Although there are many ways to open a speech, the most basic ones have been introduced before and there are two categories and fourteen types. However, what we often use at the beginning of our speeches are nothing more than praise, humor, questions, famous quotes, and stories. Take the author as an example. What I like to use most in my speeches is the question-based opening, and more often than not, I use this method as the main method and use it in combination with other methods. The author found that the effect is better when a variety of methods are used together.

If you ask: Why does the author like to start with questions? Because this method, if used properly, will achieve ideal interactive effects.

If you ask: Why does the author like to start with questions? Because this method, if used properly, will achieve ideal interactive effects.

Now, the author lists the benefits of question-type opening remarks as follows:

1. Attract the audience’s attention and focus the audience’s attention on the podium

You are completely You can imagine this scene: after the speaker started to ask questions, some audience members immediately raised their heads and looked towards the podium, no longer staring at their mobile phones and constantly scrolling through the messages in Moments.

2. Shift the focus of the audience from the speaker to the problem

Generally speaking, when the speaker takes the stage, many audience members will focus on the speaker. How is your appearance? How high is the altitude? Once the speaker starts asking questions, the audience stops paying attention to what the speaker looks like.

3. Cause the audience to think and change the audience from passive listening to active thinking

It can be said that if the audience is willing to cooperate and actively think about the questions raised by the speaker, then the audience will It will greatly increase the depth and breadth of their understanding of the speech content.

4. Improve the learning effect and allow the audience to better absorb knowledge

We all know that participants gain more than bystanders. This principle is the same as falling in love. The more active and involved you are, the happier you will be and the more you can achieve positive results!

5. Turn the speech into communication, so that the theme of the speech can be more deeply rooted in people's hearts

Generally speaking, "speaking" is a one-way expression. If the speaker adds "questions" in his speech, "At this stage, the speech changed from one-way expression to two-way communication. When the speaker does this, the speech becomes a chat, which not only makes it easier for the audience to accept, but also increases the affinity of the speaker.

Although there are many benefits of question-based opening remarks, some speakers often hit a wall when using this method. Why? The author believes that the reasons are nothing more than the following:

1. Asking too many questions will make the audience bored

If the speaker asks the audience a series of questions in one breath, and these questions are not If one issue is the main issue and they are unrelated, the audience will collapse. They didn't know which answer to answer, so they simply didn't answer.

2. The question is too difficult and the audience will be in pain

If the guest speaker asks a question that the entire audience cannot answer, the whole scene will be embarrassing. Because everyone was stuck in long thinking, no one had the courage to answer this question.

3. The questions are too shallow and the audience is not interested.

Generally speaking, the ideal result for the questions raised by the speakers is that a small number of the audience are able to answer them. If everyone can answer it, and they all think that this question is too simple and should be asked to kindergarten children, then the audience will be dismissive of this question, because many people think that answering such a question will lower their IQ. of.

4. The question is too blunt and the audience feels awkward

If the speaker does not know how to use implicit words and euphemistic tone when asking the audience some sensitive and difficult questions. , which will make the audience feel very unnatural. Of course, the audience will be reluctant to answer such "unfriendly" questions.

5. Questions that are too forceful will cause psychological resistance in the audience

In order to show their authority, some speakers like to use high decibel volumes or an aggressive tone to address the audience. Questions, therefore, caused many listeners to simply pretend not to hear when faced with such "domineering" questions from speakers who liked to show off.

6. The question has nothing to do with the topic, and the audience is confused

Sometimes, some speakers, in order to pursue better on-site effects, ask the audience something that seems to be It was a very interesting question that had nothing to do with the theme, leaving the audience "Monk Zhang Er scratching their heads", causing the audience to wonder: Which song is this song about?

The various reasons why question-based openings fail have been introduced in detail above. Next, the author would like to summarize my personal thoughts and experiences on using question-style opening remarks based on my own speech experience, hoping to help everyone.

When using a question-style opening, you should do the following:

1. The tone is very important when asking questions

In other words, the speaker is addressing the audience When asking questions, the tone should be gentle and the tone should be consultative. Try not to put any pressure on the audience emotionally, just as if you are chatting with an old friend, relaxed and natural.

2. Wording is very important when asking questions

Since some questions are relatively sensitive, if you avoid such questions, the effect will not be achieved. Therefore, the speaker must be good at choosing appropriate words, and when necessary, add more polite words such as humility, polite words, and words of thanks. The goal is to avoid the edge of sensitive issues and make the audience feel more comfortable.

3. Ask questions related to the topic of the speech

In fact, this is the most basic requirement for a question-style opening. In other words, the speaker can ask a question that surprises the audience for a while, but ultimately finds that it is still very closely related to the topic. However, no matter how it changes, it can never deviate from the topic of the speech.

4. Ask questions that you already know the answers to The object, relatively speaking, is relatively good at it, or even proficient at it. Therefore, the speaker should try not to ask questions that he does not know the answer to. If he still does that, he will have to lay a floor next to the toilet - he is not far from death.

5. The questions asked should be explained in a simple and profound way

In other words, you can study the problem in depth, but when you ask the question, it must sound simple and superficial to the audience. Because only in this way will the audience be willing to answer and actively participate.

6. Encourage the audience to answer questions

After the speaker asks the audience questions, the first step is to encourage the audience to answer the questions enthusiastically. When the audience gives a positive response, regardless of whether the answer is correct or not, this rush to answer behavior should be encouraged. If the audience's answer is very close to the speaker's answer, the speaker will also suggest that everyone give a warm applause to the audience member who answered the question, so that more audiences can interact with him when he asks questions in the future.

7. Some questions do not require public answers

Because sometimes the speaker asks the audience questions just to stimulate the audience's enthusiasm; other times, the speaker asks the audience questions , just for research and to understand how well the audience understands the topic of the speech. Therefore, in this case, the speaker ends the question with "Everyone's answers are very good" and there is no need to disclose his "standard" answer.

8. Sometimes you need to ask and answer yourself after asking a question.

This situation is relatively rare. For example, the speaker thinks that this question is a bit difficult, and if the audience has to answer it, it may be a waste of time or it may embarrass the audience. Therefore, after the speaker raises a question and asks the audience to think for more than ten seconds, he quickly gives a standard answer to the question.

Finally, let’s talk about how to perfectly mix and match questions with other methods at the beginning of a speech.

1. Quote style + question style

Quotation style plus question style opening remarks are usually the trainer’s trump card at the beginning.

For example, the following example:

2. Story + question

The story-style and question-style opening is also a favorite of a master speaker. For example, the following example:

3. Praise + Question

Praise + question opening remarks are a "home-cooked meal" for master speakers or trainers. For example, the following example:

Note: This interactive method is generally used for sales staff training and is not suitable for other audiences.

4. Humorous + Questioning

A humorous and questioning opening is also a very lethal way to start a speech, such as the following example:

5. Straight-forward + question-style opening statement

A straight-forward style plus question-style opening is also a very useful opening method, such as the following example: