentation more interactive.

Another effective strategy is to use the stage to your advantage. Move around and face different sections of the audience to create an inclusive atmosphere. This helps everyone feel involved. Make eye contact to build a personal connection and show that you value their presence.

Finally, consider asking a question at the start or encouraging audience feedback. These techniques foster a sense of involvement and make your audience feel like they are a vital part of your presentation.

Make an Emotional Connect

To kick off your presentation effectively, start by making an emotional connection with your audience. One powerful way to do this is by sharing a real-life experience or a personal story related to your topic. This approach not only creates an instant bond but also turns your audience into your biggest supporters.

If you’re presenting as a team, have each member share their personal stories related to the topic. This collective sharing enhances the emotional impact and helps build a closer connection with your audience.

Another way to engage your audience is by beginning with a heartfelt story or example that tugs at the heartstrings. Emotion plays a vital role in making your presentation memorable, so don’t shy away from using it to create a personal link with your listeners. Plus, a creative and emotionally engaging start can boost your confidence as a presenter.

Quote a Famous Person

Starting your presentation with a quote from a well-known figure can be a powerful way to engage your audience. A succinct, relevant quote can instantly grab attention and set the tone for what’s to come. Choose a quote that aligns with your presentation’s theme to provide a touch of inspiration and credibility. This approach not only captures interest but also helps frame your message in a meaningful way.

How to Introduce a Presentation: Share a Brief Outline

At the start of your PPT, share a brief outline to give your audience a clear roadmap of what to expect. This is particularly useful for longer presentations or events with multiple speakers. An outline helps the audience follow along and stay focused on your key points, while also allowing you to manage your time effectively.

Begin by summarizing what you will cover. For instance, you might say, “Today, I’ll start with an overview of [first topic], then move on to discuss [second topic], and finally wrap up with [third topic].” This approach helps your audience understand the structure of your talk and why each part is important.

You can also introduce the main goals of your presentation. For example, “My aim today is to explain [main objective], and we’ll achieve this by covering [key points].” This helps set clear expectations and keeps your audience engaged throughout.

By outlining your presentation , you provide a map that helps listeners follow your logic and stay engaged. It also gives them a reason to pay attention and understand the relevance of what you’re discussing.

Wrap-up: How to Start a Presentation

Starting a PPT effectively is crucial for engaging your audience and setting the right tone. Begin with a strong introduction that captures attention, whether through a compelling story , a surprising fact, or a striking visual. A clear and concise statement of your presentation’s objective helps your audience understand what to expect and keeps them focused. Avoid mundane openings; instead, think of your start as a trailer that previews what’s to come.

Use engaging elements like personal stories or humor to make a memorable first impression. Also, consider interactive techniques or emotional connections to build rapport and keep your audience invested. By setting a powerful stage from the start, you pave the way for a successful presentation that resonates and maintains audience interest throughout.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best way to start a presentation?  

The best way to start a presentation is with a strong, engaging introduction. Use a compelling story, a surprising fact, or an impactful visual to capture your audience’s attention right from the beginning.

2. How can I make my introduction more memorable?  

Make your introduction memorable by incorporating elements like personal stories, humor, or thought-provoking questions. These techniques help create a connection with your audience and set the tone for the rest of your presentation.

3. Why is stating the objective important at the start?  

Stating the objective at the start helps your audience understand the purpose of your presentation. It provides a clear roadmap and keeps them focused on what they can expect to learn or gain.

4. How can I use visuals effectively in my presentation?  

Use strong visuals, such as images or infographics, to grab attention quickly. Visuals are understood faster than text and can make your main idea more memorable and engaging.

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Starting a PowerPoint presentation effectively can make or break its success. With Prezentium, you can perfect your opening from the get-go. Our Overnight Presentations service ensures your next presentation begins with a powerful impact, delivered right to your inbox. We craft compelling introductions that set the stage and capture attention immediately.

Our Accelerators team will transform your ideas into striking slides that engage and retain your audience from the start. We’ll help you develop unique visuals and formats that make your introduction unforgettable.

For those seeking to master the art of presenting, our Zenith Learning workshops offer hands-on training in creating captivating beginnings. Learn how to craft a powerful start that ensures your audience is hooked and ready for what’s next.

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Visual Communication: Benefits, Importance, and Examples

7 public speaking tips for enhancing your public speaking abilities, 7 best practices to design slides for a scientific presentation.

Watch CBS News

How to watch the first presidential debate between Harris and Trump

By Melissa Quinn

Updated on: September 11, 2024 / 12:59 AM EDT / CBS News

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to meet in Philadelphia on Tuesday for their first — and perhaps only — debate before the November presidential election.

The match-up will mark the first time Trump and Harris have met in person, and it comes at a crucial point in the election season. A  new CBS News poll shows the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees locked in tight races in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin with less than 60 days until voters choose who will be the next president.

Hosted by ABC News, the debate was initially supposed to be the second meeting of Trump and President Biden, but Mr. Biden's decision in late July to bow out of the race set off a frenetic series of events that culminated with Harris accepting  the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention last month.

The weeks leading up to the debate have seen the two sides sparring over the rules . Harris' campaign pushed for microphones to be on throughout the debate, while Trump said his campaign agreed to the same rules that were in place for the first face-off. When he and Mr. Biden met , microphones were active only when a candidate was speaking.

Muted microphones ultimately prevailed after Harris' campaign accepted the rules set forth by ABC, though it warned she will be "fundamentally disadvantaged" by the format.

The debate is set to run 90 minutes and will be hosted by ABC's David Muir and Linsey Davis. Both candidates will stand behind podiums, and they cannot bring props or prewritten notes on stage, according to rules released by ABC. There will not be a public audience in the room. ABC is allowing other TV networks to simulcast the debate.

Harris has spent the days leading up to the meeting in Pittsburgh, where she participated in extended mock debates, and arrived in Philadelphia on Monday night. Trump, meanwhile, has been going over policy positions with advisers in the run-up to the event, though his preparations have been characterized as informal.

The ABC-hosted debate is the only one that both Harris and Trump have agreed to so far. The former president had proposed a total of three match-ups, with the other two hosted by Fox News and NBC News. But the vice president has only agreed to Tuesday's debate, while her campaign has indicated she would be open to one more in October. Trump has also suggested several times he may pull out of the ABC debate while criticizing its top hosts, though he appears poised to participate.

How to watch the presidential debate between Trump and Harris

• What: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump participate in their first debate
• Date: Tuesday, Sept. 10
• Time: 9 p.m. ET, or 6 p.m. PT.
• Location: The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia
• On TV: ABC and simulcast on CBS television and streaming platforms — find your local CBS station here
• Online stream:  Viewers can also watch the debate on  ABC News Live ,  Disney+  and  Hulu . It will stream on  CBS News 24/7 ,  CBSNews.com  and  Paramount+ , with pre- and post-debate coverage on CBS News 24/7. Watch live in the player above or on the CBS News app .
• Follow live updates: On CBSNews.com
• Presidential Debate
• Kamala Harris
• Donald Trump
• 2024 Elections
• Philadelphia

Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.

More from CBS News

Analysis of the words Trump, Harris relied on in their first debate

Harris campaign seeks 2nd debate, but Trump says he's "less inclined"

Harris leads Trump on "excitement factor" in 3 battleground states

Here are 3 key economic issues to watch for during the Harris-Trump debate

What To Know About Kamala Harris’ Economic Agenda Ahead Of Tonight’s Debate

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Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to discuss her economic proposals as she debates former President Donald Trump Tuesday night, as the nominee has called for an “opportunity economy” focused on the middle class and released plans that include lowering grocery and prescription drug prices and addressing the housing crisis.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Hendrick Center For Automotive Excellence on August 16 in ... [+] Raleigh, North Carolina.

Grocery Prices: The candidate says she would work in her first 100 days to help Congress pass a national ban on “price gouging” for food, give the Federal Trade Commission and prosecutors authority to go after companies they determine to have price gouged, support small businesses in the industry, take a closer look at mergers between big grocery companies and “aggressively” investigate price-fixing in meat supply chains specifically ( some economists have questioned the idea that price gouging worsened inflation—or that tighter regulations would help).

Housing Costs: Harris wants to provide $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time home buyers and is calling for the creation of three million new housing units within the next four years, proposing a tax credit for developers who build starter homes and investing $40 billion in an “innovation fund” to tackle housing shortages.

Rental Costs: Harris says she would also expand a tax credit for housing developers who build affordable housing rental units, and is calling on Congress to pass legislation to stop allegedly predatory investors who buy up rental homes and collude with each other to raise rental prices.

Child Tax Credit: Harris proposed giving families a $6,000 tax credit for newborns in their first year of life, and restore a pandemic-era tax credit of $3,600 per child for middle and lower-class families.

Taxes: Harris also wants to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for workers in lower-income jobs, which would cut taxes by up to $1,250, and has previously said she would continue President Joe Biden’s promise not to raise taxes on American households earning $400,000 or less annually, and does support raising taxes for high earners and corporations, according to The New York Times.

No Tax On Tips: Harris has separately endorsed a plan to get rid of taxes on tips for hospitality and service workers, echoing a proposal by former President Donald Trump—which has been criticized by some experts—though a campaign official told CNN tips would still be subject to payroll taxes, and would include an income limit and guardrails to prevent people like hedge fund managers from taking advantage of the policy.

Prescription Drug Prices: Harris proposed a $35 cap on insulin and capping out-of-pocket expenses on prescription drugs at $2,000 per year on Friday, also saying she would speed up Medicare negotiations on the price of prescription drugs—after the Biden administration announced a deal lowering costs on 10 medications—and crack down on anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry that cause higher prices.

Healthcare: The Harris campaign also announced her intention to work with states to cancel Americans’ medical debt, and she proposed expanding subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans that would save health insurance customers an average of $700 on their health insurance premiums.

Paid Leave: Harris has not released a specific paid leave proposal, but she has previously co-sponsored 12-week paid leave legislation, Politico notes, with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., telling the outlet, “I absolutely believe that when they are in office, we will get a paid leave bill done finally.”

Minimum Wage: Harris called for raising the minimum wage in a Las Vegas speech earlier in August, but her campaign has not specified how high she believes it should be raised.

Fed Independence: Harris has vowed to maintain the Federal Reserve’s independence after Trump said he believed “the president should have at least [a] say” on the Federal Reserve’s decisions, with Harris telling reporters, “The Fed is an independent entity and as president I would never interfere in the decisions that the Fed makes.”

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Crucial Quote

Harris told CNN host Dana Bash in an August interview that her priority on “Day One” as president would be to start implementing her economic agenda. The vice president said one of her “highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class,” arguing that while she believes the Biden administration has done “good work” on the economy, “there’s more to do.”

Harris will debate Trump in Philadelphia Tuesday night, marking the first time the candidates have gone head-to-head—or even met in person. The economy is expected to be a major theme in the debate, given the issue’s importance to voters. Harris is expected to emphasize her existing economic proposals during the debate, ABC News reports , while Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller said in a statement the vice president “has to explain ... the damage she’s done to the economy.”

How Do Harris’ Policies Compare With Biden’s?

Harris’ economic policy agenda is largely in line with Biden’s economic platform, with some tweaks to emphasize causes that are more important to her, like the child tax credit. “Same values, different vision,” a Harris aide told The Guardian. “She’s not moving far away from him on substance, she will highlight the ones that matter most to her.” The initial plans from Harris’ campaign also suggest the vice president plans to be more aggressive in her policy approaches than Biden, however, as polls have suggested voters hold dim views of how the president has handled the economy. While Biden has also opposed price gouging, Harris’ proposal to enable the FTC and U.S. attorneys to go after companies that hike up prices goes beyond what the president has proposed, Politico notes , and her proposed $40 million investment in the housing crisis is double the amount the Biden administration spent.

Harris’ economic agenda hasn’t go fully in depth about her proposals, which The New York Times reports is by design. The Times reported before Harris unveiled her agenda that the Harris campaign has adopted a “strategic vagueness” for her economic proposals, believing that being more of a “blank slate” will help ward off attacks and attract more support from business groups.

How Do Harris’ Policies Compare With Trump’s?

Trump’s economic agenda is largely focused on raising tariffs on imported goods, which Harris has said she opposes. The ex-president has also called for cutting taxes and regulations in hopes of lowering inflation, including lowering the corporate tax rate, and has encouraged increasing oil production in order to lower energy prices. In addition to his “no tax on tips” proposal that Harris has also endorsed, Trump has called for ending taxes on Social Security benefits, which Harris has not yet responded to. Experts believe the ex-president’s proposal could speed up Social Security and Medicare becoming insolvent, with the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget projecting exempting taxes on benefits would result in Social Security and Medicare receiving $1.6 trillion less in revenue between 2026 and 2035. The Trump campaign opposed reports of Harris’ economic proposals Wednesday, with spokesperson Steven Cheung saying in a statement, “Kamala Harris can’t hide from her disastrous record of skyrocketing inflation … Americans are struggling under the Biden-Harris economy, and now she wants to gaslight them into believing her bald-faced lies.”

