opening speech for meeting presentation

This opening statement is powerful because rather than lead with his “credentials” or “accolades,” as the audience most likely expects, he defies that expectation.

He creates a sense of intrigue that instantly piques the audience's curiosity and compels them to pay closer attention.

Infuse humor.

In Tom Thum's TedTalk titled Beatbox Brilliance , he sets a lighthearted tone by stepping on stage wearing oversized sunglasses and declaring, “My name is Tom, and I've come here today to come clean about what I do for money.”

As you might expect, this humorous approach not only elicits laughter but also surprises the audience, who are intrigued and pleasantly surprised at the tone he sets for the presentation.

Ask a question.

Graham Shaw's presentation titled “ Why people believe they can’t draw - and how to prove they can ” begins with, “Hi, I've got a question for you - how many people here would say they can draw?”

Seeing as this is a relatively lighthearted question that’s simple to answer, the audience responds immediately.

Now, what makes this a powerful opening technique is that Graham then goes on to say:

“When people say they can’t draw, I think it's more to do with beliefs rather than talent and ability. When you say you can’t draw, that’s just an illusion, and today I’d like to prove that to you.”

By immediately challenging a widely held belief among the audience and promising to debunk it during the presentation, he employs a powerful technique that keeps the audience fully engaged.

This approach makes the audience feel “invested” in the outcome of the presentation and curious as to whether he can back up his claim.

2. Tell your audience why they should be listening to you.

Getting your audience’s attention is just one part of the equation. Once you have it, you must also explain why they should “keep” listening to you. Here are some ways to do this:

Highlight relevant personal experience.

In Phil Waknell’s opening section, he talks about how he’s spent the last ten years helping conference speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs prepare and deliver powerful presentations .

This immediately signals to the audience that he’s someone worth listening to and positions him as a credible source of insights based on the wealth of experience he has gathered.

Highlight your expertise.

During the opening section of Dr. Lara Boyd’s presentation titled “ After watching this, your brain will not be the same ,” she says, “I’m Dr. Lara Boyd, and I’m a brain researcher here at the University of British Columbia.”

Sharing her credentials as a brain researcher is crucial to gaining her audience's trust — especially considering the technicality of her topic.

But even while creating presentations outside fields like brain research, sharing qualifications and credentials in your opening section can be a powerful technique.

This helps you position yourself as a credible authority and reinforcing your audience's confidence in your ability to deliver valuable information.

Tell your audience what’s in it for them.

In Mel Robbins’ opening section for her presentation titled “ How to stop screwing yourself over ,” she ends her introduction by saying:

“I’m here for you. I’m going to tell you everything I know in less than 18 minutes about how to get what you want.”

Although she started the section by highlighting her experiences and expertise, she went further by explicitly stating the benefits her audience can expect from her presentation.

Doing this is a great way to create a compelling reason for your audience to invest their time and attention and emphasize the value of the presentation you’re about to deliver.

3. Introduce your topic.

If your topic is relatively simple to grasp or your audience is particularly knowledgeable, introducing your topic can be as easy as “Today, I’m going to be talking to you about how we’ve built a six-figure software company in 6 months.”

However, if your topic is more complex or unfamiliar to the audience, you must do a bit more heavy lifting in your opening section.

For example, Sam Bern’s “ My philosophy for a happy life ” presentation discusses how he lives a happy life despite having Progeria disease.

However, because this condition might be unfamiliar to some audience members, he takes some time in his opening section to talk about the illness before delving into the meat of his presentation.

Similarly, if you’re presenting on a complex topic or to an audience that isn’t knowledgeable, it’s essential to consider this when crafting your opening section.

4. Leverage storytelling.

Stories can create immersive experiences that captivate the audience and convey a core message.

For example, in the opening section of Sam Bern's presentation, he tells a story about his struggles while trying to achieve his goal of becoming a drummer in his school marching band, despite living with Progeria disease.

This sets the tone for his entire presentation by conveying an inspiring message of fighting against and succeeding despite the odds.

Another great example is the opening section of Josh Kaufman’s presentation, titled “ The First 20 Hours — how to learn anything ,” where he tells a story about his experience as a time-strapped first-time parent.

This story enhances the presentation as Josh eventually shares that this experience triggered his interest in studying how to become an efficient learner.

Finally, Amy Morins’s presentation “ The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong ” is another excellent example of leveraging storytelling.

Amy starts her presentation with a thought-provoking story about observing a Facebook friend's seemingly perfect life.

She then highlights how such comparisons can lead to negative thought patterns and emphasizes the importance of cultivating mental resilience.

This relatable story not only resonates with her audience but also sets the stage for her message on building inner strength.

All these presentations are great examples that highlight how incorporating story-telling in your openings can be a powerful tool for creating memorable and impactful presentations.

Your presentation slides play a crucial role in determining the impact and effectiveness of your presentation.

In this section, you’ll find examples of 8 powerful opening slides across various use cases that not just support but enhance the presentation openings:

1. “ Blackboard is Getting an Upgrade ”

Although these are very different methods of injecting humor at the start of a presentation, they show how infusing humor can be a powerful tool for adding a touch of personality and creating a more enjoyable presentation for the audience.

4. Keep it short and sweet.

While it's important not to rush through the start of your presentation, keeping your opening concise is equally important. But remember, concise does not mean sacrificing substance; it simply means delivering information efficiently.

Essentially, you want an opening section that allows you to create a solid initial impression without losing the audience's interest.

So, how long should this opening secretion be?

Most successful presentation openings are under three minutes, and many are shorter, often clocking in at under one minute.

5. Embrace authenticity.

Contrary to popular belief, there isn't a specific personality that makes someone a better presenter. In fact, the most impactful presentations have been delivered by individuals with diverse characters.

Take, for instance, the contrasting styles of Tom Thum’s irreverent humor and animated mannerisms and Sam Bern, who adopts a relaxed and conversational approach. Despite their differences, both speakers have garnered millions of views for their talks.

So, rather than emulating or mimicking their presentations, the key takeaway is to embrace authenticity.

Allow your personality to shine through, lean on your strengths, and be human in your delivery.

Mastering the Art of Captivating Presentations

Starting a presentation is a skill that is as much an art as it is a science. Thankfully, it is also a skill that can be learned and honed.

By implementing the strategies in this guide and refining them through experience, you’ll become a master at delivering impactful presentations that command attention and leave a lasting impression.

All from the moment you step onto the stage.

Don't forget to share this post!

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How to Open a Speech or Presentation

by Matt Eventoff

The audience is seated.  The lights dim and the room quiets.  All eyes are on the dais.  All too often, this is what is heard to open the speech or presentation:

“Hi, thank you for having me.  It is an honor to be here with you today.   My name is ____ _______, and I am going to be speaking to you today about_______.”

Looking around, here is what I tend to see:

1) People reviewing a physical copy of the program, their notes, even the labeling on the sugar on the table;

2) T-U-T/T-O-T – Typing under table/typing on table. The smartphones are out in force; it is not unusual to see laptops, netbooks or tablets out and being utilized as well;

3) Eyes looking up.  Eyes looking down;

4) Eyes looking everywhere but at the speaker.

So how do you effectively open a speech or presentation?

There are a number of effective ways to open a speech or presentation.  Here are four:

1) A Quote – Name a topic, and more often than not there is a great quote or saying that suits your subject matter perfectly. An example – one that I often use to open a presentation dealing with public speaking:

“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain

2) A “What If” Scenario – Drawing your audience into your presentation is important and doing it immediately works wonders.  Getting your audience thinking right away by painting a scenario is very effective.

3) An “Imagine” Scenario – Same thought process.  Putting your audience members directly into the presentation by allowing each member to visualize a scenario is a great tool

4) A Question – Rhetorical or literal; When someone is posed with a question, whether an answer is called for or not, that person intuitively answers, even if just in his or her mind, and now that person is involved.

I will be periodically adding more opening tips. Stay tuned…

13 thoughts on “ How to Open a Speech or Presentation ”

Excellent information. I would love to hear your thoughts for best strategies on closings. Thanks Matt.

Good Points, Matt.

The Law of Primacy and Recency applies here. http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/the-law-of-primacy-and-recency/

The First and Last things you say will be remembered by the audience. That’s why we need a Strong Opening and Strong Closing.

Thanks for the Post!

We have been trained as children to want a type of start to a speech that is not mentioned in your list…

When I read my daughter a story, it begins always the same way.

When a teacher reads a story to her class, it always begins the same way…

“Once upon a time…”

There is a business version of this start…

Moment in time, situation, aha moment…

“Three weeks ago i was at dinner with John and Mary. Over dessert, Mary said something to me that has changed the way I look at [topic of speech]…”

Nothing gets a crowd leaning in than a simple story about everyday life.

• Pingback: Beginning a Speech or Presentation - Four More Tips | Matt Eventoff

Another way to open a speech is to just dive right in to a story. No pleasantries, no introductions, just start telling a story. This immediately commands the audience’s attention.

the advic eof starting the speech was great…..it really worked…thanks!!

Great points……they were great help for me…thanx!!

• Pingback: Closing A Speech or Presentation, Part I | Matt Eventoff

Great post. A strong start makes a strong presentation, and these are good ideas to get the show on the road

• Pingback: Public Speaking: Five Great Ways To End A Speech | Mr. Media Training

that was the best thsnk you so much!  

it was very nice and a easy one for the students.thanks  

nice information matt i like so much..

Comments are closed.

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How to Start a Speech: The Best Ways to Capture Your Audience

You’ve heard the saying,  “First impressions are lasting; you never get a second chance to create a good first impression” —  right?

The same is true when talking about how to start a speech…

The truth is, when you start your speech, you must focus everything on making a positive first impression on your audience members (especially if you are doing the presentation virtually ). Capturing the audience’s attention from the very beginning is crucial to prevent them from being distracted, losing interest, or forming negative opinions.

The introduction is the formal greeting for speeches, so let’s be sure to get this right to hook the audience. Understanding the importance of speech openings can significantly impact making a strong first impression. Planning and delivering the first words with confidence and relevance is essential, as they set the tone for the entire presentation and ensure you deliver a professional start, free from hesitation or irrelevance.

Here are 15 different ways to start a speech as well as 2 extra BONUS tips at the end.

1) Thank the Organizers and Audience

You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak.

Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience.

This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and connects you to the audience like an electrical plug in a socket.

2) Start With a Positive Statement

A presentation tip at the start is to tell the audience members how much they will like and enjoy what you have to say.

For example, you might say:

“You’re really going to enjoy the time we spend together this evening. I’m going to share with you some of the most important ideas that have ever been discovered in this area.”

Remember that  speaking is an art,  so be an artist and take complete control of your performance,

3) Compliment the Audience

You can begin by complimenting the audience members sincerely and with great respect.

Smile as if you are really glad to see them as if they are all old friends of yours that you have not seen for quite a while.

You can tell them that it is a great honor for you to be here, that they are some of the most important people in this business or industry, and that you are looking forward to sharing some key ideas with them.

You could say something like:

“It is an honor to be here with you today. You are the elite, the top 10 percent of people in this industry. Only the very best people in any field will take the time and make the sacrifice to come so far for a conference like this.”

4) Start Your Speech With the First Sentence Referring to Current Events

Use a current event front-page news story to transition into your subject and to illustrate or prove your point. You can bring a copy of the newspaper and hold it up as you refer to it in your introduction.

This visual image of you holding the paper and reciting or reading a key point rivets the audience’s attention and causes more people to lean forward to hear what you have to say.

5) Refer to a Historical Event

For many years, I studied military history…

Especially the lives and campaigns of the great generals and the decisive battles they won. One of my favorites was Alexander the Great. Standing in the symbolic shadow of such historical figures can provide a powerful and engaging start to any speech, especially when drawing parallels to contemporary challenges.

One day, I was asked to give a talk on leadership principles to a roomful of managers for a Fortune 500 company.

I decided that the campaign of Alexander the Great against Darius of Persia would make an excellent story that would illustrate the leadership qualities of one of the great commanders in history.

I opened my talk with these words:

“Once upon a time there was a young man named Alex who grew up in a poor country. But Alex was a little bit ambitious. From an early age, he decided that he wanted to conquer the entire known world. But there was a small problem.

Most of the known world was under the control of a huge multinational called the Persian Empire, headed by King Darius II. To fulfill his ambition, Alex was going to have to take the market share away from the market leader, who was very determined to hold on to it.

This is the same situation that exists between you and your major competitors in the market today. You are going to have to use all your leadership skills to win the great marketing battles of the future.”

6) Refer to a Well Known Person

You can start by quoting a well-known person or publication that recently made an interesting or important statement.

One of the subjects I touch upon regularly is the importance of continual personal development.

I will say something like:

“In the twenty-first century, knowledge and know-how are the keys to success. As basketball coach Pat Riley said, ‘If you are not getting better, you are getting worse.’”

7) Refer to a Recent Conversation

Start by telling a story about a recent conversation with someone in attendance.

For instance, I might say:

“A few minutes ago, I was talking with Tom Robinson in the lobby. He told me that this is one of the very best times to be working in this industry, and I agree.”

8) Make a Shocking Statement With a Startling Fact

You can start your talk by making a shocking statement of some kind.

For example, you might say something like:

“Here’s a startling fact: According to a recent study, there will be more change, more competition, and more opportunities in this industry in the next year than ever before. And 72 percent of the people in this room will be doing something different within two years if they do not rapidly adapt to these changes.”

Click here If you want to learn more techniques to wow your audience.

9) Quote From Recent Research

You can start by quoting a relevant, recent research report.

One example is:

“According to a story in a recent issue of Businessweek, there were almost 11 million millionaires in America in 2018, most of them self-made.”

10) Start Your Speech With a Strong Opening By Giving Them Hope

The French philosopher Gustav Le Bon once wrote, “The only religion of mankind is, and always has been hope.”

When you speak effectively, you give people hope of some kind.

Remember, the ultimate purpose of public speaking, is to inspire people to do things that they would not have done in the absence of your comments.

Everything you say should relate to the actions you want people to take and the reasons that they should take those actions.

11) Be Entertaining

Bill Gove used to walk onto the stage after his introduction if he had just finished talking to someone on the side and was breaking off to give his talk to the group.

The audience got the feeling that his entire talk was one continuous conversation, devoid of meaningless filler words .

Bill would often go to the edge of the stage and then drop his voice in a conspiratorial way, open his arms, and beckon the audience members to come a little closer.

He would say, “Come here, let me tell you something,” and then he would wave them forward as though he was about to tell a secret to the entire room.

The amazing thing was that everyone in the room would lean forward to hear this “secret” that he was about to share. People would all suddenly realize what they were doing and break out in laughter. It was a wonderful device to get the audience into the palm of his hands.

12) Ask a Question

You can open by making a positive statement and then pose a rhetorical question to engage your audience and set the stage for your presentation.

Try something like this:

“This is a great time to be alive and in business in America. But let me ask you, what does it truly mean to be self-employed in today’s economy?”

Raise your hand to indicate what you want people to do. I have used this line, and after a moment of thought, I then say to someone who looks intrigued in the front, “How many people here feel truly self-employed?”

Invariably, someone will say, “We all do!”

I then compliment and affirm the answer: “You’re right! We are all self-employed, from the time we take our first jobs to the day that we retire; we all work for ourselves, no matter who signs our paychecks.”

Similarly, a 17-year-old science fair winner effectively engaged their audience with a question at the beginning of their TED Talk, showcasing the power of this technique.

13) Open With a Problem

You can start with a problem that must be solved. If it is a problem that almost everyone has in common, you will immediately have the audience’s complete and undivided attention.

For example, you could say:

“Fully 63 percent of baby boomers are moving toward retirement without enough money put aside to provide for themselves for as long as they are going to live. We must address this problem and take action immediately to ensure that each person who retires will be able to live comfortably for the rest of his or her natural life.”

Introducing a new idea at this point can be a powerful way to engage your audience further, by promising a solution that is both innovative and beneficial.

14) Make a Strong Statement, Then Ask a Question

You can start by making a strong and powerful statement and then ask a question. You then follow with an answer and ask another question. This gets people immediately involved and listening to your every word.

Here’s an example:

“Twenty percent of the people in our society make 80 percent of the money. Are you a member of the top 20 percent? If not, would you like to join the top 20 percent or even the top 10 percent? Well, in the next few minutes, I am going to give you some ideas to help you become some of the highest-paid people in our society. Would that be a good goal for our time together today?”

15) Tell a Personal Story

You can start your talk with a personal story. Some of the most powerful words to capture the complete attention of the audience and make a personal connection are, “Once upon a time…”

From infancy and early childhood, people love stories of any kind. When you start off a presentation with a personal anecdote using the words, “Once upon a time…” you tell the audience that a relatable story is coming. People immediately settle down, become quiet, and lean forward, eager to hear how your experience might mirror their own or offer them new insights.

When I conduct full-day seminars and I want to bring people back to their seats after a break, I will say loudly, “Once upon a time there was a man, right here in this city…”

As soon as I say these words, people hurry back to their seats and begin to listen attentively, connecting with the story on a personal level.

Incorporating a personal story is very effective.

In fact, it’s probably one of the best public speaking tips I’ve learned to this day.

Bonus Tip: Tell Them About Yourself

Very often, I will start a serious speech or presentation to a business, sales, or entrepreneurial group by saying:

“I started off without graduating from high school. My family had no money. Everything I accomplished in life I had to do on my own with very little help from anyone else.”

It is amazing how many people come up to me after a talk that began with those words and tells me that was their experience as well.

They tell me that they could immediately identify with me because they too had started with poor grades and limited funds, as most people do. As a result, they were open to the rest of my talk, even a full-day seminar, and felt that everything I said was more valid and authentic than if I had been a person who started off with a successful background.

Building a bridge like this is very helpful in bringing the audience onto your side.

Bonus Tip: Get Them Talking to One Another

You can ask people to turn to the person next to them to discuss a particular point.

For instance, you could say:

“Tell the person next to you what you would like to learn from this seminar.”

Whatever you ask your audience members to do, within reason, they will do it for you. Your commands and your thought leadership will easily influence them, as long as you ask them with confidence.

