Assignment: Audience’s Attention,”Assignment: Audience’s AttentionAssignment: Audience’s AttentionAssignment: Audience’s AttentionPurposes of Introductions Within a few seconds of meeting a person, you form a first impression that is often quite lasting. So, too, do you form a first impression of a speaker and his or her mes- sage within the opening seconds of a speech. The introduction may convince you to lis- ten carefully because this is a credible speaker presenting a well-prepared speech, or it may send the message that the speaker is ill-prepared and the message not worth your time. In a ten-minute speech, the introduction will probably last no more than a minute and a half. To say that the introduction needs to be well planned is an understatement, considering how important and yet how brief this portion of any speech is.As a speaker, your task is to ensure that your introduction convinces your audi- ence to listen to you. As summarized and illustrated in Table 8.1 on page 187, a good introduction must perform five important functions:● Get the audience’s attention. ● Give the audience a reason to listen. ● Introduce the subject. ● Establish your credibility. ● Preview your main ideas.Let’s examine each of these five functions in detail.Get the Audience’s Attention A key purpose of the introduction is to gain favorable attention for your speech. Be- cause listeners form their first impressions of the speech quickly, if the introduction does not capture their attention and cast the speech in a favorable light, the rest of the speech may be wasted on them. The speaker who walks to the podium and drones, “Today I am going to talk to you about . . .” has probably lost most of the audience in those first few boring words. Specific ways to gain the attention of audiences will be discussed later in this chapter.CONSIDER THEAUDIENCECONFIDENTLY CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCEBe Familiar with Your Introduction and Conclusion You may feel the most nervous just as you begin your speech. But if you have a well-prepared and well-rehearsed introduction, you’ll be able to start with confidence. Rehearse your opening sentences enough times that you can present them while maintaining direct eye contact with your listeners. Being familiar with your conclusion can give you a safe harbor to head for as you end your message. A thoughtfully planned and well-rehearsed intro- duction and conclusion can help you start and end your speech with poise and assurance.We emphasize favorable attention for a very good reason. It is possible to gain an audience’s attention but in so doing to alienate them or disgust them so that they be- come irritated instead of interested in what you have to say. For example, a student began a pro-life speech with a graphic description of the abortion process. She caught her audience’s attention but made them so uncomfortable that they could hardly concentrate on the rest of her speech.Another student gave a speech on the importance of donating blood. Without a word, he began by appearing to savagely slash his wrists in front of his stunned audience. As blood spurted, audience members screamed, and one fainted. The blood was real blood, but it wasn’t his. The speaker worked at a blood bank, and he was using the bank’s blood. He had placed a device under each arm that allowed him to pump out the blood as if from his wrists. He certainly captured his audi- ence’s attention! But they never heard his message
the shock and disgust of seeing such a display made that impossible
