Bad Opening Lines to Your Speech

10 Mistakes to Avoid when Opening Your

Presentation

George TorokSuperior Presentations

You had me at hello

You had me at hello

Imagine if you could

deliver an opening for your presentation that was that effective.

You can grab your audience with powerful “hello” lines.

But first, you need to avoid these 10 opening-line mistakes.

George TorokSuperior Presentations

Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking

This opening reeks of sarcasm. It’s a negative

start even if people laugh.

Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking

I don’t know why I have been asked to speak

I don’t know why I have been asked to speak

This line is either sarcastic or true. If the first is true, see previous point. If the second is true, the audience is in for a boring speech.

George TorokSuperior Presentations

I haven’t really prepared anything

I haven’t really prepared anything

This line is either a sarcastic joke (see point one) or an admission of guilt. You’re telling the audience that you don’t value their time because you didn’t bother to prepare.

Speaking off the top of my head

Speaking off the top of my head

What does that mean? How do you speak “off the top of your head”. Do you ever speak from the bottom of your feet, the end of your elbow or behind your buttocks?

Today I am going to talk about

Today I am going to talk about

Boring! You’ve managed to bore your audience with your first seven words.

George TorokSuperior Presentations

Hello, how is everybody today?

Hello, how is everybody today?

This presentation opening is boring, impersonal and phony. The audience knows that you don’t care about them.

A funny thing happened on the way here

A funny thing happened on the way here

This opening is ancient, cliché and overdone. This line reveals your lack of creativity.

Thank you for that kind introduction

Thank you for that kind introduction

Sounds insincere and casts doubt on the validity of the introduction.

George TorokSuperior Presentations

Is this thing on?

Is this thing on?

The speaker demonstrates a lack of preparation and understanding of how to use the microphone.

George TorokSuperior Presentations

Before I begin

Before I begin

This is both a silly and confusing opening line.

If you started speaking, you have already begun. If you haven’t begun, why are you speaking?

Open Your Presentationwith Pizzazz

Imagine the difference when you grab the attention of your audience with your first few words.

Grab this ebook now to learn how to open your next presentation with Pizzazz.

Open Your Presentationwith Pizzazz

• Purpose and Importance• Ensure a Powerful Opening• Effective Opening Lines• Open with a Success Story• Opening Lines to Avoid

Discover how to Open your Presentations