By following any one of these tips for starting your speech, you are sure to grab your audience’s attention every time. How do you start a speech? Let me know in the comments.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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How to Start a Speech: The Best (and Worst) Speech Openers

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One of the hardest things about public speaking is knowing how to start a speech. Your opening line is your first impression. It’s how you capture attention. It’s how you captivate the audience. So how do you make sure you nail it every time?

The best way to know how to open a speech is to look at what has worked in the past. When we examined the top speeches of all time and the most popular TED talks of all time, we found some interesting speaking patterns.

Time has identified the top 10 greatest speeches of all time. They are:

Opening Lines of the Top 10 Greatest Speeches of All Time

#1: Socrates – “Apology”

#2: Patrick Henry – “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”

#3: Frederick Douglass – “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”

#4: Abraham Lincoln – “Gettysburg Address”

Opening Line: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

#5: Susan B. Anthony – “Women’s Rights to the Suffrage”

#6: Winston Churchill – “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat”

#7: John F. Kennedy – “Inaugural Address”

Opening Line: “We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning — signifying renewal, as well as change.”

#8: Martin Luther King, Jr. – “I Have a Dream”

#9: Lyndon B. Johnson – “The American Promise”

#10: Ronald Reagan – “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate”

How do all of these historical greats start their speeches? Is there a difference between these and some of the more modern top TED talks?

Before we dive in, let’s recap with some critical do’s and don’ts when opening a speech:

Opening Lines of the Top 10 TED Talks of All Time

Here are the opening lines to the top 10 Ted Talks of all time according to view count:

#1: Sir Ken Robinson – “Do schools kill creativity?” Opening Line: “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”

#2: Amy Cuddy – “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” Opening Line: “So I want to start by offering you a free, no-tech life hack, and all it requires of you is this: that you change your posture for two minutes.”

#3: Simon Sinek – “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”

#4: Brene Brown – “The Power of Vulnerability” Opening Line: “So, I’ll start with this: a couple years ago, an event planner called me because I was going to do a speaking event.”

#5: Mary Roach – “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Orgasm” Opening Line: “All right. I’m going to show you a couple of images from a very diverting paper in The Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.”

#6: Julian Treasure – “How to Speak so that People Want to Listen” Opening Line: “The human voice: It’s the instrument we all play.”

#7: Jill Bolte Taylor – “My Stroke of Insight” Opening Line: “I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia.”

#8: James Veitch – “This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email” Opening Line: “A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails.”

#9: Cameron Russell – “Looks Aren’t Everything; Believe Me, I’m a Model” Opening Line: “Hi. My name is Cameron Russell, and for the last little while, I’ve been a model.”

#10: Dan Pink – “The Puzzle of Motivation” Opening Line: “I need to make a confession at the outset here.”

What can we learn from these opening lines? There are some patterns that can help us. First, let’s start with what you shouldn’t do. Have you ever made one of these cardinal speaking sins?

Never Start a Presentation with…

Anything technical! This is a big mistake people make when they have not done a tech check ahead of time or are feeling nervous. Never start with these openers:

• Is this microphone working?
• Can you hear me?
• Wow, these lights are bright!

Your nervousness. Many people think it is vulnerable to start with how nervous they are about speaking — you can mention this later, but it should not be the first thing. Why? People will then only be looking for signs of your nervousness. Don’t start with:

• I’m so nervous right now!
• Wow there are so many people here.
• I’m not a great public speaker.

A lackluster or non-believable nicety. It’s great to be grateful to the person who introduced you, but it’s not a great way to include the audience. It’s ok to thank the audience for being there—but do it at the end (not as your opening line). These are all too boring:

• Thanks for having me.
• Thanks for that intro.
• Nice to be here.

Boring, shmoring! I have an exception here if you can make it funny. Ken Robinson started with a nicety and then turned it into a joke. He said, “ “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”

More Public Speaking Resources

Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:

• 10 Presentation Ideas that will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills
• 6 Public Speaking Apps to try Before Your Next Presentation
• My Top 5 Favorite Public Speakers
• 15 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips To Become a Master Speaker
• How to Give Captivating Presentations
• How to Give an Awesome Toast

How to Start a Presentation

A story. The absolute best way to start a presentation is with a story. There is nothing better to capture the imagination and attention of an audience. Try to use these speaking openers as fill-in-the-blanks for your speech.

• I’m here for a reason. And it’s an interesting story…
• The best thing that ever happened to me was…
• Once upon a time…

In his talk, “The lies our culture tells us about what matters,” David Brooks started off with a great opening line AND a story. He said, “So, we all have bad seasons in life. And I had one in 2013. My marriage had just ended, and I was humiliated by that failed commitment.” Makes you want to watch right…

And if you need help on storytelling basics, be sure to check out some of my top 5 favorite speakers .

A BIG idea. Sometimes you want to share your big idea right up front. This can be helpful because it is intriguing and gets people clued in right away. All TED speakers try to integrate their big idea early.

• You’re here for a reason. It’s…
• The single most important thing I want to share with you today is…
• Today, I want to share a big idea…

I love how Stacy Smith starts off her talk with her big idea framed in an interesting way. She said, “Today, I want to tell you about a pressing social issue. Now, it’s not nuclear arms, it’s not immigration, and it’s not malaria. I’m here to talk about movies.”

Special Note: Be very careful to NOT deliver your one-liner by re-reading your title slide. You also want to position it as exciting and intriguing. For example, don’t say, “Today I am going to talk about body language.” Instead say, “Today I am going to teach you the single most important thing you can do to improve your charisma… and it starts with your body.”

A quirky one-liner. If you can use humor — do it! Humor or curiosity is a great way to start a speech on a high. You can get creative with these! Think of an interesting fact about you, your audience or your topic that can lead you into your content.

• One thing most people don’t know about me is…
• A teacher, a mother and a duck walk into a bar…
• I want to tell you something surprising.

When I gave my TEDx London Talk I started off with a quirky one-liner that immediately got a few laughs. It was “Hi, I’m Vanessa and I am a recovering awkward person.” It worked so well it is also the first line of my book, Captivate . 

II love the way Eve Ensler opens her speech with an interesting one-liner: “For a long time, there was me, and my body.”

This is a great tip from Conor Neill. He says that it is great to start with a question that the audience is asking themselves or would be very curious to know the answer to. This might be phrasing a pain point or worry for your audience.

• Do you ever worry about…?
• Have you ever wondered…?
• You might have always thought…

See Cono Neill’s examples here: 

Did you know…? Any interesting factoid or curiosity is bound to intrigue your audience. This is great if it leads into your content or a story. I like to start with did you know… Here are some that I use. You will have to fill in the blank for your audience:

• Did you know that it takes less than a second to make a first impression ?
• Did you know that your nonverbal communication is 12.5 times more powerful than your words ?
• Did you know that we are lied to 200 times a day ?

Jamie Oliver does this amazingly in his TED Talk. He starts with this mind-blowing fact, “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat.”

Hopefully these opening lines will give you some ideas to use to open your speech.

How to End a Speech: My Favorite Closers

Do you know how to end on a high? Leave a lasting impression in your presentation? Science tells us that the first and last parts of your presentations are the most important. Get our FREE download to get our closer guide.

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20 thoughts on “how to start a speech: the best (and worst) speech openers”.

Love your material

didnt help me but still good stuff

Thank you Vanessa. I’ve been a public speaker for 25 years and I’m impressed with your content here. Thank you. Looking forward to a deep dive into more of your material. With gratitude.

Found these examples super informative. Can’t wait to mix match the examples to see which one will work best for my presentation!

I am preparing to make a presentation on Public Speaking and came across your article. This is very instructive and timely too.Many thanks.

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How to Open a Speech – 25 Ways & Ideas

We don’t want to break it to you, but you don’t really have all that much time. As a public speaker or presenter, you have but a scant few moments to open a speech or presentation with a powerful hook. Here, we offer 25 great ways on how to open a speech.

But first, a quick note about the two elements any speech opening should possess: it must be engaging and on message . The way you open a speech gets them in the door and your main point, or message, keeps them in their seats.

Notice that we said engaging and on message. A funny opening joke may engage the audience, but if it’s not directly related to your presentation’s main message , your audience may only remember the joke. There’s nothing funny about that.

What does it mean to be on message? First, you need one. As part of our public speaking workshops , we encourage our clients to themselves a simple question: What is the one thing, more than anything else, I want this audience to remember from my presentation six months from now? That one thing typically is your overarching message .

Some examples:

“Our nonprofit organization’s donations are surging and have more than made up for the dip in last year’s contributions.” “This program for at-risk youth is as beneficial for the overall community as it is for the actual participants. “ “My new product may look like many others, but what it delivers is unlike anything else on the shelf.”

Your messages are meaningful, but they become memorable when you frame them within the context of your open.

Understanding the Importance of the Speech Greeting and Opener

Just as a storefront business owner draws customers with their window display, or a publisher gets a sale because of an eye-catching book cover, your speech opening hooks your audience and keeps them in their seats.

The first few moments of your presentation are vital for its success.

For that reason, your presentation opening speech needs to be as engaging as possible. Niceties, such as introductions or thank-yous, or relevant (but uninteresting) logistical information are impediments to getting your audience immediately invested in your topic. We show you all about the three parts you should have in your presentation open here .

The opens that follow allow you to leap directly into the heart of your message and convey your main takeaway points quickly, creatively, and effectively. Your audience’s attention is precious. Give them an open that convinces them their investment of time will be worth it.

25 Ways to Open a Speech

These opens, from our book 101 Ways to Open a Speech , represent a mix of styles and methods. You can open your presentation speech with a third-person anecdote or share your own story. You can be persuasive or utilize the element of surprise. Some speech openers tell a story, others frame a topic, and a couple rely on modern technology. There’s a way to open a speech that is right for you, that reflects your personality, and that serves your specific goals and topics.

1. The Common Ground Open – Is there a gap between you and the audience? Perhaps you’re a 70-something speaking to some high school students, or a conservative Republican addressing a group of left-leaning advocates. If you have any chance of succeeding in sharing your message, you’ll need to close the gap quickly. Opening with a shared story, statistic, goal, or interest, and doing so with humility and grace, is an excellent way to bring the audience closer to you and to show them they have something to gain by listening to you. Imagine that a CEO of a large investment company is about to talk finances to a group of entry-level employees at one of your many locations. Here’s how she could start:

“You may not think I know what it is like to struggle, but at your age I was scraping for pennies, working two jobs, and still barely managing to pay my rent. It got easier when I learned to make my money work as hard as I was. It’s a lesson I plan to share with you today .”

2. Descriptive Open – A school administrator is talking to teachers about a new approach to student test prep. He could say:

“With your help, we are going to implement new lessons that reduce the rate of failure by increasing students’ opportunities to experience success.”

Are you still awake? Abstract concepts like “rate of failure,” “opportunities,” and “success” don’t exactly rouse an audience. When words are vivid, messages gain power and pop. Concrete and descriptive words, as opposed to abstract concepts, put the audience in the middle of the action. This version would be better:

“No one wants to see that big red ‘F’ on a test – not a student, not a teacher, and not a parent. With our new approach, and your help, we’ll be able to hand out a lot more ‘A’s’ and ‘B’s’—and the students would have worked hard to earn them.”

4. The Third-Person Anecdote Open – Stories are great ways to communicate the human condition. Therefore, choose a story or anecdote you’ve heard along the way – or pick one out of the local newspaper or online news story – and use it to reinforce your presentation’s main message. However, don’t start by saying, “I’d like to begin with a story.” Just start with the action:

“Three years ago, Walt Harris had his dream job, dream spouse, and dream home. He worked out five days a week, ate well, and mediated on weekends. Then he received a diagnosis from his doctor that changed his life. In the past three years, Walt lost his job, lost his home, and is close to facing divorce. Unfortunately, almost all of this was preventable.”

5. The Show of Hands Open – How many of you think this way to open a speech is overdone? How many of you think it could be done better? The question you pose should challenge conventional thinking, lead to a counterintuitive conclusion, or add a dose of unexpected humor. Likewise, this strategy works well if you are trying to sway the audience to reconsider previously held positions or beliefs. You must be quick on your feet to transition from the audience’s answers to the point you are trying to make:

“So, you think the sky is blue? Well, I’m going to tell you what happens on those days when it appears to be green.”

6. The Fable Open – Do you have something to preach but don’t want to sound preachy? If you lead off with a fable, or one of its literary cousins (allegories and parables), you can delve into moral lessons and insights about human behavior, all without sounding too heavy. In her book, “The Story Factor,” Annette Simmons writes that stories provide a more accessible route. A story, she says, is a “more dynamic tool of influence. Story gives people enough space to think for themselves.”

7. The Contrast Open – If speeches were boxing matches, you’d use the contrast open every time. This technique showcases the difference between diametrically opposed concepts, positions, ideas, or words. As a result, this approach is useful if you want to persuade others to change their perspective or embrace something new. Here are some of the themes that work well:

• Needs vs. Wants
• Obstacles vs. Opportunity
• Problem vs. Solution
• Possible vs. Impossible

8. The Information Gap – You know you will be facing a crowd of people who are quite knowledgeable about your subject. That’s OK. As it turns out, people who know a lot about a topic are still just as interested in learning about the parts of the topic they don’t know, according to American educator and economist George Loewenstein . If you can find a kernel of knowledge that exposes the gap or looks at the topic in a different way, you’ve given your audience ample reason to stick around to the end.

9. The Unexpected Definition Open – Dictionaries obviously do their jobs and do them well. However, there are times when a word gains more power when it is redefined. Say you are a valedictorian and you want to share how much your fellow students mean to you. Here’s a start:

“The dictionary defines classmate as a member of your class, but I define you all as so much more than that. We were each other’s friends, confidants, mentors, and guides. As worthy opponents, we challenged one other on the field and in the classroom. We were each other’s keepers and cheerleaders. And, we now can define ourselves as fellow graduates.”

10. “This Day in History” Open – This day in history you learned there were 25 ways to open a speech. That is a historical fact, but not a great citation. Fortunately, there are plenty of worthy, significant, thought-provoking, and interesting events you can find – a simple online search yields thousands – to illustrate your main point.

11. The Incorrect (or Ironic) Quote – Back in 2004, Microsoft’s Bill Gates told the world, “Two years from now, spam will be solved.” Oh yeah? Hindsight is 20/20, but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from the trove of ill-considered observations and incorrect assumptions about the future. Leading a presentation with an incorrect quote can help you transition to many powerful points, including the risks of false assumptions, the dangers of being slow to change, and the speed of evolution.

“We’re going to go on a dive to the deep sea. Anyone that’s had that lovely opportunity knows that for about two-and-a-half hours on the way down, it’s a perfectly, positively pitch-black world.”

When combined with a series of video images featuring bioluminescent sea creatures, the open transported the audience deep into the world of ocean exploration all from the comfort of their hotel meeting room.

13. The Bookend Open – Like the inseparable friends that they are, the Bookend Open must go with the Bookend Close, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Consequently, the theme, story, example, joke, theme, or fact that you offer in the open must return – in some fashion – for a visit in the end.

14. Rapid-Fire Statistics Open – A dietician wants to warn her audience about the dangers of gaining weight on a diet rich in fast food meals. She could start like this:

“Between 2013 and 2016, more than 1 in 3 American adults took a turn through the drive-thru or approached the counter to grab a fast food meal on any given day. For children and teens, a fast food diet has been associated with higher caloric intake and poor diet quality. That double whammy is a reality that more young people face, as studies have found caloric intake from fast food on the rise for children aged 2 to 18. The industry itself shows no signs of slowing. The fast food industry is a $198.9 billion business in the United States. It’s expected to grow by more than $20 billion by 2020.”

This data stacking is less about individual numbers and more about the broader point she is trying to convey. The main takeaway is this: Society’s propensity for fast food is growing and affecting the health of children and teens.

15. The Mystery Open – They fill bookshelves and dominate television listings. What are they? Those mysteries, psychological thrillers, and police procedurals readers and viewers can’t seem to get enough of. A mystery works fine for an open, too. Here’s one way to do it: Pose a single question at the start of your talk and then answer it piece by piece during your presentation – leaving the big reveal for the close.

16. The Multiple Choice – It’s better than the tests you remembered as a student or the online surveys you are asked to take. That’s because it’s your multiple-choice test and it’s the way you can draw your audience to your topic. This open is tailor-made for a talk with multiple perspectives about an issue or different solutions for the same problem. Here’s an example:

“As a company, we have several directions we can take in terms of growth and increased sales. We could a.) buy up smaller companies to diversify our portfolio of services, b.) cull some of our services and move resources to focus on only a few or, c.) we could opt to franchise. I’m going to spend some time on each and then offer the option that I think is the way for us to go.”

17. The Challenge Open – Challenges spur audiences to act or deliver on a goal. You could open a speech with a challenge if you are seeking legislative change, raising money for a project, looking to increase sales, or asking for volunteers. The main objective is motivation. The audience not only needs to buy-in to your message but take the actions to manifest it. Here’s one way to do that:

“Dreamers see possibilities where others see obstacles. I am here today to call upon my fellow dreamers to encourage those who are hesitant about the project to look past the stumbling blocks we face in the construction of this community playground and consider giving kids a chance to play.”

18. The Skeptical Audience Open – A doubting audience is a difficult audience – there is no getting around it. They may be untrusting of your ideas or against what you are proposing. Perhaps they have been disappointed in the past or are simply stuck in their ways. The more “hostile” the crowd, the faster you need to address the gap. While every open needs to be a blend of your goals and audience needs, this one requires careful consideration. Here’s the formula:

• Anticipate the major objections.
• Have a sense of divided loyalties – the intractable, the undecided, and the supportive. Identify which of those most needs to hear your message and adjust accordingly.
• Frame the message around their concerns, not yours.
• Avoid defensiveness.
• Acknowledge obvious truths early.

19. The Rhetorical Question Open – Do you think opening with a question engages audience members? Yes, it does. This method engages the audience from the get-go. A CEO might pose this question:

“We offer great services. We have a loyal customer base. And, we make improvements every year. So, why are we not No. 1 in our market?”

• Ask a puzzling question you promise to reveal in the end.
• Propose a riddle.
• Suggest that the audience complete a mathematical equation and promise to give the answer context during the speech.

21. The Activity Open – Of all the 25 ways to open, this one triggers the most immediate engagement. Use it during training sessions and workshops when you are trying to teach a specific skill. When an audience engages in an activity right from the start, they recognize the benefits of listening to the rest of what you have to say. Make sure the activity is challenging, however. If they breeze through it, they’ll spend the rest of the workshop twiddling their thumbs.

