In retail, restaurant and similar businesses, the advantage of ‘location’ is well understood. In the business of presentations, public speaking and oratory, ‘powerful openings’ offer the same advantage.

Successful presentation openings:
– grab the listener’s attention
– generate intellectual curiosity
– engender emotions and empathy
– produce a positive emotional connection

I enjoy looking out for unusual presentation openings. In the following examples, I have been impressed by the boldness of the speakers, the skillful use of the rule of three, or just the unusualness of the opening.

This clip has 10 such examples. There are plenty of good ideas and best practices here. Elevating your presentation openings to these levels is transformational.

Example # 1: Mohammed Qahtani: (0:10 – 1:15)
A bold opening! This was a contest speech—at the highest level. As soon as the speaker completed his opening and transitioned to the 1^st point, I mentally predicted he would win. This unusual opening adeptly tied into the speaker’s core message. To fully appreciate the quality of this opening, it is best to see the entire speech. I’ve been with Toastmasters for many years, but do not recall seeing an opening quite like this.
Well-done Mr. Qahtani! Thank you for your example.

Example # 2: Narendra Modi (1:15 – 2:10)
Another bold opening! The speaker, a politician, holds silence for 30 seconds in the first 45 seconds. A very large audience is won over. I had never seen this before. Super effective.

Additionally, it is risky for a politician to address an audience as “my loving brothers & sisters”, especially in the current climate of skepticism with politicians and leaders. Nonetheless this speaker boldly & successfully pulls it off.
Congratulations on a very bold opening Prime Minister Modi!
I challenge you, the reader, to open like this sometime.

Example # 3: Darren LaCroix (2:10 – 4:40)
Yet another bold opening! This is a splendidly crafted opening, with probing questions, humor, staging, and dramatics expertly delivered. While it is effortless and enjoyable to follow the speaker, do not be misled; this sophisticated opening is chock-a-block full of best practices. This is an opening worth studying. There is a lot going on underneath the surface. The speaker is clearly a world class SME (subject matter expert).
Thank you for sharing your expertise with the world Mr. LaCroix!

Next: ‘rule-of-3’ examples. While this rhetoric device is ubiquitous in speech transitions and bodies, it is not utilized as often in speech openings. When used, it can be very effective, as demonstrated by examples 4 to 7.

Example #4: Simon Sinek (4:50 – 6:05)
In this popular TED talk—23.6 million views—the speaker opens with questions. This technique, which leads to the premise brilliantly, is an underutilized opening option that is particularly suitable for ‘new-ideas-in-business’ presentations.
Thank you Mr. Sinek for demonstrating the power of this rhetoric device.

Examples #5, #6 & #7: Barack Obama (6:06 – 8:25)
President Obama uses the rule-of-3 technique in his speech openings routinely. We see examples here from three milestone speeches. He excels in making it seem natural.
There is polish and elegance to be had by using this approach in presentation openings.

Example #8: Apple Special Event (8:25 – 10:25)
Of all the ‘presentation-opening’ examples discussed, this is my favorite. Since 1984 Apple has been at the forefront of great corporate presentations. The excellence continues here. All the ‘great-presentation-openings’ criteria have been achieved—before the speaker even steps on stage. Marvelous!
Attention captured? YES
Interested in hearing more? Curious about what’s to come? YES
Experienced positive emotions? YES
Feel connected to the Apple approach/story? YES
Well done indeed!

It is easy to predict that other corporations will either emulate this example, or fall further behind. Here is an organization boldly stating what it stands for! Very nice.

Example #9: Documentary: America: The Story of Us (10:35 – 10:55)
I have included this example because it simply jumped out at me.

Let no one ever convince you that 4 sentences and 15 seconds isn’t enough for an outstanding opening.
4 sentences in 15 seconds = mission—powerful opening—accomplished
simplicity = sophistication

Example #10: Obama 2004 DNC (11:00 – 14:15)
This speech has an unparalleled legacy.
It made a POTUS President Of The United States
Every aspiring and advanced speaker should study this speech. It is chock-a-block full of rhetoric devices and best practices.

In the opening three minutes, the speaker shares his family’s life stories, and successfully contextualizes these as quintessentially American.
It is a truly remarkable achievement! Splendid speechwriting.

Regardless of political sensitivities, if you are a serious speaker who puts your audience first, you will be doing your audience a great favor by incorporating the many rhetorical devices Obama successfully used in the 2004 DNC speech.

For reminding me about the power and magic of public speaking, thank you POTUS.

It is worth repeating: this speech made a POTUS. Without this speech, Obama wouldn’t be President. Think I’m exaggerating? Click here

Any leader who believes it is ‘not-really-necessary’ to have polished oratory skills would do well to seriously reflect.
A leader who speaks poorly or indifferently in public is a sub-par ambassador for her/his team and followers. These leaders inadvertently do a needless disservice to  the reputations of their teams, their followers and themselves. Think about it … please.

