how to start a speech with a famous quote

20 Great Quotes To Help You Deliver A Killer Speech

Want to make your next speech more powerful ? Use superb quotations and use them well. In this article, I will share 20 of my favorite quotations for beginning and professional speakers. And I will tell you when and how to use them.

But before we get into these specific sayings, here are a few introductory suggestions for using quotations when you are a keynote speaker , giving an inspirational message, annual report, sales presentation, after-dinner talk, Sunday sermon, teaching lesson, or any speech you are preparing.

Use no more than 3 to 5 quotations in your speech. Remember that a quotation is like seasoning on a fine meal. Don’t overuse quotations in your talk. That’s like dumping an entire saltshaker worth of salt on top of your meal. Think of quotes as delicious flavor additives, not the main dish.
Avoid using quotes that are already well known to your audience. The real (secret) power of a great quotation is its ability to surprise your listeners.
Take the time to find the ideal quotes for your talk. Go deeper than a google search. Read inspiring books, check out relevant articles, visit your local bookstore or library. Keep a journal and collect the sayings, proverbs, quotations, and bits of wisdom that move your heart and mind.
Whenever possible, cite the source of your quotation. Give credit where credit is due. And be sure your source is accurate. You will lose credibility if you quote George Washington as an expert on social media! If you cannot track down the original source of your quote, you can simply say, “It has been said…”
Make sure your quotations support your main message . Sometimes it’s tempting to sneak a great quip or quote into your talk because you love it. First decide if it’s apt for what you want to communicate.

Here Are 20 of the Best Quotations for Your Next Speech Use One of These Great Quotes When You Want to…

Create laughter.

Quoting a comedian, famous wit, ancient proverb, or even a child’s wisdom can generate an instant laugh during your presentation. And trust me, your audience wants to laugh! Here’s the key: Pause before and after you share the funny quotation or short joke. A humorous quotation will surprise, shock, exaggerate, and often convey a tough truth in a way that delights.

“If you’re looking for a helping hand, there’s one at the end of your arm.” ~Yiddish Proverb

Make them THINK

A powerful quotation will give your audience food for thought. First of course, you must determine what you want your audience to understand, believe, and embrace. Then, choose a quotation that packs a punch.

“He not busy being born, is busy dying.” ~Bob Dylan

Grab their ATTENTION

Usually the shorter the quotation, the more powerful the punch. Long quotes, like long speeches, will leave your audiences yawning. To open your speech, you may want to grab your listener’s attention with a short quotation or aphorism. If you are giving a talk about dream casting or goal-setting for example, here’s a fine quotation:

“If you know what you want, you can have it.” ~RH Jarrett

Prove your POINT

You don’t have to agree with every source you quote. Sometimes who you quote, is as important as what you quote. Here’s an example. Though I obviously detest this famous leader, this quotation makes a powerful point. When I am stressing the power of passion, I sometimes share this one. Note: After I give the source—which always shocks the audience—I remind them that he was evil and that we must use the power of passion for good.

“Only a storm of hot passion can turn the destinies of people. And he alone can arouse passion who bears it within himself.” ~Adolf Hitler

Illustrate an IDEA

A good quotation is like a good story. It’s a window in your house. Use it to let the light in. Help your audience see what you are saying. A good metaphor is one of the most helpful tools in a speaker’s toolbox. To get your idea across, use a strong word picture. Imagine giving a talk to a group of schoolteachers. Your goal is to affirm them for the great work they are doing. You want to remind them that what they do—educating children—matters forever.

“A school is a building with four walls, with tomorrow inside.” ~Lon Watters

INSPIRE your audience

The best speeches lift hearts! If your goal is to motivate your audience, insert a quotation designed to inspire the dreams of your audience members. Connect with their emotions. Choose a statement that is filled with hope and encouragement. Here’s one of my favorites, because it strikes such an emotional chord:

“If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme.” ~Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio

Issue a WARNING

You can use a quotation to sound an alarm. You may want to shake your hearers into stopping/starting a behavior. The key here is choosing a quotation that lights a fire under your people. What mindset do you want them to change? What do you want them to do?

“Unassertive salespeople have skinny kids!” ~Zig Ziglar

Make people CARE

Many speakers make the mistake of thinking that their talk is primarily about content. While content is important, the best speakers transfer their conviction to an audience. Your group doesn’t want more information. They are looking for takeaways and transformation.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou

Capture an INSIGHT

Many times the quotes that will rock your speech are what I call “zingers.” What is a “zinger”? It’s a pithy statement that expresses a flash of insight. Zap your audience with a truth in capsule form. People love to read the fortune inside their fortune cookie—and often the words apply to their lives. When I am giving a speech that talks about how we learn, I love to share this one:

“I respect wisdom but I obey pain.” ~12 Step Recovery Saying

EDUCATE your attendees

Don’t make the mistake many speakers make. Never confuse a statistic with a quotation. Remember: facts tell, stories sell. Search out stories and quotations for your talk that provide “teaching moments.” Tip: Do an Amazon search for aphorism. You’ll discover some great gems and nuggets for your next speech. An aphorism, like a proverb, teaches a memorable lesson-in-a-few-words.

“Don’t expect your ship to come in—unless you’ve sent one out.” ~Belgian Proverb

photo of a mic at an event before introducing funny speaker

STRENGTHEN your case

Know exactly what you want to say to an audience. Then you will be in a position to find the perfect quote(s) for your next keynote speech, workshop or seminar. If you are giving a talk on leadership, select a quotation from an inspiring leader. Are you motivating athletes? Choose a motivational saying from an accomplished football, basketball, or soccer player. Most importantly, know your audience. This will help you know which quotation will best support your speech.

“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” ~Anais Nin

Make your speech MATTER

A good question to ask yourself is: “Who cares about what I am saying?” By the way, this is the very question your audience is asking when you start your speech. How does this matter to me ? Reverse engineer your speech. Think about the big takeaway you want your group to get from your presentation. Then craft your message—and the quotes that will make it pop—based on the actions you want your audience to take.

“The meaning of communication is the response you get.” ~NLP maxim

Use the power of REPETITION

One of the great speeches in U.S. history is Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. And one of the factors that makes it so powerful? MLK’s repeated use of his awesome title: “I Have a Dream.” Consider repeating a strong quotation again and again during your talk. This can help you re-state your core message. You can also hammer home a big point with a quotation that repeats certain words to great effect. Notice how Winston Churchill did this often. (“Never, never, never give in…”), He and MLK are two of the greatest orators of the 20th century. Both leaders repeated words to maximize the impact of their language.

“We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a glow-worm.” ~Winston Churchill

Enhance a CELEBRATION

Maybe you will give your speech at a wedding, an anniversary party, or an awards program. You can pump up the proceedings with a special quote. Identify a sparkling statement that will raise spirits…and maybe wine glasses. Here’s the key to doing this well: Keep the focus on who/what is being celebrated. Your quotation should amplify the purpose of the event. Honor the bride, toast the award-winner, congratulate the champion. Get clear on the reason for festivities. Your quotation should put a spotlight on what your guests are celebrating together.

“Life is short, wear your party pants.” ~Loretta LaRoche

Want to make sport of a competitor? Handle a heckler? Or lampoon an idea you don’t like? A good quote can work wonders. Just be careful about coming across as mean-spirited. Humor helps.

“Lord, help me make my enemies look ridiculous.” ~Voltaire (French Philosopher)

Increase your AUTHORITY

Don’t get the wrong idea here. Quotations are not the source of your authority, you are. But a compelling quote can boost your credibility as a speaker. Select a quote that comes from a recognized name or organization that will resonate with your audience. Quote an expert. Better yet, become one.

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” ~Muhammed Ali

Speak with CONFIDENCE

Want to know a speaking secret? Your listeners aren’t paying that much attention to what you say. But they are tuned in to how you say it. They are listening for your confidence. What do you do if you don’t feel confident? Act like you are. And to take it to the next level—instill confidence in your audience too. Model it.

“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” ~Susan Jeffers

Bring CLARITY

One of the gifts you can bring people via your message is clarity. Help your audience see the path, cut through the clutter, and take decisive action. Make a statement, or share a quotation, that simplifies things for people. Sometimes this can be phrased as a question like, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Other times you will want to give them the answer straight up. A great quote can help you do just that. You want to communicate with great clarity. And show your audience the way forward.

“If you don’t have a plan for your life, somebody else does.” ~Michael Hyatt

Issue a call to ACTION!

You can wrap-up your speech with a mighty quotation to finish strong. Make sure that your final phrase captures the heart of your main message. Don’t end on something cliché like, “Thanks for listening” or “My name is Blah Blah.” Your end quote, if you use one, should empower your audience and echo the main thrust of your talk. And get this: You want to invite your audience to take action.

“The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” ~Walt Disney

Create your own CATCH PHRASE

Few people remember speeches, but many people remember speakers. Can you create an original quotation that fits your personal brand? Tap into what makes you unique. What makes your message special? The final words of your speech can remind people about who you are and what you had to say. What is your signature “sign off” sentence? It might be a parting piece of advice. It could also be a statement you design to capture the way you want the group to remember the experience you created for them.

“The tribe has spoken.” ~Jeff Probst, “Survivor”

By finding and utilizing quotations that appeal to you, you will heighten the impact of your speech. Plug one or two of the above quotations into your next speech or special presentation. Better yet, discover the pitch-perfect quotes for your talk. Weave them into your speech and speak with gusto. You’ll be glad you did. And your audience will be pleased too. You can quote me on that.

Adam Christing is a professional keynote speaker, master of ceremonies , and author . He has written four humor and personal transformation books including: Comedy Comes Clean 1 & 2: A Hilarious Collection of Wholesome Jokes, Quotes, and One-liners, Your Life is a Joke: 12 Ways to Go from Ha Ha to AHA! and Bob Dylan Can Change Your Life: 61 Ways to Invent a Legendary You. Adam has been studying and collecting quotations for more than 25 years.

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How to Start a Speech: 7 Tips and Examples for a Captivating Opening

By Status.net Editorial Team on December 12, 2023 — 10 minutes to read

1. Choosing the Right Opening Line

Finding the perfect opening line for your speech is important in grabbing your audience’s attention. A strong opening line sets the stage for the points you want to make and helps you establish a connection with your listeners.

1. Start with a question

Engage your audience from the very beginning by asking them a thought-provoking question related to your topic. This approach encourages them to think, and it can create a sense of anticipation about what’s coming next.

“Have you ever wondered how much time we spend on our phones every day?”

2. Share a personal story

A relatable personal story can create an emotional connection with your audience. Make sure your story is short, relevant to your speech, and ends with a clear point.

“When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me that every kind deed we do plants a seed of goodness in the world. It was this philosophy that inspired me to start volunteering.”

3. Use a quote or a statistic

Incorporate a powerful quote or an intriguing statistic at the outset of your speech to engage your audience and provide context for your topic.

“As the great Maya Angelou once said, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'”

4. Make them laugh

Injecting a little humor into your opening line puts everyone at ease and makes your speech more memorable. Just make sure your joke is relevant and doesn’t offend your audience.

“They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!”

5. Paint a mental picture

Draw your audience in by describing a vivid scene or painting an illustration in their minds. This creates an immersive experience that makes it easier for your audience to follow your speech.

“Picture this: you’re walking down the beach, and you look out on the horizon. The sun is setting, and the sky is a breathtaking canvas of reds, oranges, and pinks.”

2. Using a Personal Story

Sharing a personal story can be a highly effective way to engage your audience from the very beginning of your speech. When you open your talk with a powerful, relatable story, it helps create an emotional connection with your listeners, making them more invested in what you have to say.

Think about an experience from your life that is relevant to the topic of your speech. Your story doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic, but it should be clear and vivid. Include enough detail to paint a picture in your audience’s minds, but keep it concise and on point.

The key to successfully using a personal story is to make it relatable. Choose a situation that your audience can empathize with or easily understand. For example, if you’re giving a speech about overcoming adversity, you could talk about a time where you faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge and overcame it.

Make sure to connect your story to the main point or theme of your speech. After sharing your experience, explain how it relates to the topic at hand, and let your audience see the relevance to their own lives. This will make your speech more impactful and show your listeners why your personal story holds meaning.

3. Making a Shocking Statement

Starting your speech with a shocking statement can instantly grab your audience’s attention. This technique works especially well when your speech topic relates to a hot-button issue or a controversial subject. Just make sure that the statement is relevant and true, as false claims may damage your credibility.

For example, “Believe it or not, 90% of startups fail during their first five years in the market.” This statement might surprise your listeners and make them more receptive to your ideas on how to avoid pitfalls and foster a successful business.

So next time you’re crafting a speech, consider opening with a powerful shocking statement. It could be just the thing to get your audience sitting up and paying full attention. (Try to keep your shocking statement relevant to your speech topic and factual to enhance your credibility.)

4. Using Humor

Humor can be an excellent way to break the ice and grab your audience’s attention. Opening your speech with a funny story or a joke can make a memorable first impression. Just be sure to keep it relevant to your topic and audience.

A good joke can set a light-hearted tone, lead into the importance of effective time management, and get your audience engaged from the start.

When using humor in your speech, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Be relatable: Choose a story or joke that your audience can easily relate to. It will be more engaging and connect your listeners to your message.
Keep it appropriate: Make sure the humor fits the occasion and audience. Stay away from controversial topics and avoid offending any particular group.
Practice your delivery: Timing and delivery are essential when telling a joke. Practice saying it out loud and adjust your pacing and tone of voice to ensure your audience gets the joke.
Go with the flow: If your joke flops or doesn’t get the reaction you were hoping for, don’t panic or apologize. Simply move on to the next part of your speech smoothly, and don’t let it shake your confidence.
Don’t overdo it: While humor can be useful in capturing your audience’s attention, remember that you’re not a stand-up comedian. Use it sparingly and focus on getting your message across clearly and effectively.

5. Incorporating a Quote

When you want to start your speech with a powerful quote, ensure that the quote is relevant to your topic. Choose a quote from a credible source, such as a famous historical figure, a well-known author, or a respected expert in your field. This will not only grab your audience’s attention but also establish your speech’s credibility.

For example, if you’re giving a speech about resilience, you might use this quote by Nelson Mandela: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Once you’ve found the perfect quote, integrate it smoothly into your speech’s introduction. You can briefly introduce the source of the quote, providing context for why their words are significant. For example:

Nelson Mandela, an inspirational leader known for his perseverance, once said: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

When you’re incorporating a quote in your speech, practice your delivery to ensure it has the intended impact. Focus on your tone, pace, and pronunciation. By doing so, you can convey the quote’s meaning effectively and connect with your audience emotionally.

Connect the quote to your main points by briefly explaining how it relates to the subject matter of your speech. By creating a natural transition from the quote to your topic, you can maintain your audience’s interest and set the stage for a compelling speech.

In our resilience example, this could look like:

“This quote by Mandela beautifully illustrates the power of resilience. Today, I want to share with you some stories of remarkable individuals who, like Mandela, overcame obstacles and rose every time they fell. Through their experiences, we might learn how to cultivate our own resilience and make the most of life’s challenges.”

6. Starting with a Question

Opening your speech with a question can be a great way to engage your audience from the start. This strategy encourages your listeners to think and become active participants in your presentation. Your opening question should be related to your core message, sparking their curiosity, and setting the stage for the following content. Here are a few examples:

For a motivational speech : “Have you ever wondered what you would do if you couldn’t fail?”
For a business presentation : “What’s the biggest challenge your team faces daily, and how can we overcome it?”
For an educational talk : “How does the way we use technology today impact the future of our society?”

When choosing the right starting question, consider your audience. You want to ask something that is relevant to their experiences and interests. The question should be interesting enough to draw their attention and resonate with their emotions. For instance, if you’re presenting to a group of entrepreneurs, gear your question towards entrepreneurship, and so on.

To boost your question’s impact, consider using rhetorical questions. These don’t require a verbal response, but get your audience thinking about their experiences or opinions. Here’s an example:

For an environmental speech : “What kind of world do we want to leave for our children?”

After posing your question, take a moment to let it sink in, and gauge the audience’s reaction. You can also use a brief pause to give the listeners time to think about their answers before moving on with your speech.

7. Acknowledging the Occasion

When starting a speech, you can acknowledge the occasion that brought everyone together. This helps create a connection with your audience and sets the stage for the rest of your speech. Make sure to mention the event name, its purpose, and any relevant individuals or groups you would like to thank for organizing it. For example:

“Hello everyone, and welcome to the 10th annual Charity Gala Dinner. I’m truly grateful to the fundraising committee for inviting me to speak tonight.”

After addressing the event itself, include a brief personal touch to show your connection with the topic or the audience. This helps the audience relate to you and gain interest in what you have to say. Here’s an example:

“As a long-time supporter of this cause, I am honored to share my thoughts on how we can continue making a difference in our community.”

Next, give a brief overview of your speech so the audience knows what to expect. This sets the context and helps them follow your points. You could say something like:

“Tonight, I’ll be sharing my experiences volunteering at the local food bank and discussing the impact of your generous donations.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective opening lines for speeches.

A powerful opening line will grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for the rest of your speech. Some effective opening lines include:

Start with a bold statement: “The world needs your creativity now more than ever.”
Share a surprising fact: “Did you know that the average person spends (…) years of their life at work?”
Pose a thought-provoking question: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
Tell a short, engaging story: “When I was 10 years old, I discovered my passion for baking in my grandmother’s kitchen.”

Can you provide examples of engaging introductions for speeches?

Use humor: “As a kid, I believed that 7 pm bedtime was a form of torture. Now, as an adult, I find myself dreaming of 7 pm bedtime.”
Share a personal experience: “On a trip to Italy, I found myself lost in the winding streets of a small village. It was there, amidst my confusion, that I stumbled upon the best gelato I’d ever tasted.”
Use an analogy: “Starting a new business is like taking a journey into the unknown. There will be challenges to overcome, and you’ll need resilience, determination, and a strong compass.”

Which speech styles can make a powerful impact on the audience?

Different speech styles will resonate with different audiences. Some styles to consider include:

Inspirational: Motivate your audience to take action or overcome challenges.
Storytelling: Share personal experiences or anecdotes to illustrate your points and keep listeners engaged.
Educational: Provide useful information and insights to help your audience learn or grow.
Persuasive: Present a compelling argument to convince your audience to adopt a particular perspective or take specific action.

How do successful speakers establish a connection with their listeners?

Establishing a connection with your listeners is key to delivering an impactful speech. Some ways to connect with your audience include:

Show empathy: Demonstrating understanding and concern for your audience’s feelings and experiences will generate a sense of trust and connection.
Be relatable: Share personal stories or examples that allow your audience to see themselves in your experiences, thus making your speech more relatable.
Keep it genuine: Avoid overrehearsing or coming across as scripted. Instead, strive for authenticity and flexibility in your delivery.
Encourage participation: Engaging your audience through questions, activities, or conversation can help build rapport and make them feel more involved.

What are some techniques for maintaining a friendly and professional tone in speeches?

To maintain a friendly and professional tone in your speeches, consider these tips:

Balance humor and seriousness: Use humor to lighten the mood and engage your audience, but make sure to also cover the serious points in your speech.
Speak naturally: Use your everyday vocabulary and avoid jargon or overly formal language when possible.
Show respect: Acknowledge differing opinions and experiences, and treat your audience with courtesy and fairness.
Provide useful information: Offer valuable insights and solutions to your audience’s concerns, ensuring they leave your speech feeling more informed and empowered.
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Effective Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace (Examples)
Empathy: Definition, Types, and Tips for Effective Practice
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Examples of Empathy (and 38 Empathy Statements)
What is Self Compassion? (Exercises, Methods, Examples)

9 Killer Speech Openers to Start a Talk or Presentation.

Danny Riley 8 min read

What you’ll learn:

The importance of a “killer” speech opening.
9 powerful speech openers and how to use them.
Examples from great speakers you can learn from.

Great speech openers hook your audience.

“ Well begun is half done” – Mary Poppins.

A killer speech opener will make the difference between a presentation that makes you soar or your audience snore .

I’ve researched the whole web to find nine killer speech openers to make your audience lean in and listen rather than tune out and daydream.

You’ll see how masters of the craft have used them, and how you can too.

Number seven takes hutzpah to pull off. Ready for the whole list of killer speech openers?

The Shock Opener

One of the best ways to open your speech with a buzz is to startle or shock them.

You can shock an audience in many ways, but they all rest on the major senses of VAKS:

Kinesthetic (touch)

We don’t want your audience tasting your talk, but it should leave a good taste in their mouths.

Changing Minds suggests asking if the audience is awake after appearing from a flashbang and a cloud of smoke, and this might work for you if you’re a magician or playing some kind of character for your speech like a genie.

Suppose you aren’t going for the magic angle.

In that case, you can shock them on a psychological level instead, as Conor Neill recommends, and tell your audience a surprising fact or statistic that makes them question their thinking or beliefs.

“Did you know that half the water on earth is older than the sun?”

Questions like these will shake an audience awake and turn on their critical thinking nervous-system.

Don’t take my word for it; you can see an incredible demonstration of the shock opener in Mohammed Qahtani’s speech, The Power of Words .

Qahtani opens by taking out a cigarette and placing it into his mouth before trying to light it. The audience is so shocked that they gasp and tell him to stop.

Remember, if your audience is shocked, they are listening.

Your audience doesn’t always have to be jolted to attention with a shock opener, though you can use a more subtle approach to grab their focus.

Ready to speak with confidence ? Explore our training options...

The story opener.

You can set the tone of your speech instantly with a story .

In Hollywood, filmmakers and directors use an ‘establishing shot’ to set the tone and theme of the entire film.

When creating your speech, think of a short story that sums up your talk.

Maybe you tell half the story to begin with, and then the other half at the end.

The important thing is your tale must be relatable . If your audience can’t imagine themselves in the story, they won’t be engaged.

We all experience very similar things in life:

We all went to school and had a teacher we loved
We all have parents who loved us or made mistakes in our upbringing
We all had a first crush.

We are all cut from the same cloth, so it’s good to be reminded that others are going through what we face or think as we do.

Bryan Stevenson does a stellar job of recounting his mischievous grandmother in his TED talk, We need to talk about an injustice .

The best thing is, you can combine a story-opener with any other speech opener in this list.

It’s truly versatile.

One of my favourite speech openers is next, though.

The Intrigue Opener

I love this speech opener.

What better way to hook your audience than to intrigue them with mystery or a juicy secret?

Take a look at Daniel Pink’s TED Talk The puzzle of motivation . After he begins, Pink, looking like a guilty man sent to the gallows tells his audience:

“I need to confess something, at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something I regret. Something I’m not particularly proud of”.

Wow. How intriguing, right?

You have to admit; you want to know what he’s about to confess.

Choose every sentence, every word, and every mark of punctuation to increase the tantalisation temperature.

Whether it’s a secret or confession, the Intrigue Opener piques just enough curiosity in your audience to keep them from checking Whatsapp.

As humans, we need closure.

We do not like open loops.

That’s why it is both enthralling and aggravating when someone plays on our need to be sure.

Just as we cannot stand an open loop, we are instantly engaged when someone gives us a puzzle to solve.

You’ll notice the best speeches, books, tv shows, and films do not spoon feed you all of the information.

I’ve always liked the way Malcolm Gladwell writes his non-fiction books because they contain puzzles that you solve as a reader.

This puzzle needs to be related to the speech or presentation you’re delivering, of course. It cannot be a random puzzle and will ideally be impossible or extremely difficult to solve at first.

After the speech begins and the puzzle is revealed, you should slowly drop hints on how to solve the mystery.

Up next, speech openers that use a physical object to create curiosity in the audience’s mind.

The Prop Opener

One of the most potent ways you will captivate your audience is to use a powerful prop in your opening address.

What better way to capture an audience’s imagination than to show them a mysterious or beautiful object?

If you’ve never seen the Prop Opener done well, then take a look at one of the greatest speeches of all time:

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s, See Something .

Danajaya enters with a simple rose in his breast pocket, takes it out, gazes at it nostalgically, smells it and then begins to speak.

This same prop appears again right at the end of his speech to end his talk with a flourish.

There are many different props you can use.

JJ Abrams used a Mystery Box to absorb the audience’s attention and used the box as a metaphor for his entire career.

If you think the prop opener is just for TED Talks and Toastmasters Final Speeches, remember that most company product launch centre around one or more props.

Steve Jobs revealed his new products in ever-innovative ways.

Still, while the last two speeches I’ve mentioned opened with physical items, most of Jobs’s presentations built intrigue through the sight of the product.

So remember, you can use an object, or tease your audience with the absence of a prop, but make that prop integral to your talk.

You don’t always have to use a prop, of course.

A more minimalist approach to opening your speech uses the best audience reaction a speaker can receive: laughter.

The Funny Opener

Using laughter to win over your audience is the golden ticket to immediate rapport with your audience.

Jack Schafer, PhD at Psychology Today, said that People Will Like You If You Make Them Laugh , which seems obvious, but at least you know we have scientists on the case.

He also mentions that constructing humour requires and projects a high level of intelligence .

Of course, laughter is subjective, but it is also infectious, and if you get enough members of your audience to titter, it will spread across the whole group.

If you want to see just how quickly you can win an audience over with humour, take a look at Ken Robinson’s subtle but delightful ability to raise a chuckle in his speech Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Ken’s ability to speak conversationally to an audience of thousands is genuinely remarkable.

If you break down his humour, it is easy to see how you could include similar content in your presentations.

Whether you can pull it off as well as Ken is another story.

Not everyone feels like they can be a comedian, though; I get that.

Well, that’s alright because there are other ways to open your talk that play on other strong emotions.

You can inspire your audience too.

The Inspirational Opener

One of my favourite ways to help beginner speakers to open their presentation is with a quote.

A quote acts like a story in that it sets the tone and theme of your speech, but it takes much less effort and even less skill.

An effective quote is usually only one line long and supported by the credibility of the original author who uttered those words.

Watch the way Clint Smith opens his TED Talk The Danger of Silence .

Using Martin Luther King’s voice to start his speech gives Clint what psychologists call the transference effect .

Just by citing someone else, especially someone admired and famous, you redirect the emotions an audience have towards that person onto yourself.

One caveat to using quotes, though:

Fact check them . I cringe whenever I see someone incorrectly quoting someone.

Have you ever heard the quote by Albert Einstein:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results”?

A great quote, isn’t it?

But Albert Einstein never said those words .

A quick check on Reuters will help you add more credibility to your inspirational opener.

Finally, try to use a quote few people have ever heard. Inspiring words have been filling the archives of history for millennia, so seek out something that has been left dusty on the shelf rather than the same recycled iterations.

Next, let’s look at a type of bold speech opener that take real hutzpah to land well.

The Perspective Shift Opener

A powerful speech opener that will take confidence is the perspective shift opener.

This opener will lead the audience in one direction before changing direction and setting a new pace for the speech.

Cameron Russel does a fantastic job of controlling the frame in her TED Talk Looks aren’t everything. Believe me; I’m a model.

Russel takes to the stage dressed in a skimpy dress and begins to tell the audience about her career, but then does a rapid wardrobe change on stage in front of the entire audience.

This change of dress sets a new tone, feel, and direction for the speech.

If you can change the audience’s perspective or frame of reality, you are in the driving seat.

One of the best things you can hope for as a speaker is moving hearts and changing minds.

If you aren’t a confident speaker, start small.

Vanessa Van Edwards suggests never mentioning how nervous you are.

It’s distracting and makes the audience pick up on all the subtle nervous energy and cues you give off. Control the frame instead and act cool and confident: they will buy into it.

Another great way to hold frame control over an audience is by using the power of silence .

The Silence Opener

Silence is a valuable commodity in today’s noisy and distracting digital world.

Creating silence at the beginning of your talk can profoundly affect your audience and their focus.

Did you ever have a teacher at school who used silence effectively?

When my English classmates were noisy, our teacher Mr Rylance would hold up his hand in silence.

Slowly we would settle down and focus on his raised hand.

A few would giggle, but that would peter out until we all wrapt in a hypnotic stillness.

If you want to see an example of how to use silence, then look at Neal Glitterman’s speech The Power of Silence .

You can see how much gravity silence can have , especially as a speech opener.

The final killer opener I want to introduce you to is the big promise opener.

The Big Promise Opener

I believe that all speeches and presentations should contain a big promise as it tells your audience why they should keep on listening.

Ideally, your big promise will be your speech title or phrase that pays which is a recurring foundational phrase you will use throughout your presentation.

A big promise is your way of making a deal with the audience : you listen to me, and you’ll get something in return.

Creating a big promise at the beginning of your speech is like adding a teaser trailer to the beginning of a TV show. It suggests a reason you should stick around.

When Arthur Benjamin introduces his talk Faster than a calculator by announcing:

“I am a human calculator!”

You know that proof is on the way.

Remember the essential rule of the Big Promise Opener: make it big and keep your promise.

WOW your audience with these killer speech openers.

I hope you feel that I kept my promise of sharing nine killer speech openers to start a presentation.

Did you notice any other speech openers at the beginning of this article?

Don’t forget; these openers can be mixed and matched.

You can include a number of these speech openers in the same presentation to create more impact.

Let me know which of these killer openers was your favourite, and let me know if you have any more you’d like to share.

– Danny Riley

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120 Inspiring Quotes to Start A Speech with Impact

April 20, 2023 by smartmovesonly

1 Inspiring Quotes to Start A Speech with Impact
2 Good Quotes To Start A Speech About Yourself
3 Good Quotes To Start A Speech
4 Funny Quotes To Start A Speech
5 Great Quotes To Start A Speech
6 Motivational Quotes To Start A Speech
7 Quotes To Start A Speech on Relationship
8 Quotes To Start A Speech on fashion designing
9 Quotes To Start A Speech in School
10 Conclusion

Inspiring Quotes to Start A Speech with Impact

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes, a single sentence can leave a lasting impact on our minds and hearts. Quotes are powerful tools that can inspire, motivate, and move us to action. Whether you are giving a speech, writing an essay, or simply looking for a source of inspiration, quotes can provide the perfect starting point to help you express your ideas and connect with your audience.

Today, I have compiled 120 quotes that cover a wide range of topics, from motivation and success to love and friendship. These quotes have been carefully curated to provide you with a diverse collection of voices and perspectives that will help you find the perfect words to start your speech. Whether you are looking for a witty one-liner, a profound insight, or a timeless piece of wisdom, you are sure to find something that resonates with you in this collection.

But why are quotes so powerful? At their core, quotes are distilled expressions of the human experience. They capture our thoughts and emotions in a way that is both concise and profound. They can make us laugh, cry, or feel a surge of motivation, all in a few short words. Quotes have the power to connect us with each other and with ourselves, reminding us of our shared humanity and the things that truly matter in life.

So, without further ado, let us dive into this collection of 120 quotes to start a speech. May these words inspire you, challenge you, and move you to action as you seek to make your mark on the world.

Related: 30 Powerful Ways to Start a Speech or Presentation

Good Quotes To Start A Speech About Yourself

“I am the author of my own story, and every page is a testament to my resilience and determination.”
“As I stand here before you today, I am reminded of the quote, ‘Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.’ And it is with that mindset that I have faced every challenge that has come my way.”
“I am not defined by my past, but rather by the person I am today and the person I strive to become tomorrow.”
“I believe that every person has a unique story to tell, and it is through our experiences that we gain wisdom and empathy for others.”
“I am a firm believer in the power of self-reflection and personal growth, and it is through these practices that I have become the person I am today.”
“I have always been driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the world, and it is this passion that has guided me throughout my life.”
“I am a lifelong learner, constantly seeking new knowledge and experiences that broaden my understanding of the world and my place in it.”
“I believe that success is not just about achieving our goals, but also about the journey we take to get there.”
“I have learned that failure is not a setback, but rather an opportunity to learn and grow.”
“I am a believer in the power of community, and it is through the support and encouragement of those around me that I have been able to achieve my goals.”
“I believe that each of us has a unique purpose in life, and it is our responsibility to discover and pursue that purpose with passion and dedication.”
“I am a firm believer in the importance of perseverance, and it is through my own determination and persistence that I have been able to overcome obstacles and achieve my dreams.”
“I believe that our greatest strengths often emerge from our greatest challenges, and it is through these challenges that we discover what we are truly capable of.”
“I am committed to living a life of integrity, compassion, and kindness, and it is these values that guide my actions and decisions every day.”
“I believe that we all have the power to make a positive impact on the world, and it is through our actions and our words that we can inspire others to do the same.”

Related: How to Start a Speech: The Power of Storytelling

Good Quotes To Start A Speech

“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.”
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
“Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.”
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
“Life is a journey, and if you fall in love with the journey, you will be in love forever.”
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”
“To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”

Related: 5 Steps To Crafting the Perfect Opening Line for Your Speech

Funny Quotes To Start A Speech

“I am here to talk to you about myself because no one else will.”
“I’m not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”
“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.”
“I’m not sure if I’m the best person for this job, but they gave it to me anyways.”
“I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right.”
“I’m not lazy, I’m just conserving my energy.”
“I’m not short, I’m just concentrated awesome.”
“I’m not a morning person, I’m a coffee person.”
“I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not sure.”
“I’m not procrastinating, I’m just prioritizing my to-do list.”
“I’m not saying I’m Batman, but have you ever seen me and Batman in the same room?”
“I don’t always have a good idea, but when I do, I forget it.”
“I’m not saying I’m old, but I remember when emojis were called emoticons.”
“I’m not saying I’m forgetful, but I went to the fridge to get some water and ended up watching Netflix for an hour.”
“I’m not saying I’m a genius, but I did just figure out how to eat pizza while lying down.”

Related: 30 Powerful Ways to End a Speech or Presentation

Great Quotes To Start A Speech

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Billie Jean King
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

Related: How To Not Be Nervous For A Presentation-13 Proven Techniques

Motivational Quotes To Start A Speech

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission.” – Unknown
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer
“Success is not a destination, but the road that you’re on. Being successful means that you’re working hard and walking your walk every day. You can only live your dream by working hard towards it.” – Marlon Wayans
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson

Related: The Do’s and Don’ts of Starting a Speech: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Quotes To Start A Speech on Relationship

“A healthy relationship is built on unwavering trust, honesty, and communication.” – Unknown
“The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships.” – Tony Robbins
“Relationships are not about finding someone to complete you but rather someone who accepts you completely.” – Unknown
“In a strong relationship, the love between two people should be greater than the need for each other.” – Unknown
“A successful relationship requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” – Mignon McLaughlin
“Relationships are about trust. If you have to play detective, then it’s time to move on.” – Unknown
“It’s not about finding someone who completes you. It’s about finding someone who accepts you completely.” – Unknown
“A true relationship is two imperfect people refusing to give up on each other.” – Unknown
“A great relationship is about two things: first, appreciating the similarities, and second, respecting the differences.” – Unknown
“Relationships are like gardens. They require nurturing, patience, and love to grow.” – Unknown
“The greatest happiness in life is the certainty that we are loved.” – Victor Hugo
“Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you.” – Loretta Young
“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” – Audrey Hepburn
“A true relationship is when you can tell each other anything and everything. No secrets and no lies.” – Unknown
“A good relationship is when two people accept each other’s past, support each other’s present, and love each other enough to encourage each other’s future.” – Unknown
“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them together.” – Unknown
“The best relationships are built on a foundation of friendship.” – Unknown
“In a strong relationship, two people love each other for who they are, not who they want each other to be.” – Unknown
“A relationship is not based on the length of time you’ve spent together, but on the foundation, you’ve built together.” – Unknown
“The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the memories we’ve made along the way.” – Unknown

Top Reads: 135 Monday Motivation Quotes to Jumpstart Your Week

Quotes To Start A Speech on fashion designing

“Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.” – Bill Cunningham
“Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It’s movement, design, and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we’d like to be.” – Blair Waldorf
“Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.” – Ralph Lauren
“Fashion is the language of the soul.” – Miuccia Prada
“Fashion is the mirror of history.” – Christian Dior
“Fashion is not just beauty, it’s about good attitude. You have to believe in yourself and be strong.” – Adriana Lima
“The joy of dressing is an art.” – John Galliano
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” – Rachel Zoe
“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” – Coco Chanel
“Fashion is about dreaming and making other people dream.” – Donatella Versace
“I think fashion is a lot of fun. I love clothes. More than fashion or brand labels, I love design.” – Marc Jacobs
“Fashion is a form of self-expression. It’s how you show the world who you are without saying a word.” – Unknown
“The best fashion show is definitely on the street. Always has been, and always will be.” – Bill Cunningham
“Fashion is an art, and you are the canvas.” – Velvet Paper
“Fashion is a trend. Style lives within a person.” – Oscar de la Renta

Top Reads: 105 Tuesday Motivation And Quotes To Keep The Vibe Going

Quotes To Start A Speech in School

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – W.B. Yeats
“Education is not a problem. Education is an opportunity.” – Lyndon B. Johnson
“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” – Carl Rogers
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“The purpose of education is to make minds, not careers.” – William Deresiewicz
“Education is not a tool for development – individual, community and the nation. It is the foundation for our future. It is empowerment to make choices and emboldens the youth to chase their dreams.” – Nita Ambani
“Education is not about filling a pail, it’s about lighting a fire.” – William Butler Yeats
“Intelligence plus character – that is the true goal of education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” – George Washington Carver

We have explored the power of quotes and how they can be used to start a speech. From motivational quotes to humorous quips, the right quote can set the tone for your speech and capture the attention of your audience. We have seen that quotes can distill complex ideas into a few simple words, making them a powerful tool for communication.