42%. That’s the share of voters who trust Harris more to handle the economy, according to a Financial Times/University of Michigan poll released August 11, versus 41% who trust Trump more. That’s down from Trump holding a six-point lead over Biden in July, though the poll also showed 42% believe a Trump presidency would leave them better off financially, while only 33% said the same for Harris.

Key Background

Harris became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in July after Biden stepped down suddenly from the presidential race, following weeks of pressure over mounting concerns about his mental fitness. While the vice president has quickly garnered Democrats’ support and risen in the polls, Harris released few concrete policy proposals in the first few weeks of her campaign—drawing some criticism as a result. The vice president has made releasing a platform on economic proposals her first priority, delivering a speech earlier in August laying out her economic platform that marked the most substantive remarks she had given on policy so far. Her focus on the economy comes as polling has repeatedly shown it’s the most important issue to voters in this election cycle, with the vice president hoping to attract support amid low approval ratings for Biden’s handling of the economy. Harris’ August 16 speech also came days after news that inflation fell in July to its lowest point in more than three years, with federal data showing inflation at 2.9% in July, the first time it’s been below 3% since March 2021.

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Expanded Safety and Communication Capabilities

Better for the Environment 

• iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium, in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities. iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 (U.S.) or $41.62 (U.S.) per month, and iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 (U.S.) or $49.95 (U.S.) per month. 5
• Apple offers great ways to save and upgrade to the latest iPhone. Customers can get $180 (U.S.) to $650 (U.S.) in credit when they trade in iPhone 12 or higher, or up to $1,000 (U.S.) in credits to put toward an iPhone 16 Pro with a carrier offer. Customers can take advantage of these offers by visiting the Apple Store online or an Apple Store location. For carrier offer eligibility requirements and more details, see apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/carrier-offers . To see what their device is worth and for trade-in terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in .
• Customers in more than 58 countries and regions, including Australia , Canada , China , France , Germany , India , Japan , Malaysia , Mexico , South Korea , Türkiye, the UAE , the U.K ., and the U.S. , will be able to pre-order iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max beginning at 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, September 13, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
• iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in Macao , Vietnam , and 19 other countries and regions beginning Friday, September 27.
• iOS 18 will be available as a free software update on Monday, September 16.
• Apple Intelligence will be available as a free software update. The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available in beta next month as part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come. It will be available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with M1 and later, with device and Siri language set to U.S. English. Additional languages and platforms are coming over the course of the next year. Later this year, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia , Canada , New Zealand , South Africa , and the U.K. In the coming year, Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages, including Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
• In addition to an iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max Clear Case, available for $49 (U.S.), a Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available for $49 (U.S.) in black, denim, fuchsia, lake green, plum, star fruit, stone gray, and ultramarine. Apple cases for the iPhone 16 lineup work seamlessly with Camera Control, featuring a sapphire crystal coupled to a conductive layer that communicates finger movements to the Camera Control. FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe will be available for $59 (U.S.) in black, blackberry, dark green, and deep blue.
• A new MagSafe Charger enables faster wireless charging up to 25W, is Qi2 certified, and is available in a 1-meter length for $39 (U.S.) or a 2-meter length for $49 (U.S.).
• AppleCare+ for iPhone provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know iPhone best.
• iCloud+ plans start at 50GB for $0.99 (U.S.) per month and offer up to 12TB for $59.99 (U.S.) per month, providing additional storage to keep files, photos, videos, and more safe in the cloud, accessible across devices, and easy to share with others. iCloud+ also gives access to premium features, including Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domains, and HomeKit Secure Video support.
• Customers who purchase iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will receive three free months of Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Apple Fitness+ with a new subscription.

Text of this article

September 9, 2024

PRESS RELEASE

Powered by the A18 Pro chip and built for Apple Intelligence, the Pro lineup introduces larger display sizes, Camera Control, innovative pro camera features, and a huge leap in battery life

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA  Apple today introduced iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max , featuring Apple Intelligence, larger display sizes, new creative capabilities with innovative pro camera features, stunning graphics for immersive gaming, and more — all powered by the A18 Pro chip. With Apple Intelligence, powerful Apple-built generative models come to iPhone in the easy-to-use personal intelligence system that understands personal context to deliver intelligence that is helpful and relevant while protecting user privacy. Camera Control unlocks a fast, intuitive way to tap into visual intelligence and easily interact with the advanced camera system. Featuring a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster quad-pixel sensor that enables 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision, these new Pro models achieve the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone. Additional advancements include a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera for higher-resolution photography, including macro; a 5x Telephoto camera on both Pro models; and studio-quality mics to record more true-to-life audio. The durable titanium design is strong yet lightweight, with larger display sizes, the thinnest borders on any Apple product, and a huge leap in battery life — with iPhone 16 Pro Max offering the best battery life on iPhone ever.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in four stunning finishes: black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 13, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.

“Powered by the faster, more efficient A18 Pro chip and built for Apple Intelligence, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are the most advanced iPhone models we’ve ever made,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Customers who are looking for the best possible iPhone will be able to take advantage of this huge step forward, whether they’re applying edits to a photo without lifting a finger, rewriting meeting notes for a more professional tone, or using the advanced camera system to capture their next masterpiece in 4K120 fps in Dolby Vision — all while enjoying extraordinary battery life.”

Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 lineup harnesses the power of Apple silicon and Apple-built generative models to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. Apple Intelligence maintains the privacy and security of user data with Private Cloud Compute. This groundbreaking approach provides the ability to flex and scale computational capacity between on-device processing and larger, server-based models that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers — an extraordinary step forward for privacy in artificial intelligence. Apple Intelligence will be available as a free software update, with the first set of features rolling out next month in U.S. English for most regions around the world.

With systemwide Writing Tools, users can adjust notes or emails to be more friendly, more concise, or add a more professional tone to their writing; check for grammar, word choice, and sentence structure; and summarize selected text to make it more digestible. In the Notes and Phone apps, users can also record, transcribe, and summarize audio. When a recording is initiated while on a call in the Phone app, participants are automatically notified, and once the call ends, Apple Intelligence generates a summary to recall key points.

Apple Intelligence helps users prioritize with summarized notifications, along with Priority Messages in Mail, a feature that understands the content of emails and surfaces time-sensitive messages. Across a user’s inbox, summaries convey the most important information of each email instead of previewing the first few lines.

Siri becomes more deeply integrated into the system experience and gets a brand-new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when active. With richer language-understanding capabilities, communicating with Siri is more natural and flexible. Siri follows along when users stumble over their words, and maintains context from one request to the next. Users can type to Siri at any time, and switch fluidly between text and voice as they accelerate everyday tasks. Siri also now has extensive product knowledge to answer thousands of questions about features on iPhone and other Apple devices.

Additional Apple Intelligence features will roll out later this year and in the months following, including Image Playground, which allows users to create playful images in moments. Emoji will be taken to an entirely new level with the ability to create original Genmoji by simply typing a description, or by selecting a photo of a friend or family member. Siri will be able to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. It will also gain onscreen awareness to understand and take action with users’ content, as well as take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps. And while using iOS 18 features like Siri and Writing Tools, users will be able to easily access ChatGPT from OpenAI.

The new Pro lineup features the thinnest borders of any Apple product and introduces larger display sizes: 6.3 inches on iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches on iPhone 16 Pro Max — the largest iPhone display ever. 1 The stunning Super Retina XDR displays with Always-On and ProMotion technologies help users accomplish more. Both models offer industry-leading durability with a strong, lightweight titanium design, as well as the latest-generation Ceramic Shield, which has an advanced formulation that is 2x tougher than glass on any other smartphone. The new mechanical architecture improves heat dissipation and efficiency for up to 20 percent better sustained performance. Along with the new internal design and advanced power management of iOS 18 , larger batteries are optimized to offer a huge leap in battery life.

Camera Control — a result of thoughtful hardware and software integration — makes the pro camera system more versatile with an innovative new way to quickly launch the camera, take a photo, and start video recording. It has a tactile switch that powers the click experience, a high-precision force sensor that enables the light press gesture, and a capacitive sensor that allows for touch interactions. A new camera preview helps users frame the shot and adjust other control options — such as zoom, exposure, or depth of field — to compose a stunning photo or video by sliding their finger on the Camera Control. Later this fall, Camera Control will be updated with a two-stage shutter to automatically lock focus and exposure on a subject with a light press, letting users reframe the shot without losing focus. Additionally, developers will be able to bring Camera Control to third-party apps such as Kino, which will offer users the ability to adjust white balance and set focus points, including at various levels of depth in their scene.

Later this year, Camera Control will unlock visual intelligence to help users learn about objects and places faster than ever before. Users can click and hold Camera Control to pull up the hours or ratings for a restaurant they pass, add an event from a flyer to their calendar, quickly identify a dog by breed, and more. Camera Control will also serve as a gateway into third-party tools with specific domain expertise, like when users want to search on Google to find where they can buy an item, or to benefit from ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills. Users are in control of when third-party tools are used and what information is shared.

With iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the world’s favorite camera gets even more powerful. Powered by A18 Pro, the upgraded camera system introduces a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster, more efficient quad-pixel sensor and Apple Camera Interface, unlocking 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision — the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone, and a smartphone first. The quad-pixel sensor can read data 2x faster, enabling zero shutter lag for 48MP ProRAW or HEIF photos. A new 48MP Ultra Wide camera also features a quad-pixel sensor with autofocus, so users can take higher-resolution 48MP ProRAW and HEIF images when capturing uniquely framed, wider-angle shots or getting close to their subjects with macro photography. The powerful 5x Telephoto camera now comes on both iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, allowing users to catch the action from farther away, no matter which model they choose. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max now take spatial photos in addition to videos to help users relive memories with remarkable depth on Apple Vision Pro.

Users can capture 4K120 fps in Slo-mo or Video mode, and adjust the playback speed after capture in the Photos app, including a quarter-speed playback, a new half-speed option for a dreamy effect, and a fifth-speed option that corresponds to 24 fps. When coupled with the new image signal processor (ISP) of A18 Pro, users can do frame-by-frame cinema-quality color grading for 4K120 fps in Dolby Vision. Users can also capture 4K120 fps ProRes and Log directly to an external storage device for efficient pro workflows.

Both Pro models feature four new studio-quality mics that preserve true-to-life recorded sounds, and video can now be captured in Spatial Audio for immersive listening with AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, or a surround sound system. The iPhone 16 Pro lineup also introduces creative new ways to edit video sound with Audio Mix — allowing users to adjust their sound after capture to focus on the voice of the person on camera, make it sound like the video was recorded inside a professional studio, or position vocal tracks in the front and environmental noises in surround sound. With wind noise reduction, powerful machine learning (ML) algorithms reduce unwanted noise for better audio quality.

Next-generation Photographic Styles help users express their creativity and customize their photos by locally adjusting color, highlights, and shadows in real time. Styles also have a deeper understanding of skin undertones, so users can personalize how they appear in photos. Unlike filters, which often use a one-size-fits-all approach by adding a color to an entire scene, adjustments are applied to specific colors of a selected style. A wider set of styles offers more creative options for editing a photo’s aesthetic, and styles can be further personalized with an easy-to-use new control pad and intensity slider for simultaneous adjustments across tone and color. These adjustments can be rendered during live preview, applied after a photo is taken, or even reversed later.

Apple Intelligence takes the pro camera system to a new level. Coming later, Siri will be able to complete in-app requests and take action across apps, like pulling up a specific shot from a user’s Photos library and then applying an edit to the image in Darkroom. Siri can also help users fully utilize the wide range of photo and editing capabilities, such as asking how to adjust the blur in the background of a photo.

The new A18 Pro chip is designed with industry-leading compute power to propel Apple Intelligence, ushering in a new era of pro performance. Built with second-generation 3-nanometer technology and featuring a new architecture with smaller, faster transistors, A18 Pro delivers unprecedented efficiency. The new 16-core Neural Engine is faster and more efficient than the previous generation, powering remarkable on-device performance for Apple Intelligence. A 17 percent increase in total system memory bandwidth — the highest ever in iPhone — enables faster experiences when using Writing Tools and Image Playground, and helps deliver astounding graphics. The bandwidth increase also benefits the 6-core GPU, which is up to 20 percent faster than the previous generation, driving graphics rendering for Apple Intelligence and stunning visuals for gaming. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing gets up to 2x faster for even more realistic light sources and reflections, and Game Mode in iOS 18 unlocks more consistent frame rates while making AirPods, game controllers, and other wireless accessories incredibly responsive. A new 6-core CPU is the fastest in a smartphone, with two performance cores and four efficiency cores that can run the same workload as the previous generation 15 percent faster while using 20 percent less power. Next-generation ML accelerators are optimized for Apple Intelligence, and save power by handling high-efficiency, high-throughput, and low-latency computations on the CPU without engaging the Neural Engine.