Let’s bring excruciatingly hard focus to all our presentation openings.
Advantage of Powerful Opening = Advantage of Location, Location, Location.

Let’s aspire for the high standards set out in the Apple segment.
Let us be guided by their example (8:25 – 10:25)
designing a ‘speech-opening’ requires focus
the first thing we ask is
what do we want people to feel?
delight … surprise … love … connection
then we begin to craft around our intention
it takes time
there are a thousand no’s
for every yes
we simplify … we perfect
we start over … until everything we touch
enhances each life it touches
only then do we sign our work.
Thank you Apple for articulating these standards.

I wish you luck & success in all your future presentations.
Please accept this gift chapter on speech openings from my book Necessary Bridges.

______________________________________________________________________

Every engineer can be a better engineer
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

Every professional can be a better professional
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

Every citizen can be a better citizen
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

I help citizens, professionals, and engineers become better public speakers and storytellers. www.NecessaryBridges.com

Book Description
Necessary Bridges: Public Speaking & Storytelling for Project Managers & Engineers

Every engineer & STEM professional can articulate an engineering & STEM challenge as eloquently and inspirationally as the speaker does in the audio of this clip. At the very least, every engineer and STEM professional can aspire to do so.

STEM = Science Technology Engineering Mathematics
Audio = JFK/moon speech segment/Rice University Sept 12, 1962

______________________________________________________________________

“Engineers, IT professionals, STEM professionals … cannot speak!” Too often I have heard variations of this statement. Indeed there is a wonderful body of humor built around such thinking . However, this argument has never seemed credible to me; frequently it has befuddled me. Any serious and thoughtful reflection on such statements will reveal them to be myths, similar to “the fear of public speaking is greater than the fear of death” myth.

Why do these clearly wrong messages endure? I do not claim to have definitive answers. I am open to any of your thoughts and suggestions. My present thinking is that messages like these are sticky messages, rather than accurate messages.

In their book on effective communication, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath suggest that messages become sticky if they are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional and Story based (SUCCES).

So perhaps statements like fear of public speaking …, engineers cannot speak …, etc., meet this SUCCES criteria, and consequently become sticky. However, sticky is not the same as accurate.

I offer one observation to challenge the Engineers Cannot Speak myth. Here goes:

Every year Toastmasters International holds an international convention. The showcase event of the annual convention is the World Championship of Public Speaking contest. It is probably the most competitive public speaking contest in the world. From a membership of over 330,000, spread over 15,000 clubs across 135 nations, about 30,000 members compete for the title “World Champion of Public Speaking”.

This year the convention was held in Las Vegas, with the finals being held on Saturday August 15^th 2015. I was fortunate to be present. The contest was magnificent.
1^st place winner: Mohammed Qahtani from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
2^nd place winner: Aditya Maheswaran from Mumbai, India.
3^rd place winner: Manoj Vasudevan from Singapore.

On reading more about these winners, I couldn’t help but notice that all three have engineering or computer science backgrounds or degrees. Mr. Mohammed Qahtani is a security engineer and analyst, and Mr. Aditya Maheswaran and Mr. Manoj Vasudevan have branched out to endeavors outside engineering.

I don’t want to read too much into this observation, make any sweeping generalizations, or suggest that this is some sort of incontrovertible myth busting  proof.

What is beyond dispute though is this: in 2015, three competitors with engineering/IT educational backgrounds have been judged to be amongst the best speakers in the world.

Surely this counts for something. And surely this could be food for thought for engineers and STEM professionals everywhere.

Let me reiterate what I have known for a while:
Every engineer, project manager, & STEM professional
can be a better engineer, project manager, & STEM professional
by becoming a better public speaker and storyteller.

So if you are an engineer or STEM professional, commit to acquiring expertise in public speaking and storytelling and join the ranks of emerging and great speakers. Be bold and commit to becoming a brilliant speaker. Necessary Bridges: Public Speaking and Storytelling for Project Managers and Engineers can help.

______________________________________________________________________

Every engineer can be a better engineer
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

Every professional can be a better professional
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

Every citizen can be a better citizen
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

I help citizens, professionals, and engineers become better public speakers and storytellers. www.NecessaryBridges.com

Book Description
Necessary Bridges: Public Speaking & Storytelling for Project Managers & Engineers

Every engineer & STEM professional can articulate an engineering & STEM challenge as eloquently and inspirationally as the speaker does in the audio of this clip. At the very least, every engineer and STEM professional can aspire to do so.