But quotes are more than just words on a page. They are a reflection of the human experience, capturing our hopes, dreams, fears, and aspirations. They remind us of the things that truly matter in life and connect us with each other in a way that transcends time and space. Whether you are looking for a source of inspiration, a way to connect with your audience, or simply a reminder of the beauty and complexity of the human experience, quotes can provide the perfect starting point.

So, as you prepare to give your next speech, consider the power of a well-chosen quote. Let these words inspire you, challenge you and move you to action as you seek to make your mark on the world. Remember that words have the power to change lives, and that the right quote can be the spark that sets your audience on fire.

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8 Opening a Speech: Get Their Attention from the Start!

Man holding a prop while talking to an audience

Get the audience’s attention, or the rest of your speech is a waste. I mean it! Most people spend the majority of their speech preparation time working on the body of their speech and then they tack on an opening and a closing last minute.

The opening and closing deserve the most attention. Why? If you don’t get the audience’s attention and get them to pay attention to you instead of… the thoughts in their heads, their grocery lists, their neighbors, their social media…then all the rest of your brilliant content is wasted because they will never hear it. Lisa Marshall of Toastmasters International stresses the opening words are so important that “I spend 10 times more time developing and practicing the opener than any other part of the speech.”

Look at the description of Person A and Person B and tell me which person you like more.

Person A envious, stubborn, critical, impulsive, industrious, and intelligent

Person B intelligent, industrious, impulsive, critical, stubborn, and envious

If you are like most people, you have a preference for Person B. This illustrates a study by Solomon Ashe. He had subjects rate these two people using a string of descriptive words. Now look back at the descriptions. Look closely and you will notice they are the same words in a different order. Most people put the most emphasis on the first three words in determining how they will create the person. Like Asche’s subjects, your audience will be evaluating those first three words. Let’s bring it back around to speechmaking. The first sentence out of your mouth is crucial and the first three words are especially important.

I am sure you are not surprised to know that people form opinions quickly. To prove this, researchers showed subjects either a 20-minute clip of a job applicant or a 20-30 second clip of a job applicant. They were asked to rate the person on likeability and self-assurance. People were able to form an opinion in under thirty seconds. Not only that but they were able to form the same opinions from a 30-second clip as a 20-minute exposure.

The Battle for Attention

Remember that every piece of content in our modern era is part of an attention war. It’s fighting against thousands of other claims on people’s time and energy. This is true even when you’re standing on a stage in front of a seated audience. They have deadly distracters in their pockets called smartphones, which they can use to summon to their eyes a thousand outside alternatives. Once emails and texts make their claim, your talk may be doomed. And then there’s that lurking demon of modern life, fatigue. All these are lethal enemies. You never want to provide someone with an excuse to zone out. You have to be a savvy general directing this war’s outcome. Starting strong is one of your most important weapons. Chris Anderson, TED Talks, The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking.

“People don’t pay attention to boring things,” according to John Medina, author of Brain Rules, “You’ve got 30 seconds before they start asking the question, ‘Am I going to pay attention to you or not?'” It is important to get your audience’s attention right away. In this chapter, I will share with you several ways to win the war for attention and to start your speech right. I will show you the basic opening and closing structure of speeches and give you many examples of what that looks like. A speech, like an airplane, needs a good take-off and a good landing. Now it’s time to prepare to have a strong take-off and learn everything that goes into a speech introduction. This chapter is full of examples from a variety of talks. I included quotes from those introductions, but I also included links to each of those talks hoping you will be interested enough to want to listen.

Ways to Start a Speech

Chris Anderson likens this to battle. “First there is the 10-second war: can you do something in your first moments on stage to ensure people’s eager attention while you set up your talk topic? Second is the 1-minute war: can you then use that first minute to ensure that they’re committed to coming on the full talk journey with you?”

When thinking about your speech, spend a lot of time thinking about how to win the battle for their attention. Your introduction should make your audience want to put down their phones and listen. Your introduction should be so compelling they stop their wandering minds and turn their thoughts to you and you alone. Your introduction should start with three strong words where they form a strong opinion of you and your speech. Let me share how to accomplish this.

Capturing the audience through the story is one of the most powerful ways to start a speech. A story engages the brain in powerful ways and causes the audience’s brains to sync with the speakers. A well-told story will allow the audience to “see” things in their mind’s eye and to join the speaker’s emotions.

Watch this clip by Ric Elias for how he begins his speech with a powerful story. Particularly notice his first four words, “Imagine a big explosion.”

Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well, I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D. I was the only one who could talk to the flight attendants. So I looked at them right away, and they said, “No problem. We probably hit some birds.” The pilot had already turned the plane around, and we weren’t that far. You could see Manhattan. Two minutes later, three things happened at the same time.

Ric Elias, Three Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed.

Consider these other examples and notice how the speaker uses a story.

More powerful introductions using story:

I love you, I believe in you and it’s going to be OK. The three things that I needed to hear three years ago when I felt more abandoned than ever. I remember that day as if it happen this morning. It was Sunday and I had just woken up early at a brisk 12:30 in the afternoon. Ryan Brooks, Honesty, courage, and the importance of brushing your teeth. When I was nine years old I went off to summer camp for the first time. And my mother packed me a suitcase full of books, which to me seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. Because in my family, reading was the primary group activity. And this might sound antisocial to you, but for us, it was really just a different way of being social. You have the animal warmth of your family sitting right next to you, but you are also free to go roaming around the adventureland inside your own mind. And I had this idea that camp was going to be just like this, but better. Susan Cain. The Power of Introverts. I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia. Jill Bolte Taylor, My Stroke of Insight. A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails. I’m not quite sure how, but it turned up in my inbox, and it was from a guy called Solomon Odonkoh. James Veitch This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email. Eleven years ago, while giving birth to my first child, I hemorrhaged and was transfused with seven pints of blood. Four years later, I found out that I had been infected with the AIDS virus and had unknowingly passed it to my daughter, Ariel, through my breast milk, and my son, Jake, in utero. Elizabeth Glaser, Address to the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

Good stories immediately set the stage and introduce you to the place and to the people. Doing this helps your brain can form a structure where the story takes place. It helps you see the story unfold in your mind. If you need help starting a story, Vanessa Van Edwards suggests these prompts:

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

There is an entire chapter on the Power of Story that can be found here.

Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood. – Mary Hirsch

When Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane spoke at Harvard Commencemen t in the rain, he started with “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electrical equipment.” People laughed, people smiled, and the speech was off to a strong start. Humor works because it gives the audience a hit of the feel-good hormone dopamine. That is … if you are funny. If you decide to use humor, make sure you are funny. Test your humor on honest friends. In addition, the humor you use should fit your personality and your audience. Be warned, some groups would find humor inappropriate, do your research.

Watch this clip for how Tshering Tobgay begins his speech with humor.

In case you are wondering, no, I’m not wearing a dress, and no, I’m not saying what I’m wearing underneath. (Laughter) This is a go. This is my national dress. This is how all men dress in Bhutan. That is how our women dress. Like our women, we men get to wear pretty bright colors, but unlike our women, we get to show off our legs. Our national dress is unique, but this is not the only thing that’s unique about my country. Our promise to remain carbon neutral is also unique, and this is what I’d like to speak about today, our promise to remain carbon neutral.

Tshering Tobgay, This Country Isn’t Just Carbon Neutral–Its Carbon Negative.

More powerful introductions using humor

I didn’t rebel as a teenager. I started late and was still going at it the summer I turned thirty. I just became an American citizen, I divorced my husband, I got a big tattoo of a bat on my arm, and I joined a New York City punk band. Danusia Trevino, Guilty I need to make a confession at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret, something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that, in many ways, I wish no one would ever know, but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school. Dan Pink, The Puzzle of Motivation. It is really interesting to be a woman and to get to 45 and to not be married yet and to not have kids, especially when you have pushed out your fifth kid on television. Tracee Ellis Ross, 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year. I am not drunk …but the doctor who delivered me was.” (reference the shake she has due to a botched medical procedure at birth causing her cerebral palsey). Maysoon Zayid, I’ve Got 99 Prolbems and Cerebral Palsey is Not One of Them .

Salutation followed by humor

Oh boy, thank you so much, thank you so much. Thank you, President Cowan, Mrs. President Cowen; distinguished guests, undistinguished guests, you know who you are, honored faculty and creepy Spanish teacher. And thank you to all the graduating Class of 2009, I realize most of you are hungover and have splitting headaches and haven’t slept since Fat Tuesday, but you can’t graduate ’til I finish, so listen up. When I was asked to make the commencement speech, I immediately said yes. Then I went to look up what commencement meant which would have been easy if I had a dictionary, but most of the books in our house are Portia’s, and they’re all written in Australian. So I had to break the word down myself, to find out the meaning. Commencement: common, and cement, common cement. You commonly see cement on sidewalks. Sidewalks have cracks, and if you step on a crack, you break your mother’s back. So there’s that. But I’m honored that you’ve asked me here to speak at your common cement Ellen DeGenres, Commencement Speech at Tulane. Well, thank you. Thank you Mr. President, First Lady, King Abdullah of Jordan, Norm, distinguished guests. Please join me in praying that I don’t say something we’ll all regret. That was for the FCC. If you’re wondering what I’m doing here, at a prayer breakfast, well so am I. I’m certainly not here as a man of the cloth, unless that cloth is — is leather. Bono at the 54th annual National Prayer Breakfast.

Starting your speech by sharing a little-known fact, can be powerful. For this to fully work, you need to have the audience’s attention from the very first word. Read on for how these speakers started strong.

Powerful introductions using facts

Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat. Jamie Oliver, Teach Every Child About Food. 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. Amy Cuddy, Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are. Okay, now I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. (Laughter) Also, the person to your left is a liar. Also the person sitting in your very seats is a liar. We’re all liars. What I’m going to do today is I’m going to show you what the research says about why we’re all liars, how you can become a lie spotter and why you might want to go the extra mile and go from lie spotting to truth seeking, and ultimately to trust building. Pamela Meyer, How to Spot a Liar. You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk. Jane McGonigal. The Game That Can Give You Ten Extra Years of Life. There are 900,000 divorces in the United States of America every year. Fewer than 10% of them ever talked to anybody about their relationship. So why would you need a science? Well, we need a science to develop effective treatment and understanding of how to make love work. Why? Why should we care about having great relationships? Well, it turns out that in the past 50 years, a field called social epidemiology has emerged, and it shows that great friendships, great love relationships between lovers and parents and children lead to greater health – mental health as well as physical health – greater wealth, greater resilience, faster recovery from illness, greater longevity – if you want to live 10 to 15 years longer, work on your relationships, not just your exercise – and more successful children as well. John Gottman. The Science of Love. This room may appear to be holding 600 people but there is actually so many more because within each of us there is a multiple of personalities. Elizabeth Lesser, Take the Other to Lunch.

Using a physical object can draw the audience’s attention. Make sure you plan the timing of the prop, and you practice with it. It is important that it is large enough for the audience to see and they can see it well enough that they are not frustrated. Depending on your speech, it may be appropriate to put it away, so it is not distracting.

Powerful introductions using props

Darren Tay walks onto the stage and stares at the audience. He pulls a pair of underwear out of his pocket and puts them on over his suit. “Hey loser how do you like your new school uniform. I think it looks great on you. Those were the words of my high school bully Greg Upperfield. Now if you are all wondering if the underwear that Greg used was clean, I had the same questions. Darren Tay, Outsmart, Outlast. Toastmasters 2016 World Champion of Public Speaking . Mohammed Qahtani walks onstage, puts a cigarette in his mouth … then looks up as if noticing the audience and says, “What?” As the audience laughs, he continues. “Oh, you all think smoking kills? Ha-ha, let me tell you something. Do you know that the amount of people dying from diabetes are three times as many [as the] people dying from smoking? Yet if I pulled out a Snickers bar, nobody would say anything.” He goes on to say, his facts are made up and his real topic is about how words have power. Mohammed Qahtani, Toastmasters 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking

JA Gamach blows a train whistle and then starts his speech as if he were a conductor, “All aboard! It’s a bright sunny day and you are taking a train. You are wearing a pair of sandals you proudly made yourself. As you board the train one of your sandals slips off and falls beside the track. (J.A. loses one sandal that falls down the platform.) You try to retrieve it. Too late. The train starts to pull away. What would you have done? I would have cursed my bad luck, mad at losing a sandal. JA Gamache, Toastmasters 2007 World Championship.

Use a Quotation

Powerful introductions using quotes.

Rules for using quotes

Be sure to use the quote purposefully and not just as placeholders.
Quotes can just take up valuable space where you could put content unless they are not properly used.
Let the quote be more important than the author. When using a quote at the opening, say the quote first and then the author. When using a quote at the end of a speech, say the author first and then the quote.
Keep it short and sweet. Use a quote that gets to the point quickly.
If you must use long quotes–put them on your slide.
If you project a quote, read it to the audience. Never expect them to read it while you talk about something else. Never say stupid things like, “You can read, I’ll let you read this for yourselves” or “Your adults, I’ll let you process this.”
Check the authorship and authenticity of the quote. There are so many quotes on the internet that are misattributed and misquoted. For example, who wrote the quote: “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel”?
Do not go for the overused quote or your audience is prone to dismiss it. Instead of quoting an overused “I have a dream quote” do as Jim Key, the 2003 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking did and pick an equally great but lesser-used Martin Luther King Quote: “The time is always right to do what is right!”

Watch Nate Stauffer at a Moth Grand Slam as he uses poetry to start and carry his story.

Watch this clip for how Andrew Solomon opens with a quote to make us think about depression.

Andrew Solomon, Depression, The Secret We Share.

Reference the Occasion

Ceremonial speeches often call for acknowledgment of those in attendance or a mention of the occasion. Here is how Martin Luther King Junior set up his famous speech. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Martin Luther King Junior, I Have a Dream.

Get the Audience Involved

Having the audience stand, raise their hand, or even nod in encouragement can cause them to focus on your message. This can be particularly helpful if the audience has been sitting for a while. Let me show you a few examples of how that works.

Ask a Question

You can involve the audience from the start by asking them a question.

Watch the first few minutes of Amy Purdy’s speech and how she starts with a question, “ If your life were a book and you were the author, how would you want your story to go?”

Have the Audience Participate

If you ask a question you want the audience to answer, be sure to give them time to respond. If they raise their hands, be sure to acknowledge their response. You might have the answer by standing, by raising their hands, by speaking to their neighbor. You might call on one member of the audience to answer for the group.

If you ask a question you want the audience to answer, don’t let your presentation slide give away the answer. For example, one speaker had a slide behind him that said, “Lesson 1: Don’t Worry About IQ.” He has the audience raise their hand if they want to improve their grades then he asks, “So can I get a show of hands, how many would say IQ is going to be the most important to get those marks to go up?” Very few people responded because the answer was “written on the wall” literally.

Watch this clip as Allan Pease engages the audience.

Everybody hold your right hand in front like this in a handshaking position. Uncross your legs. Relaxed position. Right hand in front. When I say the word, “Now” here’s what we’re going to do. I am going to ask you to turn to someone besides you, shake hands as if you’re meeting for the first time, and keep pumping till I ask you to stop. Then you’ll stop and freeze it and we’re going to analyze what’s happening. You got that? You don’t have time to think about this. Do it now. Pick anybody and pump. Pump, everybody. Freeze it. Hold it. Stop. Hold it. Freeze it. Keep your hands locked. Keep them locked. The person whose hand is most on top is saying “I’ll be the boss for the rest of the day.” Allan Pease, Body Language, the Power is in the Palm of Your Hands.

More powerful introductions using audience participation

I have a confession to make. But first, I want you to make a little confession to me. In the past year, I want you to just raise your hand if you’ve experienced relatively little stress? Kelly McGonigal, How to Make Stress Your Friend. So I’d like to start, if I may, by asking you some questions. If you’ve ever lost someone you truly loved, ever had your heartbroken, ever struggled through an acrimonious divorce, or being the victim of infidelity, please stand up. If standing up isn’t accessible to you, you can put your hand up. Please stay standing and keep your hand up there. If you’ve ever lived through a natural disaster, being bullied or made redundant, stand on up. If you’ve ever had a miscarriage, if you’ve ever had an abortion or struggled through infertility, please stand up. Finally, if you or anyone you love has had to cope with mental illness, dementia, some form of physical impairment or cope with suicide, please stand up. Look around you. Adversity doesn’t discriminate. If you are alive, you are going to have to, or you’ve already had to, deal with some tough times Thank you, everyone. Take a seat. Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People. Advice from Moth Storytelling Club Have a great first line that sets up the stakes and grabs attention No: “So I was thinking about climbing this mountain. But then I watched a little TV and made a snack and took a nap and my mom called and vented about her psoriasis then I did a little laundry (a whites load) (I lost another sock, darn it!) and then I thought about it again and decided I’d climb the mountain the next morning.” Yes: “The mountain loomed before me. I had my hunting knife, some trail mix and snow boots. I had to make it to the little cabin and start a fire before sundown or freeze to death for sure.”

Arouse Suspense or Curiosity

Watch this clip for how Kathryn Schulz creates curiosity by showing us Johnny Depp’s tattoo and then talks about her tattoo of regret. We hang on to her every word wondering, “Where is all this going and how bad can her tattoo really be?”

So that’s Johnny Depp, of course. And that’s Johnny Depp’s shoulder. And that’s Johnny Depp’s famous shoulder tattoo. Some of you might know that, in 1990, Depp got engaged to Winona Ryder, and he had tattooed on his right shoulder “Winona forever.” And then three years later — which in fairness, kind of is forever by Hollywood standards — they broke up, and Johnny went and got a little bit of repair work done. And now his shoulder says, “Wino forever.”

Kathryn Schulz, Don’t Regret, Regret.

Saying unexpected things or challenging assumptions can get a speech started off right. A herd of wildebeests, a shoal of fish, a flock of birds. Many animals gather in large groups that are among the most wonderful spectacles in the natural world. But why do these groups form? The common answers include things like seeking safety in numbers or hunting in packs or gathering to mate or breed, and all of these explanations, while often true, make a huge assumption about animal behavior, that the animals are in control of their own actions, that they are in charge of their bodies. And that is often not the case. Ed Yong. Zombie Roaches and Other Parasite Tales. TED Talk

Keys to Success

Memorize your first sentence so you can deliver it with impact. Memorize your whole speech opening if possible. Make sure your first three words have an impact.

Typical Patterns for Speech Openings

Get the audience’s attention–called a hook or a grabber.
Establish rapport and tell the audience why you care about the topic of why you are credible to speak on the topic.
Introduce the speech thesis/preview/good idea.
Tell the audience why they should care about this topic.
Give a transition statement to the body of the speech.

Step Two: Credibility

First, you hook the audience with your powerful grabber, then you tell them why you are credible to speak on the topic and why the topic is important. If they know your credentials, you would not need to tell them your credibility but you may still want to tell them why you are interested in the topic. Here are a few examples of how some speakers included credibility.