A18 Pro enables Always-On and ProMotion technologies for an exceptional viewing experience on iPhone, as well as faster USB 3 speeds and ProRes video recording. A new ISP and video encoder process 2x the amount of data for faster video encoding and pro workflows.

The iPhone 16 Pro lineup features innovative ways to stay connected and provides enhanced safety capabilities for peace of mind. Powered by the same groundbreaking technology as Emergency SOS via satellite, users are able to connect to the nearest satellite to send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS while outside cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. 2 Messages via satellite in iOS 18 are end-to-end encrypted. Also new with iOS 18, Emergency SOS Live Video allows users to share a live video feed or photos with participating emergency dispatchers during an emergency call. 3 Later this fall, Roadside Assistance via satellite — which connects users to a roadside assistance provider if they have car trouble while off the grid — expands beyond the U.S. to the U.K.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are designed with the environment in mind. As part of Apple 2030, the company’s ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade, Apple is prioritizing renewable electricity in manufacturing, and investing in wind and solar projects around the world to address the electricity used to charge all Apple products, including the iPhone 16 lineup. Today, all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity — including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence.

To achieve Apple 2030, the company is also designing products with recycled and renewable materials. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature more than 25 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the internal structural frame and 80 percent or more recycled steel across multiple components. The battery is made with 100 percent recycled cobalt and — in a first for iPhone — over 95 percent recycled lithium. 4 The iPhone 16 Pro lineup also meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and is free of mercury and PVC. The packaging is entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal of removing plastic from its packaging by next year.

Pricing and Availability

• The display has rounded corners that follow a beautiful curved design, and these corners are within a standard rectangle. When measured as a standard rectangular shape, the screen is 6.27 inches (iPhone 16 Pro) or 6.85 inches (iPhone 16 Pro Max) diagonally. Actual viewable area is less.
• Apple’s satellite features are included for free for two years starting at the time of activation of a new iPhone 14 or later. For Emergency SOS via satellite availability, visit support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426 . Messages via satellite will be available in the U.S. and Canada in iOS 18. SMS availability will depend on carrier. Carrier fees may apply. Users should check with their carrier for details. Roadside Assistance via satellite is currently available in the U.S. with AAA and Verizon Roadside Assistance, and is launching in the U.K. with Green Flag this fall. Participating roadside assistance providers may charge for services, and iPhone users who are not members can take advantage of their roadside assistance services on a pay-per-use basis. Apple’s satellite services were designed for use in open spaces with a clear line of sight to the sky. Performance may be impacted by obstructions such as trees or surrounding buildings.
• Emergency SOS Live Video will be available in the U.S. in iOS 18.
• All cobalt and lithium references are on a mass balance allocation.
• 128GB storage capacity is available on iPhone 16 Pro.

Press Contacts

Renee Felton

[email protected]

Alex Kirschner

[email protected]

Apple Media Helpline

[email protected]

Images in this article

Harris and Trump clashed on major issues at tonight's presidential debate

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Harris faced off in their first debate, a 90-minute event jam-packed with jabs, vivid facial expressions and occasional cross-talk.

— It might not be their last: Harris’ team, clearly pleased with her performance, is already asking for a second debate .  — Within minutes of ABC's presidential debate ending, Taylor Swift — who said she had been watching — endorsed Harris in an Instagram post signed “Childless Cat Lady.” — NPR reporters have spent the evening fact-checking the candidates’ claims on everything from immigration and Obamacare to crime , fracking and abortion .

Debate night — and this live blog — may be over, but NPR’s election coverage is not. Stay tuned to the NPR Politics Podcast and Up First (and subscribe to each of their newsletters). We’ll have post-debate updates and analysis on NPR.org and Morning Edition bright and early.

Live coverage of tonight's debate has been an NPR Network collaboration between NPR, WHYY and KQED, with help from Member stations across the country. Find your local Member station here and get our full election coverage in the new Election tab in the NPR App.

This work is made possible by financial contributions from our community. Join in by donating today .

This live blog is winding down for the night

By Rachel Treisman

We're wrapping up this live blog, but there will be plenty post-debate coverage to wake up to tomorrow.

Check out the latest episode of the NPR Politics Podcast and Up First wherever you get your podcasts, and tune in to Morning Edition online or on your local station in the morning. Plus, subscribe to the Up First and NPR Politics newsletters for the latest news and analysis straight to your inbox.

In the spin room, Trump makes no promises about a second debate

Trump made an appearance in the spin room in Philadelphia to talk up his debate performance.

"I felt very good. I had a good time doing it," he said. "I hate to speak about our country so negatively, but that's what happened."

It's relatively unusual for a candidate to personally work the room, rather than leaving it to their surrogates.

NPR's Domenico Montanaro says a spin room appearance is more typical after primary debates, in situations where candidates feel they didn't get enough speaking time or generally need more attention. But Trump has done this before, dating back to his 2016 campaign.

When asked by reporters why he didn't let his debate performance speak for itself, Trump said he thinks it did.

"But people said would I come here and I made an obligation to a couple of people that I'm gonna do their show," he said.

Trump said Harris had asked for a second debate "because she lost," but didn't immediately accept.

"So we'll think about that," he said. "We'll look at it."

NPR's Elena Moore contributed reporting from Philadelphia.

The stereotype of immigrants and minorities eating dogs and cats is storied

By Jasmine Garsd

It was obvious that immigration would be front and center during the presidential debate. More surprising was that it veered into bizarre falsehoods about migrants eating pet dogs in Ohio.

For context: in the last few days, Vice President JD Vance echoed a rumor about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio eating people’s pets. Springfield, a city of around 60,000, has received 15-20 thousand Haitian migrants in the last four years. It’s led to tensions, and unfounded rumors about gangs, voodoo practice and yes, eating of cats and dogs. The Springfield police has denied all of this.

Tales of migrants eating pets spread throughout social media like wildfire. President Donald Trump brought it to the debate tonight: "They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats," he said during an answer to a question about immigration. "They're eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what's happening in our country, and it's a shame." Moderator David Muir fact-checked Trump’s claims, saying there have been no credible reports of pets being harmed Springfield’s immigrant community. But by the time the debate was over, #runspotrun was trending on social media.

The stereotype of the immigrant who eats cats and dogs is storied, and surprisingly found its way into today's presidential debate. Or perhaps it's not such a shocker: In the last few years the rhetoric on immigration from the Republican party has been getting meaner, according to a study from Stanford University . The study used AI to chart the tone of over 200,000 speeches since the 1880s, and found the hostile rhetoric in the way Republican's discuss immigration today is very reminiscent of that used against Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s, when they were targeted by the nation's first country-based restrictions on immigration.

Taylor Swift endorses Harris as a 'Childless Cat Lady'

Taylor Swift has waded into the election discourse with a highly awaited political endorsement.

The influential superstar threw her support behind Harris in a post on Instagram within minutes of the debate ending.

The photo? A picture of Swift posing with one of her three cats. The signoff? "Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady " — a reference to a disparaging comment made by Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance earlier this year, which many Democratic women have since reclaimed.

Swift wrote that she had watched the debate and done her research on each candidates' proposals for the country. She said she was alarmed by Trump posting recent AI pictures falsely showing her endorsing him, and wanted to combat misinformation with the truth: She will be voting for the Harris-Walz ticket.

"I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," Swift wrote. "I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz , who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades."

Swift encouraged other voters to do their research and make their own decision. And she reminded first-time voters to register, promising to link information about registration and early voting in her Instagram story — which she did.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

JD Vance addresses Trump stance on an abortion ban

By Ximena Bustillo

Speaking to ABC after the debate, GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance faced questions about whether Trump would veto a national abortion ban if brought to his desk.

“I think the president has been pretty clear that he doesn’t want a national abortion ban. And I think in some ways he finds the question a little bit ridiculous, because why are we asking about legislation that’s never going to actually happen?” Vance said, adding that Trump wants to see these policies made by states.

Vance said that he had not spoken with Trump about whether he would veto such a bill before he was first asked about it by reporters.

Last month, Vance said that Trump would veto an abortion ban . During the debate, however, Trump did not say whether he would veto a national abortion ban, adding that he “didn’t discuss it with JD” when asked about his running mate’s August comments.

Here's what themes Harris and Trump hit on at the end

By Tamara Keith

In a way, the candidates’ closing statements did a good job of summing up the debate. Harris delivered a well-rehearsed statement talking about her vision for the country going forward, while Trump delivered a key blow at the top before veering off into a rant about renewable energy and America as a nation in decline.

Harris went first, saying viewers saw two very different visions of the country in the debate, “one that is focused on the future and one that is focused on the past.”

That is a line she has been delivering on the campaign trail and was a key message she wanted to convey during the debate. It’s a theme she returned to regularly during the 90 minutes, at one point earlier saying that she represented a “new generation” of leadership for the country.

“I intend to be a president for all Americans and focus on what we can do over the next 10 and 20 years to build back up our country by investing right now in you the American people,” Harris concluded.

Trump started his closing statement, hitting a point his team had said he would emphasize during the debate: “She’s going to do all these wonderful things, why hasn’t she done it? She’s been there for 3 and a half years,” Trump said. “Why hasn’t she done it?”

But then he started jutting between topics as he did in almost every answer during the debate, before returning to a common refrain in his his rally speeches and a theme he came back to repeatedly tonight.

“We’re a failing nation,” Trump said. “We’re a nation that’s in serious decline.”

He suggested that World War 3 is coming, referenced nuclear weapons and immigration and said “they’re destroying our country.” It wasn’t clear whether he was talking about immigrants or the Biden-Harris administration.

Then, in a debate where Trump talked about President Biden, the man he vanquished in a June debate, more than the nominee he was sharing a stage with, Trump ended with this: “The worst president, the worst vice president in the history of our country,” Trump concluded.

Harris says no troops in combat, but thousands still in harm's way

By Quil Lawrence

Harris used an administration talking point during the debate, saying “There is not one member of the military who is in active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world for the first time this century.”

But thousands of troops in Iraq and on the Syrian border are still in very dangerous terrain.

U.S. troops died in Jordan in January on a base that keeps watch over the war with ISIS in Syria.

Kamala Harris is a gun owner but still supports stricter gun laws. Here's where the candidates stand

By Meg Anderson

During the debate, Trump claimed that Harris wants to “confiscate your guns.” However, Harris pointed out that she herself is a gun owner. In 2019, she said she owns a gun “for personal safety” because she was a “career prosecutor.”

But Harris has been a proponent of stricter gun laws. In 2023, President Biden established the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which Harris oversees. She also supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Biden signed into law in 2022. The act expands background checks, creates new criminal penalties for gun trafficking and for purchasing a gun on behalf of someone banned from doing so. It also invested $1.4 billion in violence-prevention and intervention programs.

Trump, on the other hand, has aligned with the National Rifle Association and is expected to have a more hands-off approach to gun restrictions if elected. Additionally, he has claimed that gun laws do not work. During one press conference this summer , he pointed out that Chicago endured   a particularly deadly July 4th weekend this year, with more than 100 people shot and 19 killed, despite Illinois having a record of strong gun control laws . However, Illinois is surrounded by states with much weaker gun restriction laws, like Indiana, where guns can easily cross the border.

There is evidence that gun restriction laws, particularly red-flag laws, work. According to researchers at the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis, for every 10 to 20 red flag orders issued, the number of suicides falls by one. The data for mass shootings is less clear, because they are much more rare and therefore harder to study, but around a third of shooters who kill four or more people show warning signs ahead of time.On the flip side, laws that allow more people to have guns, like right-to-carry and concealed-carry laws, appear to result in more violent crimes involving firearms, more assaults with firearms, more workplace homicides and more police shootings .

Harris' team wants another debate already

Elena Moore

Within minutes of the debate wrapping up, Harris' campaign asked for another one.

"That was fun. Let’s do it again in October," tweeted Brian Fallon , a senior advisor to the campaign.

In a lengthier statement, Harris-Walz Campaign Chair Jen O'Malley Dillon praised Harris' performance and called for another round.

"Under the bright lights, the American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris, or going backwards with Trump," she said. "That’s what they saw tonight and what they should see at a second debate in October. Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?”

There are currently no additional debates scheduled between Trump and Harris. Their running mates, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are set to face off on October 1 in a debate hosted by CBS News.

The two hold similar roles in their respective campaigns: to appeal to voters in the "Blue Wall" states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin this fall.

Harris and Trump make their closing arguments

Harris used her closing time to paint the debate — and the campaigns — as offering competing visions of the country: one focused on the future, and another focused on the past and "an attempt to take us backward."

She promoted a message of unity as well as her own record, saying in her career as a prosecutor she never asked anyone's political identity but rather, "Are you okay?"

"And that's the kind of president we need right now," she said. "Someone who cares about you and is not putting themselves first; the president for all Americans."

Trump used his closer to question why Harris hasn't used her time as vice president to enact the policy changes she spoke about onstage.

And he painted a darker picture of a nation in "serious decline." He closed out the debate by calling Biden and Harris the worst president and vice president in history.