STEM = Science Technology Engineering Mathematics
Audio = JFK/Moon Speech Segment/Rice University Sept 12, 1962

______________________________________________________________________

We tend to believe, perhaps naively, that the superior argument, the more logical & rational argument, the more thoughtful & measured argument, will win the debate; or at least ought to win the debate.

However the more closely I look at this, the more I doubt it.

Here are two clips, both from politics, where the arguments on both sides are valid and powerful. In both cases, it is the superior speaker who wins.

Leaders, lead negotiators (& others who find themselves in conflict situations): ignore developing your public speaking skills at your own peril. Of course one must have excellent arguments, but that alone is not enough. Ignore this reality at your own peril.

Prior viewing these clips, remind yourself that you are a student; one who will not be drawn into the conflict. We are seeking mastery in public speaking—that is our only goal here. This is combative & provocative material—so take a deep breath and remain focused on learning.

Nelson Mandela vs. FW.De Klerk

In this Mandela vs. De Klerk clip, Mandela’s vocal variety, pauses, body language, gestures, facial expressions are vastly superior. De Klerk’s reading & speaking at the same time does not help him at all. I judge Mandela to have clearly won this debate—despite the very valid point that de Klerk raised.

John Major vs. Tony Blair

In this Major vs. Blair clip, I judge Blair to (narrowly) be the debate winner, even though, in my opinion, Major has the superior argument. The turning point comes when Blair uses two rhetorical devices (rule of 3: & repetition) effectively when he retorts “weak … weak … weak.” Major’s come back was strong, but not enough to entirely overcome the energy that Blair created.

Great acting all around! Excellent use of notes too—specially Major.

Committing to excellence in public speaking is now more important than ever!

FYI: Today (July 18th) is Nelson Mandela Day

______________________________________________________________________

Every engineer can be a better engineer
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

Every professional can be a better professional
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

Every citizen can be a better citizen
by being a better pubic speaker and storyteller

I help citizens, professionals, and engineers become better public speakers and storytellers. www.NecessaryBridges.com

Book Description
Necessary Bridges: Public Speaking & Storytelling for Project Managers & Engineers

Every engineer & STEM professional can articulate an engineering & STEM challenge as eloquently and inspirationally as the speaker does in the audio of this clip. At the very least, every engineer and STEM professional can aspire to do so.

STEM = Science Technology Engineering Mathematics
Audio = JFK/Moon Speech Segment/Rice University Sept 12, 1962

______________________________________________________________________

The fear of public speaking is greater than the fear of death!
Surveys show that more people are afraid of public speaking than of death!
etc., etc., etc..

Statements like these, which unfortunately are all too common, do a great disservice to the general public. I would prefer to see these statements barred from future dialogue. Any comparisons between the fear of public speaking and the fear of death are fundamentally pointless.

There is way too much hype associated with glossophobia (fear of public speaking) being compared to the fear of death. At best these comparisons are a stretch; more accurately they are an urban myth.

A sensible look at glossophobia will reveal that the fear of public speaking is always associated with body sensations like these: flushed face, dry throat, swollen tongue, breathlessness, pounding chest (my most common experience), rigid body, shaking hands, shaking knees, stomach in knots and clammy hands.

All these body sensations are triggered by the fight or flight response, which in turn is triggered by very ancient parts of the brain designed to detect threat. The two primary triggers for fight flight response are:

1. The realization that a large number of people are looking at the speaker, and directing attention towards the speaker
2. The fear associated with being ostracized by the group, a fear of being judged, a fear of looking like an idiot.

That’s it. This is all we are up against.

There are plenty of ways to manage this situation. They involve 3 easy steps:

1. Change of perspective
2. Practice, practice & practice
3. Relaxation techniques.

In my opinion, it is the unpleasant memories of anxiety associated with these fears that keep professionals from stepping up and starting to acquire expertise in public speaking—an essential skill.

I believe the pointless hype surrounding this very natural fear is the elephant in the room that must be confronted.

To learn more:

• Review this presentation video—minute 17 – 30:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Paf22aYNYw
• Check out this TedEd Video Lesson
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K93fMnFKwfI
• Read these articles
  http://tmvision.org/speaking/people-fear-public-speaking-death/
  https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-real-story-risk/201211/the-thing-we-fear-more-death
• Read chapter 7 of my book Necessary Bridges: Public Speaking and Storytelling for Project Managers and Engineers for a far more detailed discussion and for multiple coping strategies. A free pdf copy of this chapter can be downloaded here Necessary Bridges RNK Chapter 7

My professional background is engineering and project management. I believe my professions are seriously shorting themselves by not proactively promoting public speaking and storytelling skills at the college level and in early career.

I further believe that many project managers and engineers do not take up public speaking and storytelling, at least partially, because of the fears associated with public speaking. This is most unfortunate. Corrective action is required!