Billy Crystal Always Has A Great Introduction Before He Speaks

You know, it’s always the little things that set the real pros apart from the rest of us. When it comes to speaking in public, having a really good introduction for yourself can be the key to getting your speech off to a great start. I must confess that I had forgotten just how powerful an introduction could be. It took a chance opportunity to attend a private show put on by Billy Crystal to really remind me why introductions are important and, when done correctly, just how powerful they can be.

I was out in Las Vegas attending the big EMC trade show and as part of the show they had the comedian Billy Crystal come in and put on a private show. So there I was along with 1,000′s of other trade show attendees sitting in a mini-arena waiting for Billy to take the stage. All of a sudden, the lights went down, and the jumbo tron TV screens on the stage lit up. What happened next was the mini-movie that had been created to introduce Billy at the start of the 2004 Academy Awards played. This was a serious movie – it must have lasted for just a bit over 5 minutes or so. It was also quite funny – Billy kept finding himself stuck inside a bunch of famous movies as it appeared as though people were trying to talk him into hosting the Academy Awards. Once the movie was over, Billy came out, took the stage, and put on a great show.

It wasn’t until days later (sorry, I really am this slow sometimes) that I suddenly realized WHY the movie had been played. Billy Crystal is a comedian. Comedians (the big ones at least) never just come out and take the stage – they always have an opening act. Why you ask? Simple, the opening act gets the crowd warmed up. It gets them used to laughing. This means that when the main act (the comedian) comes out, he/she doesn’t have to work as hard to get laughs – we’re already primed for them. Even if the opening act bombs, the main comedian will appear great in comparison and we’ll still laugh much easier. Billy didn’t have an opening act for the private show that he was putting on so Billy’s intro movie got every laughing before he came out. It worked like a charm.

What we can all learn from this is that WE need an opening act before we start a speech. Even if other speakers have gone before us, we need our own personal opening act. Good news, you don’t have to go out and hire a comedian. All you have to do is write your own introduction and make sure that someone reads it just before you start your speech. If you’ve got a great intro, then the audience will be primed to hear what you are going to say. They’ll view you as an expert and they will hang on your every word.

What Should Be In My Introduction? Your introduction serves two distinct and separate purposes: to establish your authority and to inform your audience why you are there. I’d suggest that you start by establishing your authority to be speaking on this topic. This can be fairly boring stuff so boil it down to what will impress this audience the most: study that you’ve done, work experience, years in this field, etc. Next you want to explain why you are here today giving this speech. Just saying: my manager asked me to report on this topic is not good enough. Ideally you’ll explain that you are uniquely suited to discuss the issue, or that you have a deep motivation to resolve the problem. This serves as a great springboard into your actual speech.

How Long Should My Introduction Be? The shorter the better. When written out your introduction should be no longer than 1/2 of a typewritten page. Remember: from the audience’s point-of-view your introduction is just answering the question “who is this person” – once they’ve got the info that they need, they’ll stop listening.

Who Should Read My Introduction? This is the most important part. You’re introduction needs to be read to the audience (off of the paper that you handed to him/her) by someone that the audience respects and accepts as one of their own. This will act as a bridge to your speech and will give you instant acceptance by the audience.

As simple as these steps to creating a powerful introduction may seem, there are still a number of potholes that can still screw things up. The #1 issue that I see come up time after time is that the person reading the introduction doesn’t take the time to read it before the event, tries to wing it, and ends up flubbing it. Proper coordination with your introducer can minimize the chances of this happening.

What does your introduction look like? Has it worked for you in the past – do you feel that the audience is ready for you to start speaking when you finally open your mouth? Have you ever seen an introduction done badly? What went wrong? How did this impact the speaker’s speech? Leave a comment and let me know what you are thinking.

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You might think that you have the most amazing information to share with your audience; however, if you don’t structure your speech correctly, your message will never “stick” with them. As we’ve already talked about, you need to have a strong opening and closing in order to get your message across. Here’s 10 tips to keep in mind when you finally get around to sitting down and writing that killer speech to end all speeches:

1. Be sure to plan and practice the opening and closing parts of your speech just as much as you do the middle of the speech.