Tell Why You Are Credible

I’m a doctor, but I kind of slipped sideways into research, and now I’m an epidemiologist. Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science. I started studying resilience research a decade ago at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It was an amazing time to be there because the professors who trained me had just picked up the contract to train all 1.1 million American soldiers to be as mentally fit as they always have been physically fit. Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People. What I’m going to do is to just give a few notes, and this is from a book I’m preparing called “Letters to a Young Scientist.” I’d thought it’d be appropriate to present it, on the basis that I have had extensive experience in teaching, counseling scientists across a broad array of fields. And you might like to hear some of the principles that I’ve developed in doing that teaching and counseling. EO Wilson: Advice to a Young Scientist.

Step Three: Tell Why it is Important

Early on in your speech, you should tell the audience why they should care. You should connect the speech to things they care about. This is where you answer, so what, who cares?

You know, I didn’t set out to be a parenting expert. In fact, I’m not very interested in parenting, per se. It’s just that there’s a certain style of parenting these days that is kind of messing up kids, impeding their chances to develop. Julie Lythcott-Haims, How to Raise Successful Kids – Without Over-Parenting

Step Four: Tell the Purpose of the Talk (aka Preview/ Thesis)

“If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.” – Harvey Diamond, author

Tell the audience your purpose, clearly give them an overview of the main points. MIT professor, Patrick Winston says one of the best things to add to your speech is an empowerment promise. You want to tell people what they will know at the end of your speech that they didn’t know at the beginning. It’s their reason for being here. His empowerment promise was, “Today you will see some examples of what you can put in your armory of speaking techniques and it will be the case that one of those examples–some heuristic, some technique, maybe only one will be the one that will get you the job. By the end of the next 60 minutes, you will have been exposed to a lot of ideas, some of which you will incorporate into your own repertoire, and they will ensure that you get the maximum opportunity to have your ideas valued and accepted by the people you speak with.” Notice that this statement told you what to expect and why it mattered.

Here are examples of how various speakers accomplished this.

For years, I’ve been telling people, stress makes you sick. It increases the risk of everything from the common cold to cardiovascular disease. Basically, I’ve turned stress into the enemy. But I have changed my mind about stress, and today, I want to change yours. Kelly McGonigal, How to Make Stress Your Friend. We’ve been sold the lie that disability is a Bad Thing, capital B, capital T. It’s a bad thing, and to live with a disability makes you exceptional. It’s not a bad thing, and it doesn’t make you exceptional. Stella Young, I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much

What I’m going to show you is all of the main things, all of the main features of my discipline, evidence-based medicine. And I will talk you through all of these and demonstrate how they work, exclusively using examples of people getting stuff wrong. Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science. I would like to think that we (Arab women) poor, oppressed women actually have some useful, certainly hard-earned lessons to share, lessons that might turn out useful for anyone wishing to thrive in the modern world. Here are three of mine. Leila Hoteit, Three Lessons on Success from an Arab businesswoman We are often terrified and fascinated by the power hackers now have. They scare us. But the choices they make have dramatic outcomes that influence us all. So I am here today because I think we need hackers, and in fact, they just might be the immune system for the information age. Sometimes they make us sick, but they also find those hidden threats in our world, and they make us fix it. Keren Elazari. Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System Try This — Inspired by TED Master Class After you write your thesis, send it to three people with the question, “Based on what you read here, what do you think my speech will be about?”

Putting It All Together

At this point, you know you need to have a grabber, a preview, a credibility statement, and a so-what-who-cares statement. Let’s take a look at one of the top TED talks of all time by Jamie Oliver. This speech is a good illustration of everything we’ve been talking about so far and how all this works together.

“Everybody close your eyes.”

I don’t want to close my eyes; it makes me feel awkward and exposed to be in a group of people with my eyes closed. Because of that, I keep my eyes open. The problem is when I keep my eyes open, I feel like some sort of horrible nonconformist rebel. I feel awkward with my eyes closed and I feel guilty if they are open. Either way, I just feel bad. Besides, half of the time when speakers tell audience members to close their eyes, they forget to tell us when we can open them. If you are wanting me to imagine a story, just tell me to imagine it, don’t make me close my eyes (rant over).

“Can everybody hear me?”

You should plan your opening to be intentional and with power. “Can everybody hear me” is a weak and uncertain statement and this is not the first impression you want to leave. Do a microphone check before the audience members arrive and have someone stand in different corners of the room to make sure you can be heard. Don’t waste your valuable speech time with questions that you should already know the answer to.

“How long do I have to speak?”

You should know that before you begin. Even if the presentations for the day are running over and you are the last speaker, you should ask the MC before you begin. Always plan your first words with power.

“Can you read this?”

You should make your slides big, really big. Test out your slides in advance of your speech, walk all around the room and make sure you can read them. Have a friend check them out as well. You should know they are big enough because you planned for it and tested it.

“Turn off your cell phones and laptops.”

People really hate having things taken away, not to mention that your audience may want to take notes on their devices. Chances are you are speaking to adults, let them determine if it is appropriate to have out their technology.

“I’m sorry, I’m losing my voice.” “I’m stopped up.” “I’m under the weather.”

Stop apologizing! Stop making excuses! While these lines may be true, they just come of as excuses and can make the audience either feel like you don’t want to be there, or they just feel sorry for you.

“I’m so nervous right now.”

Talking about your nervousness will make you more nervous and will make them look for signs of your nervousness. Just start your speech.

“So, Um, Ok.”

Do not start with hesitation. Plan the first words, memorize the first words, practice the first words. Do not start with “Ok, so um, now I’d like…” Plan strong and start strong.

Do Not Discuss Your Business with People Watching…Really! I Mean It! Many of us are giving and listening to presentations in an online format. I have attended numerous presentations this year through Zoom where I have to sit and watch while the organizers engage in personal small talk or deal with the details of the presentation. This is how the speech I recently attended began. “Donna, you are going to share your screen, right?” “Yes. I have my PowerPoint ready to go. Will you push “record” when I give the signal?” “Sure. Where did you say that button is again? Do you think we should wait five more minutes, I think we had more who were coming? Dave, what was the total we were expecting?” “Yeah, we had 116 sign up, but the reminders went out late so this may be all we have. We can give them a few more minutes to log on.” “Donna, How is your dog? Is she still struggling with her cone since her spay surgery? My dog never would wear the cone –she tore her stitches out and broke her wound open. It was terrible. Well, it looks like it is about time to begin, thank you everyone for coming.” If you are organizing an event online, hosting a speech online, giving a presentation online–please keep it professional. Most platforms will allow you to keep the audience in a waiting room until it is time to start. If you have a business to deal with, keep the audience out until you have everything ready to go. Once the audience is in the meeting, you should engage the audience in group-type small talk or you should just start the presentation. In professional settings, you should start the meeting on time. Why punish those who showed up on time to wait for those who aren’t there yet?

A Conversation Over Coffee with Bill Rogers

I asked my long-time friend, Bill Rogers, to write an excerpt to add to the book. I met Bill when he was the Chief Development Officer for a hospital in Northwest Arkansas and I met him again when he was reinventing himself as a college student getting a Master’s Degree in the theater. He would love to share a symbolic cup of coffee with you and give you advice about public speaking.

Perfect morning for a walk, isn’t it? Join me for a cup of coffee? Wonderful. Find us a table and I’ll get our coffee.

There you go; just like you like it. There’s nothing like a great cup of coffee on the patio of your neighborhood coffee shop, is there?

Now that you’re settled in your favorite chair, take a sip, and let that glorious caffeine kick in and do its stuff. Okay, let’s talk.

So, you were asking me about public speaking.

Well, let’s see. Where do we begin?

One of the first pieces of advice I ever received was to imagine that every member of your audience is sitting there in their underwear! Yeah, right. That never worked for me. I tried it once with a local civic group of community leaders both male and female. If the intent of that tidbit is to make you relax, it certainly didn’t work for me. It just made me more self-conscious…and more nervous. I not only got distracted, but I also lost my train of thought, I started sweating, and, of course, imagined myself standing there without clothes. Needless to say, that speech was a disaster and I’ve never used it again. I suggest you don’t either.

In the early days, I also relied very heavily on my typed-up speech. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that unless you find yourself reading it word for word as I did. Nothing is more boring nor puts an audience to sleep quicker than a speaker with their nose down reading a speech. There’s no connection and connection with your audience is key.

As you know, I love theatre and I’ve done a bit of acting over the years. Early on, I learned that the quicker I learned my lines, the more I could play, experiment, and shape my character. It relaxed me and gave me enormous freedom. It led me to find a mantra for myself: “With discipline comes freedom.” This freedom will allow you to improvise as your audience or situation dictates while still conveying the core message of your presentation. That discipline and its resulting freedom apply to public speaking of any kind and, I think, will serve you well.

Another old adage we’ve all heard is Aristotle’s advice. You know the one. No? Well, roughly, it’s to tell your audience what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you just said. That’s the basic formula for public speaking. And it works as a good place to start.

However, effective speaking is much more and, to me, it starts with a story or even a simple sentence.

You know the feeling you get when you read the first sentence of a good book and it just reaches out and grabs you? That should be your goal with every presentation. One sentence to capture your audience’s attention. Something that causes them to lean forward. Something that sparks their imagination.

It doesn’t have to be all that profound either. It can be something very simple. A personal story that relates to your topic. A relevant fact or statistic that defines or illustrates the issue or subject matter at hand.

A couple of classics come to mind. The first is Alice Walker’s, “The Color of Purple.”

“You better not tell nobody but God.”

And the second one is from my favorite novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee.

“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm broken at the elbow.”

Both sentences hook you immediately. A few simple words speak volumes. After reading or hearing those words, you naturally lean in. You want to learn more. You want to find out what happens next. Every effective speech or presentation does the same thing.

Of course, make sure that the first and last thing you say to your audience is both relevant and appropriate. I share this out of an abundance of caution. I once worked for an internationally recognized and well-respected children’s research hospital and I was given the privilege to speak at a national educational convention. The room was filled wall to wall with teachers. I thought I’d be cute and add a little levity. I opened my presentation with this line, “You know, I’ve had nightmares like this…” Instead of the roars of laughter, I was expecting, a wave of silence ensued. Not only was the line not funny, but it was also wholly inappropriate and I immediately lost my audience. Not my best day. Learn from my mistakes.

Finally, let’s touch on the importance of approaching a speech as a conversation. You and I are sitting here enjoying our coffee and having a friendly, relaxed conversation. Strive for that every chance you get. You may not always have that luxury. Some speeches and presentations simply demand formality. But even in those cases, you can usually make it somewhat conversational. I always try to write my speeches in a conversational style. Like I’m talking to a friend…or trying to make a new one.

So, to recap: tell a story, learn your lines, hook your audience with a simple sentence, close with a question or call to action, use repetition, keep it conversational, treat your audience as a friend, and give yourself permission to relax.

Above all, be yourself. Allow yourself to be as relaxed as you are with those closest to you. If you’re relaxed, if you try to think of your audience as a friend, then, in most cases, they too will relax and they will root for you. Even if they disagree with what you are telling them, they will respect you and they will listen.

How about another cup?

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

The most important part of your speech is the introduction because if you don’t get their attention, they are not listening to the rest of what you have to say.
To get attention, tell a story, use humor, share a quote, tell a startling fact, show a prop, ask a question, reference the occasion.
In addition to the grabber, a good introduction should establish rapport and tell the audience why you are credible.
An introduction often includes a “so what who cares statement” to tell the audience why this should matter to them.
The thesis/preview should be clear enough that someone could read just that sentence or couple of sentences and know what the speech is about.

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How to Use Quotes in Your Speech: 8 Benefits and 21 Tips

In this article, we examine eight benefits of using quotations in your speech, and then discuss twenty-one tips for superpowering your speech with effective quotes.

Speech Quotations
Rhetorical Questions
Triads (the Rule of Three)
Parallelism

Benefits of Using Quotations in Your Speech

There are numerous benefits to crafting quotations into your speech, including:

The primary reason to quote material in your speech is that it reinforces your ideas . A quotation offers a second voice echoing your claims, but is more powerful than simply repeating yourself in different words.
Quotations usually offer a concise, memorable phrasing of an idea. (This is why the quotation gets remembered and repeated, isn’t it?)
Using a quotation boosts your credibility because it implies that the person you are quoting agrees with the rest of your argument.
Most people do not have the ability to spontaneous offer relevant quotes to support their statements. So, when you deliver a quotation, it demonstrates your domain knowledge and preparation .
Quotations are one way to add variety to your logical arguments , along with facts, statistics, stories, metaphors, and other material. Audiences get bored if you offer a one-dimensional string of arguments of the same type.
Depending on how you deliver the quotation, you can create anticipation, suspense, or drama . For example, if you begin “Microsoft founder Bill Gates once said…” followed by a pause, then your audience will surely anticipate your next words. What did he say? What did he say?
Conversely, you might choose a quotation which adds humor to your presentation , due to the content of the quote or perhaps the person you are quoting.
If you are delivering with visuals, you might choose to display the quotation on a slide and let your audience read it. This creates a natural and purposeful pause in your vocal delivery , allowing you to check your notes, take a sip of water, and collect your thoughts.

Tips for Using Quotations in Your Speech

Okay, you are convinced of the benefits of incorporating quotations into your speech. But how do you do it? Who should you quote? When should you give the quotation? Read on to discover numerous tips for using quotes effectively in your presentations.

Do your Research

Make sure you get the phrasing correct. A quotation should boost your credibility, but quoting inaccurately weakens your credibility. A sloppy quotation makes you look lazy.
Get a reliable source. Wikipedia doesn’t count. Your credibility is on the line.
Beware quoting out-of-context. Be careful when quoting material on controversial topics. Make sure you understand the intent of the speaker, not only their words. A quotation taken out of context where you’ve garbled the meaning makes you look like you are deliberately misleading your audience.

Quote People Your Audience Knows

Quote a well-known expert in the field. Don’t quote individuals based purely on their fame or success; base your decision on their expertise in the subject area you are talking about. Quote Aristotle on philosophy or Serena Williams on tennis — doing the opposite gets you in trouble.
Quote a lesser-known expert in the field, but only with background context. If your desired quote comes from someone who your audience won’t immediately recognize, you’ll need to introduce the speaker and establish their credibility before delivering their quote.
Quote an earlier speaker at your event. Suppose you are speaking at an event where an earlier speaker made some statements relevant to your message. Referring back to their words will not only impress your audience, but also capitalize on the earlier speaker’s effectiveness.
Quote yourself (playfully). I’ve done this many times, and it always receives a positive audience response. One way I do this is to introduce a particularly important point as “Dlugan’s First Law of ( whatever topic I’m speaking on )”

Use your own words to open and close; quote in the middle.

Open your speech with a quote (sparingly). Starting with a quote can be effective, but don’t assume just any quotation will grab your audience’s attention. I’ve watched speakers open with a quotation that wasn’t very powerful, and even irrelevant to their content. There are usually more powerful ways to grab your audience’s attention.
Avoid closing your speech with a quote. I have heard speeches end strong with a quotation, usually when the quote refers back to the beginning. However, I would not advise it generally. Your final words should be your own. Ending with a quote is often a sign that you don’t have confidence in your own words.
Quotations work best in the body of your speech. The best time to introduce a quote is when you need more support for one of your arguments. One particularly effective time is near the end of a section. Reinforcing your arguments with a quotation brings good closure to your argument.

Draw attention to the quote through your delivery.

The traditional formula is okay. Most quotations are introduced simply: Albert Einstein once said “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” This simple formula is clear, direct, and acceptable.
Reading the quote from notes is okay. When possible, I would advise delivering the quote from memory. But sometimes, reading it can be better. If the quote is lengthy, for example, it’s better to read it to ensure you are accurate. Even a short quote can be read from notes effectively. I once saw a speaker who produced the note paper from his pocket, and was almost reverent as he read it. In this case, it could be argued that not reading it would have been disrespectful.
Or, let your audience read the quote. If you are using visuals, you might choose to display the quotation. When you do this, do NOT read it to your audience. Let them read it. (Remember, you should never read material to your audience when they can see the words.) This technique has an added benefit: you can stylize the slide to add impact. For example, you might add a photo of the speaker, or perhaps use a font which conveys mood.
Pause before and after. You should pause briefly before the quote (a little suspense, and to grab attention) and then a little longer after the quote (to allow the meaning of the quotation to be absorbed by your audience.) Give the quotation respect, and let its impact be felt.
Spice up your vocal delivery. Of course, you should be varying your voice throughout your presentation. Just like other key statements in your speech, a quotation deserves a little extra vocal emphasis. Maybe louder, maybe softer. Maybe happier, maybe sadder. Let the mood of the quote guide your delivery.
Set the context when necessary. Some quotations stand on their own, but other quotations won’t be effective unless you establish the context first. A quotation which has your audience guessing is a missed opportunity. Perhaps you need to give the historical context, or explain something about the life of the speaker. Make sure the quotation has maximum impact.

Use trustworthy sources.

Quotation compilations keep quotes within arm’s reach. Every serious speaker should own at least one quotation compilation. ( Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations is my personal favorite, ever since I first found a copy of a previous edition on my brother’s bookshelf 30 years ago.) A well-edited compilation provides several sort indices to help you find the perfect quote faster. An added benefit is that these types of sources should be trustworthy.
Biographies of famous people in your field are also rich sources. For example, a biography on Steve Jobs is sure to have numerous quotable lines on his business philosophy. Like quotation compilations, biographies are generally trustworthy.
Online quotation search engines offer unparalleled breadth. Quotation websites help you find quotations using a given keyword or spoken by a given person. It’s quick and easy, but the sources cannot always be trusted. Whenever I use these sources, I seek out a second source to verify. (Be careful, many quotation websites might use the same flawed source…)

Be selective.

Don’t use a quote that everyone knows. If your audience has heard the quote before, you will receive virtually no benefit from repeating it.
Don’t overdo it. There’s no rule about how many quotes you should use, but their effectiveness gets diluted if you use too many. Remember that your speech should primarily be told with your words, not someone else’s. Keep just the best quotes you found in your research, and trim the others.

What do you think?

How do you like using quotations in your speeches? Please share with others by adding a comment .

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16 comments.

Excellent post. Doing your research is vital. In January I blogged about some people who quoted Penn State football coach Joe Paterno after he’d gone from famous to infamous: http://joyfulpublicspeaking.blogspot.com/2012/01/preparation-is-vital-before-using.html

Yesterday I blogged about how two apparently startling statistics weren’t really that impressive: http://joyfulpublicspeaking.blogspot.com/2012/09/is-540-million-minutes-per-day-large.html

Great advice! I appreciate that you tell speakers to use quotations that we DON’T already know. Too often, speakers use tired quotations and it doesn’t add benefit to the presentation.