Trump promises to get war in Ukraine "settled"

By Franco Ordoñez

Trump reiterated promises that he could get Russia’s war in Ukraine resolved within 24 hours if he returns to the White House.

He said he had good relationship with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and touted that he could get the war “settled” as president-elect before he even takes office.

Asked whether Trump wants Ukraine to win the war, Trump said he wants the “war to stop.”

“I think it's in the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done,” Trump said. “Negotiate a deal because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed.”

He went on to repeat attacks against the Biden administration for not pushing NATO allies to take on more of costs and burden of the war.

What will they do to address climate change?

Moderator Linsey Davis asked both candidates what they would do to fight climate change. Harris said climate change is “very real,” citing that young voters really care about the issue and that home insurance has increased in price or been denied altogether as a result of extreme weather.

Harris boasted of investing in a “clean energy economy while increasing domestic gas production to historic levels.”

Under the Biden/Harris administration, the U.S. produced a record amount of oil last year – averaging 12.9 million barrels per day. That eclipsed the previous record of 12.3 million barrels per day, set under former president Trump in 2019. 2023 was also a record year for domestic production of natural gas . Much of the domestic boom in oil and gas production is the result of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” techniques .

This has drawn criticism from progressive activist groups. Harris also leaned on the domestic production of cars as a part of that clean energy economy.

Trump did not answer the question, instead falsely claiming that there has been a drop in manufacturing jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 739,000 more factory jobs in the U.S. last month than there were when former President Trump left office.

With help from Scott Horsley

Fact check: Trump undermined Obamacare when president

By Selena Simmons-Duffin

Asked about the Affordable Care Act during the debate, Trump says he could have "let it rot" but instead, "I saved it." When pushed on what health policy he would put in its place, he said he has "concepts of a plan."

During his presidency, Trump undermined the Affordable Care Act in many ways — for instance, by slashing funding for advertising and free "navigators" who help people sign up for a health insurance plan on HealthCare.gov. And rather than deciding to "save" the ACA, he tried hard to get Congress to repeal it, and failed.

The Biden administration has reversed course from Trump's management of the Affordable Care Act. Increased subsidies have made premiums more affordable in the marketplaces and enrollment has surged. The uninsurance rate has dropped to its lowest point ever during the Biden administration.

The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 and is entrenched in the health care system. Republicans successfully ran against Obamacare for about a decade, but it has faded as a campaign issue this year.

And that's a wrap on the debate (but not our coverage)

The debate is over, but the post-game is just beginning.

Candidates' surrogates are talking them up in their respective spin rooms and political commentators are warming up.

NPR's on-air analysis will continue until 11 p.m. ET, and our live blog will keep rolling even after that, so stick with us.

Fact check: Trump and the case of the Central Park Five

Harris brought up Trump’s behavior in the late 1980s surrounding the case of the Central Park Five, now sometimes referred to as the Exonerated Five.

In April 1989, Trisha Meili was assaulted and raped while running in Central Park in New York City. Five teenagers were ultimately wrongfully convicted of the crime, each spending years in prison before they were exonerated.

At the time, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York to adopt the death penalty after the attack. He has since refused to apologize for his behavior.

The Central Park Five are often brought up by juvenile justice experts as a classic example of the vulnerability of children and teenagers involved in the criminal justice system. The brain areas that govern impulsivity, self-regulation and decision-making aren’t fully developed until about the mid-twenties, so juveniles are more likely than adults to falsely confess to a crime, as the teenagers in the Central Park Five did.

During the debate tonight, Trump said that the Central Park Five pleaded guilty, so they must have “badly hurt a person, killed a person, ultimately.” Meili, the victim in the case, is still alive.

According to the Harris campaign, New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam, one of the Exonerated Five, will be in the spin room for Harris after the debate.

Trump has called out Biden plenty but isn't saying Harris' name

Trump appears reluctant to mention Harris by name, even though she's standing right across from him onstage.

He's criticized her policy stances and administration's track record throughout the debate.

But he's repeatedly referred to Harris as "she" and "her" — and hasn't spent much time looking at her, even when speaking about and to her. In contrast, Harris has directed many of her comments right at Trump and frequently turned to face him as he spoke.

One person Trump has been willing to name check? Biden, even though he's no longer in the race. Trump has invoked him several times by name.

He's also repeatedly referred to Biden as "her boss," avoiding saying Harris' name out loud while emphasizing the relationship between the two.

Fact check: A look at the Biden administration's immigration record

Harris was at no point in the Biden administration in charge of immigration policy. The border has never been “wide open."

It is true that the last few years have been historic for immigration numbers. The U.S. southern border has witnessed a record of over 7.3 million migrant encounters between legal ports of entry since Biden took office in 2021, according to data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. This is in large part due to an unprecedented crisis of global displacement.

In response, the Biden administration did expand parole significantly via the CBP One app, and programs for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The idea was to have a “carrot and stick approach,” encouraging immigrants to apply to come to the U.S. through legal pathways. Between January 2023 and July 2024 , over 520,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans have arrived lawfully on commercial flights and been granted parole.

The claim that these immigrants are “being flown in” or are “unvetted” is false: in order to apply for these programs people must prove they have a sponsor in the U.S. and undergo robust security screening.

In recent months, the number of undocumented border crossings has plummeted . In July, the Border Patrol recorded over 56,000 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border. This is the lowest monthly total since September 2020. The Border Patrol’s encounters in July were 32% lower than in June 2024.

Experts say there are a couple of reasons for that. Late last year, the Mexican government doubled down on cracking down on migrants trekking up toward the US border. (The Mexican government has a long history of collaborating with the U.S. on immigration enforcement). Other countries have also been enlisted in cutting down immigration, like Panama.

In addition, in the last year the Biden administration has issued restrictions at the border which are in fact reminiscent of Trump era regulations: through an Executive Order issued this summer, undocumented immigrants crossing the border are all but excluded from asking for asylum.

Finally, the Biden Administration is on pace to match Trump’s deportation numbers . There’s been some 1.1 million deportations since the beginning of fiscal year 2021 through February 2024 (the most recent data available), on pace to match the 1.5 million deportations carried out during the four years Trump was in office.

These deportations are in addition to the 3 million expulsions of migrants crossing the border irregularly that occurred under the pandemic-era Title 42 order between March 2020 and May 2023—the vast majority of which occurred under the Biden administration.

Combining deportations with expulsions and other actions to block migrants without permission to enter the United States, the Biden administration’s nearly 4.4 million repatriations are already more than any single presidential term since the George W. Bush administration (5 million in its second term).

Harris calls for Mideast ceasefire, Trump claims he could settle the war 'fast'

By Greg Myre

Harris called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as she has done before, in line with the Biden administration policy.

“Israel has a right to defend itself,” she said. “And how it does so matters. Because it is also true, far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”

“This war must end,” the vice president added. “We need a ceasefire deal and we need the hostages out,” a reference to the roughly 100 Israelis still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

She also called for a two-state solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though at present, there is no realistic prospect for a full-fledged peace agreement that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Trump, meanwhile, criticized Harris, claiming that if she becomes president Israel “won’t exist in two years.”

He also claimed, without providing any details, that “I will get that [war] settled and fast."

Trump has been strongly supportive of Israel and says he has told Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to “get your victory and get it over with. It has to stop, the killing has to stop."

The Gaza war has been raging for more than 11 months. More than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza have lost their lives, a majority of them women and children , according to health officials in Gaza.

Around 1,500 Israeli civilians and troops have been killed in the Hamas attack last Oct. 7, and in the subsequent fighting in Gaza.

We're in the home stretch

After the second of two breaks, there are just a few minutes left in the debate. We'll hear closing arguments soon.

We're in the second of two breaks

We're now in the second break of the debate, which should be quick. One last chance to stretch your legs and rest your eyes before the debate wraps up around 10:40 p.m. ET.

Trump points to authoritarian PM Orban as example of his support from foreign leaders

Former President Donald Trump cited his close ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to counter attacks by Vice President Harris that world leaders are “laughing” at Trump.

“Let me just say about world leaders, Viktor Orbán, one of the most respected men, they call him a strong man. He's a he's a tough person. Smart prime minister of Hungary. They said, why is the whole world blowing up?” Trump said.

“He said, ‘because you need Trump back as president. They were afraid of him. China was afraid.’ And I don't like to use the word afraid, but I'm just quoting him. 'China was afraid of him. North Korea was afraid of him.' Look at what's going on with North Korea, by the way. He said 'Russia was afraid of him,'” he added.

The response reflected Trump’s ongoing embrace of autocratic leaders.

Harris appeared to continued to try and get under Trump’s skin, during a question about the Middle East.

Orbán, who has turned into a hero of Trump’s followers and other conservative populists is known for his restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. He’s also cracked down on the press and judiciary in his country while maintain a close relationship with Russia.

“He's trying to, again, divide and distract from the reality, which is it is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy,” Harris said. “It is well-known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one, according to himself. It is well known that he said of Putin that he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine.”

Trump charged back that Russian President Vladimir Putin supports Harris.

“Putin endorsed her last week,’’ Trump said, arguing that it was a serious statement though many experts claimed it was part of Russia’s disinformation campaign for Trump’s benefit.

In debating Harris, Trump can’t ditch Biden

By Stephen Fowler

In the weeks since Biden dropped out of the race after struggling in the first debate against Trump, the former president has struggled to pivot his campaign to focus on Harris.

A few times tonight, Trump has directed his attacks against the current president, and Harris called him out for it.

“You’re not running against Joe Biden, you’re running against me,” she said in response to a question about the war in Ukraine.

That said, Trump has attempted at times to remind voters that Harris is Biden’s vice president and to tie her to some of Biden's unpopular policies.

Trump points to Putin jokingly backing Harris—but intelligence officials say Russia is backing Trump

By Shannon Bond

Trump pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s apparent endorsement of Harris last week as an example of his claim that foreign powers see the Biden-Harris administration as weak, but intelligence officials have said Putin’s statement does not reflect Russia’s true intentions.

“Putin endorsed her last week, he said ‘I hope she wins,’ and I think he meant it,” Trump said. “Because what he’s gotten away with is absolutely incredible. It wouldn’t have happened with me.”

Last week at a public event, Putin said in a teasing tone of Harris, “We will support her” and referred to her laughing “expressively and infectiously.” However, his statement was widely interpreted as a joke.

A senior U.S. intelligence official told reporters on Friday that the intelligence community “does not take Putin's public statements as representative of Russia's covert intentions.”

The U.S. intelligence community says Russia is attempting to influence the 2024 election in favor of Trump, in a repeat of its goals in 2016 and 2020 . While Trump has long dismissed allegations of Russian meddling as a “hoax,” a bipartisan Senate investigation as well as the Mueller report concluded Russia interfered in that year’s election to boost Trump over Hillary Clinton.

Last week, the Justice Department seized dozens of internet domains used in a Russian operation spoofing American news outlets to spread fake stories and indicted two employees of state broadcaster RT in an alleged $10 million scheme to pay unwitting right-wing American influencers to make videos espousing Kremlin-friendly views.

Trump was advised to stay on message. Is he?

Republican strategist Doug Heye said before the debate that Trump has the tools to win "if he can do the thing that is usually the hardest thing for Donald Trump to do, and that is stay on message."

Heye, a former communications director for the Republican National Committee, told Morning Edition on Tuesday that Trump can't rely on Harris to "fall over on her own like Biden did," but rather needs to be prepared to make his own case for himself.

To Heye, that means reminding voters that Harris is "partially responsible for policies that they don't approve of," be it immigration or the economy.

Heye said Trump has been told repeatedly that he must stay on message, something he's struggled with in speeches, interviews and debates before.

"If he goes into different areas or starts making bizarre references, it allows Harris to really counterpunch him well, and not just point out the 'weird' issue that Democrats have been talking a lot about , but also highlighting: If we thought that Joe Biden was too old and not mentally with it enough to serve as president, well, maybe this person is dealing with that same situation," he said.

Following Biden's exit from the race, Trump, at 78, is now the oldest presidential nominee in history.

Trump has largely avoided attacking Harris' identity — appearing at one point to walk back his statement questioning her race — but has taken repeated digs at her record as vice president and at the Biden administration more broadly.

Facial expressions are speaking when mics are muted

In a presidential debate, the split screen shot of the candidates – with one candidate speaking and the other reacting non-verbally — can easily become the story of the debate. These shots can also easily be made into internet memes.

In this debate, while former president Trump delivers voluble answers often looking and sounding angry, Vice President Harris’ face is doing a lot of work. At times her expression is pained, others she leans her head back and takes a breath looking to the sky in a motion that is just one step shy of an eye roll. At other moments, she gets a look that says "bless your heart" without actually saying it.

As NPR’s Deepa Shivaram wrote , for Harris, facial expressions were an important part of her past debate performances.

For his part Trump can be seen shaking his head, pursing his lips and furrowing his brow when Harris speaks.

It's all about the middle class for 'middle class kid' Harris

By Marisa Lagos

Vice President Harris repeatedly leaned into her middle class roots at the debate, seeking to contrast her childhood as the daughter of immigrants to former President Donald Trump’s experience being born into a wealthy family.