22. The Self-Effacing Open – Remember the speaker who offered a joke, only to have that become his message? Well, in this way to open a speech, humor also must be deftly handled. Modesty and humility are the hallmarks of people who can laugh at themselves – which are both traits that can attract an audience. If you are planning to laugh at your own expense, just make sure it’s not at a cost. Stay away from jokes that question your credibility or diminish the topic of your speech. And make sure your self-deprecating humor doesn’t sound too self-pitying (“I hope, like my receding hairline, you won’t similarly retreat for the exit before I am done.”). You don’t want the audience thinking about your weaknesses or paying undue attention to them.

• An audio testimony
• A recording of a song
• An oral account
• A snippet of a speech
• Sounds of nature

24. The PowerPoint Open – Ahh, the PowerPoint presentation … when used correctly it is a highly effective tool for the audience. When used incorrectly, it induces a snoozefest. Overly literal slides typically fall flat, while conceptual (and eye-catching) images make your words even more memorable. If you plan on using technology front and center, you should pick an image that captivates and intrigues, and forms a segue into the opening you want to tell. For instance, you are presenting a talk on how to create a stunning painting. You could begin with a slide that shows a big, bold, and colorful painting. You say:

“This painting is the manifestation of dozens of choices and decisions the artist made along the way from concept to completion. We only see the final product, but the real art is the way it all comes together.”

As you proceed, you show slides in reverse, moving from final product to blank canvas. Along the way, you bring the viewer through each step.

25. The Study Hall Open – Some presenters are faced with the dilemma of sharing data-heavy charts and graphs. To rely solely on PowerPoint is potentially ineffective – just too much data at once. So, take your audience back to school and to all those handouts. Edward Tufte , an expert in data visualization and a professor emeritus at Yale University, suggests using the “study hall” method. At the beginning of the session, distribute the handouts and ask the audience to read them. Following their review, you are off to the races. Your task is not to repeat what they have read but offer context and meaning. “

What’s Your Opening?

Back in 1973, a horse named Secretariat ran the Kentucky Derby in 1 minute and 59 seconds – breaking the two-minute mark for the first time in the then 99-year history of the race. His record still stands.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to do something great. The way you open a speech may not break any records, but it can have a long-standing effect on your audience. From the very start, you have an opportunity to influence others, establish rapport, and exhibit creativity. When done well, such effort is rewarded. Your audience not only connects with you during your talk but also remembers what you said long after your speech is done.

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How to Start a Presentation: 10 Proven Techniques for Grabbing Attention Right from the Start

The beginning of a presentation is where you either capture or lose your audience’s attention. Whether you’re pitching to investors, leading a team meeting, or presenting at a conference, a powerful start sets the tone for the entire session. A strong opening builds rapport, establishes authority, and makes your message memorable.

Let’s explore ten effective strategies, tailored for different types of presentations.

1. Open with a Compelling Story: Ideal for Funding Pitches and Inspirational Talks

Stories are one of the most engaging ways to start a presentation. They create an emotional connection and make complex ideas relatable. A well-told story can be a powerful hook, especially if it’s relevant to the audience and ties directly into your core message.

Example (in a Funding Pitch):

“Two years ago, our company was on the brink of failure. We were down to our last $1,000, and it felt like we were out of options. But then we discovered a new approach that completely turned things around, and that’s what I’m here to share with you today.”

Why It Works:

Stories humanize your message and quickly establish a connection, making it easier for the audience to engage with your content.

2. Start with a Shocking Statistic or Fact: Effective for Data-Driven and Awareness Presentations

Numbers can be powerful attention-grabbers, especially when they reveal something surprising or unexpected. Opening with a shocking statistic instantly engages your audience and primes them to pay attention to the problem or solution you’re presenting.

Example (in a Health Awareness Presentation):

“Did you know that every year, over 2.8 million people die from obesity-related conditions worldwide? That’s more than car accidents, wars, and natural disasters combined.”

Startling facts spark curiosity and concern, setting the stage for your presentation by making the problem feel urgent.

3. Pose a Thought-Provoking Question: Suitable for Sales Pitches and Consultative Presentations

Asking a question invites your audience to reflect and mentally engage from the start. It’s particularly effective in scenarios where you want your audience to think critically about their needs or challenges.

Example (in a Sales Pitch):

“What would it mean for your business if you could reduce operational costs by 30% while increasing productivity at the same time?”

A well-crafted question aligns the audience’s thinking with your message and prepares them to receive your solution.

4. Start with a Bold Statement: Works Well in Motivational and Leadership Presentations

A bold, declarative statement can grab attention and set the tone for a confident and assertive presentation. This approach works best when your presentation is built around a central argument or a new perspective.

“Leadership isn’t about authority—it’s about empowering others to lead themselves. And that’s the mindset shift we need to succeed in today’s world.”

Bold statements immediately communicate confidence and challenge the audience to rethink conventional wisdom, creating intrigue.

5. Use a Powerful Visual or Prop: Effective in Creative Pitches and Product Demonstrations

Sometimes, visuals speak louder than words. Starting with an impactful image, video, or prop can grab attention and set a strong visual context for what’s to come.

Example (in a Product Demo):

Displaying an image of a crowded cityscape

“This is the reality of urban living today—busy, congested, and stressful. Our product is designed to make this scene more manageable, efficient, and less chaotic.”

Visuals immediately engage multiple senses and can simplify complex ideas, making your message easier to grasp.

6. Share a Relevant Quote: Suitable for Thought Leadership and Educational Presentations

Quotes, especially from recognized experts or thought leaders, can lend authority and credibility to your presentation. They work well when your audience values the wisdom of established figures.

Example (in a Thought Leadership Presentation):

“As Albert Einstein said, ‘In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.’ Today, I’ll show you how to turn your challenges into your biggest opportunities.”

Quotes set a thematic tone for your presentation and can instantly align your audience with the principles you’re about to explore.

7. Acknowledge the Audience’s Pain Point: Essential for Problem-Solving and Sales Presentations

Directly addressing a common pain point your audience faces helps you immediately connect and position your solution as relevant and valuable.

“I know you’re frustrated by how much time is wasted on repetitive manual tasks. What if I told you there’s a way to automate those processes and free up 20% of your team’s time?”

When you articulate a problem your audience is currently experiencing, they’re more likely to be receptive to your proposed solutions.

8. Leverage Humor: Effective in Team Meetings and Creative Presentations

A light joke or humorous observation can break the ice and create a relaxed atmosphere, especially when addressing a familiar audience or a casual setting.

“I know everyone loves a good Monday morning meeting—especially after a weekend filled with anything but spreadsheets. But trust me, this one’s different!”

Humor disarms the audience, making them more open to your message while fostering a positive, engaging atmosphere.

9. Start with a Demonstration: Suitable for Technical Presentations and Product Launches

Diving straight into a live demonstration or interactive example is a great way to showcase the value of your product or concept from the very beginning.

Example (in a Product Launch):

“Instead of telling you about how intuitive our new app is, let me show you in real-time how it works.”

Hands-on demonstrations provide immediate value and clarity, leaving no room for doubt about the benefits of what you’re offering.

10. Introduce Yourself with a Twist: Useful in Networking Presentations and Personal Branding Talks

Sometimes, a creative or unexpected introduction can set you apart and establish rapport with your audience from the get-go.

Example (in a Personal Branding Talk):

“Most people introduce themselves by their job title. But if you ask my team, they’d say I’m the person who brings donuts on Fridays and won’t stop talking about customer experience. Let’s talk about why that passion matters.”

This approach humanizes you, breaks the ice, and provides a unique perspective on your expertise.

The way you start your presentation is crucial—it determines whether your audience leans in or tunes out. Tailoring your opening to the context and goals of your presentation will set the tone for a successful session. Whether you’re telling a story, asking a question, or making a bold statement, the key is to make your audience feel engaged, intrigued, and ready to listen.

By mastering the art of a strong start, you ensure that your presentation captures attention from the first moment, making it easier to keep your audience invested as you deliver the rest of your message. Tailor your approach to fit your content and audience, and you’ll consistently start your presentations on the right foot.

Table of contents

• Theater-Based Techniques
• Dr. Gary Genard
• What Our Clients Say
• Client List
• Dr. Genard in the Media
• Leadership Communication
• Fearless Speaking
• Voice and Speech Improvement
• Presentation Coaching
• Speaking Virtually
• Presentation Skills
• Executive Speech Coaching
• The Benefits of Deep Breathing
• How to Calm Your Nerves Before Speaking
• Leadership Skills: The 5 Essential Speaking Techniques
• 5 Ways to Captivate an Audience
• The Body Language Rules: 12 Ways to be a More Powerful Speaker
• 4 Characteristics of an Influential Speaker
• 6 Skills Building Exercises for Effective Body Language
• 7 Tips for Overcoming Audience Resistance
• 5 Rules for Succeeding with PowerPoint
• Great Speaking? – It's About Performance Over Content!
• 5 Key Tools of Vocal Dynamics
• 5 Secrets of Powerful Body Language
• 10 Ways to Stay Fully Focused when Speaking
• 25 Words or Phrases to Avoid in Speeches and Presentations
• 6 Rules of Effective Public Speaking
• 7 Key Components of Successful Presentations
• 12 Easy Ways to Achieve Presence and Charisma
• 6 Skills Building Exercises Video

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How to Start a Speech — 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!

Want to move audiences? Develop a powerful opening! Here is how to start a speech, including 12 foolproof ways to grab audiences in public speaking.

Let's talk about how to start a speech. When it comes to persuading, inspiring, or influencing an audience, your opening is by far the most important moment in your performance.

So how do you begin a presentation in ways that  will get an audience on your side and start you on the road to speaking memorably?

Learn this skill and 101 tips and tricks for more successful speaking in my Public Speaking Handbook, How to Give a Speech . Also available as an Amazon bestseller!

Let's imagine that you're finally pitching to that audience of decision makers. It's the high-stakes opportunity you've been waiting for, and you've put together a killer presentation. There's just one problem: how do you start the thing off with a bang? Remember, anyone can give an ordinary presentation. It's your job to stand out from the crowd for career success.

Your Opening Sets the Tone of Your Presentation

You probably already know you need to begin with power and purpose. You're just not sure  how  . . . or for that matter, exactly why.

The answer is that, when it comes to influencing listeners in speeches and presentations, two concepts explain why your beginning and ending need to be particularly strong. I'll discuss both concepts here, then provide some powerful tools for your opening gambit: your speech Introduction .

Ready to set your audience on fire?

This article is available as a free PDF .  Click here to download "How to Start a Speech - 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!" Learn and practice starting out powerfully!

Your Introduction and Conclusion Need to Be Strong

The two concepts concerning why you need to start and end strongly, are  primacy  and  recency . Primacy states that people remember most vividly what they hear at the beginning of a speech. Recency  says those same people will strongly recall what you say at the end. In terms of public speaking, this translates into your introduction and conclusion. And you really do need to start early.   Here's  how to create an opening your audience will remember .

In more practical terms, there are three specific reasons why your introduction needs to be engaging and interesting immediately :

(1) Audiences make judgments about you and your message in the first minute. After that point, you'll be able to change those opinions about as easily as you can change a hamster into a ham sandwich. So here's  how to be strong in the first 60 seconds of your speech .

(2) Your opening sets the entire tone of your presentation (including whether you'll be interesting or not).

(3) This is when you introduce your message and tell the audience why they should listen.

Sound like a tall order? It isn't, if you use the seven key components of successful presentations . Your audience needs to be both fully engaged and predisposed favorably toward you and your message. Neither will happen unless you can  grab   their  attention,  so they're onboard when you spin your verbal magic. Keep reading to learn how that's done. 

Ready to boost your influence with stakeholders? Grab your copy of my book, Speak for Leadership . Learn an executive speech coach's secrets! Get it today here or on Amazon .

Using Creativity in Business Presentations

Achieving the objective of a 'grabbing' opening takes thought, a bit of imagination, and yes, a little creativity. The good news is that since you know your topic well and you're psyched up for the big game (it's an audience of decision-makers, remember?), you should be well positioned to succeed.

Primacy won't have much of a chance to operate, though, if you use what I call the 'Today, I'm going to talk about . . .' opening. This is boring! Be on the lookout instead for something that will pique the interest of your listeners, and perhaps surprise them. And here's something else you absolutely need to know: 20 ways to connect with an audience for lasting influence .

A few minutes of focused thinking should be all you need to know how to come up with an effective opening. And remember to avoid that I call introducing your introduction. That sounds like this: 'Let me start out with a story . . .', or, 'I heard a very funny joke the other day . . . ' Or even the inexplicable 'Before I begin . . . ' since you've already begun!

Just  tell  us the story, the joke, or the in-the-know reference that will delight your listeners. But if you signal your effect beforehand, you water down its potency and its power to surprise.

So how can you be completely focused and on your game?

12 Powerful Ways to Start a Speech or Presentation

As a springboard to launching your presentation with verve and originality, here are a dozen rhetorical devices you can use. Each of them is an effective 'speech hook that you can use to start any speech or presentation:

• Startling statement
• Personal anecdote or experience
• Expert opinion
• Sound effect
• Physical object or demonstration
• Testimony or success story

You could literally think of dozens more from your own experience or that of your audience. Remember, the best grabbers engage an audience immediately, both intellectually and emotionally. Interestingly, these same devices can be used to conclude in a way that keeps your audience thinking about what you said. It's all part of my six rules for effective public speaking .

Coming up with an exciting grabber and clincher involves some work on your part. But the rewards if you're successful more than justify the effort.

Famous Speech Openings  

How about a few examples? Here are four great openings that illustrate some of the grabbers listed above:

Jesus , Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." — Startling statement.

Bill Clinton , 1993 speech in Memphis to ministers (after having heard himself introduced as "Bishop Clinton"): "You know, in the last ten months, I've been called a lot of things, but nobody's called me a bishop yet. When I was about nine years old, my beloved and now departed grandmother, who was a very wise woman, looked at me and she said, 'You know, I believe you could be a preacher if you were just a little better boy.'" — Humor

Jane Fonda in her TED Talk "Life's Third Act":  "There have been many revolutions over the last century, but perhaps none as significant as the longevity revolution. We are living on average today 34 years longer than our great-grandparents did. Think about that: that's an entire second adult lifetime that's been added to our lifespan." — Statistic.

Steve Jobs , 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford University: "Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it, no big deal—just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another eighteen months or so before I really quit. So why'd I drop out? It started before I was born." — Story, with a seamless transition into his speech. 

Like historical mysteries? — Discover my Dr. William Scarlet Mystery Series!

A haunted young artist. A trail of bodies. What is terrorizing London? Scotland Yard surgeon and psychic Dr. William Scarlet pursues a serial killer in Red Season ! Also on  Amazon .

You should follow me on Twitter  here .

Gary Genard   is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers  live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching   and corporate group training worldwide. He was named for nine consecutive years as  One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals , and also named as  One of America's Top 5 Speech Coaches .  He is the author of the Amazon Best-Sellers  How to Give a Speech  and  Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence . His book,  Fearless Speaking ,  was named in 2019 as  "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time."   He is also the author of the  Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries .   Contact Gary here.  

Tags: leadership skills , public speaking training , public speaking , business presentations , public speaking tips , Speaking for Leadership , Public Speaking Techniques , how to start a speech , how to give a speech , speech introduction , how to persuade an audience , how to open a speech , speech coach , speech coaching , public speaking for leadership , presentations , The Genard Method , Dr. Gary Genard , CEO , speak for leadership , public speaking training company , executive coaching , keynote speaker training , how to start a presentation , motivational speaker training , TEDx speaker training , public speaking coaching , speech hooks , speech training , speech expert , online public speaking training , executive coach , public speaking books , leadership books , books on leadership , leadership expert , leadership authors , executive speech coaching , speech for leadership , public speaking for doctors , public speaking for lawyers , public speaking for engineers , public speaking for IT professionals , public speaking for data scientists , public speaking for scientists , public speaking for business , how to win friends and influence people , public speaking for business executives , talk like TED , Red Season , Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries

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How to Organize Your Introduction for a Presentation [+ FREE Presentation Checklist]

May 1, 2018 | Business Professional English , Free Resource , Public Speaking & Presentations

This lesson on how to organize your introduction for a presentation in English has been updated since its original posting in 2016 and a video has been added.

Getting ready to present in English? Here’s how to make sure your introduction for a presentation in English is successful.

But first… When you think about a presentation, I know you’re thinking about something like a TED video or a presentation at a conference. You’re thinking about a speech, with PowerPoint slides and a big audience.

But did you know we use the same skills when we share new information or ideas with our work colleagues? Or when we tell stories to our friends and family? The situation or speaking task may be different but we still use the same skills.

When presenting information or telling stories, we need to:

• Capture a listener’s attention
• Share information, ideas, or opinions
• Give the important details
• Make your information memorable
• Get your audience (family, friends, colleagues or strangers) to agree, to take action, to change their mind, etc.

So today you’re going to learn how to take the first big step in your English presentation: how to start with a great introduction.

The introduction is the most important part of your presentation. It is the first impression you’ll make on your audience. It’s your first opportunity to get their attention. You want them to trust you and listen to you right away.

However, that first moment when you start to speak is often the hardest. Knowing how to best prepare and knowing what to say will help you feel confident and ready to say that first word and start your presentation in English.

Be sure to include these 5 things in your inroduction.

Lesson by Annemarie

How to Organize Your Introduction for a Presentation in English and Key Phrases to Use

Organize Your Introduction Correctly

Okay, first let’s focus on what you need to include in your English introduction. Think of this as your formula for a good introduction. Using this general outline for your introduction will help you prepare. It will also help your audience know who you are, why you’re an expert, and what to expect from your presentation.

Use this general outline for your next presentation:

• Welcome your audience and introduce yourself
• Capture their attention
• Identify your number one goal or topic of presentation
• Give a quick outline of your presentation
• Provide instructions for how to ask questions (if appropriate for your situation)

Use Common Language to Make Your Introduction Easy to Understand

Great, now you have the general outline of an introduction for a speech or presentation in English. So let’s focus on some of the key expressions you can use for each step. This will help you think about what to say and how to say it so you can sound confident and prepared in your English presentation.

