logos and text from cootext.com

ASK THE AUDIENCE TO "IMAGINE THIS..."

Using clear, simple words and punchy, suprising facts that totally shock people to the core is a definite way of gaining your audience's attention.

Tell a self-deprecating joke

1. I walk two miles a day. One to the doughnut shop, and one home.
2. Exercise doesn’t kill you, but why take the chance?
3. I’m on that new “seafood” diet. If I see food, I eat it.

Use a quote to inspire the audience

1. ' When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place '
   
2. I do it because I can, I can because I want to, I want to because you said I couldn't.
3. Never tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

Tell a personal story so the audience will feel empathy for you...

Example: I was driving home from work on a cold, rainy day when I saw a scrawny cat by the side of the road. Her ribs were sticking out under her filthy, matted fur; she was clearly starving. I made the split-second decision to find a home for this cat, pulled over, lifted her up into the passenger seat, and began a journey that would change my life in ways I never could have imagined.

Start with the phrase "Picture this..."

So, you quickly explain to the audience that you speech will 
be about (topics a, b, c) and then each paragraph will 
expand the details of your topic.
EXAMPLE: Today I am going to talk to you about toilets!  Now, you don't need to laugh because we've all sat on one. I'll tell you about the time when I was little and locked myself into the toilet and the strange collection of toilets in Amsterdam , Netherlands. I could tell you about the portaloo in Glastonbury but you really 
wouldn't want to hear it. Finally, I'll finish with some historic  toilet facts that will amaze and "wow" you.

Ask a rhetorical question!