2. Provide closure for your audience by re-using the same words that you used in your opening in your closing. This will show everyone how you’ve brought things together.
3. Never, ever, ever apologize or complain. The audience should be thankful that you took the time to talk to them.
4. Don’t use definitions for terms that have clearly been lifted out of a dictionary. This will seem forced and will break any connection that you’ve established with your audience.
5. Don’t assume that your audience knows anything about what you are talking about. Skip the subject specific acronyms and jargon. I always like to assume that my Mom’s sitting in the audience and I write my speech for her to understand what I’m talking about.
6. Don’t be a dork and say things like “This is the end of my speech”. Note that saying “In conclusion…” is just as bad.
7. Don’t introduce new material as a part of your closing. The closing is there to allow you to wrap things up — not to launch a new speech.
8. In your conclusion, don’t suddenly change topics. If you were speaking about the need to get a college education, don’t wrap up by saying that high school is where we learn life’s most important lessons.
9. Never abandon the podium. Wait for the meeting leader or the MC to come out and take control. If you just walk away, everyone will be confused as to what comes next.
10. Always make yourself available after the speech to answer questions and greet people. This is not for you to feel good, but rather it is for some of your audience to get closure on what you said.

This list is by no means complete, but it sure can provide a great start that will allow you to write a speech that is better than any other speech out there!

Tags: closing, opening, speech writing, strong, top 10 tips

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Whenever we are called on to give a speech or write a report, we almost always focus on what we’d like to say in the middle of the delivery of our material. What’s interesting is that no matter if we are speaking the words or writing them, it’s the way that we start and the way that we wrap things up that really makes the most lasting impression. That being said, just how do you go about creating an introduction to your material that will (1) capture their attention and (2) make them eager for more? Oh yeah, how do you go about wrapping things up in such a way that you let your audience / reader know that the conclusion is coming?

When talking about opening, middle, and conclusion of your material it is almost impossible to avoid references to food. Whether it’s sandwiches (two pieces of bread and a filling) or a salad / main course / desert, the analogies can run wild. No matter which one you pick, the references are a valid way of reminding you that your opening and closing will be what holds your material together. Here are five tried and true “recipes” for creating openings and closings that will help your audience / readers to remember what you are telling them:

1. Challenging Opening Statement: If you use a thought-provoking or intriguing statement to start your material off, you can “hook” your reader’s interest from the get-go. A statement like “Without new products, our company will be forced to close it doors in two years” is guaranteed to catch someone’s attention. If used, then you must reference this statement in your conclusion so that the circle is closed for your reader: “So while the company requires a steady stream of new products, this product is well suited to be included in that group.”
2. Startling Statistics: Using a statistic that the audience / reader is not aware of is a great attention grabber. In order to make this an even more powerful tool, cite one or more well known statistics before you unveil the startling statistic. This will serve to increase the audience’s surprise. Example: “Most IT staffers believe reports that say that most large IT projects fail. The truth is that only about 15% of IT projects completely fail.” Once again, the statistic that is discussed in the opening must once again be discussed in your closing.
3. Emotionally Appealing Short Story / Anecdote: This can be especially powerful if your audience / readers believe that you are opening up to them. Talking about failures or successes that relate to your main topic are a great way to capture interest and build credibility. As always, remember to come back to this story when you are wrapping things up in your conclusion.
4. Question: Asking an open-ended question (key point) at the start of your material is a proven way to capture your audience / reader’s attention. It forces them to think about what you are saying and decide how they would answer it. As always, make sure that you come back and provide an answer to this question in your conclusion.
5. Compare or Contrast: The human mind is designed to pick up on differences — it’s probably what kept our ancestors alive longer. Starting your material with a comparison or a contrast between two things that your audience / reader is not aware of will make them want to learn more. Coming back to the comparison / contrast one more time the in the conclusion will help to drive home your main points.

This list of five ways to create a powerful opening / closing is by no means a complete list. However, you now have a good set of ways to frame your material in such a way that you’ve got better odds of making it stick. Please keep in mind that you can also blend these different approaches together to make an even more effective way to deliver your material.

Tags: closing, effective communication, opening, questions, statistics

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