“The introduction is the most important part of your presentation. It is the first impression you’ll make on your audience. It’s your first opportunity to get their attention. You want them to trust you and listen to you right away.”

Welcome Your Audience & Introduction

It is polite to start with a warm welcome and to introduce yourself. Everyone in the audience will want to know who you are. Your introduction should include your name and job position or the reason you are an expert on your topic. The more the audience trusts you, the more they listen.

• Welcome to [name of company or event]. My name is [name] and I am the [job title or background information].
• Thank you for coming today. I’m [name] and I’m looking forward to talking with you today about [your topic].
• Good morning/afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to quickly introduce myself. I am [name] from [company or position]. (formal)
• On behalf of [name of company], I’d like to welcome you today. For those of you who don’t already know me, my name is [name] and I am [job title or background]. (formal)
• Hi everyone. I’m [name and background]. I’m glad to be here with you today. Now let’s get started. (informal)

Capture Their Attention

For more information about how to best capture your audience’s attention and why, please see the next session below. However, here are a few good phrases to get you started.

• Did you know that [insert an interesting fact or shocking statement]?
• Have you ever heard that [insert interesting fact or shocking statement]?
• Before I start, I’d like to share a quick story about [tell your story]…
• I remember [tell your story, experience or memory]…
• When I started preparing for this talk, I was reminded of [tell your story, share your quote or experience]…

Identify Your Goal or Topic of Presentation

At this stage, you want to be clear with your audience about your primary topic or goal. Do you want your audience to take action after your talk? Is it a topic everyone is curious about (or should be curious about)? This should be just one or two sentences and it should be very clear.

• This morning I’d like to present our new [product or service].
• Today I’d like to discuss…
• Today I’d like to share with you…
• What I want to share with you is…
• My goal today is to help you understand…
• During my talk this morning/afternoon, I’ll provide you with some background on [main topic] and why it is important to you.
• I will present my findings on…
• By the end of my presentation, I’d like for you to know…
• I aim to prove to you / change your mind about…
• I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about…
• As you know, this morning/afternoon I’ll be discussing…

Outline Your Presentation

You may have heard this about presentations in English before:

First, tell me what you’re going to tell me. Then tell me. And finally, tell me what you told me.

It sounds crazy and weird, but it’s true. This is how we structure presentations in English. So today we’re focusing on the “First, tell me what you’re going to tell me” for your introduction. This means you should outline the key points or highlights of your topic.

This prepares your listens and helps to get their attention. It will also help them follow your presentation and stay focused. Here are some great phrases to help you do that.

• First, I’m going to present… Then I’ll share with you… Finally, I’ll ask you to…
• The next thing I’ll share with you is…
• In the next section, I’ll show you…
• Today I will be covering these 3 (or 5) key points…
• In this presentation, we will discuss/evaluate…
• By the end of this presentation, you’ll be able to…
• My talk this morning is divided into [number] main sections… First, second, third… Finally…

On Asking Questions

You want to be sure to let you audience know when and how it is appropriate for them to ask you questions. For example, is the presentation informal and is it okay for someone to interrupt you with a question? Or do you prefer for everyone to wait until the end of the presentation to ask questions?

• If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to interrupt me. I’m happy to answer any questions as we go along.
• Feel free to ask any questions, however, I do ask that you wait until the end of the presentation to ask.
• There will be plenty of time for questions at the end.
• Are there any questions at this point? If not, we’ll keep going.
• I would be happy to answer any questions you may have now.

Capture Your Audience’s Attention

Do you feel unsure about how to capture the attention of your audience? Don’t worry! Here are some common examples used in English-speaking culture for doing it perfectly!

Two of the most famous speakers in the English-speaking world are Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey. While Steve Jobs is no longer living, people still love to watch his speeches and presentations online. Oprah is so famous that no matter what she does, people are excited to see her and listen to her.

BUT, if you listen to a speech by Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey,  they still  work  to get your attention!

The don’t start with a list of numbers or data. They don’t begin with a common fact or with the title of the presentation. No – they do much more.

From the moment they start their speech, they want you to listen. And they find interesting ways to get your attention. In his most famous speeches, Steve Jobs often started with a personal story. And Oprah often starts with an inspiring quote, a motivational part of a poem, or a personal story.

These are all great ways to help your audience to listen to you immediately – whether your presentation is 3 minutes or 20 minutes.

Here’s how you can do it.

Like Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey, start with a:

• Personal story or experience
• Motivational quote or line from a poem or book
• Joke (be careful with this – make sure it translates easily to everyone in the audience!)
• Shocking, bold statement (Think of Steve Jobs’ quote: “ Stay hungry. Stay Foolish .”)
• Rhetorical question ( =a question that you don’t want an answer to; the focus is to make someone think)

And finally, consider audience participation. Ask a question and get your audience to respond by raising hands.

Get the complete Presentations in English Series:

Part 1: How to Prepare for Your Presentation in English

Part 2: How to Start with a Great Introduction in Your Presentation

Part 3:  How to Organize Your Presentation in English

Part 4:  How to End Your Presentation Powerfully

As I mentioned in the video, I have two question for you today:

• What is the best introduction you’ve ever heard? Have you watched a TED Talk or a presentation on YouTube with a great introduction? Tell me about it. What do you think was great about the introduction?
• What frightens you the most about preparing your introduction in a presentation? Share your concerns with me so I can help you overcome any challenges you have.

Be sure to share in the comments below to get feedback from me and to learn from others in the Confident English Community.

Have a great week! ~ Annemarie

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Good day Annemarie! you are truly a God sent, because I believe communication is your God giving gift. Your tone, facial expression and gesture is what capture my attention. I learn a lot with ease as I watch your videos each time. Keep it up! God bless.

Thank you so much for your kind comment. I’m glad to know my lessons are helpful.

Thank you, Annemarie. thanks for the generosity of sharing useful and systemative information and content.

This is really a very informative message thank you.. And it’s help me a lot

hi thank you for this It was helpful. You used simple english that i understood well.

How to start with a great presentation on composition

Thankyou for the information . It was much helpful . I will definitely use this information in my presentation 🤗

Hi, I am Thang Sok Do you have a Sample presentation?

This was helpful but can you please tell me how to start a presentation in college because this is for work in a company. My presentation is on laboratory skills and all that

Its informative

Thank you for this video! I’ve learned quite a lot and will want to use all these knowledge in presenting my thesis proposal in 2 months. About your question no. 2, I’d just like to share that the mere fact of presenting in front of many respected professionals makes me already nervous and shaky even if i have studied everything about my presentation. What do you think should i do to deal with my concern?

Could you give me advise, how to start learning English for beginner.How to prepare presentation on any topic and how to make interesting..

Thank u so much for valuable advice. Definitely I will used this in my presentation!!

Thank you very much for these kind of useful advice. I hope my first presentation will be exciting for the audience.Your video is helping me again thanks a lot 😊

hi, i’m B.COM student and I have to prepare presentation about identifying business opportunities. How to start and an attractive attention to my audience.. Please Help me…

very nise and educative piece of information thank you nancy nairobi kenya

i am starting a video speech shooting in night about a famouse person how do i start my speech with a good intro.

Hi again how do you do a introduction goodbye

Hi i do not know what you are talking about

Hi Kate, I’m sorry to hear you’re not sure about the content. I recommend reviewing the video carefully if you haven’t already. Is there something specific you have a question about?

thanks a lot for guiding in such an easier way.

Your write-up on introduction helped a lot, thank you Annemarie. I work for cross-geography team and greetings get lengthy as timezones are different e.g. “Good evening to those joining from US office and good morning to colleagues from India office”. I replaced that with “Thank you everyone for joining”. Is it okay?

Hi Amit, I’m so glad it was helpful. As for your greeting, both of your options are perfectly appropriate and friendly.

How to introduce group members in online presentation?

Great question! I’d love to use that for a future Confident English lesson.

its amazing. i can’t explain in wording. this material helping me a lot. i am so happy after use this website . its make easy for me preparing my presentation more interesting. i am thankful too u.

thanks! i use your materials to teach my students(clinets) how to prepare a presentation. is it ok to use them on my materials?

Hi! I am a student from the USP from Tuvaluan and i take CEE45 so our assessment 2 is to prepared a group presentation and we presented in school. so need your help for how to start an attractive introduction to my teacher and my fellow students, they already kwow me.

Thank you.. very helpful

Very useful

It was very use Gul for or presentations

Hi. I am a 1st year BIT student and I have to prepare a presentation on 3D Printing. how to start an attractive introduction to my teachers, when they already know about me? Can you please help me out? Thank you.

I just took 1st place for my paper that I presented at an international students conference. I used a lot of your techniques to improve my speech and I have no words to say how grateful I am to you. Keep up the good work!

😲WOW!! That’s awesome, Andrew. 🙌Congratulations on your presentation. What a wonderful response to your hard work. I’d love to know what you presentation was about. And thank you for sharing your new here. I’m thrilled to know that my techniques were helpful to you.

The title of the presentation was “Handling burnout: A study regarding the the influence of job stressors over military and civilian personel”. I can sent you my paper through email if you would like to see it.

Hi Andrew, what a fascinating topic. And it’s interesting because I just had a newspaper reporter interview me about burnout as a small business owner. Must be a hot topic. 🙂 And sure, I’d love to see it.

🔥❤ too goodd

Hello Annemarie, Thank you so much for one of the best content on the English presentation, I’ve seen. I have a question: Is it impolite or informal to start the presentation without a greeting? I’m asking this question because I’ve seen a lot of TEDTalks and in only a few of them, they greet the audience and in most of it, they quickly go to the “CAPTURING the ATTENTION” with numbers and pictures. I would be so thankful if you could answer this question as soon as possible, my presentation is so close. Best regards, Helia

Hi Helia, What a great question. It has definitely become more common to skip the greeting and go straight to capturing the attention of the audience and you’re right that we often see this in TED talks. I would say it’s best to know your audience and what might be expected. For example, at more formal, traditional conferences or lecture, it might be more appropriate to start with a welcome. I prefer to welcome/thank my audience quickly at the start when I give presentations. A welcome can be very brief, just one sentence, and then you can quickly go into …  Read more »

Hi Annemarie I would like to thank you for giving such types of presentation skills but I have a question can you give me some idea about vote of thinks.

I’m glad the lessons are helpful to you. Could you clarify what you mean by ‘vote of thinks?’ I’m not sure I understand that.

Please can you give me some idea about vote of thanks

Could you clarify what you’re asking for, Bello?

Thanks a lot

Glad it was helpful!

it is agood i learn alot from this english class

Hello.i would like to thank you for giving these beautiful tips to start a presentation.This article helped me a lot.

That’s great, Radha. Glad to hear it.

Thanks for your article. It’s simply for interpersonal skill development.

You’re welcome, Mithun. Glad to know it was helpful.

Hi Annemarie . Thank you so much for giving such helpful guildelines it’s really gonna help me

I’m glad it’s helpful, Swetha! 🙂

thank you for help me

You’re very welcome!

Hi Anne Marie, i ‘m from Catalonia and i came across with your site only by chance and i think it’gonna be so helpful for me to pass the next test for c1 level. Several weeks ago i did some rehersals with my presentation and i was so nervous and terrified about what was expected from me.

Some tips in your youtube channel are so cool !!! Thank you.

Hi Tom, I’m thrilled you’ve found this site in your preparations for your English exam and am glad to know it’s helpful! Best of luck as you continue to prepare.

Hi Annemarie Thanks it’s so useful to develop presentation skill. Fatima

You’re very welcome, Fatima! I’m glad it was helpful.

Awesome, especially this simple and clear motto: “First, tell me what you’re going to tell me. Then tell me. And finally, tell me what you told me.” This three sentences exactly explain the content you need to create a memorable presentation.

Hi Dzmitry,

Yes, I’ve always loved that simple motto on how to do a presentation. 🙂 It’s so easy to remember and tells you exactly what to do.

hello I need to introduce myself to language center. i am going to learn Danish Language and i want to introduce myself to them and i am little bit nervous because my grammar is not good at that level.so will you please guide me how to introduce myself to them with an example. i did go through your examples but that is for professionals and i am just a student (Graduate). I don’t have any experience . Please guide me how to do it.

I was in a confused state about starting a conversation and proceeding in it but when I read the guidelines you mentioned above I became confident. thank you for your innumerable ………….

Thank you so much…… it’s an excellent topic, and it helped me a lot

I’m so glad this was helpful to you! Thank you for sharing.

hi annemarie i have a few questions about a speech i have to make a englishi speech of what i want to become can you help me?

Hi Rebecca,

Thank you for the question. I have several lessons on the topic of presentations in English . However, for personal assistance with English or presentations, I only do that through my one-on-one classes .

thank you so much…… it’s really helpful for me….

You’re very welcome, Shalini.

Thanks its really nice to develop the presentation skills

Awesome. I’m glad it was helpful to you, Mohammed.

I have to give a demo on one of your programs next week. I would like you to check my self introduction – Good afternoon everyone and thank you for all of your presence. Before we get into the session I would like to quickly introduce myself. My name is Dinesh . I am working as a Pharmaceutical sale and promotion of the brands for Arrient Healthcare. I am in this filed for the past ten years. Before becoming trainer I worked as a medical representatives for different pharma company . I am highly interested in learning from people and …  Read more »

Please ignore my previous comment. Yea the demo was a success. So hereafter I will say”I have been in this field for the past four years. Actually I worked for different consultancies so I didn’t include an article there.

I have to give a demo on one of your programs next week. I would like you to check my self introduction – Good afternoon everyone and thank you for all of your presence. Before we get into the session I would like to quickly introduce myself. My name is Monica. I am working as a Soft Skill Trainer at Synergy School of Business Skills. I am in this filed for the past four years. Before becoming trainer I worked as a Recruiter for different job consultancy. I am highly interested in learning from people and I think teaching/training is …  Read more »

Thank you for sharing your example! One note: “I am in this field for the past four years.” –> Don’t forget, when we’re talking about something that started in the past and continues to now, we use the present perfect. How might you change this sentence to fix the grammar?

Also, we want to add an article to, “… I worked as a recruiter for [a] different job consultancy.”

I wish you much success in your demo this week! Best, Annemarie

Yea the demo was a success! So hereafter I will say”I have been for the past four years. Actually I worked for different consultancies.

Join Annemarie for an English Fluency Breakthrough . Available now.

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7 memorable ways to open a speech or presentation.

After hours of preparation, the moment to deliver your speech has arrived. You’re standing before the podium, all eyes on you, with confidence that no one could take away. Then you begin…

“Hello, everyone. Thank you for having me. My name is ______ _______, and I am going to be speaking to you today about _______. To begin, _______ is important because…”

Suddenly people begin shifting in their seats, checking their phones, reading the program, talking to one another and doing anything but paying attention to you.

Your opening often determines how long the audience will “tune in” to your presentation.   If you bore your audience right from the start, there is little chance that your message will effectively get across.

How do you effectively open a speech or presentation to prevent this from happening? Here are seven effective methods to open a speech or presentation:

• Quote Opening with a relevant quote can help set the tone for the rest of your speech. For example, one that I often use to open a presentation dealing with public speaking: “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain
• “What If” Scenario Immediately drawing your audience into your speech works wonders. Asking a “what if” question invites the audience to follow your thought process. “What if we were all blunt? How different would our everyday lives be? What would happen if we said what was on our minds, all day every day?”
• “Imagine” Scenario A similar method, but more relevant for sensational examples.  It puts your audience members directly into the presentation by allowing each member to visualize an extraordinary scenario. “Imagine jumping out of a skydiving plane and discovering your parachute doesn’t work. What memories would flash before you? Now imagine the parachute opened. How differently would you act when you landed?”
• Question Ask a rhetorical or literal question. When someone is posed with a question, whether an answer is called for or not, that person intuitively answers. “Who wouldn’t want to live on an exotic island?”
• Silence A pause, whether two seconds or 10 seconds, allows your audience to sit and quiet down.  Most audiences expect a speaker to begin immediately. An extra pause brings all the attention right where you should want it – on you.
• Statistic Use a surprising, powerful, personalized statistic that will resonate with the audience to get your message across right away. It has the potential to trigger the audiences’ emotional appeal. “Look to your left. Now look to your right.  One of your seatmates will  ___________.” “In this room, over 90 percent of us are going to _________.”
• Powerful Statement/Phrase A statement or phrase can catch the audience’s attention by keeping them guessing as to what you’re about to say next. Implementing the silence technique afterwards also adds to the effect. “We can not win.  We can’t win…” (Pause) “… That’s what every newspaper in the country is saying.”

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Presentation Opening: 10 Ways to Start a Speech to Engage Your Audience

When you’re giving a speech, it goes without saying that you want your audience to be attentive and engaged.

You’ve probably spent a lot of time crafting what you have to say. And, you want participants to listen and really understand your message.

As you can appreciate, your opening few lines can make or break your presentation. You’ll either have people sitting quietly and paying attention or already beginning to zone out.

So, what’s the key to starting a speech well? The good new is that there are quite a number of great ways to begin.

Your aim is to create interest and set the tone for the rest of your presentation.

Some openers might fit better with certain types of speeches . For example, if you’re seeking to inspire your audience, a motivational quote might be the best method to use.

Having said that, many of these tips can be applied to a variety of different kinds of speeches. Read on for some great advice!

10 Engaging Ways to Start a Speech

Kick off with a quote.

Quoting someone is a great way to start off.

A quote can be motivational, thought-provoking, humorous or lead to some other reaction entirely.

People love quotes. They’re short succent capsules of ways of looking at the world, often infused with considerable wisdom.

If you can quote a well-known person , this will suggest that your speech has real credibility. Your audience will want to know how the quote supports what you have to say.

Look for something that best introduces your speech topic . Then, expand on the idea behind the quote and show its relevance to the information you’re presenting to the audience, reflecting back on the message in the quote along the way.

Another take on this is to recite a short poem. A few rhyming lines, or a haiku, can pique your audience’s curiosity.

Either way, those listening to you will be very attuned to what comes next!

Tell a tale

How many times have your ears perked up when you overhear a fragment of conversation in a coffee shop or restaurant?

Telling and retelling personal stories is a powerful way that humans relate to one another. We gauge our own experience by that of others, and offer comfort or congratulations, as appropriate.