Andrew, I am trying something a bit different with quotes for one of my advanced Toastmaster speeches,…the speech is about the importance of the words we say as told to me by an elderly friend of mine who is a survivor of Auschwitz. There are two powerful, but simple, quotes during the speech and I’ve decided to imitate my friend’s German accent to make the quotes more meaningful and memorable. I’ve never heard anyone in my club purposely use a different accent to make quotes in their speech stand out more. I’m interested to see how this will work.

Generally, I think delivering the quote using an accent is a great idea. This makes it much more like storytelling and is one way to create a meaningful context for your audience.

A couple things to consider: 1) Practice. Make sure that adding an accent doesn’t prevent you from accurately quoting. 2) Make sure that the quote is still clear with an accent. If your audience cannot understand the words, it will be less effective.

the article is so helpful and clearly understandable.thumbs up.

Great topic to post about Andrew, You make some really good points!

Definitely agree re:using quotes not everyone knows. You see the same quotes repeated to death on the internet – and esp. twitter (“you are what you repeatedly do”, anyone?) that the audience rolls their eyes and thinks ‘you prepared this?’ when they hear one in a talk.

Thanks for the tips. I have just referenced your article in my blog post about using quotes in high-tech presentations.

Thanks Andrew – I really enjoyed this post.

It inspired me to come up with 6 more tips for using quotes: http://remotepossibilities.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/how-to-use-quotes-in-your-presentation-tips-six-minutes/

Hope you find them helpful!

Thanks for extending the discussion, Craig.

Lots of good points here. But I disagree about never using familiar quotes. In some cases, if you using a known quote to say something new or unexpected, it can be very effective, and often funny and memorable. P.S. #11 “stay” with problems longer. 🙂

Yes, if the known quote can be interpreted in a fresh way from a new perspective, then it may have value. Unfortunately, these common quotes are used predictably… and that’s boring.

Thanks for the typo alert, Shelly. It has been fixed.

Andrew: Great advice to not read the quote, but let the audience read the quote and then have the presenter comment on the quote and it’s meaning as it relates to the topic.

Enjoyed this article will be able to direct my speech students to your website for some good presentation tips

I completely disagree with most of this. It’s almost always feeble lazy technique to throw in a ‘famous’ quote into a speech. Why? Does not a speaker have original language of his/her own? Isn’t it annoying or presumptuous to try to dignify one’s own words with language appropriated from other people? Yes, using a quotation shows your ‘preparation’. It also shows that you’re unable to make a case without calling in bigger guns, and that shows weakness.

Sir, I have to give a speech. Should I add quote before my introduction or after my introduction?

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3 Blog Links

Do you use quotes in your speech? Here’s how: « Presenter News — Sep 24th, 2012

Wise men say | B2B STORYTELLING — Oct 2nd, 2012

How to use quotes in your presentation – 25+ tips from Six Minutes & me | Remote Possibilities — Oct 4th, 2012

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Updated Aug 23, 2022

How to Start a Speech: 9 Tips You Can Use

9 tips on how to start a speech, bonus tips for starting a speech, the one thing you should not do, start your speech out the right way.

Imagine standing in front of an eager audience, every pair of eyes on you. You only have a moment to capture their attention with your speech, or you’ll lose them. If you begin it well, your words have the potential to get the crowd buzzing and inspire your audience to action. Yet, to do this, the beginning of a speech needs to be captivating, which is not always easy to pull off, even for experienced speakers. For this reason, it’s crucial leaders know how to start a speech, as it’s an asset used throughout their entire careers.

Hours of preparation are in vain if a speech’s opening moments fall short. While some may claim to know how to write a speech, the beginning is typically the trickiest part. It needs to be unique to you and not something that feels copy and pasted from other speeches. In this article, learn some of the most helpful tips for starting a speech, no matter if you’re giving a pep talk to your team or addressing a crowd as the keynote speaker of a huge event.

Giving a speech can be equal parts intimidating and nerve-racking. To pacify any fears, explore each of the tips below. They’ll help you launch into an engaging, interesting speech.

Prepare for the speech.
Use imagery.
Start with a famous quote.
Tell a joke.
Ask a thought-provoking question.
Provide a shocking statistic.
Grab people’s attention with unexpected statements.
Discuss a common problem.
Interest the crowd in a good story.

1. Don’t Wing It

The first tip is something you shouldn’t do. At the start of a speech, don’t go out there and make things up on the spot. While some genuinely skilled public speakers can pull this off, the vast majority of people aren’t good at giving an impromptu speech . To avoid failing, plan your introduction beforehand, take time to write it out on your notes, and practice the beginning (along with the rest of your speech) in front of a mirror. This can help you work on your communication skills as well as your body language. If you choose to wing it instead, you’ll likely end up with either a confusing or boring start.

2. Create an Imaginary Scenario

One of the best ways to start a speech is to create a hypothetical scenario. Take a look at the beginning of this article again, and you’ll see this strategy in action. The imaginary scene gets the audience involved right from the start. You’re asking them to use their imaginations to immerse themselves in a world you create right in front of them. Creating a scenario like this fills people with anticipation as they wait to hear how it ties into your topic. It sets up a hypothetical, usually a problem, that allows you to supply the solution.

3. Use a Quote

When you start your speech, try beginning with a quote to get people’s attention. A quote gets your audience thinking, but you don’t want to use any old quote. Pick something unique that people haven’t heard before. While the quote “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” can inspire people, chances are they’ve heard it a thousand times. That’s why you shouldn’t start with movie quotes as well.

Choose a quote from a famous person as it lends authority to your speech. Or pick something poignant, like an old saying from a different culture. As you read books, select some quotes that you think would go well with an upcoming speech. The more you fill your well with memorable quotes, the easier it will be to draw from it.

Check out these quotes to get some ideas:

Mario Andretti: “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.”
Henry Ford: “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.”
Japanese Proverb: “Fall seven times and stand up eight.”

For more great ways to start your speech, read these leadership quotes .

4. Use Humor

You can always start your speech out with a joke. Admittedly, this can be tricky to pull off since humor is subjective, but a joke can immediately put the audience at ease. Pick a joke that’s tasteful and relevant to the topic at hand. For obvious reasons, you should avoid starting with a joke if the subject of your speech is serious or sad.

The proper joke can set the mood for the rest of your speech. In a commencement speech to Harvard graduates on a rainy day, comedian Seth MacFarlane notably started his speech by saying , “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” Granted, he likely ad-libbed the joke, but the point remains that beginning with humor can help get the audience to open their minds to what you have to say.

5. Pose a Question

If you’re struggling with a way to begin your speech, why not try asking a question? The question you choose can be a literal question, such as, “How many people here run their own business?” Or you can go the rhetorical route by asking a “what if” question. A “what if” question is a great way to get people thinking about possible scenarios. For example, think about a speech that started by saying, “What kind of world would it be if every leader fulfilled their full potential?” The audience would immediately begin coming up with ideas and imagining what such a world would look like.

Questions create opportunities to learn. In one of the most-watched TED Talks, Simon Sinek starts his speech by asking , “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?” With those questions, the audience becomes primed to learn the answers, which the speaker readily gives them. If you pick a question at the heart of your topic, you’ll draw in the crowd right from the beginning.

6. Pick a Statistic

At the start of a speech, you can also tell the audience a statistic meant to surprise them. For example, if you were giving a speech about the need for aid in Africa, you might begin by saying, “The average life expectancy in Chad is only 50 years.” The statistic you choose should be powerful, pertain to your message, and open a window to a world the audience likely didn’t know about before. Additionally, choose statistics that are relevant and share accurate information. Together, they should paint a visual that’s backed by facts. Likewise, statistics in a speech need to indicate why the audience should care about what you’re saying.

7. Shock the Audience

You can also start your speech by shocking the audience. When combined with choosing a compelling statistic, asking a question, or some of the other tips on this list, surprising the audience represents an excellent strategy for grabbing people’s attention. It’s a way to get those in the crowd to sit up and focus from the outset, causing them to hang on to your every word.

In another popular TED Talk, Pamela Meyer begins by making a shocking announcement : “Okay, now I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar.” Think of what a compelling way that is to get people to put down their phones and look at the speaker. It also ties nicely into the subject of her speech, “How to Spot a Liar.” With a shocking statement, you too can capture people’s attention in just a few seconds.

8. Describe a Problem

For many speeches, the purpose is to present a solution to a problem. When this is the case, you may want to start by stating the problem clearly. Weave in a fact or shocking statistic with it for maximum effect. For example, if you are speaking with an audience of business owners struggling with employee retention , you might start by saying something along the lines of “ Almost half of all leaders who feel burned out plan to take a new job with a different company.” From the start, the audience understands the full scope of the problem and the need to come up with a solution.

Stating the problem at the beginning puts the rest of the speech in perspective. It also keeps the audience eager for more information on how to solve it. If you have people wanting to help you with the problem you’ve presented, you know you’ll have their attention for the duration of your speech.

9. Share a Story

You can also tell a story to give an issue or problem context. People identify with stories as they can feel more personal and intimate. Since speeches should be persuasive, they can also get people to your side while you’re speaking, coaching them as you go. Share a story about yourself as part of an introduction speech to get the ball rolling.

In one speech by Scott Dinsmore, he starts by saying, “Eight years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.” He then proceeds to talk about that advice, why it was terrible, and how it connects to the topic of his speech (doing what you love for work). By sharing a story, you can make the audience feel like they’ve gone on a journey with you. You establish that personal connection, making you, as the speaker, more relatable. That leaves people more open to listening to what you have to say.

Know who your audience is.
Refer to recent or historical events.
Allow for a period of silence to build anticipation.
Practice your speech multiple times, including in front of close friends and family.
Show gratitude for the opportunity.

If there’s a surefire way to lose your audience right at the start, it’s by simply introducing yourself. First off, in most speech settings, someone will likely have introduced you anyway, so it would be a waste of time. Secondly, most people in the audience will already know who you are and why you are there. Introducing yourself treats your audience like children and may even lead to some people zoning out immediately. Don’t dawdle or play schoolteacher with the people in front of you. Launch right into your speech with the skills discussed earlier. The results will speak for themselves.

Giving a speech is an art form that often relies on what happens at the start. Try out the above tips the next time you need to give a speech. Using assertive communication is another way to establish a connection with your audience. With the right beginning, you’ll have people following you every step of the way until you’ve finished.

Want more great quotes for starting a speech? Check out the following:

50+ Success Quotes to Inspire Leaders

Teamwork Quotes to Motivate and Inspire Collaboration

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101 Quotes to inspire speakers

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Inspiration sometimes runs dry, and for presenters feeling uninspired can lead to a poor performance.

Where do you go when you need a bit of extra lift? Sometimes the well thought out words of history’s very best orators can be just the ticket.

From drafting speeches, to calming your nerves right before you step into the spotlight , we’ve collected the top inspiring 101 quotes from thought leaders around the world.

Check nuggets of wisdom from Dale Carnegie , Mark Twain, Tony Robbins and Winston Churchill (we’ve even thrown in some William Butler Yeats and Seth Godin for good measure.)

Continue reading more quotes below or download the eBook from SlideShare .

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams ( Tweet this )

“There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking.” - Jean de la Bruyere ( Tweet this )

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” – Henry Ford ( Tweet this )

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward ( Tweet this )

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou ( Tweet this )

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead ( Tweet this )

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” – John Ford ( Tweet this )

“Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” – D. H. Lawrence ( Tweet this )

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.” – Dionysius Of Halicarnassus ( Tweet this )

“What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Jim Beggs ( Tweet this )

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” – Dianna Booher ( Tweet this )

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie ( Tweet this )

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

“A good orator is pointed and impassioned.” – Marcus T. Cicero ( Tweet this )

“Oratory is the power to talk people out of their sober and natural opinions.” – Joseph Chatfield ( Tweet this)

“He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.” – Joseph Conrad ( Tweet this )

“There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.” – Alexander Gregg ( Tweet this )

“The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” – Lilly Walters ( Tweet this )

“Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.” – Michael H. Mescon ( Tweet this )

“There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.” – Mark Twain ( Tweet this )

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” – Alexander Graham Bell ( Tweet this )

“90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White ( Tweet this )

“It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time.” – Wayne Burgraff ( Tweet this )

“The most precious things in speech are the... pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson ( Tweet this )

“Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” – Martin Fraquhar Tupper ( Tweet this )

“The problem with speeches isn’t so much not knowing when to stop, as knowing when not to begin.” – Frances Rodman ( Tweet this )

“Words have incredible power. They can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore. – Dr. Mardy Grothe ( Tweet this )

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” – Mark Twain ( Tweet this )

“If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential.” – Warren Buffet ( Tweet this )

“If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.” – Gerald R. Ford ( Tweet this )

“Always give a speech that you would like to hear.” – Andrii Sedniev ( Tweet this )

“If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.” – Harvey Diamond ( Tweet this )

“Find out what’s keeping them up nights and offer hope. Your theme must be an answer to their fears .” – Gerald C Myers ( Tweet this )

“In presentations or speeches less really is more.” – Stephen Keague ( Tweet this )

“Speeches measured by the hour die with the hour” – Thomas Jefferson ( Tweet this )

“It’s much easier to be convincing if you care about your topic. Figure out what’s important to you about your message and speak from the heart” – Nicholas Boothman ( Tweet this )

“Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.” – Dale Carnegie ( Tweet this )

“Speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners.” – Dale Carnegie ( Tweet this )

“It is not failure itself that holds you back; it is the fear of failure that paralyzes you.” -Brian Tracy ( Tweet this )

“All you need is something to say, and a burning desire to say it… it doesn’t matter where your hands are.” – Lou Holtz ( Tweet this )

“If you don’t use stories audience members may enjoy your speech, but there is no chance they’ll remember it.” – Andrii Sedniev ( Tweet this )

“There is no such thing as presentation talent, it is called presentation skills” -David JP Phillips ( Tweet this )

“The audience only pays attention as long as you know where you are going.” - Philip Crosby ( Tweet this )

“Ask yourself, ‘If I had only sixty seconds on the stage, what would I absolutely have to say to get my message across.” - Jeff Dewar ( Tweet this )

“It’s all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation.” – Rob Gilbert ( Tweet this )

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, and to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill ( Tweet this )

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin ( Tweet this )

“Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.” – Ken Haemer ( Tweet this )

“The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say ‘Me too!’ versus ‘So what?'” – Jim Rohn ( Tweet this )

“The royal road to a man’s heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most.” – Dale Carnegie ( Tweet this )

“To communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world, and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” – Tony Robbins ( Tweet this )

“To sway an audience, you must watch them as you speak.” – C. Kent Wright ( Tweet this )

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein ( Tweet this )

“If you can’t state your position in eight words, you don’t have a position. “ – Seth Godin ( Tweet this )

“The way something is presented will define the way you react to it.” – Neville Brody ( Tweet this )

“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” – William Butler Yeats ( Tweet this )

“A presentation is a chance to share, not an oral exam.” – M.F. Fensholt ( Tweet this )

“Speech is power. Speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. It is to bring another out of his bad sense into your good sense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson ( Tweet this )

“Words do two major things: they provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.” – Jim Rohn ( Tweet this )

“Every speaker has a mouth, an arrangement rather neat. Sometimes it’s filled with wisdom, sometimes it’s filled with feet.” – Robert Orben ( Tweet this )

“Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.” – Mary Hirsch ( Tweet this )

“If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they’ll kill you.” – Oscar Wilde ( Tweet this )

“Once you get people laughing, they’re listening and you can tell them almost anything.” – Herbert Gardner ( Tweet this )

“The world is waiting for your words.” – Arvee Robinson ( Tweet this )

“Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” – Jim Rohn ( Tweet this )

“A designer knows he or she has achieved perfection, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery ( Tweet this )

“If God is in the details, then the Devil is in PowerPoint.” – @AngryPaulRand ( Tweet this )

“The more strikingly visual your presentation is, the more people will remember it. And more importantly, they will remember you.” – Paul Arden ( Tweet this )

“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson ( Tweet this )

“Communication works for those who work at it .” – John Powell ( Tweet this )

“If you wing it when speaking, you’ll get wing it results.” – Arvee Robinson ( Tweet this )

“Your smile is a messenger of your goodwill.” – Dale Carnegie ( Tweet this )

“If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought.” – Dennis Roth ( Tweet this )

“Make sure you have stopped speaking before your audience has stopped listening.” – Dorothy Sarnoff ( Tweet this )

“Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much. ” - Robert Greenleaf ( Tweet this )

“If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.” - Winston S. Churchill ( Tweet this )

“The most valuable of all talents is never using two words when one will do.” -Thomas Jefferson ( Tweet this )

“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” -John Wooden ( Tweet this )

“Silence is the ultimate weapon of power.” - Charles de Gaulle ( Tweet this )

“Creative thinking is merely intelligent plagiarism.” - Aristotle ( Tweet this )

"Always be yourself and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and try to duplicate it." -Bruce Lee ( Tweet this )

“Successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity.” - Reed Markham ( Tweet this )

“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.” - Zig Ziglar ( Tweet this )

“A talk is a voyage with purpose and it must be charted. The man who starts out going nowhere, generally gets there.” - Dale Carnegie ( Tweet this )

“I have not failed. I’ve simply discovered 10,000 ways that don’t work.” - Thomas Edison ( Tweet this )

“Buried deep within each of us is a spark of greatness, a spark than can be fanned into flames of passion and achievement. That spark is not outside of you it is born deep within you.” -James A. Ray ( Tweet this )

“The energy level of the audience is the same as the speaker’s. For better...or for worse.” -Andras Baneth ( Tweet this )

"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation." -Arthur Ashe ( Tweet this )

“Our language is the reflection of ourselves. A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers.” - Cesar Chavez ( Tweet this )

“I do not speak of what I cannot praise.” - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe ( Tweet this )

“If you're not comfortable with public speaking - and nobody starts out comfortable; you have to learn how to be comfortable - practice. I cannot overstate the importance of practicing. Get some close friends or family members to help evaluate you, or somebody at work that you trust.” -Hillary Clinton ( Tweet this )

“Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes ( Tweet this )

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt ( Tweet this )

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” - Bill Gates ( Tweet this )

"Good transitions can make a speech more important to the audience because they feel they are being taken to a positive conclusion without having to travel a bumpy road." - Joe Griffith ( Tweet this )

"When speaking in public, your message - no matter how important - will not be effective or memorable if you don't have a clear structure." - Patricia Fripp ( Tweet this )

“The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.” -Lady Bird Johnson ( Tweet this )

“The best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you are talking about.” -Michael H. Mescon ( Tweet this )

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” - Robert McKee ( Tweet this )

“If something comes from your heart, it will reach the heart of your audience.” — فوزیه کوفی (Fawzia Koofi)‎ ( Tweet this )

How do we achieve our dreams and goals as a speaker? The inspiring story of Dale Carnegie's road to success

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Dale Carnegie quotes to help you become a better speaker

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50 powerful quotes to start your presentation.