Harris opened the debate underscoring that contrast as she answered a question about whether Americans are better off now than they were four years ago, saying Trump wants to pay for tax cuts for billionaires on “the backs of middle class people.”

“I was raised as a middle class kid, and I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America,” she said. “My opponent, on the other hand, his plan is to do what he has done before, which is to provide a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations.”

Harris went on to attack Trump’s economic plans -- including his call for steep tariffs on most foreign imports as a “20% tax on everyday goods that you rely on to get through the month,” that would result in families paying $4,000 more a year.

Later, when asked about why some of her policy positions have changed -- including on fracking, Harris said she would not ban the drilling technique. Then, she pivoted back to the theme of growing up middle class -- saying her values have not changed.

“As it relates to my values, let me tell you, I grew up a middle class kid raised by a hard working mom who worked and saved and was able to buy our first home when I was a teenager,” she said, then attacked Trump. “The values I bring to the importance of homeownership, knowing not everybody got handed $400 million on a silver platter and then filed bankruptcy six times.”

Trump responded that he hadn’t been given $400 million, but “a tiny fraction” of that, which he said he built into “many, many billions of dollars.”

Trump keeps saying foreign wars wouldn't have happened if he were in office

Trump says the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars would not have happened if he were president.

That's one of his favorite refrains: he's repeatedly insisted those conflicts are related to President Biden's election, and vowed that he would resolve them quickly if reelected.

He has said he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, but declined to elaborate how. He told Fox's Sean Hannity last year that it would be a "very easy negotiation," but didn't want to show his hand.

Chris Stirewalt, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told NPR earlier this year that Trump makes complex foreign policy sound simple, and people believe him.

"The authoritarian tendency in politics, not just in the United States but anywhere, is to say that there is a simple and easy answer," Stirewalt said. "But the bad people will not let you obtain it because they're weak — or they're corrupt."

Read more here about the facts behind Trump's talking points .

Trump won't say whether he'd veto a national abortion ban

By Sarah McCammon

When pressed on whether he would veto a national abortion ban into law if one were to come to his desk, Trump declined to get specific.

Harris warned that if elected, Trump “will sign a national abortion ban.”

Trump has repeatedly called for leaving abortion policy to the states, but anti-abortion rights activists — who make up a key part of the Republican base — have called on Republican elected officials to work toward national abortion restrictions . Passage of a federal abortion ban would require Republicans to control both the presidency and both houses of Congress.

In one exchange, Trump reiterated a campaign pledge not to sign such a law.

“It’s a lie. I’m not signing a ban, and there’s no reason to sign a ban,” Trump said, later adding, “It doesn’t matter, because this issue has now been taken over by the states.”

Asked by a moderator if he would veto such a bill if it came before him, Trump responded, “I won’t have to.”

He then changed the subject to student loan policy.

After the moderator noted that Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has said he would veto such a law, Trump said, “Well, I didn’t discuss it with JD, in all fairness.”

He went on, “We don’t have to discuss it, because she’d never be able to get it,” suggesting that Democrats are unlikely to get the votes to pass a bill that would enshrine abortion rights.

Trump makes false claim about noncitizens voting

By Jude Joffe-Block

It is illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and there is no credible evidence that it has happened in significant numbers, or that there is an effort underway to illegally register undocumented immigrants to vote this election.

Voter registration forms require voters to sign an oath – under penalty of perjury – that they are U.S. citizens. If a noncitizen lies about their citizenship on a registration form and vote, they have created a paper trail of a crime that is punishable with jail time and deportation.

“The deterrent is incredibly strong,” David Becker, executive director of Center for Election Innovation and Research, told NPR.

Election officials routinely verify information on voter registration forms, which ask registrants for either a driver’s license number or the last four of social security numbers.

In 2016, the Brennan Center for Justice  surveyed local election officials in 42 jurisdictions with high immigrant populations and found 30 cases of suspected noncitizens voting out of 23.5 million votes cast, or 0.0001%.Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger launched an audit in 2022 that found fewer than 1,700 suspected noncitizens had attempted to register to vote over the past 25 years. None were able to vote.

Fact check: Trump claims Harris raised money to get people in Minneapolis out of jail

At one point during the debate, Trump mentioned that Harris “went out in Minnesota and wanted to let criminals [out] that killed people, that burned Minneapolis. She went out and raised money to get them out of jail.”

It’s true that Harris tweeted support for a Minnesota bail fund after the 2020 protests of George Floyd’s murder. Trump has tried to frame Harris before as part of the progressive prosecutor movement and as a supporter of defunding the police, her record first as the district attorney in San Francisco, later as California’s attorney general and beyond are much more nuanced.

She did refer to herself in her 2019 book as a “progressive prosecutor,” but her legacy has been seen as mixed. She has indeed supported some progressive reforms, like offering certain criminal defendants drug treatment instead of going to trial and ending the practice of charging girls with prostitution.

But she has also sometimes aligned with more conservative tendencies: As attorney general, for instance, Harris didn't back legislation that would have mandated the state to investigate fatal police shootings. In a statement to NPR earlier this year, Harris referred to herself as a “pragmatic prosecutor.”

And we're back

And we're back from the first break. There are about 30 minutes left in the debate.

And a brief pause for commercial break

An hour into the debate, moderators have thrown to the first commercial break — time to take a few deep breaths.

Fact-checking Trump’s legal troubles this election cycle

During the debate, Trump falsely claimed that the Biden administration and the Justice Department are behind the slate of state civil and criminal indictments against him.

For months, Trump and his allies have made the false claim that the trial and its results are political persecutions. He has made this claim about all his indictments, but particularly his legal woes in New York.

In a letter to congressional Republicans earlier this year, the Justice Department said it found no emails between DOJ leadership and the Manhattan district attorney's office about Trump's probe, and underscored that the district attorney’s office is a separate entity from the DOJ.

Trump has scored some legal wins throughout the summer. His federal case regarding classified documents in Florida was dismissed , his New York state criminal sentencing was delayed until after the election, and his election interference state indictment in Georgia is also delayed .

One federal case that the DOJ brought is the election interference case against Trump in Washington for his actions around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Over the summer, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling decided presidents have immunity for official acts they take in office.

Prosecutors for the DOJ have since retooled the allegations against Trump for seeking to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump falsely says he had 'nothing to do' with Jan. 6

When Trump was asked if he regretted anything about his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, the former president dodged responsibility altogether.

"I had nothing to do with that, other than they asked me to make a speech," he said. "I showed up for a speech."

Trump then proceeded to blame Democrats for failing to prevent the insurrection that unfolded, leaving five people dead.

He blamed then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for turning down a request for National Guard members, saying he had warned them "this is going to be a very big rally."

"It would have never happened if Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of Washington did their jobs," Trump added. "I wasn't responsible for security."

Trump has been charged with four felony counts of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Many of the more than 1,000 rioters charged with storming the Capitol have said they did so because of Trump's claims about the election being stolen. The House Committee investigating Jan. 6 placed the blame squarely on Trump.

Before turning the topic over to Harris, moderator David Muir noted that the "question was about you as president, not about former Speaker Pelosi" — which was not his first fact-check of the evening.

Despite constant Republican claims, Harris is not a 'border czar'

Republicans have long called Harris a ‘border czar.' Those claims got louder when Harris was tapped as presidential candidate. It is false: in 2021, President Biden tasked Harris with finding out the root causes of migration. (At the time, migrants were predominantly Central American. )

Trump whips out a viral Harris line about interrupting, which she did not

Trump appeared to use Harris' own words against her to stop her from interrupting him, though she was not doing so.

In the midst of an answer accusing Harris of long supporting fracking and defunding the police, Trump seemed to interrupt himself.

"Wait a minute, I'm talking now," he said. "Does that sound familiar?"

Harris had been listening with a skeptical look on her face — one of many disapproving facial expressions she's made throughout the night — and her microphone was muted, in accordance with debate rules. She did not appear to be trying to speak.

Trump seemed to be harkening back to a moment at the debate between Harris and his then-running mate, Mike Pence, in 2020, which saw a considerable amount of cross-talk.

At one point, Harris sternly told Pence as he attempted to jump in : "Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking. I'm speaking."

Harris prods Trump with number of Republicans who support her

Vice President Kamala Harris pointed out that she has the support of more than than 200 Republicans who previously worked for either former President George W. Bush, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., or Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

She brought former Trump officials, including former Trump White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former National Security Adviser John Bolton who have raised concerns about a second Trump administration.

“If you want to really know the inside track on who the former president is, if he didn't make it clear already, just ask people who have worked with him. His former chief of staff, a four star general, has said he has contempt for the Constitution of the United States,” she said. “His former national security adviser has said he is dangerous and unfit. His former secretary of defense has said the nation, the republic would never survive another Trump term.”

The comments reflect Harris’s effort to appeal to moderate Republicans. Several Republicans spoke at the Democratic National Convention.

Trump responded by firing several of those individuals for doing a bad job. “I'm a different kind of a person. I fired most of those people, not so graciously,” he said. “They did bad things or a bad job. I fired them.”

He then sought to turn the tables on the Biden-Harris administration, arguing that President Biden and Harris have not been able to hold their people accountable.

Trump veers from subject to subject in debate performance

Former President Donald Trump is known to veer rapidly from one subject to the next at his rallies and during interviews, but his debate performance is doing this on steroids and in two-minute increments.

Take his answer to a question about why he asked congressional Republicans to kill a bipartisan deal to boost border security.

First, he started by responding to an earlier — and factual — charge from Harris that people often leave his rallies before he is done speaking. He claimed that no one goes to her rallies and that the campaign buses people in to attend.

Then he boasted about his rallies, said the country is being lost and is “a failing nation,” said “what’s going on here is World War 3." He then turned to immigration, claimed towns are overrun by immigrants, repeated false claims about immigrants eating people’s pets, and said “Make America Great Again."

He finally said that if Harris wins, the US will become “Venezuela on steroids.”

This sort of stream-of-consciousness verbiage, laced with conspiracy theories and accusations of the country being destroyed, showed up in virtually every answer he delivered during the first 45 minutes of the debate.

Both candidates pledge their support for IVF

Now that abortion is banned in 14 states, reproductive rights advocates have warned that access to fertility treatments called in vitro fertilization or IVF could be banned next.

In IVF, eggs are fertilized in a lab — it's been used for decades and has allowed many families to have babies. Often, there are unused embryos, that can be donated for research or destroyed.

When the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in a case and made IVF temporarily paused in that state, Trump spoke out against that ruling. He recently suggested that he actually wanted IVF to be covered by health insurance — it's often extremely expensive for families. But it's a tricky issue for him — many of Trump's supporters in the anti-abortion movement believe that life begins at conception, a belief that puts IVF on tenuous ground.

IVF is generally quite popular with voters across parties.

Why Harris mocks Trump over crowd size (because it bothers him)

One hallmark of Vice President Harris' campaign so far has been needling Trump over the size of his rally crowds.

Her campaign has posted (sometimes misleading) videos of empty seats at events and people streaming out towards the end of his often 90-minute-plus monologues.

This morning, the campaign released an ad featuring former President Barack Obama mocking Trump's obsession with crowd size.

On the debate stage, Harris pointed out some of the non sequiturs that litter Trump's speeches, and said "people start leaving his rallies out of exhaustion and boredom."

It clearly got under his skin:

"She said people started leaving — people don't go to her rallies, there's no reason to go," he said. "And the people that do go, she's busing them in and paying them to be there and then showing them in a different light so she can't talk about that. People don't leave my rally, biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics."

(There's no evidence Harris is paying people to attend her rallies.)

Fact check: Trump says crime is 'through the roof'

Nationally, violent crime — including murder, robbery, rape and aggravated assault — fell significantly in the first half of 2024 as compared to the first half of 2023, according to the most recent data from the FBI. The FBI also reported a large decrease in property crimes, including motor vehicle thefts. The bureau’s data is preliminary, but it encompasses around three quarters of the country. Additionally, the numbers from other crime analysts have largely mirrored those results as well.

The Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank, did report an increase in shoplifting in its 2024 mid-year analysis, but found decreases in all other crimes it examined. Analysts predict violent crime rates this year will fall back down to pre-pandemic levels.

Of course, crime rates vary by city. For example, San Jose, Calif., and Tampa, Fla., saw an increase in homicides in the first half of 2024. St. Louis and Washington saw murder rates fall dramatically. Overall though, crime is falling.

Trump also claimed that there is a huge amount of crime being carried out by migrants. That is not true. Researchers from Stanford University found that since the 1960s, immigrants have been 60% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. The CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, found undocumented immigrants in Texas were 37% less likely to be convicted of a crime.

Fact-checking on fracking

By Scott Horsley

Under the Biden/Harris administration, the U.S. produced a record amount of oil last year — averaging 12.9 million barrels per day. That eclipsed the previous record of 12.3 million barrels per day, set under former president Trump in 2019. 2023 was also a record year for domestic production of natural gas . Much of the domestic boom in oil and gas production is the result of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” techniques . While campaigning for president in 2019, Kamala Harris said she would ban fracking, but she changed course when she joined the Biden administration.