Starting your speech with a tale comes in a few flavours. Here they are:

• Inspire with an anecdote – Beginning your talk with a moving narrative can offer hope, and establish an instant connection so that people are eager to hear more.
• Tell your story – Revealing personal information that provides the context for your presentation is a great method. It can encourage a bond with those participating.
• Testify about your success – Tell your listeners what you’ve done that has made a real impact in your life, or helped you succeed in some way.

Each of these approaches can be very effective in drawing participants in. They’ll want to know how the story unfolds, and ponder its relevance to them.

What’s more, participants may be reciting your tale to others and, with each repeating of the story, they’ll remember your speech for years to come.

Quiz them with a question

When people come to hear your talk, they’ll be preparing to listen – not respond.

So, when you begin by asking a question you’ve turned the tables on them, so to speak. This unexpected move gets their immediate attention.

Participants don’t want to be left behind, so they’ll be compelled to listen up to find out how to respond. Here are a several ways you can do this:

• Ask a simple question – Connect with people right away by asking for their experience with a show of hands, such as “How many people here today are retired?”.
• Use a provocative query – Stir emotion with a question designed to make your listeners think, like “Would you be surprised to know that more than half of people report feeling lonely most of the time?”.
• Try a rhetorical question – Asking a question that you’re not expecting anyone to answer is a novel method to get your point across with irony, or some theatrical effect. The question may have an obvious answer, like “Is winter cold?” or a challenging one, such as “What’s the meaning of life?”.

For added emphasis, you can follow up any of these types of questions with a second one. Your audience will be captivated and want to know how your talk expands on these questions.

Spark their imagination

Take your listeners on a journey with you by asking them to visualize being in a situation. This is all the more powerful if you request that they close their eyes for a few minutes .

Begin by asking them to take a few breaths and clear their minds. Then, describe the circumstance you want them to place themselves in.

For instance, if you’re speaking about the importance of environmental sustainability you could have them see a beautiful beach in their mind’s eye with clear water and abundant sea creatures.

Taking this example further, you can then offer a big idea.

Encourage listeners to think about a huge related goal or the ability to have personal influence. A possible question is: “What if you could save every endangered species in the ocean?”.

One impactful way to have them use their imagination is with fairy tale language . Words like “Long ago and far away, there lived . . .” or “Once upon a time . . .” can put participants in the mood to dream about another reality.

The reason this works is that it’s both entertaining and inspiring. People will perceive that they’re in for a unique speech that’s worth their investment of time.

You might also like: How to Tell a Tall Tale Speech

State your claim

Make a powerful statement of some sort. Better yet, repeat your assertion for effect and pause to let your audience digest what you’ve said.

You could be exposing a problem . For instance, if you’re giving a talk on mental health you might open with a statement about how stigma around mental illness can lead to suicide.

Alternatively, you can declare your opinion . This approach is particularly effective if you’re able to back your opinion up with your expertise.

For instance, if your topic and professional background relate to global warming you might say “As a climate scientist . . .”

Busting a myth is another way to go. Intrigue your audience by giving them factual information that runs counter to what they assume about a given topic.

You can also make a claim about your speech itself.

Tell observers up front how they’ll benefit from your talk. Are they going to be moved to tears? Will they be entertained, or better informed?

Support your claim with a fascinating fact, or statistic, can leave your listeners wanting to learn more.

Beginning your speech this way will let your listeners know immediately that you feel strongly about your topic, and they’ll be eager to hear why.

Demand an action

This idea is somewhat similar to asking a question. It’s an ‘out of the blue’ way to request that listeners pay attention.

Your demand might be as easy as having people introduce themselves to the person sitting next to them, or as difficult as requesting them to make a commitment to stop using disposable plastics.

People may feel a little uncomfortable with what you’re asking, or they might be ready to jump to action.

Whatever their initial response, you’ll certainly have you audience thinking about what you’re saying and trying to anticipate what comes next!

Start with silence

Here’s a simple yet impactful way to begin your talk.

Starting off with silence might seem counterintuitive. After all, you’re anxious to have people hear your speech.

Rather than rushing in, it can be quite effective to not talk right away. Standing confidently on the stage without uttering a word has the impact of quietening the audience.

In simple terms, it lets them know that your speech is about to begin and their attention is needed.

Sure, people may shift in their seats and exchange a few quiet comments. But, give it time and slowly all eyes will be on you.

Strive for about 10 to 15 seconds so it isn’t interpreted as nervousness.

We talk about this in our impromptu speaking guide as well.

Perform your personality

Try opening by revealing your personality a little.

This lets others see you as a real person, like them, and not just a talking head. Therefore, they’ll be more ready to give you their ear.

Here are a couple of things to experiment with:

• Be animated – This involves using large gestures or lively facial expressions. Some speakers even have a ‘go to’ dance move as they wind up to launch their presentation.
• Use a sound effect – Ringing a bell or employing another type of noisemaker is another choice to get people’s attention.
• Be funny – You could tell a joke or relate something humorous about yourself. This also includes wearing comical clothes, hats or other items such as a clown nose.
• Modulate your voice - Grab people’s attention immediately by speaking very loudly, exaggerating your voice in some manner or slowing your speech down dramatically.

Make it visual

Using a visual aid is a tried-and-true method that you can apply at the beginning of your talk.

It’s well-known that people will connect more to an idea when it’s paired with something tangible that they can see. Basically, using more of our senses reinforces the information we’re receiving.

If your subject is about wellness, for example, you could hold a gift-wrapped box and explain that improving one’s well-being is like giving ourselves a gift.

Here’s another way to use visuals − demonstrate an action .

Maybe you want to speak about winning a golf tournament and all the work that went into preparing for it. Showing off your beautiful golf swing to introduce your speech might help get participants on board.

Take further advantage of visual aids and demonstrations by referring back to them as you proceed with your talk.

Travel in time

Position your presentation with a reference to time and place. Following are a few possibilities:

• Reflect on the past – Ask the audience to remember how things used to be. Be sure to pick a product or an activity that the majority of them will have experienced, or can relate to.
• Predict the future – Say what you think the coming year will bring, or forecast a time when a new invention or change will affect society.
• Relate the historical context – It could be that your speech is being given on stage in a heritage building, or close to the site of a significant historical event. On the other hand, the history you want to mention may not be location-based but have other relevance to your talk.

This method creates interest. People will begin to relive a memory, or travel with you to an imagined point in time.

A Few Other Thoughts on Beginning a Speech

To make a spectacular splash with your introductory comments, take the time to ensure that you’ve committed them to memory. That includes practicing how you’ll use any props or visual aids.

Don’t forget to pause for effect after your opening. If you’ve had the impact that you’re looking for and people are laughing uncontrollably or so quiet that you can hear a pin drop, take a few breaths before you continue.

Try not to let their reaction take you off course.

A final tip is to make sure to write an amazing speech title . When you’re introduced, the presentation title alone can ignite interest.

Develop a compelling or unorthodox title that you can build on with the opening few lines of your talk.

With so many approaches to choose from, you’re bound to find one that’s a good fit with how you want to engage your audience .

Experiment with a few of these ideas, and see what works best for you!

Related: 12 Ways to End a Speech with a Bang!

Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Start a Presentation: 5 Strong Opening Slides and 12 Tricks To Test

How to Start a Presentation: 5 Strong Opening Slides and 12 Tricks To Test

Knowing how to start a presentation is crucial: if you fail to capture the audience’s attention right off the bat, your entire presentation will flop. Few listeners will stick with you to the end and retain what you have told.

That is mildly unpleasant when you are doing an in-house presentation in front of your colleagues. But it can become utterly embarrassing when you present in front of larger audiences (e.g., at a conference) or worse – delivering a sales presentation to prospective customers.

Here is how most of us begin a presentation: give an awkward greeting, thank everyone for coming, clear our throats, tap the mic, and humbly start to mumble about our subject. The problem with such an opening performance? It effectively kills and buries even the best messages.

Table of Contents

• The Classic Trick: Open a Presentation with an Introduction
• Open a Presentation with a Hook
• Begin with a Captivating Visual
• Ask a “What if…” Question
• Use the Word “Imagine”
• Leverage The Curiosity Gap
• The Power of Silence
• Facts as Weapons of Communication
• Fact vs. Myths
• The Power of Music
• Physical Activity
• Acknowledging a Person

How to Start a PowerPoint Presentation The Right Way

Let’s say you have all of your presentation slides polished up (in case you don’t, check our quick & effective PowerPoint presentation design tips first). Your presentation has a clear storyline and agenda. Main ideas are broken into bite-sized statements for your slides and complemented with visuals. All you have left is to figure out how you begin presenting.

The best way is to appeal to and invoke certain emotions in your audience – curiosity, surprise, fear, or good old amusements. Also, it is recommended to present your main idea in the first 30 seconds of the presentation. And here’s how it’s done.

1. The Classic Trick: Open a Presentation with an Introduction

When you don’t feel like reinventing the wheel, use a classic trick from the book – start with a quick personal introduction. Don’t want to sound as boring as everyone else with your humble “Hi, I’m John, the head of the Customer Support Department”? Great, because we are all about promoting effective presentation techniques (hint: using a dull welcome slide isn’t one of them).

Here’s how to introduce yourself in a presentation the right way.

a. Use a link-back memory formula

To ace a presentation, you need to connect with your audience. The best way to do so is by throwing in a simple story showing who you are, where you came from, and why your words matter.

The human brain loves a good story, and we are more inclined to listen and retain the information told this way. Besides, when we can relate to the narrator (or story hero), we create an emotional bond with them, and, again – become more receptive, and less skeptical of the information that is about to be delivered.

So here are your presentation introduction lines:

My name is Joanne, and I’m the Head of Marketing at company XYZ. Five years ago I was working as a waitress, earning $10/hour and collecting rejection letters from editors. About ten letters every week landed to my mailbox. You see, I love words, but decent publisher thought mine were good enough. Except for the restaurant owner. I was very good at up-selling and recommending dishes to the customers. My boss even bumped my salary to $15/hour as a token of appreciation for my skill. And this made me realize: I should ditch creative writing and focus on copywriting instead. After loads of trial and error back in the day, I learned how to write persuasive copy. I was no longer getting rejection letters. I was receiving thousands of emails saying that someone just bought another product from our company. My sales copy pages generated over $1,500,000 in revenue over last year. And I want to teach you how to do the same”

b. Test the Stereotype Formula

This one’s simple and effective as well. Introduce yourself by sharing an obvious stereotype about your profession. This cue will help you connect with your audience better, make them chuckle a bit, and set a lighter mood for the speech to follow.

Here’s how you can frame your intro:

“My name is ___, and I am a lead software engineer at our platform [Your Job Title]. And yes, I’m that nerdy type who never liked presenting in front of large groups of people. I would rather stay in my den and write code all day long. [Stereotype]. But hey, since I have mustered enough courage…let’s talk today about the new product features my team is about to release….”

After sharing a quick, self-deprecating line, you transition back to your topic, reinforcing the audience’s attention . Both of these formulas help you set the “mood” for your further presentation, so try using them interchangeably on different occasions.

2. Open a Presentation with a Hook

Wow your audience straight off the bat by sharing something they would not expect to hear. This may be one of the popular first-time presentation tips but don’t rush to discard it.

Because here’s the thing: psychologically , we are more inclined to pay attention whenever presented with an unexpected cue. When we know what will happen next – someone flips the switch, and lights turn on – we don’t really pay much attention to that action.

But when we don’t know what to expect next – e.g., someone flips the switch and a bell starts ringing – we are likely to pay more attention to what will happen next. The same goes for words: everyone loves stories with unpredictable twists. So begin your presentation with a PowerPoint introduction slide or a line that no one expects to hear.

Here are a few hook examples you can swipe:

a. Open with a provocative statement

It creates an instant jolt and makes the audience intrigued to hear what you are about to say next – pedal back, continue with the provocation, or do something else that they will not expect.

“You will live seven and a half minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

That’s how Jane McGonigal opens one of her TED talks . Shocking and intriguing, right?

b. Ask a rhetorical, thought-provoking question

Seasoned presenters know that one good practice is to ask a question at the beginning of a presentation to increase audience engagement. Rhetorical questions have a great persuasive effect – instead of answering aloud, your audience will silently start musing over it during your presentation. They aroused curiosity and motivated the audience to remain attentive, as they did want to learn your answer to this question.

To reinforce your message throughout the presentation, you can further use the Rhetorical Triangle Concept – a rhetorical approach to building a persuasive argument based on Aristotle’s teachings.

c. Use a bold number, factor stat

A clean slide with some mind-boggling stat makes an undeniably strong impact. Here are a few opening statement examples you can use along with your slide:

• Shock them: “We are effectively wasting over $1.2 billion per year on producing clothes no one will ever purchase”
• Create empathy: “Are you among the 20% of people with undiagnosed ADHD?”
• Call to arms: “58% of marketing budgets are wasted due to poor landing page design. Let’s change this!”
• Spark curiosity: “Did you know that companies who invested in speech recognition have seen a 13% increase in ROI within just 3 years?”

3. Begin with a Captivating Visual

Compelling visuals are the ABC of presentation design – use them strategically to make an interesting statement at the beginning and throughout your presentation. Your first presentation slide can be text-free. Communicate your idea with a visual instead – a photo, a chart, an infographic, or another graphics asset.

Visuals are a powerful medium for communication as our brain needs just 13 milliseconds to render what our eyes see, whereas text comprehension requires more cognitive effort.

Relevant images add additional aesthetic appeal to your deck, bolster the audience’s imagination, and make your key message instantly more memorable.

Here’s an intro slide example. You want to make a strong presentation introduction to global pollution.  Use the following slide to reinforce the statement you share:

“Seven of nine snow samples taken on land in Antarctica found chemicals known as PFAs, which are used in industrial products and can harm wildlife”

Source: Reuters

4. Ask a “What if…” Question

The “what if” combo carries massive power. It gives your audience a sense of what will happen if they choose to listen to you and follow your advice.  Here are a few presentations with starting sentences + slides to illustrate this option:

Alternatively, you can work your way to this point using different questions:

• Ask the audience about their “Why.” Why are they attending this event, or why do they find this topic relevant?
• Use “How” as your question hook if you plan to introduce a potential solution to a problem.
• If your presentation has a persuasion factor associated, use “When” as a question to trigger the interest of the audience on, for example, when they are planning to take action regarding the topic being presented (if we talk about an inspirational presentation).

5. Use the Word “Imagine”

“Imagine,” “Picture This,” and “Think of” are better word choices for when you plan to begin your presentation with a quick story.

Our brain loves interacting with stories. In fact, a captivating story makes us more collaborative. Scientists have discovered that stories with tension during narrative make us:

• Pay more attention,
• Share emotions with the characters and even mimic the feelings and behaviors of those characters afterward.

That’s why good action movies often feel empowering and make us want to change the world too. By incorporating a good, persuasive story with a relatable hero, you can also create that “bond” with your audience and make them more perceptive to your pitch – donate money to support the cause; explore the solution you are offering, and so on.

6. Leverage The Curiosity Gap

The curiosity gap is another psychological trick frequently used by marketers to solicit more clicks, reads, and other interactions from the audience. In essence, it’s the trick you see behind all those clickbait, Buzzfeed-style headlines:

Not everyone is a fan of such titles. But the truth is – they do the trick and instantly capture attention. The curiosity gap sparks our desire to dig deeper into the matter. We are explicitly told that we don’t know something important, and now we crave to change that. Curiosity is an incredibly strong driving force for action – think Eve, think Pandora’s Box.

So consider incorporating these attention grabbers for your presentation speech to shock the audience. You can open with one, or strategically weave them in the middle of your presentation when you feel like your audience is getting tired and may lose their focus.

Here’s how you can use the curiosity gap during your presentation:

• Start telling a story, pause in the middle, and delay the conclusion of it.
• Withhold the key information (e.g., the best solution to the problem you have described) for a bit – but not for too long, as this can reduce the initial curiosity.
• Introduce an idea or concept and link it with an unexpected outcome or subject – this is the best opening for a presentation tip.

7. The Power of Silence

What would you do if you attended a presentation in which the speaker remains silent for 30 seconds after the presentation starts? Just the presenter, standing in front of the audience, in absolute silence.

Most likely, your mind starts racing with thoughts, expecting something of vital importance to be disclosed. The surprise factor with this effect is for us to acknowledge things we tend to take for granted.

It is a powerful resource to introduce a product or to start an inspirational presentation if followed by a fact.

8. Facts as Weapons of Communication

In some niches, using statistics as the icebreaker is the best method to retain the audience’s interest.

Say your presentation is about climate change. Why not introduce a not-so-common fact, such as the amount of wool that can be produced out of oceanic plastic waste per month? And since you have to base your introduction on facts, research manufacturers that work with Oceanic fabrics from recycled plastic bottles .

Using facts helps to build a better narrative, and also gives leverage to your presentation as you are speaking not just from emotional elements but from actually recorded data backed up by research.

9. Fact vs. Myths

Related to our previous point, we make quite an interesting speech if we contrast a fact vs. a myth in a non-conventional way: using a myth to question a well-accepted fact, then introducing a new point of view or theory, backed on sufficient research, that proves the fact wrong. This technique, when used in niches related to academia, can significantly increase the audience’s interest, and it will highlight your presentation as innovative.

Another approach is to debunk a myth using a fact. This contrast immediately piques interest because it promises to overturn commonly held beliefs, and people naturally find it compelling when their existing knowledge is put to the test. An example of this is when a nutritionist wishes to speak about how to lose weight via diet, and debunks the myth that all carbohydrates are “bad”.

10. The Power of Music

Think about a presentation that discusses the benefits of using alternative therapies to treat anxiety, reducing the need to rely on benzodiazepines. Rather than going technical and introducing facts, the presenter can play a soothing tune and invite the audience to follow an exercise that teaches how to practice breathing meditation . Perhaps, in less than 2 minutes, the presenter can accomplish the goal of exposing the advantages of this practice with a live case study fueled by the proper ambiance (due to the music played in the beginning).

11. Physical Activity

Let’s picture ourselves in an in-company presentation about workspace wellness. For this company, the sedentary lifestyle their employees engage in is a worrying factor, so they brought a personal trainer to coach the employees on a basic flexibility routine they can practice in 5 minutes after a couple of hours of desk time.

“Before we dive in, let’s all stand up for a moment.” This simple instruction breaks the ice and creates a moment of shared experience among the attendees. You could then lead them through a brief stretching routine, saying something like, “Let’s reach up high, and stretch out those muscles that get so tight sitting at our desks all day.” With this action, you’re not just talking about workplace wellness, you’re giving them a direct, personal experience of it.

This approach has several advantages. Firstly, it infuses energy into the room and increases the oxygen flow to the brain, potentially boosting the audience’s concentration and retention. Secondly, it sets a precedent that your presentation is not going to be a standard lecture, but rather an interactive experience. This can raise the level of anticipation for what’s to come, and make the presentation a topic for future conversation between coworkers.

12. Acknowledging a Person

How many times have you heard the phrase: “Before we begin, I’d like to dedicate a few words to …” . The speaker could be referring to a mentor figure, a prominent person in the local community, or a group of people who performed charity work or obtained a prize for their hard work and dedication. Whichever is the reason behind this, acknowledgment is a powerful force to use as a method of starting a presentation. It builds a connection with the audience, it speaks about your values and who you admire, and it can transmit what the conversation is going to be about based on who the acknowledged person is.

Closing Thoughts

Now you know how to start your presentation – you have the opening lines, you have the slides to use, and you can browse even more attractive PowerPoint presentation slides and templates on our website. Also, we recommend you visit our article on how to make a PowerPoint Presentation to get familiarized with the best tactics for professional presentation design and delivery, or if you need to save time preparing your presentation, we highly recommend you check our AI Presentation Maker to pair these concepts with cutting-edge slide design powered by AI.

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How to Open a Presentation or Speech

by Dr. Rick Goodman | Mar 14, 2022 | Personal Development

Having delivered over one thousand presentations in all 50 states and 27 countries around the world as a keynote speaker I know the most important element is how to open a presentation!

Did you know that you only have 90 seconds to grab the audience’s attention when delivering a presentation or speech?

Of course, there are many ways you could open a presentation effectively. I’m going to share with you seven ways to open a speech or presentation based on your audience. You can choose which presentation opening works best for your next keynote speech, office presentation or TEDx talk.

1. Give a Statistic or State of Fact

When I asked the question do you know you only have 90 seconds to grab the audience’s attention when delivering a speech or presentation? This is a is a statistic and a statement of fact. Based on the audience you are presenting in front of you may want to do some research. A good source of information can be found on their industry from a trade or business journal. When you give them a statistic or a statement of fact it shows you did your homework!

2. Play Music

I like to use music with big audiences it gets them excited, motivated and the music I use rocks! The other reason I play music is it calms me down. I’m so excited to get on stage to share my leadership lessons and personal stories that make a difference in people’s lives. When I hear the music, it tends to relax me and slow me down while it has the opposite effect on the audience getting them ready for the show.

3. Ask The Audience to Imagine

Make the audience part of the story by asking them to imagine that they’ve just created the business or life of their dreams. Now ask them how it would feel, what would it look like? When you ask an audience to imagine something you now put them into the story, they’re taking that story and they’re using it in their own head. It’s their story, it’s the movie in their head and their own way of seeing things. This increases audience engagement, application and retention of the information delivering a great ROI every time!

4. Compliment The Audience

When I deliver a keynote speech to health care providers many times, I will acknowledge the amazing job and sacrifices they have made. Everybody wants Love, Appreciation, and Respect. When we acknowledge the audience and how they make a difference your speech becomes all about them.

5. Open With a Famous Quote

If you are going to open with a famous quote make sure that you associate it with the topic and or content of your speech or presentation. It could be a quote from someone famous or maybe even something you have written or a grandparent or relative used to say. I like to use my own quote “People do business with people who they like who are like them”. This goes to the heart of relationship building which affects employee engagement and retention.

6. Share Topical or Historical News

Depending on where you’re speaking or presenting you can share some historical news about that area of the world you are visiting. You can also share today’s news and the events that are currently shaping our world.

7. Ask the Audience a Rhetorical Question

By asking the audience a rhetorical question, meaning you already know in most cases what their answer will be. For example, the question may be “If I can help you grow your business, I will let you know and if not, I will let you know that also… Is that fair?” In this case I already know they will say that’s fair, and I am demonstrating to them that I will be transparent in my presentation and my interaction with them.

Now you have seven different options for opening your presentation or speech so plan wisely, because you have only 90 seconds to wow your audience before you lose them forever!

Contact Rick

Dr.  Rick Goodman  CSP is a  thought leader  in the world of leadership and is known as one of the most sought after motivational keynote speakers in the United States and internationally.

He is famous for helping organizations, corporations, and individuals with systems and strategies that produce increased profits and productivity without having the challenges of micromanaging the process. Some of Dr. Rick’s clients include AT&T, Boeing, Cavium Networks, Heineken, IBM, and Hewlett Packard.

For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, audio programs, and learning programs, contact  (888) 267-6098  or  [email protected] , or visit  www.rickgoodman.com.

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10 Strong Opening Slides to Start A Presentation (With Examples!)

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation

It is weird how now that we all live on our laptops and depend on them for entertainment and livelihood, things that shock us aren’t that many. This is a big itchy spot when it comes to engaging audiences and having a killer opening.

Lets focus on getting that perfect first slide in your presentation to help you kick off on the right foot.

How to open presentations

Opening presentations is an extremely daunting task. The worry of putting your best foot forward but at the same time not coming across as arrogant and the whole issue with fanning your armpits just before you step on the stage.

Yeah, I know. I relate, I think most of us do. We have braved those sweat patches and we have conquered.

It is time to up our opening game and while I will be getting to the ways we can do that, you can also check out this video for a quick idea.

What should be the first slide of a presentation?

Your first slide, needs to be impactful, with minimal content. An extremely difficult balance to maintain, but! Not impossible.

Your first slide, traditionally, is your name, the topic you are going to speak on and maybe on or two other details with MAYBE an image or some other graphics.

Gone are the days when we open speeches or presentations the traditional way, nothing wrong with it, but doing something “not normal” often helps us get people’s attention and that is the easiest way to get your points across and have them received positively.

Let’s check out a few ways you can open slides for a strong opening!

Strong Opening Slide Ideas

We’ve got our thinking cap on, let’s get cracking!

There are so many ways we can have a strong opening, even when you think presentations limit you.

Think of it this way, because people know you’re going to presenting something, they are going to give you full control of a projector. A big ass screen for all to see. If that isn’t filled with potential, I don’t know what is.

Well, with great power comes great responsibility, so let’s check out a few ways we can have killer opening slides , while of course being responsible… ish.

Idea 1: Introduction

There is no better way to get the audience to remember you than putting a giant photo of yourself on the screen and going, this is me, – an extremely edited version of me, but still, me. 🙂

Buddy. No. That was an attempt at being the funny – clever person. Clearly it didn’t work.

Don’t get me wrong, talking about yourself is good, important even to some extent, but that is it you see, it isn’t the fact that you’re talking about yourself that is the problem but what are you talking about that is.

The usual go to is to list out your biodata for the audience to read on the screen, while you speak the exact same thing off of the presentation. This is where we go wrong, no one wants to know about all your seven Ph.Ds. Bruce. (get the reference please)

Be proud of your qualifications, you earned them, but know when and where which qualification might be useful.

For example, you are a certified chartered accountant and have written plays that were on Broadway. In a screenwriting workshop / panel / seminar, as great as getting your chartered accountancy is, your experience as a writer holds way more value and is what will help you get the audience’s attention.

Let’s create an opening slide with the above example.

I used these polaroid photo ideas because for a play on Broadway, we’d love to see pictures! You can use tasteful pictures and even stock photos to help your audience get the right idea of your background.

Of course, I used these random paper elements to give it a more “writer” feel and also because this is my aesthetic, but you need to remember that this is your presentation and no cookie cutter mould will work. Even templates are meant to be edited to suit your needs.

Idea 2: Quiz

Is this to make your audience feel dumb? As much as that chaotic evil side of you may want to. Never do that. Respect their experiences as much as you would want them to respect yours.

Starting off with a quiz is a great way to warm up the crowd and get them involved in your presentation. Give them something to think about and it honestly doesn’t matter if they get it right or wrong, what matters is that they are trying to answer and interact!

Quizzes are a great ice breaker and also a great tool to get the audience going, you can also try to have a one off question or a series of questions.

Lets take the slide as an example, it could be for a presentation on a film industry and the question could be, guess the film from these three pictures, or they could be three different questions.

Remember as an opening slide, it should neither be text nor image heavy, just the right amount.

You could even create a game out of those quizzes and have checked off your list and even use these as a starting off point and come back to the topics (which could be your answers) while using this quiz as a reference point. The possibilities are endless!

Idea 3: Stimulation of Imagination

It always great to know what your audience is thinking, or in the least get them thinking!

You see, once they start thinking, they begin forming an opinion about the topic, which gets them invested and since you are the person addressing the topic, they will begin comparing their point of view / opinion with what they are saying.

There will always be different perspectives, what matters here is that they are invested enough to pay attention to you.

A really easy way to help them get started with forming an opinion is, asking them to take a minute to think about something.

For example: Think about a dancing monkey.

Can some of you describe the monkey you imagined, in the comment section? Was it wearing tap shoes and a top hat? Was it wearing a marching band uniform? Did it have your best friend’s face on it? Mine did!

Each of you had your own Dancing Monkey, and if thinking about it for a few seconds made it your own, imagine the attachment you can build by just spending a few minutes or even the duration of a presentation on it!

For example, you’re taking a presentation on perspectives or psychology. You can display this image and ask them what they think of it. Some may think about freedom, some loneliness and some people’s thoughts may be so profound that we could’ve never thought of it!

Idea 4: Video

This could work just as marvellous as sharing an image and opening a short discussion on its interpretations. You could even start with a video and use it as a segue into your presentation.

For example this video could be used as a great example for a marketing strategy by the brand and could be a great way to get the audience interested given the emotional quotient and relatable sibling content.

Idea 5: Image

Using an image might not necessarily mean that you can only invite the audience to imagine and think on their own. You can use an image to start your presentation and help get your point across.

You see that how the image is the hero of the slide? There is text, definitely, but much smaller, it looks as a complementary to the image instead of the other way around.

In this slide for example, assume poverty is the topic, a very telling image of poverty could help get the conversation started and make the audience more receptive of the topic.

An image in a way helps them “put a face” to the issue and that makes is easier for you to hold their attention and keep it.

Idea 6: Quote

It is well known and understood how impactful the right quote at the right time can be.

Lets focus on some things that people can often get wrong when using quotes.

Firstly, using long quotes, this is a no no when it comes to presentations because, then the audience will be in a rush to read the whole quote and if your point is made before then, well, we won’t get the desired effect will we?

Another thing to keep in mind is to not have a quote just to use it as a quote, pretty cryptic, honestly it is simple, if you are giving a presentation on a person and using their quote or you are using a random quote, make sure to have something to add to it.

It could be something simple. For example when talking about a person’s life:

“When this person said this, they were on their death bed, but they had lead a vivacious life until then to say the least, let’s start at the very beginning…”

Notice how despite there being a background picture, a text box, a bird in the corner, and all that, the text is what is the hero of the slide. You could even add a picture of the person whom you are quoting if it seems relevant.

Remember to always give credit where it is due. It never hurts.

Idea 7: Story

Who doesn’t love a good story? Storytelling is a major part of public speaking where animation, emotion and gestures and tones play a huge role in delivering your point.

With presentations, you need to remember to not just select any story, you need find / write a story that connects well to your topic, for example, if we are speaking about technology, a story about Alice and her looking glass don’t really give you much room to work in a segue.

Storytelling is a whole other conversation, check out this article to learn more about public speaking and how storytelling factors into it: Public Speech Into Story: 3 Steps To Telling A Captivating Story

Here the pictures are the heroes, and while words are important, make them complementary to what you are speaking.

Starting off with a joke is also a very popular trick and I think why should it be this or that, why should it be a joke or a story, why can’t it be a humorous story?

Now don’t go fretting about because it doesn’t have to be fictional, it could even be an anecdote from your experiences or maybe one comic strip you found online.

When it comes to humorous speeches, it can be quite intimidating, but here is an article I think will help you wade through these waters: A Guide To Using Humour In Your Speech

Idea 8: Examples

This is a great way to introduce your topic to a crowd that doesn’t know your topic well. Create examples or situations to help your audience gain a smooth entry into your presentation.

It is like math, it is fun when you understand, and that means you care and give attention to it.

You can also use case studies or make your examples into stories to make it more subtle and seamless.

Here is where a traditional topic, sentence and image layout of an opening slide is best suggested. You can build this in any direction and still be able to relate to your slide.

Idea 9: Hard Facts

Facing facts instances that are always either pleasantly welcomed or hard to swallow. Hitting the audience with hard facts works really well, especially if what you are going to talk about is a difficult or sensitive issue.

An astonishing fact is bound to catch people’s attention and you can always use it to your advantage!

According to Femme International, over the last 20 years, the sanitary pad sector has bloomed and advanced; they have taken over the industry and 85% of menstruating women in the country use napkins. As society progressed and the taboo on periods were lifted from many regions, a new problem came up. One which is really harmful. We all know that the blood that comes out during our periods is harmful and full of bacteria. Now include this bacteria filled blood with a pad which takes 500-800 years to decompose. That’s right, 500-800 years of a used sanitary napkin breeding bacteria in rivers, drains, soil and the sea. A menstruating woman uses 15-20 pads for one cycle. Which sums up to 7,200-9,600 pads over an average period of 40 years. This is just for one woman. According to UNICEF roughly 26% of the world’s population are menstruating women. This means that 2.28 BILLION women are going to use over 9,000 pads EACH during their menstruating years.

Always try to not keep your introductory slides text heavy, but when starting with facts, try to highlight them, notice how the topic and the image are not very prominent but play their part in bringing together the entire slide while the first thing you read is the fact, underlined and set in the middle.

Try to play around with the layouts, figure out what suits your needs the best.

Idea 10: Controversial Statements

Who doesn’t love controversies?

Even if we know something is clickbait, it still catches our eye. Even if we know something to not be possible, when someone says it – with conviction, our ears do perk up.

It doesn’t have to be something extraordinary, just not ordinary enough that it catches people’s attention and in the end, you can always use it to connect your conclusion to your introduction.

Here is a great TEDTalk that would help you understand what I am talking about.

If you plan to use this method, it is easier to dive into your slides after you’ve made the statement and start elaborating on it instead of right at the beginning, it could start with your topic or some proof or where ever your presentation takes you!

Final Thoughts

A presentation carries as much personality as its maker, if you want the right impact you need to use the templates, infographics and tools available to you to the fullest, but remember, there is a thing called “too much” as well.

The easiest way to kill it with your presentations is to keep it neat, in your aesthetic and to the point. Make it engaging, make it colourful, make it black and white. It would work perfectly if it bounces off your personality on stage.

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42 Conference Opening Remarks Examples 

By: Grace He | Updated: December 01, 2023

Here is our list of the best conference opening remarks examples.

Conference opening remarks examples are statements that introduce your meeting to attendees. Examples include serious opening conference remarks, funny opening conference remarks, and inspirational opening conference remarks. The purpose of these remarks is to set the tone for your conference while welcoming attendees to the meeting and introducing your topics for discussion.

These ideas are similar to examples of opening and closing remarks for meetings , check-in questions for team meetings , and team building programs .

This list includes:

• short opening remarks for a program
• opening remarks for a virtual conference
• serious opening conference remarks
• funny opening conference remarks
• inspirational opening conference remarks

Let’s get to it!

List of conference opening remarks examples

From short messages to inspirational remarks, here are our top opening statements for conferences.

Short opening remarks for a program

• On behalf of our hosts, welcome to our conference! We have an engaging lineup of topics and activities for the day. Without further ado, let’s jump right into it!
• Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking the time to attend our conference today. We look forward to a fun and engaging time together.
• Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our conference. Today, we will learn about team building, company culture, and employee engagement. Let’s get started!
• Greetings! Today’s conference is all about team building, and we are so excited to have you here with us today!
• Hi, team. Thank you all for taking time out of your schedules to join our conference today! We know many of you are busy, so we truly appreciate the effort to attend.
• Hi, we’re so glad to see all of your smiling faces at our conference today. Let’s have a great time!
• Hello, team. We are so glad to have you at our event today! We have exciting news and company updates to share, and we cannot wait to get started.
• Welcome to our event! Please know that you are in for a fun and action-packed day. You can refer to the agenda to stay on track with our activities and sessions. Without further ado, let’s get started!
• Good afternoon, all! We are so thrilled to have you join us for today’s conference. Thank you for attending, and we hope to have a great event.
• Hi, everyone! Thank you for joining today’s program. Let’s have a great time together!

Opening remarks for a virtual conference

• Good morning to all of our virtual conference attendees! We are so glad you could join us today. Before we get started, we would like to thank you for clearing your schedules to attend our event. Thanks to video conferencing technology, we are able to meet with so many colleagues, regardless of location and time zones. We promise to make this event worth your while and are very excited to get started!
• Greetings to all of our online conference attendees! We are so pumped that you could join us on Zoom today from around the world. Technology plays a major role in allowing us to get together while being so far apart. We could not be more excited to get started with our event.
• We want to start our conference by giving a big virtual high-five to all of the team members joining us. Hello! You are in for an exciting and action-packed event today. First, we will discuss critical company updates. Next, we will review new HR processes that benefit all employees. Last, we will open up the virtual floor for a roundtable discussion and Q&A session where you can voice your opinions and ask questions.
• Hi, team! Thank you for your enthusiasm in joining our virtual conference today. It is so great to see you all on camera and in your home offices. Before starting today’s program, we have a few special announcements to go over. We will also have a special guest speaker joining us later in the day to talk about innovation and creativity in tech. This speaker is a well-known figure in the tech space. Can you guess our special guest’s name? Well, you will just have to wait and find out!
• Greetings, cyber crew! How great is technology? We are all here joining the same conference from different places worldwide. Remote work is the future, and we are so glad we could host this event virtually. As we go through the conference, please refer to our agenda to follow along. The agenda deck will help you remain aware of which sessions to attend. If you have any questions or are experiencing technical issues, please stop by our virtual IT helpdesk. We have a team of experts on standby, ready to help you troubleshoot any and all tech issues.
• Welcome, everyone, to our virtual conference. We would like to sincerely thank you all for joining us today from your home offices around the world. Please follow along with our event agenda, and do not hesitate to reach out to our virtual IT helpdesk with any questions or troubleshooting needs. Once again, thank you for your attendance, participation, and engagement!
• Hello, and welcome to our conference! Although our event is virtual, we have worked hard to make this year’s conference as fun and engaging as possible. We hope you find today’s program rewarding and insightful.
• Just because you are not physically near your teammates does not mean you have to give up on building real relationships. Today, I want to share with you all the secrets to team building while working in a virtual setting.

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Serious opening conference remarks

• I would like to extend a warm welcome to those who could attend our conference today. We are constantly experiencing changes and innovations in technology and strategy, so it is important to host conferences like this to keep us all in the loop. Let’s begin this meeting by reviewing our notes from the last session.
• What keeps us healthy as we go through life? If you were going to invest in your future self, where would you put your time and energy?

• So, I know the secret to getting anything you want in life.

• As all of you are aware, we are in the midst of a crisis like no other.

• Thank you all for joining us today. As one of the event organizers, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak with each and every one of you today. Conferences like this play a critical role in bringing teams together when necessary. Although it is no easy task, we are grateful for the opportunity.
• Hi, team, and welcome to today’s conference. The purpose of this event is to get our employees engaged and active. We have invited guest speakers and professionals in the field to discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Please remain attentive throughout the event and leave any questions until the end of the presentation. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and participation.
• As I’m sure you all know, our company is undergoing some major changes. We wanted to call this conference to discuss what the future looks like for employees as well as the company as a whole. Please hold any questions for the end, as we may cover what you’re wondering about.
• Hi, everyone. We have decided to call this conference to discuss the upcoming merger and the redundancies within the new firm. We have a plan in place to keep as many of you on board as possible, and we’d like to review that with you today.
• Thank you all so much for taking the time to attend this conference. As you may be aware, our firm is facing a lawsuit. We have laid out everything we know about it along with what we plan to do moving forward. Please refer to the agenda to help us stay on track as we cover the details.
• Hi, team, and thank you for being here. We have organized this conference to discuss harassment in the workplace. This information will show you what harassment may look like and how to respond if you believe it is happening to you. If anyone needs a break at any point, please feel free to step out and rejoin the group when you are ready.

Funny opening conference remarks

• As I was getting ready for today’s meeting, I realized that there’s one thing you and I have in common: neither of us knows what I’m going to talk about today.
• I want to tell you the story of a man who started a new job at a new company. When he met his supervisor, the two hit it off immediately. The supervisor was always there to answer any questions and clear up any confusion for the new hire. In fact, the two got along so well that the supervisor said to the employee, “Don’t think of me as a boss, but rather as a friend who is always right and never wrong.”
• As I was preparing my speech for today, my partner gave me some great advice: “Don’t try to be too charming, intellectual, or funny. Just be yourself!”
• What is the top way to ruin a Friday, you ask? Remembering it’s only Thursday.
• I don’t always trust people who have squeaky clean work desks. Do you know why? Well, because a clean desk is usually a sign of messy desk drawers—or worse, a cluttered mind.
• Staring at my computer screen, I couldn’t help but say to my boss, “Wow, this show is so boring!” To which my boss responded, “That’s because this is a Zoom meeting.”
• Do you hate it when a person answers their own questions? I certainly do. Don’t worry. That’s the only time I’ll answer my own questions during today’s conference. Is it really? Yes. Maybe.
• I gave a speech last week. Afterward, my boss came up to me and said I was both original and good. However, the original parts were not good, and the good parts were not original. So, I have some work to do.
• What do you call a meeting for the Knights of the Round Table? A sir conference.
• Synergy. Collaboration. Team building. You will hear a lot of corporate buzzwords today. Throughout today’s event, just remember: don’t sweat the small stuff.

Inspirational opening conference remarks

• You may have heard the saying, “There is no ‘I’ in teamwork.” This statement holds true, especially as we gather today for our annual company conference. This team excels in working together to achieve our collective goals. Teamwork and team building are critical to our success as a company, so thank you for all of your contributions. Now, let’s build on this positive momentum and keep reaching toward success!
• One of the most inspirational quotes I can think of comes from American author and poet Maya Angelou. She said, “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” This quote makes me think of the goals and material objects many people chase today. I want you to ask yourselves: what truly makes you happy? Money and materials, or a life well lived?
• Opportunities do not just fall into place. Many times, you have to create your own opportunities and work hard to achieve your goals. If you face obstacles along the way, then these roadblocks simply serve as tests to show how hard you are willing to work toward your goals. I advise you not to let these obstacles get in the way of your success. Think about how far you are willing to go in order to reach your goals.
• When you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. During today’s conference, we are going to talk about how to reach a point where you feel happy and accomplished at work. We will also discuss how we, as a company, can do better to keep our employees satisfied and engaged each day.
• I would like to begin the conference by saying thank you to all of our attendees. I feel honored and privileged to be addressing you today. Before we begin, I would like to pose a question to the audience: what personal accomplishment are you most proud of? Think about your answer and reflect for a moment. Now, remember how you felt when you accomplished this action. I want each of you to save that feeling and use it as your main source of motivation when you are facing obstacles.
• “The power of one, if fearless and focused, is formidable, but the power of many working together is better.” These wise words from Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, serve as a great reminder of the importance of teamwork and persistence.
• Today, we are here to celebrate our collective accomplishments as a team. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and we are so fortunate to have each of you on this team. Each member of this team inspires me to work hard and accomplish greatness. Today, we celebrate you all.

Conference opening remarks are crucial in setting the tone for your meeting. For example, positive remarks can motivate attendees to engage more actively with the material. Serious remarks, on the other hand, can signal to attendees that the conference’s subject matter is more somber or significant in tone.

We recommend using your opening remarks to alert attendees to your conference’s main topic or theme. You can also share your meeting agenda and encourage participants to follow along throughout the event. Opening remarks create the perfect opportunity to give team members a warm welcome and introduction to start your event on the right foot.

Next, check out team building quotes for work and team building activities for conference calls . You can also check out our team building meeting guide .

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FAQ: Conference opening remarks examples

Here are answers to common questions about conference opening remarks examples.

What are conference opening remarks?

Conference opening remarks are opening statements, introductions, and sayings to welcome attendees to your event. These remarks can add an element of organization to your event by giving participants an idea of the topics and themes you will cover.

What are good examples of conference opening remarks?

Conference opening remarks are important in setting the tone for your meeting while keeping participants engaged. The best conference opening remarks should motivate and inspire attendees to pay close attention and participate in your event.

For example, your conference opening remarks can include an overview of the event’s agenda, motivational quotes, or reasons for your meeting.

How do you write a good opening address for a conference?

Writing a good opening address for a conference can be difficult. To simplify the process, we recommend restating critical information and reminding attendees of the event’s agenda. Your opening remarks should give participants a better understanding of the goal and purpose of your event.

Author: Grace He

People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at teambuilding.com. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com.

Grace is the Director of People & Culture at teambuilding.com. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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Conference Opening Speeches

Keynote Speeches

Prof. Harald Haas

The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Prof. Mohamed-Slim Alouini

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia

Prof. Petar Popovski

Aalborg University, Denmark

Prof. Muhammad Imran

University of Glasgow, UK

Prof. Mohsen Guizani

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, UAE

Prof. Emil Björnson

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Dr. Ömer Bulakçı

6G Program Manager, Nokia Bell Labs

Miguel Arranz

Director of Wireless Solutions (CTO Group), ZTE

Emmanuel Coelho Alves

Senior Wireless Director, Huawei HQ

Monday September 19, 2022

Registration and Snack

Opening speeches (in turkish), coffee break, panel #1 challenges for the road to 6g, keynote #1 prof. harald haas(online), panel #2 6g vision and research efforts.

Tuesday September 20, 2022

Keynote #2 and #3 and #4 Dr. Ali Taha Koç Prof.Mohammed-Slim Alounini Prof. Petar Popovski(Online)

Keynote #5 and #6 prof. muhammad imran prof. mohsen guizani (online), keynote #7 and #8 prof. emil björnsın dr. ömer bulakçı(nokia bell labs), keynote #9 and #10 miguel arranz (zte) emmanuel coelho alves (huawei), dinner and social program.

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Election 2024: Trump supports Elon Musk-backed government spending plan; Harris travels to Pittsburgh ahead of the debate

Coverage on this live blog has ended.

What's happening today on the campaign trail:

• Vice President Kamala Harris is in Pittsburgh, where she will prepare for next week’s debate. After extended negotiations, she and former President Donald Trump agreed to the rules for the debate , which will use the same format as the June face-off between Trump and President Joe Biden.
• Trump returned to his former home state to deliver remarks at the Economic Club of New York where he announced he would adopt an Elon Musk-backed government spending plan if re-elected. He also appeared virtually at the Republican Jewish Coalition annual leadership summit in Las Vegas.
• Their running mates also hit the trail today. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio blasted the late Sen. John McCain's son for backing Harris in comments to a crowd in Phoenix, while Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spent the day in Pennsylvania and delivered remarks in Erie this evening.
• Biden's son Hunter Biden entered a guilty plea to all the federal tax charges against him. His sentencing is scheduled for December. Meanwhile, the judge in Trump's election interference case in Washington, D.C., has yet to set a trial date .

Asian Americans have largest voter registration increase, new analysis shows

Sarah Poontong, 49, became a citizen late last year and one of the first things she did was register to vote. 

She’s part of a notable trend — Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have had the largest increase in voter registration of any racial group in the country from January to June, compared to the same period during the 2020 election cycle. That’s according to analysis first shared with NBC News from the civic engagement nonprofit APIAVote and the research company TargetSmart. 

Read the full story here.

How some of the internet’s most popular pro-Trump pundits ended up as paid messengers for Russian propaganda

Brandy Zadrozny

Ryan J. Reilly

The video introducing Tenet Media  hit many common conservative tropes: Mainstream media couldn’t be trusted. Free speech was under attack. Independent and uncensored voices were sorely needed.

It featured the six commentators who would be the faces of the operation, already some of the most-followed voices in the increasingly crowded and influential world of online conservative punditry. Over a dramatic electronic music track, each of them offered a brief reason why Tenet was needed now more than ever.

Walz lays into Trump and the Republican Party with some of his harshest campaign rhetoric

Megan Lebowitz

Isabelle Schmeler

Democratic vice presidential nominee  Tim Walz  used some of his sharpest language on the campaign trail Thursday in remarks going after both former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

Speaking at a rally in Erie, Pa., Walz borrowed a line from Josh Shapiro, the state’s Democratic governor by saying that “whenever Donald Trump’s talking about America, he’s s--- talking America.”

Judge Juan Merchan expected to rule tomorrow on Trump's bid to delay sentencing

The Manhattan District Attorney's office said in a letter to an appeals court tonight that Judge Juan Merchan is expected to rule tomorrow on Trump's lawyers' motion to postpone his sentencing until after the election.

Trump had been scheduled to face a sentencing hearing on Sept. 18, but the former president asked for it to be pushed back .

Deep divisions in battleground Pennsylvania over proposed sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese company

Gabe Gutierrez

Reporting from West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

It’s one the few things Vice President  Kamala Harris  and former President  Donald Trump  agree on: opposing the sale of U.S. Steel to the Japanese company Nippon Steel.

But the proposed deal is shattering party loyalty in parts of western Pennsylvania where some steelworkers feel they’re being used as political talking points.

Vance on Georgia shooting: ‘I don’t like that this is a fact of life’

Zoë Richards

Nnamdi Egwuonwu

During a campaign rally in Phoenix this evening, Vance said that the school shooting in Georgia this week that left four people dead was "awful," and he referred to the shooter, identified as a 14-year-old boy, as "an absolute barbarian."

“No parent should have to deal with this. No child should have to deal with this. And yes, after holding these folks up in prayer and giving them our sympathies, because that's what people deserve in a time of tragedy, then we have to think about how to make this less common," Vance said before arguing that strict gun laws were not the solution.

"I don't like that this is a fact of life," Vance added.

The vice presidential nominee vouched for efforts to "bolster" security at schools which he described as "soft targets."

"If these psychos are going to have to go after our kids, we've got to be prepared for it. We don't have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality that we live in. We got to deal with it," Vance said.

When reached for comment about the remarks, Vance spokesperson William Martin criticized Harris on school safety and said her “weak, failed, and dangerously liberal agenda makes her unfit for office.”

Walz called Vance's comments "pathetic," saying on X that kids "deserve better.

Harris also criticized Vance, saying on X that shootings "are not just a fact of life" and calling for action.

Vance's comments echo those of some Republican lawmakers in response to past school shootings, woh have urged for beefing up school security and in some cases arming teachers in an effort to thwart school shootings.

Republican Jewish voters explain why they back Trump

Reporting from Las Vegas

At the Republican Jewish Coalition Summit, an annual gathering of Jewish community leaders, donors and GOP politicians, voters told NBC News why they're backing Trump this November.

“We're talking about somebody who has had a record of success in everything he's done," said Bill Cohen, who's from Sioux City, Iowa. "Whether it was protecting Israel, whether it was straightening things out with the United Nations, we could go through a whole list of 50 things of why he why he was good for the United States," the 77-year-old added.

Rosalie Thompson, a retiree from Miami Beach, Florida, said Trump's record speaks for itself.

“The two candidates have a record, and Donald Trump's record is better for the economy, for the country, for the free world,” she said.

But not all of the attendees were on board the Trump train. Madison Friedman, 32, from Los Angeles said that as of now, he's sitting this election out.

"I would say that you have to really love the candidates you’re voting for," said the software consultant. "I’m still learning about both of them for now."

Putin says Ukraine’s incursion failed; claims he supports Harris in U.S. election, citing her ‘infectious’ laugh

Yuliya Talmazan

Russian President Vladimir Putin  said Thursday that  Ukraine ’s gamble to  seize his country’s territory  has backfired by boosting his own military’s advance, a boast he paired with a teasing claim of support for  Vice President Kamala Harris  in the upcoming  U.S. election .

Speaking at an economic forum in the far-eastern city of Vladivostok on Thursday, he said it was the “sacred duty” of the Russian army to do everything to “throw the enemy out” of the border region of Kursk and protect its citizens after  last month’s stunning assault .

Yet, Putin also said that Moscow’s main goal remained capturing the Donbas region, Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland where  Russian troops have been pushing forward for months .

Despite the family drama, Tim Walz’s mother says she believes her son will be VP

Kelly O'Donnell

Darlene Walz, the mother of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, remains supportive of her son’s bid to be vice president, even as other members of the family are divided, she told NBC News in a brief phone conversation today.

Darlene Walz made clear that she has grown tired of the public scrutiny of her family and believes her son “is going to be in the White House.”

Familial divisions over Walz’s role as the Democratic vice presidential nominee came into public view last week after a Facebook post and several subsequent comments from his estranged older brother, Jeff, were amplified by  multiple   media outlets .

Read the full story here

Former Trump chief of staff John Kelly explains why he criticized Trump's Medal of Freedom comments

Trump White House chief of staff John Kelly elaborated today on why he criticized the former president's comments about the Presidential Medal of Freedom being "better" than the Medal of Honor.

Speaking at a Colorado State University event, Kelly said "when someone says that one medal is more important than the other, I just corrected the record."

"I believe the president had it wrong, and we just needed to correct that," he added.

Kelly also emphasized that Medal of Honor recipients "did something that was irrationally brave, that the assumption would be when he or she did it, that you would be killed. That's kind of the level."

Kelly had previously rejected Trump's comments about the medals to CNN, saying that the medals are "not even close. No equivalency of any kind."

Vance: 'Who cares' what John McCain's son thinks about the 2024 race

Vance tonight dismissed a recent endorsement of Harris by the late Sen. John McCain’s youngest son .

"Look, who cares what somebody's family thinks about a president," Vance said in response to a reporter's question at a campaign event in Phoenix. "John McCain died, what, 5, 6, 7, years ago? And the media is turning into a story, what John McCain's family says about Donald Trump."

McCain, R-Ariz., died in 2018 a year after he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Vance said he did not believe that John McCain would have backed “all the destruction” Harris has brought to security at the U.S.-Mexico border.

He also said that while he did not know McCain personally, the late senator and Trump likely shared commonalities, namely that "they didn’t let their personal grievances get in the way of the country."

Trump has repeatedly disparaged McCain over the years, including after his death.

Walz alludes to political differences with some of his family members

Katherine Koretski

Emma Barnett

Walz addressed the ongoing disagreements with members of his family after  photos  of Walz family members wearing “Walz’s for Trump” shirts while posing with a Trump flag surfaced yesterday.

“All of you know, I need to talk to my relatives, too," he told a Pennsylvania crowd today. "Trust me on this. Nothing makes you more middle Midwestern than having your family be on this stuff.” 

Trump  reposted  the photo on Truth Social, which shows distant cousins of the governor's wearing shirts announcing support for Trump, saying it was “a Great Honor" to have the endorsement of Jeff Walz, the Minnesota governor's brother. Jeff Walz has not officially endorsed Trump, but he has said he's "thought long and hard" about the possibility of doing so.

A slew of Facebook posts from Jeff Walz were picked up by the New York Post, in which he said his brother is “not the “type of character” who should make decisions about America’s future.”

Walz’s brother later went on News Nation saying he no longer wishes to be involved in any political campaign, saying, “It wasn’t my intent, it wasn’t our intent as a family, to put something out there to influence the general public.” 

NBC News has reached out to members of the Walz family for further comment.

Jack Smith seeks to streamline Trump’s appeals in election interference case amid delays

Daniel Barnes is reporting from the federal courthouse.

No date has yet been set for former President Donald Trump’s federal trial over his scheme to overturn his 2020 presidential loss by spreading what an indictment called his “ unsupported, objectively unreasonable, and ever-changing “ claims of mass voter fraud.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan held a status hearing in the case in a federal courtroom in Washington on Thursday, nine days after a new federal grand jury  returned a superseding indictment  against Trump charging him with the same four felonies he first faced in his  original indictment last August : conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.

Walz discusses efforts to appeal to red-county voters in Michigan

Walz appeared on local Michigan radio station WCMU this afternoon to make a direct pitch to “voters in deep red Michigan counties.”