Written by Kai Xin Koh

When was the last time you attended a conference where the speaker didn’t just say: “Oh hi, my name is XYZ and today, I’ll be speaking to you about Topic X”?

Great stories possess riveting narrative arcs that begin strong and end strong. We’ve written at length about some of the best ways to end your presentation , but how does one design a presentation to start without sounding too cliche?

One of the most powerful ways to begin a presentation is to start by sharing a powerful and memorable quote that relates to the message of your talk.

Powerful quotes have so much power on your presentation. Not only does it help reinforce your message, it also helps boost your credibility since it implied the quote is ‘agreeing’ with your statement.

Take this TED talk by Andrew Solomon for example. Notice how he skilfully uses a quote from a book by Emily Dickinson to set the stage for his numerous anecdotes regarding the topic on Depression in his presentation:

Hence, if you’re looking to follow suit and start your next presentation strong with a powerful quote, we’ve got you covered. Here, we compiled a list of 50 quotes that you can use to boost your next presentation.

50 Powerful Quotes To Start Your Presentation:

1) “ The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

2) “Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games.” – Babe Ruth

3) “ If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein

4) “ If you’re too comfortable, it’s time to move on. Terrified of what’s next? You’re on the right track.” – Susan Fales Hill

5) “ Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates

6) “ You can’t look at the competition and say you’re going to do it better. You have to look at the competition and say you’re going to do it differently.” – Steve Jobs

7) “ Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect.” – Jack Dorsey

8) “ Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.” – Oprah Winfrey

9) “ Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark.” – Jay Danzie

10) “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett

11) “Some entrepreneurs think how can I make a lot of money? But a better way is to think how can I make people’s lives a lot better? If you get it right, the money will come.” – Richard Branson

12) “When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars people said, ‘Nah, what’s wrong with a horse? ’ That was a huge bet he made, and it worked.” – Elon Musk

13) “There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.” – Ray Goforth

14) “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.” – Charles F. Kettering

15) “People rarely buy what they need. They buy what they want.” – Seth Godin

16) “Please think about your legacy, because you’re writing it every day.” – Gary Vaynerchuck

17) “The golden rule for every business man is this: Put yourself in your customer’s place.” – Orison Swett Marden

18) “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” – David Brinkley

19) “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid.” – Einstein

20) “The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” – Lilly Tomlin

21) “ When you run a part of the relay and pass on the baton, there is no sense of unfinished business in your mind. There is just the sense of having done your part to the best of your ability. That is it. The hope is to pass on the baton to somebody who will run faster and run a better marathon.” – N. R. Narayana Murthy

22) “Whatever you’re thinking, think bigger.” – Tony Hsieh

23) “When you find an idea that you can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.” – Josh James

24) “What would you do if you’re not afraid?” – Sheryl Sandberg

25) “Don’t worry about failure, you only have to be right once.” – Drew Houston

26) “When I’m old and dying. I plan to look back on my life and say ‘Wow, an adventure’ not, ‘Wow, I sure felt safe’” – Tom Preston Werner

27) “80% of your sales comes from 20% of your clients.” – Vilfredo Pareto

28) “You just have to pay attention to what people need and what has not been done.” – Russell Simmons

29) “We are really competing against ourselves, we have no control over how other people perform.” – Pete Cashmore

30) “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” – Wayne Gretzy

31) “Always remember, your focus determines your reality.” – George Lucas

32) “If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.” – Zig Ziglar

33) “Words may inspire but action creates change.” – Simon Sinek

34) “It isn’t what we say or think that denies us, but what we do.” – Jane Austen

35) “Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be someone; get action.” – Theodore Roosevelt

36) “There is only one boss. The customer.” – Sam Walton

37) “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

38) “You have to go wholeheartedly into anything in order to achieve anything worth having.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

39) “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela

40) “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” – Bob Marley

41) “There is no great genius without some touch of madness.” – Seneca

42) “If you think you are too small to make an impact try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.” – Ekaterina Walter

43) “If you just work on stuff that you like and you’re passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” – Mark Zuckerberg

44) “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison

45) “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln

46) “Don’t build links. Build relationships.” – Rand Fishkin

47) “100 percent of the shots you don’t take, don’t go in.” – Wayne Gretzky, Hockey Legend

48) “If you’ve got an idea, start today. There’s no better time than now to get going. That doesn’t mean quit your job and jump into your idea 100 percent from day one, but there’s always small progress that can be made to start the movement.” – Kevin Systrom, Founder of Instagram

49) “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” – Jack Welch, Former CEO of GE

50) “You must be very patient, very persistent. The world isn’t going to shower gold coins on you just because you have a good idea. You’re going to have to work like crazy to bring that idea to the attention of people. They’re not going to buy it unless they know about it.” – Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines.

There you have it!

Phew! – now you have an additional 50 powerful quotes that you can add in your presentation arsenal. Leave an unforgettable impression on your presentation with these quotes starting today!

Comment down your favourite quote. And let us know if you have any that we didn’t add to the list!

Article Written By: Kai Xin Koh

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50 Inspiring Public Speaking Quotes to Help You Conquer Your Fear

If there’s one thing we can all agree on it’s that public speaking is often intimidating and nerve-wracking! Being able to confidently stand up in front of a room of people and eloquently deliver a speech – while also engaging and inspiring your audience – is no easy task. The great thing is, there is so much information out there to help you turn your fear into skillful public speaking. One such resource is the wealth of inspiring quotes related to the topic. To give you a boost of inspiration and remind you of the beauty of engaging public speaking, we’ve gathered 50 of the best public speaking quotes here. The wisdom and insight included in this collection will empower you to prepare ahead of time and conquer your fear so you can deliver that speech with confidence and grace. Enjoy!

Inspirational Quotes to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking

Public speaking can be a terrifying experience for many people. But by using wise and inspiring quotes to motivate yourself, you can conquer the fear of public speaking and tap into your true potential. Here are some incredible quotes to help you get started: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill This quote reminds us that public speaking takes courage no matter which end of the spectrum you’re on. Whether you need to cross the room and give a speech or bravely sit in place and listen, courage is necessary either way. “You will have your audience eating out of your hands if you don’t just tell them facts but make it interesting with stories and humor.” – Barbara Walters This quote emphasizes the importance of making your presentation more engaging with storytelling and wit – which can help you break through any fears that come along with public speaking. “When facing fear, make yourself bigger, brighter, louder. When we do this, fear shrinks back faster than light does from a black hole.”– Sabrina Ward Harrison This quote aptly warns that if fear has a hold over us, we need to take action to combat it; use techniques such as visualization, positive self-talk or deep breathing to reduce anxiety and let our true personalities shine through.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.” – D.L. Moody

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” – Will Rogers

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln These quotes provide great inspiration while overcoming the fear of public speaking. But motivation alone isn’t enough when tackling such obstacles – next, begin setting goals and finding ways to measure success in order to truly motivate yourself with powerful thoughts.

Motivate Yourself with Powerful Thoughts

Motivating yourself with powerful thoughts is a great way to address your fear of public speaking. After all, you are never too prepared when trying to conquer those butterflies in your stomach before giving a speech. It’s important to remember that the best way to feel confident and remain composed throughout your address is by mentally preparing yourself beforehand. Think about everything that you have going for you and how far you have come: your successes, education, and other meaningful experiences you’ve had in life. Let those achievements be fuel for your inspiration as well as give you confidence in your abilities; it will help motivate you during that difficult moment when you’re on stage. Believing in yourself is one of the most important skills to maintain control over your fear instead of letting it dictate how you’ll do in front of the audience. However, caring too much about what the audience may think can negatively impact the effectiveness of your speech — so while believing in yourself is important, don’t put too much stock into getting a positive reaction from the crowd. If each word or visual aid is perfectly timed and well-organized, then naturally the audience will enjoy what they hear and see more than if it was chaotic. This leads us into our next section about memorable quotes to help you find courage before giving speeches! As these inspirational sayings can serve as an anchor during moments of doubt, they can also provide insight into managing the anxiety of public speaking and becoming an effective communicator.

Memorable Quotes to Help You Find Courage

Whether you’re preparing for a big presentation or performing a perfectly rehearsed monologue, you need courage and confidence to be effective. A few inspiring quotes will help keep your speech on track and can give you the courage to face your fear of public speaking. Consider some of these classic quotes to help find the courage and strength necessary before any engagement: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela This oft-quoted phrase from Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nelson Mandela speaks to the power we have to conquer our fears and worries despite our hesitation. An effective speaker sees beyond their fear and anticipates a rewarding outcome. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt Often misattributed as an anonymous quote, this phrase was spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first inauguration speech. Through this line, he was trying to express the idea that fear is self-inflicted, and should not be allowed to stop us from achieving success in all our endeavors. When it comes to giving impactful presentations, let go of the fear that holds you back, replace it with positive energy so your message resonates with the audience. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt This inspiring quote from Eleanor Roosevelt encourages us to push past our limits and disrupt routine-life by embracing moments of uncertainties, changes and unknowns, which all contribute for a better version of ourselves in public speaking scenarios. Step out of your comfort zone and rise above your fears starting with small wins each day – even if it’s just shaking hands with a stranger at the mall – the act alone can spark enough courage for you do face more difficult speaking engagements later on.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” – Maya Angelou

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – E.E. Cummings

“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Take a moment to reflect on these powerful quotes when preparing for any public speaking gig, then use them as an anchor to remind yourself of why you are here when thoughts of failure arise in your mind. With enough enthusiasm and passion, inspire yourself with positive phrases in order to give an impactful performance! In the next section, learn how positive words can go a long way in boosting your morale while preparing or during your presentation.

Inspire Yourself with Positive Phrases

When facing an audience and task of delivering an important speech, it can be helpful to inspire yourself with positive phrases. Reminding ourselves that we are competent, capable, and strong can help us get over any fear or anxiety we may be feeling. Positive affirmations may also increase our confidence so we can focus on delivering our best speech. Additionally, practicing positive mantras like “I can do this” or “I am worthy of this opportunity” can help put us in the mindset for success. Positive self talk is known to be a powerful tool for reducing stress and improving motivation. However, it’s important to remember that positive thinking cannot be forced. It only works if someone truly believes what they are saying and are actively redirecting their thoughts in a more encouraging direction. So while repeating affirmative phrases can have a meaningful impact on one’s mental state, doing so without believing them can have little to no effect after the initial reaction. With the right attitude and some self-encouragement words, we can overcome all of our public speaking fears and take control of our emotions before getting up in front of an audience. Now let’s look at some inspiring quotes that can help us become successful at public speaking.

Quotes to Inspire Successful Public Speaking

No matter the size of the crowd, public speaking can be intimidating. Famous figures throughout history have been helping to empower those who take on this challenge. Quotes to inspire successful public speaking can go a long way in conquering the fear of standing up in front of an audience. Albert Einstein is often credited with saying, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” This quote instills confidence by highlighting that difficulty comes with opportunities for greatness. If you are anxious about speaking to a large group, look at it as an opportunity to show your strengths and create something special or memorable. Other inspiring quotes come from well-known figures such as Aristotle who said: “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit”. The best speakers don’t simply rely on their first speech. They treat it like any activity that requires practice and repetition in order to perfect it. Improving upon each successive performance is key to success when it comes to public speaking. For those seeking inspiration beyond famous philosophers, people like Steve Jobs offer motivation through his words: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life… Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Although Steve Job’s career path was far from normal, his work ethic and sense of purpose are inspirational for anyone lacking confidence in their own unique delivery style.

“The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” – Lilly Walters

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller . The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.” – Steve Jobs

“To be a good public speaker, you must first be a good listener.” – Calvin Coolidge

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” – Dianna Booher

“The success of a presentation is 10% what you say, and 90% how you say it.” – Frank Tyger

“It’s not the size of the audience, it’s the effect you have on them.” – Robert Michalski

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” – Brian Tracy

“It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” – William Carlos Williams By utilizing these inspiring quotes as fuel for our fire, we can ignite the spark within us and become successful public speakers . However, mastering this skill often involves an extra layer of confidence that has its own set of challenges. In the next section, we will explore innovative ways to develop confidence for your audience.

Develop Confidence for Your Audience

Having confidence when you step in front of the room is essential to success in public speaking. Developing your confidence requires focusing on how your audience perceives you, building strong habits that lead to success, and believing in yourself. Knowing how your audience will receive you is key to feeling confident about standing in front of them. It can help to practice hard beforehand by rehearsing both with friends or colleagues, as well as practicing in public speaking clubs , or even alone in front of a mirror. You’ll want to focus on not just what you’re saying but also the way that you say it, by speaking with conviction , good pacing, and careful word choice. Know your strengths and weaknesses , and once you do make a point of emphasizing those strengths while downplaying the weaknesses. Preparing for success also means creating good habits that will help you stay on track while giving your talk. Having a healthy mental state is important, so leading up to the talk keep healthy eating habits and exercise regularly to stay strong and focused during your presentation. It also helps to come into each talk having already learned something new about the topic , which can help give some extra pep in taking the stage when needed. Building these habits helps reduce stress levels ahead of time and can give an individual that much more assurance in their abilities and that the task at hand can be done. Above all else, believe in yourself and remember why you decided to give this speech or presentation in the first place – because you have something important to share with your audience. Remind yourself of all of the hard work you put into preparing for this moment and all of the positive feedback that others gave you along the way; it’s often enough to bring back strong confidence for your performance. Equipping yourself with these tools ahead of time will be paramount in helping develop and maintain confidence during your talk. As mentioned before, exerting this level of confidence is essential for a successful presentation; now let’s explore quotes to help further prepare individuals so they are able give a captivating performance — let’s start with looking at what these inspiring quotes can tell us about preparing for our talk.

Quotes to Help You Prepare for Your Talk

Doing the preparation is half of the battle when it comes to public speaking. Having a plan and an idea of what you are going to say gives your speech structure , one that your audience will appreciate. Preparation should also be extended to anticipating questions and creating responses for them accordingly. This can help ensure that you look prepared and authoritative. To emphasize the importance of preparation, here are some inspiring quotes on it: “Chance favors the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur This quote by science pioneer Louis Pasteur underlines the importance of being prepared mentally before delivering a talk or presentation. Being informed, informed and informed beforehand can give you a huge psychological edge, assuring you of a successful performance. “The first step in preparing an effective speech is research.” – Dale Carnegie Dale Carnegie’s famous quote reminds us that even if we feel we know enough about our topic, it does not hurt to do additional research so we can fully equip ourselves with knowledge about it before engaging our audience . Research can also act as inspiration for new ideas and insights. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin This proverb from Benjamin Franklin further stresses the need for proper planning before any presentation or talk. Having a well conceived framework and understanding exactly how our points will be delivered can be key when standing in front of a large group of people.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” – Lewis Carroll

“Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” – Stephen Keague

“Know your material, know your audience, and know your purpose.” – George H. W. Bush

“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius

“The time to prepare for a speech is twenty years.” – Mark Twain

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” – John Wooden

These quotes serve as reminders of just how important preparation is before any presentation or speech. This is also supported by many experts who acknowledge the value of practising and rehearsing before taking the stage or stand. With this said, let us now proceed to discuss impactful quotes which inspire growth in public speaking prowess.

Impactful Quotes that can Positively Affect Your Development

When it comes to public speaking, inspiring quotes can help to provide a mental pick-me-up and motivate our innermost selves. In addition to the initial adrenaline boost, many powerful quotes can have positive long-term effects on our development. They give us something tangible to hold onto and reflect back upon during moments of anxiety or when we’re defeated by external forces like stage fright or a challenging audience. For instance, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s famous quote “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm” speaks to the importance of resilience and drives home the idea that success isn’t necessarily predetermined; it takes hard work, dedication, and an unflappable spirit through darkness and defeat.

Similarly, Rick Hansen’s quote “There is nothing you can’t do, if you set your mind to it. Anything is possible.” directs our thoughts towards strength and being recognized as capable of achieving anything with mindful effort. On the other hand, some believe that impactful quotes are useful but emphasize more natural talent and less hard work. This mindset implies that if we just think positively and keep in motivating words top of mind, then any challenge we encounter will be much easier to conquer. While it’s true that positive thinking and self-belief are essential for motivation, this approach leaves out much of the reality – which is that personal growth is a process that requires dedication, bravery, and an acceptance of one’s weaknesses as valuable lessons for future improvement. It’s important to remember that impactful quotes should be used in conjunction with studying techniques for calming nerves , boosting confidence, and improving performance – not taken as a substitute for honing public speaking talents over time. Quotes inspire us to look more deeply into ourselves in order to better understand how we can utilize our experiences in order to become better communicators. With this in mind, let us now conclude this article by reviewing its main points and offering final thoughts on its main topic: public speaking quotes as tools for conquering fear. Conclusion & Final Thoughts: Now that we have explored how impactful public speaking quotes can be positive building blocks for personal growth and development, let’s turn our focus towards drawing our conclusion and discussing any final thoughts on the use of public speaking quotes.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Public speaking can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Despite the fear that many experience before speaking in front of an audience, stepping up with confidence and delivering a meaningful message can have lasting positive effects. As these 50 inspiring quotes demonstrate, public speaking is not something to be afraid of but instead something to relish as an opportunity to reach out and make a positive impact on those around you. When it comes down to it, conquering your fear of public speaking does take time and practice. It may help to write about your experiences and build on the skills that you already possess. If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, remember that no one expects perfection – try to take it slow and focus on providing value to the audience. With dedication and patience, you’ll be able to control your fear and become an inspiring public speaker. One thing is certain – although public speaking may feel intimidating at first, it can bring many rewards once you gain the confidence to do it well. Whether you’re an experienced presenter or new to the field, remember these 50 inspiring quotes as reminders that anyone can become a great public speaker with the right attitude and dedication.

Commonly Asked Questions

How can i use quotes to motivate myself when preparing for a public speaking engagement.

Quotes can be a great way to motivate yourself when preparing for a public speaking engagement. Not only do they provide you with words of encouragement and inspiration, but they can also act as mental reminders that you have the ability to succeed. Quotes can help to spark your creativity, fuel your energy, and give you a renewed sense of confidence. Additionally, quotes can be used as an effective tool to overcome any fears or doubts so that you can deliver an amazing speech. Reading relevant quotes that speak to the power of words and communication can help prepare you mentally for your public speaking engagement. They are like mantras that offer motivation and reassurance throughout the preparation process. Last but not least, quotes can spark ideas when brainstorming topics or content to share in your speech.

Presentation Hacks

21 Brilliant Presentation Quotes To Start Your Speech

By: Leslie Belknap

We all know the saying, you only get one chance to make a first impression . This quote continues to be repeated, even though it is borderline cliché, because first impressions can make or break relationships. This is true even if a first impression is a presentation.

If you are at a loss for how to make a lasting, positive impression during the first few seconds of your next presentation, consider telling a story, sharing a joke, or even leading with a powerful quote that relates to the message of your talk. If you want to begin with a quote, you are in luck, because below are 21 brilliant presentation quotes that are sure to start your speech off on the right foot.

1. The common question that gets asked in business is, ‘why?’ That’s a good question, but an equally valid question is, ‘why not?’. – Jeff Bezos

2. There’s lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world. – Phil Libin

3. A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business. – Henry Ford

4. If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late. – Reid Hoffman

5. If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough. – Mario Andretti

6. A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. – Max Lucado

7. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. – Steve Jobs

8. The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. – Confucius

9. The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything. – Warren Buffett

10. Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth. – Rumi

11. You don’t have to be a genius or a visionary or even a college graduate to be successful. You just need a framework and a dream. – Michael Dell

12. Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like. – Brian Chesky

13. The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. – Mark Twain

14. The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus. – Bruce Lee

15. Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. – Albert Einstein

16. If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it. – Elon Musk

17. In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. – Deepak Chopra

18. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. – Thomas Edison

19. Fall seven times and stand up eight. – Japanese Proverb

20. I was taught the way of progress is neither swift nor easy. – Marie Curie

21. Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. – Napoleon Hill

Like these quotes? You might also enjoy:

Inspirational Quotes for Presentations from Aristotle

Our Favorite Presentation Quotes

Also check out 13 Inspiring Quotes about Design :

Need help making a great impression during your next presentation? We are here to help! Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you succeed.

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The big fish blog, 25 awesome public speaking quotes.

Preorder our new book, “The Big Fish Experience” to see everything we’ve learned over the years, all the resources we use to do what we do, and our tips on how to present experiences.

Public speaking is the number one fear in America. Death is number two.

From sweaty palms to cracking voices, speaking publicly can be terrifying, yet it is a crucial skill to have in the business world. We’d like to alleviate some of this stress by offering up some inspirational, informative quotes. These quotes are in no particular order, and the speakers range from well-known orators to presentation gurus. Some are serious, some are classic, and some are short and funny. Feel free to spread these around, write them in your journals, whatever you want! Enjoy!

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” -John Ford

“Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” -D. H. Lawrence

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.” -Dionysius Of Halicarnassus

“What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” -Jim Beggs

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” -Dianna Booher

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie

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

“A good orator is pointed and impassioned.” -Marcus T. Cicero

“Oratory is the power to talk people out of their sober and natural opinions.” – Joseph Chatfield

“He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.” – Joseph Conrad

“The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” – Lilly Walters

“If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.” – Harvey Diamond

“Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.” – Michael H Mescon

“There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.” – Mark Twain

“No one ever complains about a speech being too short!” – Ira Hayes

“90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White

“It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time.” – Wayne Burgraff

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson

“Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” – Martin Fraquhar Tupper

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Carl W. Buechner

“The problem with speeches isn’t so much not knowing when to stop, as knowing when not to begin.” – Frances Rodman

“Words have incredible power. They can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore.” -Dr. Mardy Grothe

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” – Mark Twain

Tags: 25 , art , audience , awesome blog , big fish , big fish presentations , blog , cool blog , emerson , entrepreneur , entrepreneurship , famous quotes , john ford , mark twain , presentation , public speaking , quotes , speakers , speaking , speech

These are 25 quotes that every writer on oratory as well as every orator need to have in his or her repertory of quotes. The one by Martin Fraquhar Tupper, “Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” is a special favorite of mine because I’m always telling the new speakers that I mentor to pause when speaking as an alternative to using filler words when they need a moment to gather their thoughts. A well-laced pause can add dramatic impact to a speech while filler words do nothing but detract from the quality of ones speech.

We completely agree. Pausing adds that special dramatic impact. Filler words like “umm” and “ahh” can get dangerous if used too much…

Thank you!!!!

No problem, Jon! We’re glad you liked it! Stay tuned for more!

I just stumbled across this blog, and I love those Mark Twain quotes. What a genius, that man.

We completely agree, Mike! Make sure to subscribe to our blog for more posts!

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50 Speech Closing Lines (& How to Create Your Own) | The Ultimate Guide

Hrideep barot.

Public Speaking , Speech Writing

While speech openings are definitely one of the most important components of a speech, something that is equally as important is the way you conclude your speech.

There are few worse ways to end your speech than with a terse ‘thank you’–no elaboration or addition whatsoever.

Speech endings are just as crucial to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening.

The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Speech endings can put even the most experienced speaker in flux, and increase their anxiousness manifold as they sit there attempting to figure out the perfect way to end your speech.

If you’re someone who’s in flux about your speech ending too, don’t worry. We’ve got some amazing ways to conclude your speech with a bang!

1. Circling Back To The Beginning

The idea behind circling back to the beginning of your speech is to reinforce the idea of your speech being a complete whole. By circling back to the beginning and connecting it to your ending, you let the audience understand that the idea of your speech is complete & standalone.

Circling back to the beginning of your speech also acts as an excellent way of reinforcing the central idea of your speech in the audience’s mind, and makes it more likely that they will remember it after the speech ends.

Need more inspiration for speech opening lines? Check out our article on 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines & Tips To Create Your Own.

How To Circle Back To The Beginning

The easiest way to do this is to set up your beginning for the conclusion of your speech. That is, if you’re saying something like, say, a story or joke in the beginning, then you can leave your audience in a cliffhanger until the ending arrives.

Another great way to circle back to the beginning is by simply restating something you said at the start. The added knowledge from attending the rest of your speech will help the audience see this piece of information in a new–and better–light.

1. Will Stephen

Ending Line: “I’d like you to think about what you heard in the beginning, and I want you to think about what you hear now. Because it was nothing & it’s still nothing.”

2. Canwen Xu

Speech Ending: My name is Canwen, my favorite color is purple and I play the piano but not so much the violin…

Think of a memorable moment from your life, and chances are you’ll realize that it involved a feeling of happiness–something that we can associate with smiling or laughter. And what better way to generate laughter than by incorporating the age-old strategy of good humor.

The happy and lighthearted feeling you associate with good memories is the kind of emotional reaction you want to create in your audience too. That’s what will make your speech stick in their memory.

Done incorrectly, humor can be a disaster. Done right, however, it can entirely transform a speech.

Humor doesn’t only mean slapstick comedy (although there’s nothing wrong with slapstick, either). Humor can come in many forms, including puns, jokes, a funny story…the list is endless.

How To Incorporate Humor In Your Speech Ending

The simplest way to incorporate humor into your speech ending is by telling a plain old joke–something that’s relevant to your topic, of course.

You can also tell them a short, funny anecdote–may be an unexpected conclusion to a story you set up in the beginning.

Another way would be by employing the power of repetition. You can do this by associating something funny with a word, and then repeating the word throughout your speech. During the end, simply say the word or phrase one last time, and it’s likely you’ll leave off your audience with a good chuckle.

1. Woody Roseland

Ending Line: “Why are balloons so expensive? Inflation.”

2. Andras Arato

Ending Line: “There are three rules to becoming famous. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.”

3. Hasan Minhaj

Ending Line: “And you want to know the scariest part? Pretty soon every country on the earth is going to have its own TLC show.”

4. Sophie Scott

Speech Ending: In other words, when it comes to laughter, you and me baby, ain’t nothing but mammals.

5. Tim Urban

Speech Ending: We need to stay away from the Instant Gratification Monkey. That’s a job for all of us. And because there’s not that many boxes on there. It’s a job that should probably start today. Well, maybe not today, but, you know, sometime soon.

6. Hasan Minhaj

Speech Ending: Showing my legs on TV is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. And keep in mind last week I went after the Prince of Saudi Arabia.

3. Question

The idea behind posing a question at the end of your speech is to get the wheels in your audience’s minds turning and to get them thinking of your speech long after it has ended. A question, if posed correctly, will make your audience re-think about crucial aspects of your speech, and is a great way to prompt discussion after your speech has ended.

How To Add Questions To Your Speech Ending

The best type of questions to add to your speech ending is rhetorical questions. That’s because, unlike a literal question, a rhetorical question will get the audience thinking and make them delve deeper into the topic at hand.

Make sure your question is central to the idea of your speech, and not something frivolous or extra. After all, the point of a question is to reinforce the central idea of your topic.

1. Lexie Alford

Speech Ending: Ask yourself: How uncomfortable are you willing to become in order to reach your fullest potential?

2. Apollo Robbins

Speech Ending: If you could control somebody’s attention, what would you do with it?

Quotes are concise, catchy phrases or sentences that are generally easy to remember and repeat.

Quotes are an age-old way to start–and conclude–a speech. And for good reason.

Quotes can reinforce your own ideas by providing a second voice to back them up. They can also provoke an audience’s mind & get them thinking. So, if you add your quote to the end of your speech, the audience will most likely be thinking about it for long after you have finished speaking.

How To Use Quotes In Your Speech Ending

While adding quotes to your speech ending, make sure that it’s relevant to your topic. Preferably, you want to pick a quote that summarizes your entire idea in a concise & memorable manner.

Make sure that your quote isn’t too long or complicated. Your audience should be able to repeat it as well as feel its impact themselves. They shouldn’t be puzzling over the semantics of your quote, but its intended meaning.

1. Edouard Jacqmin

Speech Ending: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

2. Chris Crowe

Speech Ending: “It’s more certain than death and taxes.”

3. Olivia Remes

Speech Ending: I’d like to leave you with a quote by Martin Luther King: “You don’ have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”

4. Tomislav Perko

Speech Ending: Like that famous quote says, “In twenty years from now on, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do.

5. Diana Nyad

Speech Ending: To paraphrase the poet, Mary Oliver, she says, “So, what is it? What is it you’re doing with this one wild and precious life of yours?”

5. Piece Of Advice

The point of giving a piece of advice at the end of your speech is not to pull your audience down or to make them feel bad/inferior about themselves. Rather, the advice is added to motivate your audience to take steps to do something–something related to the topic at hand.

The key point to remember is that your advice is included to help your audience, not to discourage them.

How To Add Piece Of Advice To Your Speech Ending

To truly make your audience follow the advice you’re sharing, you must make sure it resonates with them. To do so, you need to inject emotions into your advice, and to present it in such a manner that your audience’s emotions are aroused when they hear it.

Your advice shouldn’t be something extra-complicated or seemingly impossible to achieve. This will act as a counter-agent. Remember that you want your audience to follow your advice, not to chuck it away as something impossible.

Our article, 15 Powerful Speech Ending Lines And Tips To Create Your Own , is another great repository for some inspiration.

1. Ricardo Lieuw On

Speech Ending: “Learn something new, or a new way of approaching something old because there are a few skills are valuable as the art of learning.”

2. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Speech Ending: “If we want to improve the competence level of our leaders, then we should first improve our own competence for judging and selecting leaders.”

3. Sharique Samsudheen

Speech Ending: “Some people love money, some people hate money, some people crave money, some people even kill for money. But what they miss is they just need to learn how to manage money well, and that will give them financial freedom.”

4. Kate Simonds

Speech Ending: Teens, you need to believe in your voices and adults, you need to listen.

5. Melissa Butler

Speech Ending: When you go home today, see yourself in the mirror, see all of you, look at all your greatness that you embody, accept it, love it and finally, when you leave the house tomorrow, try to extend that same love and acceptance to someone who doesn’t look like you.

6. Iskra Lawrence

Speech Ending: Speak to your body in a loving way. It’s the only one you got, it’s your home, and it deserves your respect. If you see anyone tearing themselves down, build them back up And watch your life positively grow when you give up the pursuit of perfection.

6. Contemplative Remark

As the name itself suggests, contemplative remarks are intended to make your audience contemplate or mull over something. The ‘something’ in question should be the idea central to your speech, or a key takeaway that you want them to return home with.

The idea is to get your audience thinking and to keep them thinking for a long, long time.

How To Add A Contemplative Remark To Your Speech Ending

To add a contemplative remark to your speech ending, you first need to figure out your key takeaway or main theme. Then, you want to arrange that as a question, and propose it to your audience at the end of your speech.

Remember that your question shouldn’t be something too wordy or complicated to understand. As with the quotes, you don’t want your audience stuck on the semantics. Rather, you want them to focus on the matter at hand.

1. Lisa Penney

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to pay more attention to your thoughts & consider the legacy you leave behind.”

2. Grant Sanderson

Speech Ending: “Some of the most useful math that you can find or teach has its origin in someone who was just looking for a good story.”

3. Greta Thunberg

Speech Ending: “We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up & change is coming whether you like it or not.”

4. Bill Eckstrom

Speech Ending: Now, think about this: it’s not the complexity-triggering individuals or events you should fear the most, but it’s your own willingness to accept or seek discomfort that will dictate the growth of not just you, but our entire world.

5. Robert Hoge

Speech Ending: Choose to accept your face, choose to appreciate your face, don’t look away from the mirror so quickly; understand all the love, and the life, and the pain that is the part of your face, that is the art of your face. Tomorrow when you wake up, what will your choice be?

7. Personal Anecdote

Personal anecdotes, as the name suggests, are anecdotes that are personal to the speaker or instances from their life. Personal anecdotes are a great way to incorporate the magical powers of storytelling in your speech, as well as to make a personal connection with the audience. Using personal anecdotes, you can hit two birds with one stone!

How To Add Personal Anecdotes To Your Speech Ending

To add personal anecdotes to your speech ending, you need to filter through your life experiences to find out ones that directly relate to your topic at hand. You don’t want to include an anecdote, no matter how compelling it is, if it doesn’t relate to your topic.

Remember to not keep your anecdote too long. Your audience will most likely lose their attention if you do so.

1. Sheila Humphries

Speech Ending: “Why do you go work for these people?” My answer to them was, “If I could help one child make it in this world, it’ll be worth it all.”

8. Call To Action

A call-to-action is one of the absolute best ways to conclude a speech with a bang. A well-written speech should aim to alter the audience’s mind or belief system in some way and to make them take an action in that direction. One crucial way to assure your audience does this is by using a call to action.

How To Add A Call To Action To Your Speech Ending

A call to action comes right before the ending of your speech to provide your audience with a clear idea or set of instructions about what they’re supposed to do after your talk ends.

A call to action should provide a roadmap to the audience for their future steps, and to outline clearly what those future steps are going to be.

1. Armin Hamrah

Speech Ending: “So tonight, after you finish your Math homework & before you lay your head down on that fluffy pillow, bring a piece of paper and pen by your bedside…”

2. Graham Shaw

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to get your drawings out there & spread the word that when we draw, we remember more!”

3. Andy Puddicombe

Speech Ending: You don’t have to burn any incense, and you definitely don’t have to sit on the floor. All you need to do is to take out 10 minutes out a day to step back, familiarize yourself with the present moment so that you get to experience a greater sense of focus, calm, and clarity in your life.

4. Amy Cuddy

Speech Ending: Before you go into the next stressful evaluative situation, for two minutes, try doing this in the elevator…

5. Jia Jiang

Speech Ending: When you are facing the next obstacle or the next failure, consider the possibilities. Don’t run! If you just embrace them, they might become your gifts as well.

9. Motivational Remark

As the name clearly explains, a motivational remark motivates your audience to carry out a plan of action. It ruffles the audience’s mind and emotions and has a powerful impact on the steps that your audience will take after you’ve finished speaking.

How To Add A Motivational Remark To Your Speech Ending

The key to a good motivational remark is to inspire your audience. Your motivational remark should act as a ray of hope to your audience and positively inspire them to take a desired course of action.

Your motivational remark should not be negative in any way. You don’t want to guilt or coerce your audience into doing something or feeling a certain way. You want to leave them on a positive note to move forward with their life.

1. Khanh Vy Tran

Speech Ending: “No matter what you’re going through right now & no matter what the future holds for you, please don’t change yourself. Love yourself, accept yourself & then transform yourself.”

2. Mithila Palkar

Speech Ending: “Get a job, leave a job, dance, sing, fall in love. Carve your own niche. But most importantly: learn to love your own randomness.”

3. Andrew Tarvin

Speech Ending: “Anyone can learn to be funnier. And it all starts with a choice. A choice to try to find ways to use humor. A choice to be like my grandmother, to look at the world around you and say WTF–wow, that’s fun.”

4. Laura Vanderkam

Speech Ending: There is time. Even if we are busy, we have time for what matters. And when we focus on what matters, we can build the lives we want in the time we’ve got.

5. Julian Treasure

Speech Ending: Let’s get listening taught in schools, and transform the world in one generation into a conscious listening world, a world of connection, a world of understanding, and a world of peace.

6. Mariana Atencio

Speech Ending: Let’s celebrate those imperfections that make us special. I hope that it teaches you that nobody has a claim on the word ‘normal’. We are all different. We are all quirky and unique and that is what makes us wonderfully human.

10. Challenge

Much like a call to action, the aim of proposing a challenge at the end of your speech is to instigate your audience to take some desired course of action. A challenge should make an appeal to your audience’s emotion, and motivate them to meet it.

How To Add A Challenge To Your Speech Ending

To apply a challenge effectively to your speech ending, you need to make sure that it’s something relevant to your topic. Your challenge should drive the central topic of your speech forward, and make your audience engage in real-life steps to apply your idea in the real world.

While its always a good idea to set a high bar for your challenge, make sure its an achievable one too.

1. Jamak Golshani

Speech Ending: “I challenge you to open your heart to new possibilities, choose a career path that excites you & one that’s aligned to who you truly are.”

2. Ashley Clift-Jennings

Speech Ending: So, my challenge to you today is, “Do you know, would you even know how to recognize your soulmate?” If you are going out in the world right now, would you know what you are looking for?

11. Metaphor

Metaphors are commonly used as a short phrase that draws a comparison between two ideas in a non-literal sense. People use metaphors quite commonly in daily life to explain ideas that might be too difficult or confusing to understand otherwise. Metaphors are also great tools to be used in speech, as they can present your main idea in a simple and memorable way.

How To Add Metaphors To Your Speech Ending

To add a metaphor to your speech ending, you need to first decide on the main idea or takeaway of your speech. Your metaphor should then be organized in such a way that it simplifies your main idea and makes it easier for your audience to understand & remember it.

The key is to not make your metaphor overly complicated or difficult to retain and share. Remember that you’re trying to simplify your idea for the audience–not make them even more confused.

1. Ramona J. Smith

Speech Ending: “Stay in that ring. And even after you take a few hits, use what you learned from those previous fights, and at the end of the round, you’ll still remain standing.”

2. Shi Heng YI

Speech Ending: “If any of you chooses to climb that path to clarity, I will be very happy to meet you at the peak.”

3. Zifang “Sherrie” Su

Speech Ending: “Are you turning your back on your fear? Our life is like this stage, but what scares are now may bring you the most beautiful thing. Give it a chance.”

12. Storytelling

The idea behind using stories to end your speech is to leave your audience with a good memory to take away with them.

Stories are catchy, resonating & memorable ways to end any speech.