In addition to record oil and gas production, the Biden/Harris administration has also coincided with rapid growth of solar and wind power . Meanwhile, coal has declined as a source of electricity.

Harris invites viewers to a Trump rally — and he's not pleased

Harris took a moment to turn to the camera and do something she called "really unusual": She invited viewers to attend a Trump rally.

"You will see during the course of his rallies, he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills causing cancer," she said. "And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you, the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you."

She concluded by saying Americans deserve a president who puts them first, and pledged to do so.

The jab at Trump's rally size seemed to hit him hard. Instead of answering the moderator's next question asking him to explain why he worked to kill an immigration bill, Trump returned to the topic of crowd size.

"People don't go to her rallies. There's no reason to go. And the people that do go, she's busting them in and paying them to be there and then showing them in a different light so she can't talk about that," Trump said. "People don't leave my rally, biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics."

Trump keeps pivoting to immigration

Former President Donald Trump attempting to turn the conversation to immigration. Early on in the debate answering to questions on the economy he stated "look at what she's done to our country, and when you look at these millions and millions of people that are pouring into our country monthly. ... And just look at what they're doing to our country. They're criminals. Many of these people coming in are criminals, and that's bad for our economy too."

Moderators veered the conversation back on topic, but clearly this is a centerpiece of the Trump campaign the candidate is eager to discuss.

Fact check: Trump's claims about abortion late in pregnancy

In a statement that drew a fact check from the moderator, Trump falsely claimed that a former West Virginia governor had called for “executing” babies after birth. Trump apparently intended to refer — also inaccurately — to a statement by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who is also a pediatric neurologist.

Northam faced controversy in 2019 over his response to a question about how to care for an infant born with fatal complications.

Trump later repeated the false claim that abortions take place “after birth.”

As ABC News anchor Linsey Davis mentioned during her real-time fact check, there is no state where it is legal to kill a baby after birth. A report from KFF earlier this year also noted that abortions “after birth” are illegal in every state.

According to the Pew Research Center, the overwhelming majority of abortions — 93% — take place during the first trimester. Pew says 1% take place after 21 weeks. Most of those take place before 24 weeks, the approximate timeline for fetal viability, according to a report by KFF Health News.

A separate analysis from KFF earlier this year noted that later abortions are expensive to obtain and offered by relatively few providers, and often occur because of medical complications or because patients face barriers earlier in their pregnancies.

“Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That isn’t happening; it’s insulting to the women of America,” Harris said.

Harris also invoked religion in her response, arguing that “one does not have to abandon their faith” to agree that the government should not control reproductive health decisions.

As Davis also noted, Trump has offered mixed messages about abortion over the course of the campaign. He has bragged about his instrumental role in overturning Roe v. Wade , while appearing to backpedal on an issue that polling makes clear is a liability for Republicans.

Fact check: Who pays for tariffs

Donald Trump raised tariffs sharply while he was in office, and he’s pledged to go further if he returns to the White House.

During his first term, Trump imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, washing machines, solar panels and numerous products from China. While Trump insists these taxes are paid by foreign companies, most of the cost is borne by businesses and individuals in the United States . What’s more, many trading partners retaliated, slapping tariffs of their own on U.S. exports. As a result, farmers and manufacturers across the country suffered .

Despite the fallout, the Biden/Harris administration has left most of the Trump tariffs in place, while adding its own, additional levies on targeted goods from China such as electric vehicles. In a second term, Trump has proposed adding a 10% tariff on all imports, with a much higher levy on all Chinese goods. Researchers at the Peterson Institute for International Economics estimate such import taxes would cost the average family $1,700 a year .

Fact check: What to know about Project 2025 — and Trump's efforts to distance himself

Harris quickly attacked Trump on his association with the architects of Project 2025.

“I'm going to tell you on this debate tonight, you're going to hear from the same old tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and name-calling,” Harris said in the first few minutes of the debate. “What you're going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected to again.”

Trump found himself again seeking to defend and distance himself from Project 2025, the controversial plan drafted by the Heritage Foundation to overhaul the U.S. government.

“Number one, I have nothing to do — as you know and as she knows better than anyone — I have nothing to do with Project 2025,” he said. “That's out there. I haven't read it. I don't want to read it purposely. I'm not going to read it.”

For weeks, Trump has been dogged by his relationship to those who drafted the 900-page pro-Trump plan that calls for mass deportations, eliminating the Department of Education, imposing stricter controls on abortion and slashing climate protections.

Democrats have repeatedly sought to tie Trump to the most controversial aspects of the plans.

Allies got involved. Actress Taraji Henson brought it up at the BET awards, really added fuel to the fire.

It was also a big part of the Democratic National Convention, with comedian Kenan Thompson carrying out a cartoon-size version of Project 2025 to make fun of Trump and the effort.

It is true that the Trump campaign did not draft Project 2025. But those involved in the policy proposals include loyalists and allies of Trump, and former Trump officials.

These former officials are likely to be candidates in a second Trump administration.

Trump claims to have done a 'phenomenal' job with pandemic response

There was a lot of chaos during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Trump administration. The national stockpile of key goods like masks were depleted, and Trump made moves to have the U.S. leave the World Health Organization. Trump regularly contradicted his health experts, and his political allies were found to have interfered with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to limit the spread at a time when there was very little data on the virus and how it spread.

Fact check: Aurora, Colo., has no evidence of gang takeover

Trump attacked Harris and Biden's records on immigration, arguing that they're failing to stem people from other countries from entering the country and causing violence.

"We have millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums, and they're coming in, and they're taking jobs that are occupied right now by African-Americans and Hispanics and also unions," he said at the debate.

In the last two years, more than 40,000 Venezuelan immigrants have arrived in the Denver metro area. And it is true that many now live in Aurora.

"You look at Springfield, Ohio, you look at Aurora in Colorado. They are taking over the towns. They're taking over buildings," Trump said. "They're going in violently. These are the people that she and Biden led into our country, and they're destroying our country."

A few weeks ago, a video of gang members in an Aurora, Colo., apartment building had right-wing media declaring the city's takeover by Venezuelan gangs. NPR looked into these claims .

Shortly after the video appeared, Colorado's Republican Party sent a fundraising letter claiming the state is under violent attack, and Venezuelan gangs have taken over Aurora.

It's also true Aurora police have recently arrested 10 members of a Venezuelan gang called Tren de Aragua.

But Aurora's interim police chief, Heather Morris, says there's no evidence of a gang takeover of apartment buildings in her city.

What's more, violent crime — including murder, robbery and rape — is way down nationwide, according to the most recent data from the FBI . Notably, analysts predict violent crime rates this year will fall back down to where they were before they surged during the pandemic, and may even approach a 50-year-low.

A fact check on inflation

Inflation soared to a four-decade high of 9.1% in 2022, according to the consumer price index. While inflation has since fallen to 2.9% (as of July), prices are still climbing faster than most people would like. Other countries have also faced high inflation in the wake of the pandemic, as tangled supply chains struggled to keep pace with surging demand. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also fueled inflation by driving up energy and food prices worldwide. Government spending in the U.S. under both Biden/Harris and Trump also may have contributed, putting more money in people’s pockets and enabling them to keep spending in the face of high prices.

While high prices are a source of frustration for many Americans, the average worker has more buying power today than she did before the pandemic. Since February 2020 (just before the pandemic took hold in the U.S.) consumer prices have risen 21.6% while average wages have risen 23%.

Many prices were depressed early in the pandemic, however, so the comparison is less flattering if you start the clock when President Biden and Vice President Harris took office. Since early 2021, consumer prices have risen 19.6% while average wages have risen 16.9%. Wage gains have been outpacing price increases for over a year, so that gap should eventually close.

How much speaking time do candidates get? A refresher on the rules

A quick refresher on tonight's rules:

• Each candidate gets two minutes to answer each question, and one additional minute for follow-ups, clarifications and responses.
• Their microphones will be muted while the other speaks, and no pre-written notes are allowed.
• Trump won the coin toss and elected to deliver the final closing statement of the night. Harris chose the podium on the right-hand side.

As Harris debates Trump, Walz is hosting a rally in the Phoenix suburbs

By Ben Giles

Shortly before Vice President Harris faced off against former President Donald Trump in tonight's debate, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took the stage in Mesa, Ariz., and told supporters that the former president’s record will be on full display in Philadelphia.

“On that debate stage tonight, when she holds him accountable, he’s going to have to answer for the absolute train wreck of his presidency,” Walz said.

Walz has been campaigning in the southwest for the past three days, with stops in Texas, Nevada and Arizona, where earlier Tuesday he spoke with voters at a Tempe coffee shop and visited a local Harris-Walz campaign office with Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Gov. Newsom says Harris is ready for debate tonight

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says Vice President Harris is ready to face off against former President Donald Trump tonight — an opponent Newsom called “boring” and too focused on himself.

Newsom, speaking to reporters outside the debate hall, said he’s been at most of Harris’ past debates and expects her to bring the calm demeanor to this one.

“There's a steeliness to her that I've seen in debate after debate,” he said. “I know how she prepares. And I've seen, you know, how consistently she's underestimated, particularly with people like Donald Trump."

Newsom said Harris has an “opportunity” to introduce herself to crucial swing voters tonight and to turn the page from the past, which he argued Trump represents — even though Harris is the sitting vice president.

“This has got to be about your tomorrows, as Bill Clinton would say. Not Donald Trump's grievances,” he said. “And I think that will be his biggest weakness — if he just continues to talk about his own victimization as a trust fund kid that no one really ever understood, including himself. And she can talk about the future and she can paint a compelling vision about what she wants to accomplish in the next term. Take the best of the Biden record, but also make the case that she's not Joe Biden.”

Trump spox Karoline Leavitt previews debate

By Elena Moore

With little time before the start of the debate, one of former President Trump's leading voices on the campaign trail said he was in great spirits.

"He is confident. He's calm, cool and collected," Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NPR ahead of the debate. "He's well prepared to prosecute the case against Kamala Harris."

In the lead-up to tonight's matchup, Trump has been on the campaign trail, choosing not to do a more traditional style of preparing in one place. Harris, on the other hand, spent the last few days getting ready in Pittsburgh.

It's unclear how Trump's style may change when debating against Harris. The former president has a record of sparring with powerful women in politics. Leavitt rejected claims that Trump's record of debating women has been seen as more aggressive or controversial.

"President Trump has been a tough debater against all of his opponents, man or woman," she said. "I think, frankly, it's demeaning to Kamala Harris to say that the standard for her debating President Trump should just be lower because she's a woman."

The candidates are behind the podiums after shaking hands

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are in position behind their podiums. After walking onstage, Harris extended her arm and the two shook hands.

Who is Laura Loomer, who flew in on Trump's plane?

One of Trump’s guests on his plane to Philadelphia tonight was the far-right social media influencer Laura Loomer, who once described herself as a “proud Islamophobe” and “pro-white nationalism”.

Loomer, a former failed Republican congressional candidate, is known for promoting conspiracy theories as well as her anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views.

Though she had previously been banned by some social media platforms for her posts, under Elon Musk’s ownership, she was reinstated to Twitter — now known as X — where she has over a million followers.

Trump has publicly praised her and shared her posts, and this is not the first time he has invited her on his plane . According to media reports, he wanted to give her a role in his campaign last year, but the New York Times reported the plan crumbled after there was immediate backlash from some of his key supporters who thought she would be a liability.

Loomer instead has been spreading a never-ending stream of misleading content to her followers, including false claims that President Joe Biden was near death this summer, Vice President Kamala Harris is not Black and conspiracy theories about school shootings.

She told the Washington Post in May , “I’m happy to dedicate all my time to helping Trump, because if Trump doesn’t get back in, I don’t have anything.”

What time is the debate? Tune into NPR's live coverage of the ABC News Presidential Debate Simulcast

By Heidi Glenn

Starting at 9 p.m. ET, NPR will offer live special coverage of tonight's debate, including updates right here on this liveblog.

Click here to hear the debate, as well as for NPR analysis afterward. You can also find it on many public radio stations and in the NPR app . And you can watch the ABC News Presidential Debate Simulcast live on this blog.

During the debate, follow NPR's live blog for the latest context, analysis, fact-checking and color, and make sure to subscribe to  The NPR Politics Podcast to stay updated throughout the 2024 election season.

Fentanyl is a political flashpoint in 2024. But the overdose crisis is easing

By Brian Mann

We don’t know yet whether fentanyl and the overdose crisis will surface in tonight’s debate, but drug deaths have been an agonizing reality in some of the battleground states.

Here’s some background if Trump and Harris spar over opioids:

Fentanyl has fueled the deadliest drug crisis in U.S. history. The synthetic opioid is sourced in China and is typically smuggled into the U.S. by American couriers working for Mexican drug cartels.

The carnage since 2020 has been massive, with more than 100,000 drug deaths each year. Fentanyl has emerged as a major attack line for Republicans critical of the Biden-Harris administration.

But experts say the trends in 2024 have been hopeful for the first time in a decade.

Drug overdose deaths have plunged by roughly 10% nationally, with some states — including battlegrounds North Carolina and Ohio — seeing much bigger declines.

The Biden administration has also scored significant wins against the Mexican cartels, arresting top Sinaloa drug kingpins, and expanded public addiction programs rapidly.

Fentanyl and overdose deaths remain a serious problem and will likely serve as political fault lines through November. But most experts say the reality on the ground is less grim than politicians sometimes claim.

Will Biden be watching tonight?

President Biden was one of two candidates onstage at the first presidential debate. Tonight, he won't even be in the same state.

Biden told reporters earlier today that he had spoken to Harris, whom he described as "calm and collected," but declined to comment on any specific advice he gave her.

He said his plans were to travel to New York for his granddaughter's birthday and watch the debate afterward.

Biden arrived at Campagnola, a restaurant in Manhattan, just before 7 p.m. ET. He was met outside by his granddaughter Finnegan, whose birthday was yesterday.

Biden, Harris and Trump are all planning to be in New York City tomorrow to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Trump has a history of getting 'nasty' towards powerful women

The last time Trump faced off against a woman on the presidential debate stage, he uttered a sexist insult that itself became a rallying cry among many feminists.

"Such a nasty woman," he interjected — one of dozens of such interruptions — as Hillary Clinton was speaking during their third debate.

At the debate before that, he physically loomed behind Clinton as she delivered her answers, an apparent attempt at intimidation that she later said had made her skin crawl .

Trump prides himself on being a tough negotiator, but often appears flummoxed when facing a powerful woman, as NPR's Franco Ordoñez explains .

"Trump built his image as an alpha male who bullies and emasculates male opponents," he says. "He takes a slightly different approach with female opponents, belittling their intelligence and criticizing their appearance."

Trump has called Nancy Pelosi " unhinged ," called for Liz Cheney to be jailed and nicknamed Nikki Haley, his then-primary opponent, " bird brain ."

His habit of insulting women takes on loaded meaning given the historic power imbalances between men and women — and the gender gap in this particular election. Harris has a huge lead over Trump among women, while Trump leads among men.

Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary for Trump's campaign, dismissed the idea that the former president struggles with strong women, saying "that's comical and false."

She pointed to the women Trump appointed to leadership positions in his administration, like then-press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and former senior counselor Kellyanne Conway, who similarly praised Trump for elevating women in her speech at the Republican National Convention.

Republican strategist Doug Heye told NPR's Morning Edition on Tuesday that women are going to pay attention to how Trump treats Harris onstage.

His microphone will be muted while she is speaking, in accordance with the new rules, but there's always a risk he could slip into personal attacks.

"Don't call your opponent dumb or stupid or any of those things that Donald Trump likes to do," Heye advised him.

"One, you're lowering the bar for Harris' expectations for the debate. Two, you run the risk of women reacting extremely negatively to this, and the Harris campaign is poised to use that coming out of this debate. Focus on the issues, stay off the personal."

Politicians in Harris' home state of California are watching tonight

When Vice President Harris takes the stage tonight, politicians in her home state of California will be watching to see whether the deep blue state becomes its own character in the debate.

Former President Donald Trump has been attacking California and its progressive policies for years, while Harris has studiously avoided most direct references to Berkeley, the liberal enclave where she spent much of her childhood.

But other California politicians like Governor Gavin Newsom — who was also a top surrogate to President Biden — have been eager to defend California . Newsom, as well as California Sen. Laphonza Butler, will be in the “spin” room outside the debate hall, acting as surrogates for the Harris-Walz campaign.

Newsom posted a few hours before the debate on X that he was at the vice president’s campaign headquarters in Philadelphia to “make some calls to voters ahead of tonight!”

In swing state Georgia, suburban Republicans are fired up for the faceoff

SMYRNA, Ga. — More than 250 Georgia Republicans are milling about in the ballroom of Adventure Outdoors, the self-proclaimed "world's largest gun store" to watch the debate of Trump and Harris.

The Fox News pre-show is drowned out by the chatter of people eager to watch Trump and the occasional thwack coming from the downstairs shooting range.

Suburban Cobb County, Georgia, where the event is taking place is the onetime home base of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich that has bolted to the left in recent years, giving Biden 56% of the vote in 2020.

It's also home to the type of moderate-to-conservative-leaning voter that Trump needs to win back into the fold with tonight's debate performance.

Here's a fact check on frequent claims about the Afghanistan war

Trump and Republicans in Congress say President Biden is to blame for the fall of Kabul to the Taliban 3 years ago, and the chaotic rush at the airport where 13 U.S. troops died in a suicide bomb attack that killed nearly 200 Afghan civilians trying to flee. Of late Republicans have been emphasizing Harris’ role. But the Afghanistan war spanned four U.S. presidencies, and it's important to note that it was the Trump administration that signed a peace deal that was basically a quick exit plan.

Former President Trump regularly claims there were no casualties in Afghanistan for 18 months under his administration, and it’s not true, according to Pentagon records.

Former Trump aides stump for Harris ahead of the debate

Two ex-aides of former President Trump's White House, Olivia Troye and Anthony Scaramucci, are among a handful of surrogates backing Vice President Harris tonight.

Speaking to reporters in the spin room, near the debate site in Philadelphia, both defended their support for Harris — despite previously working for her opponent.

"My values haven't changed," said Troye, who served as an adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence during the Trump administration. "I am supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because I see the values that I have supported."

Troye, who also spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month, said she hopes Harris addresses issues related to immigration and the economy — which are top of mind for voters.

"I grew up in a working class, middle class family. And so I think it's important to talk about those things," Troye added. "[Trump] can't identify with that because he has no connection to the people."

Anthony Scaramucci served as Trump's communications director in 2017 for just 11 days, but has since repeatedly sparred with the former president.

"People are going to do a comparative analysis about what's best for the country," he said.

"[Harris] has a platform and a foundation to build off of," he added. "I'm not worried about him having seven debates under his belt because a lot of those debates, he acts a little absurd, frankly."

Scaramucci and Troye are part of a list of Republicans backing Harris, including, most recently, former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Wyoming Sen. Liz Cheney.

Trump has a handful of surrogates in the spin room ahead of the debate as well, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Florida Sen. Rick Scott and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

NPR poll shows why the stakes are so high for the nominees tonight

By Domenico Montanaro

The stakes are high tonight as former President Donald Trump and Vice President Harris face off for the first time in a debate this presidential election.

The race remains a coin flip despite Harris’ momentum, which appears stalled. Trump has advantages on the fundamentals in this election. The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows people trust Trump more to handle the economy, immigration and the war in the Middle East. But Harris leads by a bigger margin on abortion rights.

The survey also finds, however, that Trump struggles on personal qualities like being honest and trustworthy. Harris is also slightly better liked and is more seen as representing change.

All of that sets the backdrop for tonight’s debate, which carries risk for both candidates. Harris will be the early focus for how she is able to parry tough questions about her shifts on certain issues and attacks from Trump over the Afghanistan withdrawal, for example.

But if she’s able to acquit herself passably, the spotlight and scrutiny should be heavily on Trump. He did not have a good debate in June against President Biden, but his lies, meandering and general incoherence were overshadowed by Biden’s disastrous debate performance, maybe the worst debate performance in presidential campaign history.

Trump is what he is. People have very strong views about him, one way or the other, but he is going to give the debate he always gives. That will likely include a healthy dose of misinformation without serious or coherent policy discussion and base attacks.

How he handles himself against a woman — especially a woman of color — is important to watch. He has bullied, belittled and questioned their intelligence. Doing that likely won’t come across well with swing voters in swing states, especially if Harris passes the basic test of being “presidential.”

The political 'flip-flop' attack doesn't always pack a punch for voters

By Luke Garrett

It's happened before: In 2004, two candidates prepped for the second presidential debate, moderated by ABC. Leading up to the political face-off, the Republican presidential campaign accused the Democratic candidate of flip-flopping on policy.

That race for the White House was between then President George W. Bush and then-Sen. John Kerry.

During the October debate in St. Louis, Bush attacked Kerry for his shifting stance on the Iraq War. He argued Kerry shouldn't be president because the country needed a commander in chief who "is steadfast and strong and determined." The flip-flop attack stuck and became a key moment of the debate and the 2004 presidential election.

While much has changed in last 20 years, presidential campaigns continue to level this sort of attack against one another — though it may not influence voters as much as the candidates hope.

In recent weeks, former President Donald Trump and his campaign have seized on shifts in Vice President Harris' stances on fracking, health care and immigration. Trump called Harris the "greatest flip-flopper" at a rally in Michigan.

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign criticized Trump for his "brazen flip-flops" on marijuana legalization and abortion. Just last month, Trump indicated he would vote in favor of an abortion-access amendment in Florida, before later clarifying he'll vote no .

The talking points are likely to resurface at tonight's debate.

But evidence shows that argument doesn't always necessarily resonate with voters. Here's why .

Will the debate address JD Vance's false claims about migrants eating pets?

Using dehumanizing language to describe immigrants is nothing new for the Trump-Vance campaign. But this week the rhetoric seemed to hit a new low: JD Vance helped spread a debunked claim about Haitian migrants living in the city of Springfield, Ohio, accusing them of abducting pets and eating them. The rumor spread on social media like wildfire.

On the site X, Vance wrote, "Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country. Where is our border czar?" — a false position Republicans have pinned on VP Kamala Harris.

Springfield, a small city of around 60,000 people, has received roughly 15,000 to 20,000 migrants, many from Haiti, in the past four years. It has created tension as the city works to absorb so many newcomers in a short amount of time.

Following Vance’s tweets, The Springfield News-Sun reported that local police said that incidents of pets being stolen or eaten were "not something that’s on our radar right now." The Springfield News-Sun reported that Vance might have been referencing an allegation of cat-eating from Canton, Ohio, about 175 miles away.

Vance responded to criticism in another post on X this morning. "It's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false."

He then went on to write about Aiden Clark, an 11-year old boy who died in a traffic accident involving a Haitian driver last year, in Springfield: "That a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here." (The driver, Hermanio Joseph, testified in court that he was in the U.S. legally). Late last year, Clark’s parents told the Springfield News-Sun "We do not want our son’s name to be associated with the hate that’s being spewed."

Vance ended his statement on X saying: "Don't let the crybabies in the media dissuade you, fellow patriots. Keep the cat memes flowing."

You can read more about the fallout from Vance's claims here.

Foreign policy issues likely to come up, per the NPR correspondents who cover them

In preparation for tonight's debate, Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon spokes to three foreign correspondents about some of the global issues they'll be listening for.

They shared which hot-button topics they expect the candidates to cover, and what they wish would get more attention on the debate stage.

Listen to the full roundtable here , and read on for highlights:

Eyder Peralta, Mexico City

In the last debate — between Trump and Biden — Latin America came up only in the context of immigration and drug trafficking, and Peralta expects it will be the same this time around.

"We'll hear a fairly shallow debate that focuses on immigration enforcement — who's tough, who's not tough," he says. "But I bet what we won't hear is a discussion of root causes. And the reason so many people are on the move here in this hemisphere is because, in many ways, Latin America is on fire."

He points to all-out chaos in Haiti , a political crisis in Venezuela , a collapsed economy in Cuba, Nicaragua's banishing of its opponents and the rise of an authoritarian leader in El Salvador.

"Like in Europe, the post-Cold-War order is shifting, and it's causing chaos, and migration is just a symptom," he adds. "I would like to hear a diagnosis from former President Trump and Vice President Harris."

Aya Batrawy, the Middle East

The biggest issue in the region is the war between Israel and Hamas unfolding in Gaza. Batrawy notes that many Israelis see a partner and friend in President Biden, and that Harris has echoed that support.

But Trump is also seen as a staunch ally of Israel, having moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.

"When you look at what the Arab countries view, what the Middle Eastern countries view, like the Egypt or the Gulf countries, there are some differences in policies. But overall, especially when you ask the Palestinians, they see more of the same, which is staunch, unequivocal support for Israel," she adds.

The nearly year-long conflict has spilled over into the Gulf region, where Batrawy is based. There are concerns about Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and possible retaliation by Iran against Israel, for example.

"No one has control over the levers of where this is headed, and we still don't see a cease-fire happening, and so things can really, really deteriorate quickly, whether that's before the elections or after," Batrawy says.

John Ruwitch, China

Beijing is watching the election in the context of the broader U.S.-China relationship, which has been increasingly competitive in recent years.

"To the extent that China comes up in the debate, it seems pretty likely that it'll be in a sort of muscle-flexing, almost chest-thumping type of way," Ruwitch says.

The candidates seem to differ on China policy. Trump, for example, has talked about imposing sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods, while Harris' seems to be pretty consistent with the Biden administration's. Trump has questioned why the U.S. would help Taiwan defend itself. Harris' position is less known, though Biden has explicitly said the U.S. would help defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China .

"Either way, Beijing is planning for all kinds of possible post-election scenarios, the least likely of which is that relations are going to miraculously improve under a new president," Ruwitch says.

How Harris' past debates set her up for sparring with Trump

By Deepa Shivaram

It’s been more than 20 years since Kamala Harris first started preparing for political debates. But the parallels between that first race and this current run for the White House have some striking similarities.

When Harris ran for district attorney of San Francisco in 2003, she faced a short election timeline in the primary. She was up against two opponents, including incumbent Terence Hallinan, who were more well-known than she was. Plus, Hallinan, just like Harris’ current opponent, former President Donald Trump, had a tendency to mispronounce her first name .

In that 2003 primary,   Harris needed a standout moment to put her on the map.

“We were the underdog. We were running up the middle,” said Rebecca Prozan, Harris’ campaign manager in that race. "And coming with the background she came from, she had to outdo both, and not just outdo them — she had to mop the floor with them.”

There were at least a dozen debates in that primary. But the one at the James Lick Middle School auditorium gave Harris her moment.

Harris was asked about San Francisco’s mayor, Willie Brown, whom Harris had once dated. She could have answered in a personal way, but instead Harris pivoted. She used the question as an opportunity to point out her opponents' negative attacks on each other. Hallinan had recently been calling out their other opponent, Bill Fazio, for getting caught in a massage parlor during a raid, for example.

Harris stood on stage between the two men and said she would make her campaign about the issues voters cared about. The audience loved it.

The moment sent a message: "You're not going to push me around. I'm here. I'm running. I'm going to win,” Prozan said.

Harris went on to beat Fazio in the runoff, and later defeated Hallinan in the primary.

Read more here about how Harris has prepped for and performed in past debates — and how tonight's faceoff with Trump poses unique challenges.

Debates have proved a tough test for vice presidents running for president

By Ron Elving

Since the era of TV debates began in 1960, there have been 17 presidential election cycles and all but three have featured at least one televised faceoff between the nominees of the major parties.

When Vice President Harris takes the stage in Philadelphia on ABC with former President Donald Trump, she will be the first sitting vice president to debate someone who had actually been president.

But there have been six others who were vice president or had a history in that office when they debated on TV as their party’s nominee for the Oval Office. And their record has been mostly one of disappointment, both in the debate itself and in the election that followed.

Three were outshone in the debates and then defeated in the election that followed. All three retired from politics thereafter.

Two held their own in their debates the year they won the nation’s ultimate office, only to stumble in their debates as incumbents four years later and be denied reelection.

And there was the very first vice president who debated on TV as the nominee of his party, Richard Nixon, whose performance in 1960 may have cost him an election and cast a shadow on the era of presidential debates that followed.

Read the full fascinating history here .

The debate increases scrutiny on Harris, but also poses risks for Trump

The first debate will likely be a pretty big audience, likely one of the largest of the campaign, and perhaps very consequential. Consider that the debate between Trump and Biden effectively ended Biden’s candidacy for reelection.

While the debate brings increased scrutiny on Harris’ policy positions and her proposals, it also presents considerable risk to Trump.

Trump, in that first debate against Biden, meandered and told a raft of lies . But Biden’s poor performance overshadowed all that, and Trump largely escaped scrutiny.

At Trump’s press conference in early August, NPR found 162 lies or distortions in 64 minutes , more than two a minute. Harris, on the other hand, made a dozen statements during her 40-minute Democratic convention acceptance speech that were either misleading or lacking in context.

If Harris has a solid debate, the focus could be on Trump in a way he doesn’t want.

Tonight's debate is one of several indicators (besides polls) we're following as Election Day approaches. Read about the rest of them here .

Where Harris and Trump stand on 6 education issues

By Cory Turner

As presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump don’t have a lot in common when it comes to their views on education.

Trump has said America’s public schools “have been taken over by the radical Left maniacs,” and that he wants to close the U.S. Department of Education.

Harris has vowed to keep the department open.

Democrats are for free, universal preschool for all 4-year-olds.

Republicans are for universal school choice, where parents have the power — and the public dollars — to enroll their children in any school they want, whether it’s public or private.

The list goes on.

Ahead of the candidates’ debate in Philadelphia, NPR's education team has put together this handy primer of their education views .

Feeling lucky? Play Planet Money's online economic lingo bingo

By Brent Jones

We have an election coming up, and there’s some serious economic policy being lobbed about. We’re starting to see economic policy proposals from both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Some of them are clear, some are hidden behind campaign slogans. This election season could be a jargony slog.

Or… it could be a little more fun than that.

The team at Planet Money decided to turn the economics terms being tossed out during the 2024 presidential campaign into a sort of game. We’re calling it Economic Lingo Bingo! You can play along on the card below.

Get five terms in a row, and you get bingo! Keep playing and you might get a coverall, where all the squares on your card are stamped. Reset your card to shuffle the terms, and you can print it out to play offline. Share with your friends, and play during the debate to make watching a little less painful.

You can find and play the card right here . Good luck!

How Harris and Trump impressionists prepped for debate night

By Scott Detrow

Michael Levitt

President George W. Bush won Florida in 2000 by 537 votes.

Setting aside the U.S. Supreme Court and the Palm Beach County butterfly ballots — in a race that close, any number of factors could have persuaded just enough voters to go one way or another, and ultimately determine the presidency.

So there is an argument that Darrell Hammond’s brutal impression of Vice President Al Gore on Saturday Night Live , portraying him as stiff and unlikeable after the 2000 debates, could have swayed the outcome.

In recent decades, comedians like Tina Fey have become merged in the minds of many with the politicians they roasted, like then-vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin in 2008.

And beyond SNL, Key and Peele's “anger translator” bit helped define President Barack Obama’s aloof coolness.

These days, a lot of the most incisive political comedy — and the best impressions — aren’t happening on TV. They’re happening on TikTok and Instagram.

So how much could impressions and satire shift voters, if at all? And how do the comedians think about their role?

Ahead of Tuesday night's debate between former President Trump and Vice President Harris , All Things Considered host Scott Detrow put these questions to two of the most prominent political impressionists out there — Matt Friend, who’s become famous for his impression of Trump, and Allison Reese, who’s gone viral for her portrayal of Harris.

Listen to the interview and read the highlights here .

A look at Kamala Harris' California record on immigration

By Tyche Hendricks

In California, Kamala Harris staked out a record as pro-immigration but tough in enforcing the law — an approach that reflects her personal experience as the daughter of immigrants and her professional career as a prosecutor.

As San Francisco district attorney, Harris went after abusive employers shortchanging immigrant workers. But in 2008 she bucked the way city lawmakers were interpreting the city’s sanctuary law, arguing that even juvenile immigrants simply arrested for crimes could be turned over to immigration agents.

As California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2016, Harris targeted transnational criminal organizations to disrupt not just drug smuggling, but also human trafficking, according to lawyers who worked under her. The effort to tackle cross-border crime included building ties with law enforcement in Mexico and El Salvador.

When thousands of unaccompanied children began arriving at the border in 2014, Harris used her platform as a state official to convene lawmakers, philanthropy and other stakeholders, and secure tens of millions of dollars for legal representation of children going into immigration court alone.

As California’s junior U.S. senator, Harris joined other Democrats in supporting bills that offered a path to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants. Immigrant advocates say she stood with Dreamers when then-President Trump tried to end DACA. And in 2018, when the Trump administration was revealed to be separating children from their parents at the border, Harris was outspoken in her opposition .

The debate rules, explained

The debate rules echo those agreed on for the June matchup. That means microphones will once again be muted unless a candidate is speaking, something the Harris team asked to change for this debate.

It’s a rule initially proposed by the Biden campaign ahead of the first debate and was largely seen as a potential shake-up to Trump’s typical debate style. Instead, it ended up benefiting the former president, who has a history of interrupting in these settings to the point of his campaign’s detriment. Instead, the technical change helped Trump appear more controlled.

Harris’ campaign told ABC that Harris would be disadvantaged by the muted mics because it would shield Trump from direct exchanges — but said that it would agree to the terms lest Trump drop out of the debate altogether.

A campaign official, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe private negotiations, said that a pool would be on hand to hear what the candidates are saying into muted microphones — and that if there is “significant crosstalk,” the network may unmute both microphones. The moderator will warn candidates to stop frequent interruptions, the official said. “Our understanding of these things helped inform our decision to accept muted mics,” the official said.

There will be no audience and candidates will not be permitted to question each other directly. In addition, neither will be allowed to bring pre-written notes or props onto the debate stage.

This will be the first time Trump and Harris meet face-to-face

This isn't just the first debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. It's their first time actually meeting in person.

"I was a little bit surprised, people might be surprised to hear that you have never interacted with him, met him face to face," CNN's Dana Bash said to Harris during their August interview .

Trump and Harris served in the federal government at the same time, but some logistical quirks and unusual decisions kept them from interacting directly in recent years.

Harris was elected to represent California in the U.S. Senate in 2016, after serving two terms as the state's attorney general. Trump donated twice to reelect Harris to that position, in 2011 and 2013, though she did not keep the money.

Trump won the presidential election that same year, and both were sworn into their respective positions in early 2017.

Harris was a member of the Senate during Trump's first impeachment in 2019, and voted to impeach him on both counts (he was ultimately acquitted along party lines).

Presidential candidate Trump and vice presidential candidate Harris didn't meet in person during the 2020 election (granted, the COVID-19 pandemic had forced much of the world online).

Harris did debate Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, in October 2020. Remember the fly ?

Trump and Harris might have crossed paths at Biden's inauguration in January 2021, about two weeks after the Capitol riot he is accused of stoking . But Trump decided not to attend, becoming the first former president to skip their successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson in 1869 .

The stakes for tonight's debate are even higher than usual

With a compressed schedule and a new Democratic nominee, this debate could become a defining moment as voters are still getting to know Vice President Harris. Harris’ campaign says she will share her vision for a new way forward.

"Americans will get to see the choice between Vice President Harris, who is fighting to make their lives better by increasing economic opportunity and protecting our freedoms, and Trump, who is pushing a dark, backward-looking agenda and is only focused on himself," a Harris campaign spokesperson told reporters

But a spokesperson also describes Trump as a showman, with more experience at general election presidential debates than anyone in modern history. In other words, the Harris campaign is playing up Trump’s skills and downplaying hers. And so are Trump’s advisers, saying Trump is tough to debate. His team says the former president intends to make Harris own the failures of the Biden administration.

“You can't prepare for President Trump, there’s just no way to do it,” said Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump’s campaign. “Imagine a boxer trying to prepare for Floyd Mayweather or Muhammad Ali. You just, you don't know what angle they're going to come at you with.”

Here's what we'll be watching and listening for tonight

Harris has mostly campaigned from the trail in her brief time as a presidential contender — excluding a single sit-down interview with CNN at the end of August. She has also struggled in the past with unscripted moments as vice president, which will put the spotlight on her ability to perform in a debate while also laying out some of her platform and going on the offensive against Trump.

Harris has been putting an emphasis on protecting reproductive rights while campaigning, and she’s likely to address it tonight. Leading up to the debate, the Harris-Walz campaign launched its “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour, pledging to make 50 stops in key states around the issues of abortion, IVF and reproductive rights.

Trump’s stance on this issue has been muddy. He’s made comments on abortion that appear to clash with some of his past views and statements while president . Recently, he acknowledged that Florida’s six-week ban was too restrictive , then clarified shortly after that he would not support the state’s upcoming ballot measure that, if passed, would safeguard access to abortions up until fetal viability.

Trump is likely to link Harris to Biden’s handling of the economy and immigration, two areas where Republicans have heavily criticized the White House. He may also highlight aspects of her political record, including her past support for decriminalizing border crossings and banning fracking — two policies she backed during her 2020 presidential bid and has since pivoted on .

On the other hand, Harris has repeatedly tied Trump’s platform to Project 2025 , a 900-page set of policy proposals for a potential second term put forward by a conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation. Trump has tried to distance himself from the plan — which includes further restrictions on abortion access among a slew of moves that would increase executive power. 

Tuesday’s matchup also poses new stakes for Trump: He’s facing a very different opponent.

In the aftermath of the June debate, the former president’s mistakes weren’t a focus, largely because of Biden’s more noticeably poor performance. That said, Trump by no means had a perfect night, repeatedly highlighting false and misleading information .

So this time, as NPR’s Domenico Montanaro pointed out , “If Harris has a solid debate, the focus could be on Trump in a way he doesn’t want."

When and how to watch tonight's debate

The event will air at 9 p.m. ET for 90 minutes from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis are slated to moderate the debate, which will be broadcast by the network and streamed on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. You can also watch it here on this liveblog.

Follow NPR's live blog for the latest updates, analysis, fact-checking and color. Listen to NPR’s special coverage of the ABC News Presidential Debate Simulcast  on many public radio stations , on  NPR.org  and in the  NPR app , starting at 9 p.m. ET.