“These are folks I know well,” Walz began. “It’s not only how I grew up in rural Nebraska, but it’s the districts that I represent in southern Minnesota. Ag districts, folks that care.” 

Walz said many rural voters have benefited from the policies of the Biden-Harris administration and would stand to benefit for Harris’ own proposals.

“I think the disconnect is trying to tell people that these are policies that make a difference to them. Whether it’s the strong infrastructure bill that happened, investments in them, investments in local schools, making sure their property taxes stay low,” he said.

“We just saw here recently Vice President Harris talk about tax deductions on startup businesses. People have their dreams that they want to get, they want to try and launch," he continued. "And the idea of a tenfold increase in tax credits for folks when they get started, those are the things that make a difference.”

'He’s pissed off about it': Vance fields question about Project 2025 at campaign field office

Alec Hernández

Reporting from Phoenix, Ariz.

Prior to his publicly announced campaign stop here this afternoon, Vance dropped by a Trump campaign field office in battleground Maricopa County for the second stop of his multi-day west coast campaign swing.

Accompanied by his family as he greeted assembled supporters and volunteers, Vance made a point to ask those in the audience about what they were hearing from voters as they made phone calls and knocked on doors on behalf of the campaign. One woman mentioned to Vance that she hears a lot about Project 2025 — a policy agenda compiled by the conservative Heritage Foundation that both Trump and Vance have tried to distance the campaign from. 

“Kamala Harris is running dishonest TV advertisements because Kamala Harris is a dishonest person who doesn’t have a record to run on,” Vance said of Harris’ campaign’s effort to tie the two entities together. 

“I know from experience, nobody speaks for Donald J. Trump except for Donald J. Trump,” he continued, adding that Trump is “pissed off” about the association with the white papers, and reiterated that only Trump himself “will set a Trump 47 agenda.” 

Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025 , posting on his social media platform Truth Social in July that he knows nothing about the project. The Harris campaign, for its part, recently launched a new 30-second ad spot seeking to tie the Trump campaign to plan.

Teamsters says Harris will meet with union members on Sept. 16

Teamsters announced in a post to X that Harris would hold a roundtable with union members on Sept. 16.

The union has previously held roundtables with Trump and Biden, when the president was still running for a second term.

Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said in a statement that the group's members "appreciate" Harris taking the time to meet in person.

"We look forward to having a conversation on the direction of the country and the issues that matter to working people," he added.

Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to all the charges in the federal tax case against him. The sentencing for President Joe Biden’s son is scheduled for Dec. 16.

Howling werewolf design crowned a winning 'I voted' sticker in Michigan

Michigan's secretary of state unveiled the winning designs for the state's "I Voted" sticker design contest.

At the top of the list is a sticker design by middle school student Jane Hynous depicting a muscular werewolf ripping off his shirt, howling in front of an American flag beneath the words "I voted."

Two other elementary/middle school category winning stickers said "I voted yay" and "I'm cool I voted."

Another winning design leaned into artist Breanna Tanner’s Midwestern roots with, “Ope, I voted.”

"I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and creativity from the people of our great state," Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a news release . "Now, let’s use the same energy in casting a vote this November. I encourage every eligible voter to make a plan now to have your voice heard — vote with an absentee ballot, at an early voting site, or on Election Day — and feel proud to wear a sticker designed by a fellow Michigander."

The nine winning designs will be available for voters casting ballots in November, according to the release.

Harris campaign to launch a big ‘weekend of action’ around Trump and Project 2025 ahead of the debate

Yamiche Alcindor

Harris’ presidential campaign is planning to launch a weekend of action focused on what it calls the dangers of a potential second Trump presidency and Project 2025, a conservative governing agenda that Harris has repeatedly criticized on the campaign trail and plans to bring up during the presidential debate on Tuesday, according to campaign officials who shared the plans first with NBC News.

As part of the effort, which Harris’ aides said was the campaign’s biggest weekend of action to date, the campaign will have more than 2,000 events that it expects will reach more than 1 million voters. Volunteers, who plan to work more than 20,000 shifts, and key campaign surrogates will talk to voters “about Trump’s extreme plan to ban abortion nationwide, cut Social Security and Medicare, and spike taxes by $3,900 each year for middle-class families,” according to officials.

The efforts are also aimed at appealing to swing voters who may be drawn in by the recent endorsements of Harris by  former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. , and  Jimmy McCain , the youngest son of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Trump says he plans to ban mortgages for undocumented immigrants

Alexandra Marquez

Trump today blamed undocumented immigrants for "driving up housing costs," before promising to "ban mortgages for illegal aliens in California."

The comment comes after the California state Senate sent AB 1840 to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk last month. If Newsom signs the bill, it would amend the "California Dream for All" program, which gives down payment assistance to qualified first-time homebuyers, to include undocumented immigrants.

Trump's vow to ban mortgages for undocumented immigrants came during a section of his speech in which he promised to lower housing costs if elected, saying, "As soon as I get to office, we will make housing much more affordable."

Sen. Joe Manchin appears to endorse former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in Senate race

Annemarie Bonner

During an interview with Merit Street Media's "The News on Merit Street," independent West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin appeared to endorse former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in Maryland's Senate race.

"I'll give you one person who I know who's absolutely cut out to be a U.S. Senator: Larry Hogan in Maryland," he said.

Hogan, a popular two-term GOP governor, is running against Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrook in a competitive general election race in the solidly Democratic state.

In response to the apparent endorsement, Alsobrooks campaign spokesperson said this race is about preventing Republicans from taking back the Senate majority.

“Angela Alsobrooks is proud to be supported by Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Wes Moore, and Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen. Angela and those incredible leaders know that this race is about protecting Democrats’ Senate majority, and stopping Republicans from taking back the Senate Majority and passing an agenda that will take away our freedoms and harm hardworking Maryland families," she wrote.

Manchin's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

N.C. judge agrees to mail ballot pause as RFK Jr. fights to get off ballot

Jane C. Timm

A judge in Wake County, North Carolina, today refused to force state election officials to reprint ballots to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name, but agreed to order a brief delay so Kennedy can appeal the decision to a higher court.

North Carolina election officials were scheduled to start mailing ballots tomorrow morning to voters who requested them, but were told today by the state election board to table those plans. Kennedy was given 24 hours to seek appeal, and if that effort is denied, ballots may still start going out tomorrow afternoon.

“The bottom line is: make plans to not send ballots out tomorrow morning, but be ready if that situation changes and we need to send out ballots later tomorrow,” State Board of Elections General Counsel Paul Cox said in an email to election officials today.

As a third-party presidential candidate, Kennedy had fought to secure ballot access in North Carolina. But now that he has dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump, he is seeking to remove himself as an option for voters in the battleground state.

Trump plugs Elon Musk-backed plan on government spending in speech

Jillian Frankel

Jake Traylor

Vaughn Hillyard

Trump announced today that if re-elected, he plans to adopt billionaire Elon Musk’s plan for a government efficiency commission to cut federal spending, adding that Musk has agreed to lead the commission “if he has the time.”

The announcement came as the former president delivered remarks before members of the Economic Club of New York in midtown Manhattan, where he outlined a seven-pillar economic plan. 

“I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms,” Trump said.

The former president continued, “As the first order of business, this commission will develop an action plan to totally eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months. This will save trillions of dollars.”

This year’s Democratic playbook features a lot of football

Allan Smith

When Vice President Kamala Harris introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her new running mate at their first rally together, she called him “coach.”

One of the first stops on the campaign’s pre-convention bus tour was to a town in Pennsylvania where Walz spoke to a high school football team.

And then, at the convention itself in Chicago last month, Walz received his own pep rally when a parade of his former players took the stage wearing their old jerseys.

Walz’s football ties are a lynchpin of the Democratic effort to brand itself as the “normal” party this fall, right up there with Walz’s love of hunting and Harris’ time working at McDonald’s. 

The first presidential debate between Harris and Trump is less than a week away. NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell takes a look back at Harris’ performances in past debates. 

Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson says muted debate mics limit Harris' ability to 'prosecute the political case' against Trump

Nicole Moeder

During an interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson Ian Sams said that the agreed upon rule over muted mics will be "challenging" for Harris.

“I think what’s really challenging and unfortunate about this debate format is that it limits the vice president’s ability to prosecute the political case against President Trump,” he said.

He said they agreed willingly agreed to the rule “because of the insistence by Trump’s campaign to have the microphones muted, up to what we believe was threatening to pull out of the debate.” 

Trump responds to Russian sanctions, accuses Harris of trying to 'interfere in and suppress the Election'

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump attacked Harris and the Justice Department, accusing both of trying to "interfere in and suppress the Election" in response to the Justice, State and Treasury departments' sanctions and criminal charges announced yesterday to target what the Biden administration says are Russian government-backed attempts to manipulate U.S. public opinions ahead of the election.

"Comrade Kamala Harris and her Department of Justice are trying to interfere in and suppress the Election in favor of the Democrats by resurrecting the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and trying to say that Russia is trying to help me, which is absolutely FALSE," he wrote. "In fact, President Putin would much rather see Comrade Kamala Harris in Office."

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced charges against two employees of the Russian-backed media network RT. They were accused of implementing a scheme that sent millions of dollars to right-wing commentators through a media company. The platform appears to match the description of Tenet Media, which is known for pro-Trump commentators.

Harris raised more than $300 million in August, extending cash windfall

Natasha Korecki

Carol E. Lee Carol E. Lee is the Washington managing editor.

Harris’ political operation raised more than $300 million in the month of August — more than twice as much as Trump’s operation gathered in the same period — two sources familiar with the Harris fundraising numbers told NBC News. 

The sources did not specify the exact fundraising haul, but the more than $300 million figure, which includes the campaign and related entities, signals that the breakneck pace of fundraising has not slowed since money began gushing in upon President Joe Biden’s July 21 announcement that he would step aside from seeking the Democratic nomination. 

The next campaign finance disclosure deadline for Harris’ campaign is Sept. 20.

Trump election interference hearing adjourns without new trial date

The federal judge presiding over Trump's election interference case said this morning that she intends to allow prosecutors to file an opening brief outlining their immunity arguments but did not make any scheduling rulings during today’s hearing, which adjourned after a little over an hour. 

It appears Judge Tanya Chutkan will not bother to set a new trial date at this time, as she and all parties agree that further pretrial appeals in the case are inevitable.

Chutkan said she will try to get a scheduling order out as soon as today.

Harris launches new ad tying Trump to Project 2025, targeting Black voters on NFL Sunday

Marquise Francis

Harris’ presidential campaign launched a new ad focused on “ Project 2025 ” today, taking direct aim at Trump and “his MAGA loyalists’ dangerous plan” that, it claims, will control Americans’ lives.

Developed by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation and at least two dozen allies of Trump, Project 2025 is an outline of far-right policy proposals created as a blueprint for the next Republican president. The group has  wound down its policy work  amid criticism but Democrats have continued to make it a key campaign issue.

The Harris campaign’s new  30-second spot , which was shared first with NBC News, is aimed at Black Americans in key battleground states in hopes of making  inroads with a demographic  Democrats need to win over to be successful in November.

Hunter Biden intends to change plea on federal tax charges

Sarah Fitzpatrick

Dareh Gregorian

LOS ANGELES — Hunter Biden intends to change his plea from not guilty to accepting a sentencing that would come from a guilty verdict in the federal tax case against him, his attorney Abbe Lowell said today.

The announcement was made shortly before jury selection was expected to begin in what would have been Hunter Biden’s second trial this year. The only surviving son of President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden is the first offspring of a sitting president to stand trial on criminal charges.

The conditions of the plea were not immediately disclosed, nor was it clear whether the judge will accept his attempt to avoid a trial and move straight to sentencing.

The news came after Hunter Biden and his attorneys had a private meeting before court today with U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who is presiding over the case.

Pro-Palestinian protests return to campuses adding election complication

Alex Seitz-Wald

Students are barely back on campus, but pro-Palestinian protests have already returned, putting a divisive issue back in the spotlight that Democrats had hoped Harris' nomination might allow them to move beyond it.

While few expect this fall’s protests to match the size or ferocity of last spring’s, when tent encampments roiled campuses and several university presidents lost their jobs amid criticism of their handling of the demonstrations, the new round of protests will come just as Democrats try to organize college campuses to mobilize voters for the November election.

“This isn’t going away. We’re not going away. Young people and their pursuit of justice and equity everywhere is not going away,” said Rania Batrice, a Palestinian American Democratic strategist.

Judge in Trump's election interference case says she's not considering the electoral schedule

Rebecca Shabad

Judge Tanya Chutkan said in court that the 2024 election is not a factor in her decisions about scheduling the proceedings in Trump's election interference case.

“I understand there is an election pending,” Chutkan said. “This court is not concerned with the electoral schedule. ... That’s nothing I’m going to consider.”

“This case has been pending for a year. We’re hardly sprinting towards the finish line here,” Chutkan added. “We can’t even really contemplate a trial date due to the looming appellate issues.”

Harris travels to Pittsburgh to prepare for debate

The vice president is traveling to Pittsburgh today, where she will spend time preparing for Tuesday's debate. She’ll be doing debate prep and making informal campaign stops during the day, several campaign officials said.

Pittsburgh was chosen because the location will allow her to make the most of her time in a key battleground state, they said. Past presidential candidates have also traveled to key states to prepare for their debates, including John Kerry, who spent several days in Wisconsin, Barack Obama who went to a resort in Henderson, Nevada, and George W. Bush, who stayed at a hotel near Miami, Florida.

Vance explains how he thinks day care costs should be lowered

Vance suggested ways to alleviate the high costs of day care in remarks yesterday at a conservative group's event in Arizona, saying that extended family could help out and that people shouldn't be required to obtain onerous certifications to become child care workers.

"One of the ways that you might be able to relieve a little bit of pressure on people who are paying so much for day care is make it so that maybe like grandma or grandpa wants to help out a little bit more or maybe there's an aunt or uncle that wants to help out a little bit more. If that happens, you relieve some of the pressure on all of the resources that you're spending on day care," Vance said at Turning Point USA's event in Mesa, Arizona.

Acknowledging that families may not have that extra set of hands, Vance said people should be empowered to get trained in the skills needed to take care of children.

"What we've got to do is actually empower people to get trained in the skills that they need," he said. "We've got a lot of people who love kids, who would love to take care of kids, but they can't, either because they don't have access to the education that they need or, maybe more importantly, because the state government says you're not allowed to take care of children unless you have some ridiculous certification that has nothing to do, nothing to do with taking care of kids."

"Don't force every early child care specialist to go and get a six-year college degree where they've got a whole lot of debt," he said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , however, requirements to be a day care worker vary by state. Some states, for example, mandate that these workers have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Some states also require certain credentials and training.

Status conference starts in Trump's federal election interference case

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has begun today's status conference in Trump's election interference case, with scheduling for the trial the primary focus.

Trump and special counsel Jack Smith have proposed two dramatically different timelines for the future of the case, with Smith requesting the judge schedule proceedings to address questions about whether Trump should be immune from prosecution for certain actions leading up the the Jan. 6 riot, and Trump's lawyers asking her to first address his motion to dismiss the indictment.

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues county over voter registration forms

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton went to court to try to stop a large Democratic-leaning county in the state from mailing out voter registration forms ahead of November's election.

Bexar County, which is Texas’ fourth-most populous county based in San Antonio, voted this week to spend almost $400,000 to encourage voter registration by sending out paid-postage forms to unregistered Texans, despite threats from Paxton that he would sue if they did so.

Paxton, a Republican, has made combating voter fraud a central part of his legal agenda, even though those efforts have resulted in little proof of widespread fraud he has claims exists.

“The distribution of forms to unverified recipients could induce ineligible people—such as felons and noncitizens—to commit a crime by attempting to register to vote,” the attorney general’s office said in a news release, noting that the election code does not specifically authorize counties to mail out registration forms.

Voter registration forms in Texas ask voters for their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Eligibility is later verified by the secretary of state’s office before the voter can be registered. The form also requires registrants to swear under penalty of perjury that they are a citizen of the United States and that they are not disqualified from voting by a felony conviction. 

Bexar County’s attorney, Larry Roberson, told the county commissioners that state law prohibits mailing mail ballot applications, but not voter registration forms. The latter are broadly available and routinely mailed out by third-party groups.

Harris heads to Pennsylvania for debate prep as Walz campaigns in the key battleground state

Harris will head to Pittsburgh later this morning, where she will begin several days of preparation for Tuesday's presidential debate against Trump.

Walz, meanwhile, will be campaigning today in Pennsylvania. He's scheduled to deliver remarks at a campaign rally in Erie at 6 p.m. ET.

Trump to speak at two events while Vance campaigns in Arizona

Trump is slated to give remarks at the Economic Club of New York at 11:30 a.m. and to virtually address the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership summit around noon.

His running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, will be campaigning in the battleground state of Arizona and is scheduled to deliver remarks in Phoenix at 6 p.m. ET.

When Harris introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her new running mate at their first rally together, she called him “coach.”

Jury selection gets underway in Hunter Biden’s tax trial

LOS ANGELES — Jury selection is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles federal court today for Hunter Biden ‘s trial on tax-related charges .

It’s the second-ever criminal trial of a sitting president’s son, and the second for Hunter Biden this year.

Hunter Biden, 54, was  indicted in December  on three felony and six misdemeanor counts alleging that he failed to pay his taxes during a period when, he has said, he was in the throes of drug addiction, as well as when he got sober. The indictment says that “rather than pay his taxes, the Defendant spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle.”

Prosecutors say in the indictment that Hunter Biden “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019, from in or about January 2017 through in or about October 15, 2020, and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns in or about February 2020.”

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

How Biden is spending his final months as president

Mike Memoli

Monica Alba

Biden is launching a new phase of his presidency this week.

Liberated from the constraints of a re-election campaign , he’s in the beginning stage of a strategy that will take him over the next five months to places at home and abroad that he likely would have ignored as a 2024 candidate, but with the goal of keeping the White House , his legacy and some of his most significant accomplishments secure.

Trump and Harris campaigns agree to rules for ABC debate

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to debate each other next week for the first time after their campaigns yesterday agreed to the ground rules set by host network ABC.

The Sept. 10 event in Philadelphia will use the same rules and format as the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden.