Scenario 6A
Well-known authors often admit that the opening line of a book is possibly the most important one in the entire book. Authors, like any other profession, need to make a living to maintain their lifestyle. This requires them to sell copies of their books, so authors must possess the capability to hook a reader within only one or two short lines to entice further reading. Most people, when searching for a new book, look first at the covers, and then to the first line of the story, and if it sufficiently grabs their attention, they continue perusing the pages. However, if those first lines fall flat, the book gets closed, set down, and likely forgotten forever.
A similar phenomenon occurs within the first few seconds of a speech. The first words uttered or the first actions that may communicate a message to an audience become absolutely critical. Imagine picking up a book that began with,
“Hi, everyone. My name is Stephen King, and today, I’d like to share a really scary story with you about homicidal clowns.”
Such a book promises little excitement, and most people would likely put it down without hesitation.
Stories
Providing a story or a narrative helps speakers frame the topic for the audience. Stories provide speakers with a way to personalize a topic by helping audience members identify with the characters, events, or places within the story. Also, stories can entertain and engage, further reinforcing the idea of using an attention getter at the beginning of a speech. Stories can present “what if” scenarios that give the audience a hypothetical situation that illustrates the main point of the speech. Stories can also come in the form of real-life anecdotes based on personal experiences, those of others, or even events portrayed in fictional works like television, film, or literature.
Select a story for both its relevance to the topic, but more importantly, its ability to resonate, or strike a familiar chord, with the audience. Knowing the audience in advance becomes critically important when selecting the perfect story to illustrate or frame a point.
Visual Aids and Demonstrations
Suffice to say, visual aids can provide a speaker with powerfully gripping opening techniques. Additionally, demonstrations may provide an audience with a visually compelling reason to listen as well. A student delivering an informational speech on the martial art of tai chi may walk slowly and deliberately out into the center of the room, take a deep breath, and, in silence, begin performing various forms and poses inherent to the art. Without saying a word, such a demonstration effectively captures an audience’s interest to hear more.
Scenario 6B
Well-known authors often admit that the opening line of a book is possibly the most important one in the entire book. Authors, like any other profession, need to make a living to maintain their lifestyle. This requires them to sell copies of their books, so authors must possess the capability to hook a reader within only one or two short lines to entice further reading. Most people, when searching for a new book, look first at the covers, and then to the first line of the story, and if it sufficiently grabs their attention, they continue perusing the pages. However, if those first lines fall flat, the book gets closed, set down, and likely forgotten forever.
A similar phenomenon occurs within the first few seconds of a speech. The first words uttered or the first actions that may communicate a message to an audience become absolutely critical. Imagine picking up a book that began with,
“Hi, everyone. My name is Stephen King, and today, I’d like to share a really scary story with you about homicidal clowns.”
Such a book promises little excitement, and most people would likely put it down without hesitation.
Stories
Providing a story or a narrative helps speakers frame the topic for the audience. Stories provide speakers with a way to personalize a topic by helping audience members identify with the characters, events, or places within the story. Also, stories can entertain and engage, further reinforcing the idea of using an attention getter at the beginning of a speech. Stories can present “what if” scenarios that give the audience a hypothetical situation that illustrates the main point of the speech. Stories can also come in the form of real-life anecdotes based on personal experiences, those of others, or even events portrayed in fictional works like television, film, or literature.
Select a story for both its relevance to the topic, but more importantly, its ability to resonate, or strike a familiar chord, with the audience. Knowing the audience in advance becomes critically important when selecting the perfect story to illustrate or frame a point.
Visual Aids and Demonstrations
Suffice to say, visual aids can provide a speaker with powerfully gripping opening techniques. Additionally, demonstrations may provide an audience with a visually compelling reason to listen as well. A student delivering an informational speech on the martial art of tai chi may walk slowly and deliberately out into the center of the room, take a deep breath, and, in silence, begin performing various forms and poses inherent to the art. Without saying a word, such a demonstration effectively captures an audience’s interest to hear more.
Directions: After reading and interacting with the two scenarios in this section, return to the survey to complete a few questions.
