10 Creative Ways to Start Your Informative Speech With an Attention Getter

10 Creative Ways to Start Your Informative Speech With an Attention Getter

When it comes to delivering an informative speech, grabbing your audience’s attention right from the start is critical. If listeners are not engaged within the first few seconds of your speech, they may tune out, miss important information, or simply become bored. So, what can you do to start your informative speech with an attention getter? Here are 10 creative ways to consider:

1. Use a Provocative Question

Pose a thought-provoking, open-ended question that makes the audience stop and think. For example, “Did you know that over 12 million people in the U.S. are affected by a rare disease?”

2. Share an Anecdote

You can evoke emotions and create a connection with your audience by sharing a personal experience or story that relates to your topic. “I’d like to share a story about my friend who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.”

3. Shock With a Statistic

Use a surprising statistic that illustrates the importance of your topic and catches the audience’s attention. For example, “Every year, approximately 80,000 people die from alcohol-related causes in the U.S.”

4. Use a Humorous Comparison

Start your speech with a clever, unexpected comparison to get your audience laughing and engaged. For instance, “We all know that procrastination is everyone’s favorite pastime, but did you know that it’s more deadly than smoking?”

5. Use a Startling Statement

Begin your speech with a shocking statement that makes your audience sit up and take notice. For example, “Did you know that the average person checks their phone over 150 times per day?”

6. Use a Quotation

Start with a thought-provoking quote that sets the tone for your speech and piques your audience’s interest. For example, “As Albert Einstein said, ‘The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.'”

7. Use a Prop

Incorporate a physical object, image, or prop that represents your topic and grabs your audience’s attention. For example, if your speech is about environmental issues, you could hold up a plastic water bottle and ask the audience how long it takes to decompose.

8. Use a Visual Aid

Start your speech with a striking image or short video that captures the audience’s attention and sets the stage for your topic. For instance, if your speech is about mental health, you could show a series of images that depict different moods and emotions.

9. Build Suspense

Create suspense and anticipation by starting your speech with a cliffhanger or a teaser statement that makes your audience curious to learn more. For example, “Today, I’m going to share with you a simple trick that can triple your productivity in just 10 minutes a day.”

10. Engage the Senses

Incorporate sensory details that help your audience visualize and experience your topic in a deeper, more meaningful way. For example, if your speech is about farming, you could start by describing the scent of freshly cut hay or the feel of rich, fertile soil.

In conclusion, starting your informative speech with an attention getter is critical to capturing and maintaining your audience’s attention. By using one (or more) of these creative techniques, you can grab your audience’s attention from the start and set the stage for an engaging and informative speech.