Human beings can easily relate to stories. This is because most people have grown up listening to stories of some kind or another, and thus a good story tends to evoke fond feelings in us.

How To Incorporate Stories In Your Speech Ending

A great way to incorporate stories in your speech ending is by setting up a story in the beginning and then concluding it during the end of your speech.

Another great way would be to tell a short & funny anecdote related to a personal experience or simply something related to the topic at hand.

However, remember that it’s the ending of your speech. Your audience is most likely at the end of their attention span. So, keep your story short & sweet.

1. Sameer Al Jaberi

Speech Ending: “I can still see that day when I came back from my honeymoon…”

2. Josephine Lee

Speech Ending: “At the end of dinner, Jenna turned to me and said…”

Facts are another excellent speech ending, and they are used quite often as openings as well. The point of adding a fact as your speech ending is to add shock value to your speech, and to get your audience thinking & discussing the fact even after your speech has ended.

How To Add Facts To Your Speech Ending

The key to adding facts to your speech ending is to pick a fact that thrusts forward your main idea in the most concise form possible. Your fact should also be something that adds shock value to the speech, and it should ideally be something that the audience hasn’t heard before.

Make sure that your fact is relevant to the topic at hand. No matter how interesting, a fact that doesn’t relate to your topic is going to be redundant.

1. David JP Phillips

Speech Ending: 3500 years ago, we started transfering knowledge from generation to generation through text. 28 years ago, PowerPoint was born. Which one do you think our brain is mostly adapted to?

14. Rhethoric Remark

Rhetoric remarks are another excellent way to get the wheels of your audience’s minds turning. Rhetoric remarks make your audience think of an imagined scenario, and to delve deeper into your topic. Rhetoric remarks or questioned don’t necessarily need to have a ‘right’ or one-shot answer, which means you can be as creative with them as possible!

How To Add Rhethoric Remarks To Your Speech Ending

Since rhetorical questions don’t need to have a definite answer, you have much freedom in determining the type of question or statement you wish to make. However, as with all other speech endings, a rhetorical question shouldn’t be asked just for the sake of it.

A rhetorical question should make your audience think about your topic in a new or more creative manner. It should get them thinking about the topic and maybe see it from an angle that they hadn’t before.

Rhetorical questions shouldn’t be too confusing. Use simple language & make sure it’s something that the audience can easily comprehend.

1. Mona Patel

Speech Ending: Pick your problem, ask “What if?” Come up with ideas. Bring them down. Then execute on them. Maybe you’re thinking, “What if we can’t?” I say to you, “What if we don’t?”

2. Lizzie Velasquez

Speech Ending: I want you to leave here and ask yourself what defines you. But remember: Brave starts here.

Another great way to end your speech with a literal bang is by using music! After all, if there’s something that can impact the human mind with just as much force as a few well-placed words, it’s the correct music.

How To Add Music To Your Speech Ending

To add music to your speech ending, you must make sure that the music has something to do with your speech theme. Remember that you’re not playing music in your concert. The piece of music that you choose must be relevant to your topic & work to have a contribution in your overall speech.

1. Tom Thum

Speech Ending: *ends the TED Talk with beat boxing*

16. Reitirate The Title

The title of your speech is its most important component. That’s why you need to pay careful attention to how you pick it, as it is something that your viewers will most likely remember the longest about your speech.

Your title will also act as a guiding hand towards how your audience forms an initial idea about your speech and is what they will associate your entire speech with.

By repeating your title at the end of your speech, you increase the chances that your audience will remember it–and your speech–for a long time.

How To Retierate The Title In Your Speech Ending

Your title is something that your audience associates your entire speech with. However, you don’t want to simply add the title in your speech end for the sake of adding it. Instead, make it flow naturally into your speech ending. This will make it seem less forced, and will also increase the chances of your audience remembering your entire speech ending and not just the title of your speech.

1. Ruairi Robertson

Speech Ending: I feel we can all contribute to this fight worth fighting for our own health, but more importantly, our future generations’ health by restoring the relationship between microbe and man. There is SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Need more inspiration for speech closing lines? Check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Closing Remarks.

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To sum up, speech endings are just as imperative to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening. The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Still looking for inspiration? Check out this video we made on closing remarks:

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More From Forbes

9 famous philosopher quotes useful to startup founders.

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We explore nine quotes from famous philosophers over the centuries that we believe articulate very ... [+] well truths important for overcoming the problems that startup founders face.

True wisdom is usually applicable across domains. Your startup journey is not that different from any other human endeavor, and arguably the same principles are responsible for success.

That’s why in this article we’ll explore nine quotes from famous philosophers over the centuries that we believe articulate very well truths important for overcoming the problems that startup founders face.

1. “That which can be destroyed by the truth should be.” - P.C. Hodgell

One of the most important abilities of an early-stage startup founder is to be able to let go of their assumptions and beliefs which the market proves wrong.

Finding product-market fit is a product of empirical experimentation, and it is far better to let the experiment reveal the falsities of the things you believe so that you can correct your beliefs, iterate your offering, and as a result - find success.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as an early-stage founder is to hang onto false beliefs and invest your time, effort, and resources into building something the market doesn’t need.

Apple Brings Back iPhone 14 Pro For First Time—At Lower Price, Refurbished

Trump trial prosecutor ends closing argument after nearly 5 hours—jury instructions set for wednesday, trump lashes out at robert de niro after actor calls him a tyrant outside courthouse, 2. “to live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” - friedrich nietzsche.

This quote goes hand in hand with “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”

We’d argue that deeper meaning on a personal level is one of the biggest benefits of working on your own project. This might be amplified if you believe the thing you are creating would make the world a better place. If this is the case - yes, it’s going to be very hard, but if you truly find your work meaningful then the “suffering” won’t stop you.

3. “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Soren Kierkegaard

Hindsight is 20/20. And if you are working on something innovative and different that hasn’t been done before, foresight would likely be 1/20. Predicting what would happen would likely be almost impossible, but you need to embrace the uncertainty while trying to reduce it as much as possible. In fact, the job of an innovator is to test and reveal what works and what doesn’t.

4. “Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.” - Arthur Schopenhauer

Knowing a bit about Schopenhour’s story it’s fairly likely he was talking about himself in that quote. That said, it’s a very relevant quote for entrepreneurship, considering your job as a startup founder would be to find opportunities that other people don’t see (or at least haven’t succeeded in exploiting).

While it’s arguable that you necessarily have to be a genius to do that, it’s definitely helpful if you can think outside of the box in order to see innovative solutions and approach approaches in an unusual way.

5. “In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” - Desiderius Erasmus

Related to the quote from above - startup success is often related to seeing new opportunities other people are missing. This often happens because you have a unique perspective that other people don’t. For example, this could be because you are actively working on a new unexploited technology.

6. “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

This is related to the famous quote by Bill Gates: “Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years.”

Naturally, highly impactful achievements take time. Because of this, it’s crucial to enjoy the process rather than to become a startup founder entirely because you want the final result. This way patience wouldn’t be that bitter.

7. “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” - Bertrand Russell

Related to our first two quotes - a startup founder needs to be humble about his assumptions and beliefs. At the same time, you need to have the self-confidence to apply and test your assumptions on people, which means you are usually looking for a balance between the belief that everything will work out and a scientific predisposition toward testing and changing your assumptions.

8. “My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened.” - Michel de Montaigne

“Only the paranoid survive” is a common saying about entrepreneurship. Being well-prepared is crucial for the survival of a fragile new business, which means that even though always thinking about the bad things that might happen is unpleasant, it might be a necessity for startup survival and prudence.

9. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand

“Don't ask for permission, ask for for forgiveness later” is a good modus operandi for most startups. You need to have a bit of a rebel in you in order to become a disruptor.

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Need Some Patriotic Inspiration? 30+ Memorial Day Quotes That Respect and Celebrate the Holiday

F amily barbecues, pool days, and the indication that summer is right around the corner are Memorial Day staples. However, the true meaning of the holiday is remembering those who have lost their lives while serving our country. Fortunately, you can easily share your appreciation and respect through meaningful quotes. If you're having trouble coming up with the right things to say, it's likely others are in the same boat. Luckily, Woman's World compiled more than 30 Memorial Day quotes that honor the spirit of the occasion. Keep scrolling to see the list.

Memorial Day quotes about the holiday and the United States

Related: Bo Derek, Ann-Margret, Tanya Tucker and More Share Powerful Memorial Day Quotes

Memorial Day quotes honoring fallen soldiers and military members

memorial day quotes about military heroes.

Related: Grieving Sister Finds Hope And Healing On Memorial Day: "Honoring Others Truly Brings Joy To My Heart!"

Memorial Day quotes about freedom

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Need Some Patriotic Inspiration? 30+ Memorial Day Quotes That Respect and Celebrate the Holiday

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55 Memorial Day quotes to honor and remember the fallen

Falling on Monday, May 27 this year, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer .

Much like July 4 or Labor Day, Memorial Day is a federal holiday , and banks, credit unions and the post office are closed in observance.

Families often use the three-day weekend as an opportunity to host backyard cookouts or spend the day at the beach to kick off the summer season.

Memorial Day, however, is also a designated day of remembrance for U.S. military personnel and intended to honor those who've given their lives in service to their country.

To pay tribute, we've gathered a list of Memorial Day quotes to recognize those courageous men and women who've made the ultimate sacrifice.

Established in 1868, Memorial Day was initially founded in remembrance of Confederate and Union soldiers who perished in the Civil War. In the decades since, the holiday, which is also referred to as "Decoration Day," has come to represent all Americans lost in war.

On Memorial Day it is common for friends and families to remember loved ones with flowers, flags and mementos placed at their gravesite.

However you choose to spend Memorial Day this year, take a moment to share one of these inspiring quotes and remember to thank members of the U.S. military for their service.

Memorial Day quotes

“The secret of happiness is freedom, the secret of freedom is courage.” — Carrie Jones
“All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.” ― Winston Churchill
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” — Arthur Ashe
“He who is brave is free.” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca
"The wind is us ― it gathers and remembers all our voices, then send them talking and telling through the leaves and the fields." ― Truman Capote

“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one Nation, evermore!” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
“Freely we serve, Because we freely love, as in our will to love or not; in this we stand or fall.” — John Milton, “Paradise Lost”
“Liberty is the breath of life to nations.” — George Bernard Shaw
"When duty calls, that is when character counts." — William Safire
“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” — Elmer Davis

"Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing." — Emma Donoghue
"For each thorn, there's a rosebud...For each twilight — a dawn...For each trial — the strength to carry on, For each storm cloud — a rainbow...For each shadow — the sun...For each parting — sweet memories when sorrow is done." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage." — Theodore Roosevelt
"The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree." — Thomas Campbell
“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” — James Allen

"Every post is honorable in which a man can serve his country." — George Washington
“In valor there is hope.” — Tacitus
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.” — W.E.B. DuBois
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”― Thomas Campbell
“I got to fight on till I leave here, and I hope I leave some footprints.” — Mattie Jones

“Your memory feels like home to me. So whenever my mind wanders, it always finds its way back to you.” — Ranata Suzuki
"Without a sign his sword the brave man draws and asks no omen but his country's cause." — Homer
"The legacy of brave men and women who have fought and died for their country is the freedom we enjoy as Americans." – Lucian Adams
"Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just one step at a time." – Eleanor Roosevelt
"The brave may fall, but never yield.” – Author unknown

“One lives in the hope of becoming a memory.”― Antonio Porchia
"Think about the past and consider the sacrifices men and women in the military have made for us." – Gary G. Wetzel
"America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." – Harry S. Truman
“Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” — Colonel David Hackworth
“Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.” — Michelle Obama

“The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” — Benjamin Disraeli
"Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, Blossomed by the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels." – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality." — Emily Dickinson
"For let the gods so speed me, as I love the name of honor more than I fear death.' — Julius Cesar
“Freely we serve, because we freely love, as in our will to love or not; in this we stand or fall.” — John Milton, “Paradise Lost”

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” — Nathan Hale
"Americans may not only pay tribute to our honored dead but also unite in prayer for success in our search for a just and lasting peace." — John F. Kennedy, "Prayer for Peace," Memorial Day 1962
"Be strong. Live honorably and with dignity. When you don’t think you can, hold on.” — James Frey, "A Million Little Pieces"
"A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom." — Bob Dylan
"Courage is found in unlikely places." — J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring"

"Our own heart, and not other men's opinions, forms our true honor." — Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul." — Michel de Montaigne
"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness." — Napoleon Hill
“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” — Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

“The essence of patriotism lies in a willingness to sacrifice for one’s country, just as true greatness finds expression, not in blessings enjoyed, but in good bestowed.” — William Jennings Bryan
“I was born an American; I will live an American; I shall die an American!” — Daniel Webster
“The way to be patriotic in America is not only to love America, but to love the duty that lies nearest to our hand, and to know that in performing it we are serving our country.” — Woodrow Wilson
“I see that the old flagpole still stands. Have your troops hoist the colors to its peak, and let no enemy ever haul them down.” — Douglas MacArthur
“The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.” — Calvin Coolidge

Quotes to inspire and uplift you

Nature quotes that capture the beauty of our earth
Inspiring quotes about change to help you grow
Bible quotes to give you purpose each and every day
Kindness quotes to help make the world a better place

Sarah is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter for TODAY who covers holidays, celebrities and everything in between.

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The NFL responds after a player urges female college graduates to become homemakers

Rachel Treisman

Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker, pictured at a press conference in February, is in hot water for his recent commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas. Chris Unger/Getty Images hide caption

Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker, pictured at a press conference in February, is in hot water for his recent commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker stirred controversy off the field this weekend when he told a college graduating class that one of the "most important titles" a woman can hold is "homemaker."

Butker denounced abortion rights, Pride Month, COVID-19 lockdowns and "the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion" in his commencement address at Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kan.

The 28-year-old, a devout Catholic and father of two, also railed against "dangerous gender ideologies" and urged men to "fight against the cultural emasculation of men." At one point, he addressed women specifically.

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"I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you, how many of you are sitting here now about to cross the stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you're going to get in your career," he said. "Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world. But I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."

Harrison Butker chokes up while discussing his wife, encouraging Benedictine College female grads to embrace motherhood. pic.twitter.com/qm73MBl0Hl — The College Fix (@CollegeFix) May 13, 2024

"I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother," Butker said.

The 20-minute speech has been viewed more than 455,000 times on YouTube since Saturday and generated considerable backlash — and memes — on social media, especially from people critical of his views on women. Many pointed out that Butker's own mom is a clinical medical physicist.

Butker also drew ire from fans of Taylor Swift, who is dating fellow Chiefs player Travis Kelce, a relationship that has famously helped bring many new female fans to the NFL. Later in the speech, he quoted Swift — though not by name — while talking about what he sees as the problem of priests becoming "overly familiar" with their parishioners.

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"This undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time, because as my teammate's girlfriend says, 'Familiarity breeds contempt,' " he said, quoting a lyric from her song Bejeweled.

One Swift fan account joked about petitioning for the pop star to replace Butker as the Chiefs' kicker. A real online petition , calling for the Chiefs to dismiss Butker for his "sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist remarks," has gained 95,000 signatures and counting since Monday.

Butker and the team have not commented publicly on his speech and the backlash to it, though late Wednesday the NFL issued a statement distancing itself from it.

"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," Jonathan Beane, the NFL's senior VP and chief diversity and inclusion officer told NPR on Thursday. "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization."

What else did Butker say?

Butker has been vocal about his faith, telling the Eternal Word Television Network in 2019 that he grew up Catholic but practiced less in high school and college before rediscovering his belief later in life.

Last year, Butker appeared in an ad for the nonprofit Catholic Vote urging Kansans to support a referendum that would limit abortion rights in the state (it was ultimately unsuccessful ). He's also one of several athletes who has partnered with a Catholic prayer app . And days after the Chiefs won this year's Super Bowl, Butker spent a week "in reflection" at a monastery in California.

He also gave the commencement address at his alma mater Georgia Tech last year, in which he urged students to "get married and start a family."

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This time around, Butker started his speech by suggesting he had been reluctant to give it: He said he originally turned down the president's invitation because he felt that one commencement speech was enough, "especially for someone who isn't a professional speaker."

He was persuaded, he said, in part by leadership's argument about how many milestones graduating seniors had missed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As a group, you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don't stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society," he said in his opening remarks. "It is through this lens that I want to take stock of how we got to where we are and where we want to go as citizens, and yes, as Catholics."

He criticized President Biden for his handling of the pandemic and his stance on abortion, which he said falsely suggests people can simultaneously be "both Catholic and pro-choice."

Butker blamed "the pervasiveness of disorder" for the availability of procedures like abortion, IVF, surrogacy and euthanasia, as well as "a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media."

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At one point, he referenced an Associated Press article from earlier this month about the revival of conservative Catholicism that prominently featured Benedictine College as an example.

The school of roughly 2,000 gets top ratings from the Cardinal Newman Society , a nonprofit that promotes Catholic education in the U.S., for policies including offering daily mass and prohibiting campus speakers who "publicly oppose Catholic moral teaching."

"I am certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at Benedictine wouldn't be met with anger, but instead with excitement and pride," Butker said, before making an apparent reference to LGBTQ Pride Month in June.

"Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it," he said, as laughter could be heard from the crowd.

How are people responding?

The official YouTube video of Butker's speech shows the crowd standing and applauding at the end, though the AP reports that reactions among graduates were mixed. Several told the outlet they were surprised by his comments about women, priests and LGTBQ people.

Kassidy Neuner told the AP that the speech felt "degrading," suggesting that only women can be homemakers.

"To point this out specifically that that's what we're looking forward to in life seems like our four years of hard work wasn't really important," said Neuner, who is planning on attending law school.

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Butker's comments have gotten some support, including on social media from football fan accounts and Christian and conservative media personalities .

"Christian men should be preaching this regularly," tweeted former NFL player T.J. Moe. "Instead, it's so taboo that when someone tells the obvious truth that anyone who holds a biblical worldview believes, it's national news."

Still, other public figures — including musicians Maren Morris and Flava Flav — were quick to disagree.

Even the official Kansas City account weighed in, tweeting on Wednesday that Butker resides not there but in a neighboring suburb, Lee's Summit. The tweet has since been deleted and the account apologized for the tweet .

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted that he believed Butker holds a "minority viewpoint" in the state but defended his right to express it.

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"Grown folks have opinions, even if they play sports," he wrote . "I disagree with many, but I recognize our right to different views."

Justice Horn, the former chair of Kansas City's LGBTQ Commission, was more critical, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that "Harrison Butker doesn't represent Kansas City nor has he ever." He called the city one that "welcomes, affirms and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members."

The Los Angeles Chargers also trolled Butker in its Sims-style schedule release video on Wednesday, which ends with a shot of his animated, number 7 jersey-wearing character cooking and arranging flowers in a kitchen.

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