5 strategies for opening your speech with impact

The decision is daunting:
“Precisely HOW should I open my speech?
“What should I say first?
“How can I engage the audience – and make an impact – right upfront?”
Study the opening lines of these award-winning speeches from the Cicero Speechwriting Awards competition to learn five strategies often used by speechwriters delivering custom speechwriting services.
When you do, you’re likely to get fresh inspiration – and perhaps the perfect idea! – for the speech you’re working on right now.
STRATEGY 1: Link a local story to a national or universal issue
SPEECH TITLE: “Beyond the Binary Choice: Let’s Start Talking About Adoption”
SPEAKER: Terri Marcroft, executive director and founder, Unplanned Good, Inc., which advocates for adoption as a positive option for women facing unplanned pregnancy
AUDIENCE: Adults attending the Idaho Chooses Life Christmas Dinner and Auction, Eagle Christian Church, Eagle, Idaho

THE OPENING LINES:
Tonight, I’d like to tell you about Emma: a high school senior right here in Idaho.
Emma has always been in the choir. A volunteer! A good student involved in clubs. And – in many sports.
She’s popular! Attractive! Smart!
So last year Jacob – the captain of the football team and the coolest guy in class – started paying attention to her.
They were ALWAYS together!
And before long? Emma just KNEW she was in love!
But then – in the winter of her junior year – Emma got pregnant!
She felt desperate! Panicked! Terrified!
Paralyzed with fear!
When she told Jacob she was pregnant – he ghosted her! And moved away!
So Emma was alone. And had no idea what to do next.
Today in the U.S., nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned.
What’s more? Ninety-nine percent of women facing an unplanned pregnancy will choose EITHER abortion OR single parenting.
That’s because abortion is promoted as a safe, quick, convenient SOLUTION to a PROBLEM: (Get it done! And then move on with your life. There are no downsides.)
At the same time: Single parenting is promoted as a glamorous, independent, triumphant ADVENTURE! Liberating and inspiring for strong women! (After all: The celebrities in Hollywood are doing it! Apparently with great success! You can see it yourself on Instagram!)
But is that THE TRUTH?
Is the binary choice – EITHER abortion OR single parenting – all there is?
WHY THE STRATEGY WORKS:
- The local story of Emma – “a high school senior right here in Idaho” – is relatable to the Idaho audience and creates a relevant, personal and emotional connection with a member of their own community.
- Details about Emma – her achievements, relationship with Jacob and feelings of desperation – evoke feelings of empathy and urgency.
- Emma’s story creates tension and curiosity (what will happen next?) and keeps the audience engaged and listening.
- Emma’s story links naturally to the national issue of unplanned pregnancies, the presumptive choices that women like Emma face and the broader context coming next in the speech.
- The audience’s assumptions are challenged: “Is the binary choice … all there is?” Challenging assumptions is a powerful technique used by speechwriters who deliver custom speechwriting services because it begins to shift how the audience thinks.
STRATEGY 2: Invite the audience to use their imagination
SPEECH TITLE: “Dr. King Can Give Us the Courage to Speak Up, Take Action and Champion Inclusion”
SPEAKER: C-suite executive
AUDIENCE: Employees at a Fortune 500 company attending an event in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

THE OPENING LINES:
Today, as we revisit the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I’d like to go back in time for just a minute and ask you to use your imagination.
Can you imagine what it’s like to spend eight days and eight nights – alone – in jail?
Surrounded by darkness and bars of steel?
Out in the open – one toilet, no mattress?
To suffer in solitary confinement because you had the courage to stand up for what is right?
On April 12, 1963, that’s what happened to Martin Luther King for marching against racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. He was arrested for violating a court injunction forbidding demonstrations in the city.
On that day, eight white clergymen in Birmingham published a letter calling for a stop to the protests. These religious leaders wanted King and others to try negotiating in the courts instead of marching on the streets.
Alone in jail, Dr. King responded to the clergymen by writing a bold letter that challenged their thinking, disputed their claims and justified the need to take direct action.
Later that summer, this letter – now known as the famous Letter from Birmingham Jail – was published in several magazines.
Over the years, I’ve read King’s letter many times. All 7,000 words! And I am STILL taken aback by its brilliance – and its relevance – yet today.
WHY THE STRATEGY WORKS:
- Asking the audience to “go back in time” and “use your imagination” is an immersive experience that draws people in.
- Vivid imagery makes the experience feel real: solitary confinement; eight days and eight nights – alone – in jail; darkness and bars of steel; one toilet, no mattress. In this way, the speech makes an emotional, human, empathetic connection. The audience is receptive to hear more.
- The experience is defined as a pivotal moment in history: Dr. King’s 1963 imprisonment in Birmingham, when he wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail. The tone of the speech is now serious.
- The speaker foreshadows what’s coming next: her insights on the brilliance and relevance of Dr. King’s messages in that 1963 letter, which still apply today more than six decades later. The historical reference now feels timely and not obscure. Plus, the audience knows the speaker is credible and trustworthy since she has read all 7,000 words of the letter many times.
- The opening lines introduce a universal theme – standing up for what is right – and encourage the audience to reflect on their own capacity for courage and action. This becomes the Big Idea of the speech (to speak up, take action and champion inclusion). Speechwriters who deliver custom speechwriting services ensure that every speech always has a Big Idea.
STRATEGY 3: Ask thought-provoking questions to set up a personal story that motivates
SPEECH TITLE: “Reps, You Have a Chance to Help Wholesalers Get Better”
SPEAKER: Rob Ferguson, president, Local Company Group, Winsupply Inc.
AUDIENCE: Attendees at the Association of Independent Manufacturers’/Representatives, Inc. 48th Annual Conference

THE OPENING LINES:
I have a question for every rep here today.
Do you remember the first time someone in our industry took a chance on YOU – when you were a brand-new rep?
- What kind of help did you get?
- Who was that person?
- How did it make you feel?
- And how did that person change the direction of your career?
I remember the first time a couple of really great reps took a chance on me.
It happened 10 years ago, when I was running my own supply house: Grandview Winnelson just south of Kansas City.
Back then, I was the new guy in town. And things at my company were not good.
As the local owner, I was challenged with everything you can imagine: my customers, my vendors and my team.
Plus, the recession had just hit, and we were struggling.
So many things were going wrong.
- We weren’t relevant.
- We weren’t competitive.
- And we didn’t have a partner.
I knew I had to fix what was broken if I wanted to turn things around. So I laid all my cards on the table.
I told reps in my market where I was going – and how I was going to get there.
Most of them either said, “No thanks! or “I’ll just wait and see what you can do.”
But a couple of reps saw something in me that I did not see in myself.
So they reached out.
Despite everything I was facing, they took a risk on me. Instead of betting on the NOW, they bet on the FUTURE. And they took the time to mentor me.
They trained me, advised me and challenged me.
They opened doors for me, listened to me and called me out whenever I made a mistake.
They were always rooting for me!
And in the end, they made me better.
WHY THE STRATEGY WORKS:
- The speaker asks the audience to reflect on their own experiences as a young rep. This invitation draws people in and immediately makes the topic personal and relatable.
- These questions evoke many feelings and emotions: nostalgia, youth, gratitude and inspiration.
- After the audience reflects, the speaker opens up and shares his own personal story – a time when he struggled – which makes him authentic, human and relatable.
- Speechwriters who deliver custom speechwriting services ensure that every personal story in a speech makes a key point. In this case, the speaker’s story illustrates the power of mentorship in helping others succeed, setting up the Big Idea for the speech.
STRATEGY 4: Use a powerful metaphor to build empathy and curiosity
SPEECH TITLE: “Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Go It Alone”
SPEAKER: Barbara Hayde, president, The Entrepreneurs Center
AUDIENCE: College students in business and entrepreneurship, local entrepreneurs and supporting partners

THE OPENING LINES:
In 1959 – right here in Dayton, Ohio – 31 military test pilots landed at Wright Aeromedical Laboratory, determined and eager to be selected as our nation’s first astronauts.
Here they endured one of the most grueling experiences of their lives.
For six days and three nights, these 31 men were tortured to see if they could withstand extreme physical and psychological stress – and emerge all the better for it.
In the end, 24 were sent home.
But seven made it through – with flying colors – and were rewarded by making history.
These seven took part in Project Mercury – America’s first manned space program – and became known as the Mercury Seven.
They were cheered. They were celebrated. They were honored as American heroes.
Now why am I telling you all this?
I believe that all the physical and psychological trials those 31 men endured weren’t much different from the ordeals entrepreneurs face as the world tests their tolerance for fear, risk and failure – roadblocks on their path to small business success.
Make no mistake:
Entrepreneurs are tested every single day, every step of the way:
- Are they bold enough to risk their entire life’s savings to commercialize a new technology?
- Do they have all the right stuff to endure agonizing setbacks?
- Are they willing to put their family’s well-being on the line – with no guarantees?
- Or will they fail and go home – just like those 24 unsuccessful astronauts back in 1959?
WHY THE STRATEGY WORKS:
- The opening equates the extreme physical and psychological tests the astronauts faced with the high-stakes tests that entrepreneurs face every day. Business students and entrepreneurs can immediately relate to this metaphor, which makes abstract concepts like risk and resilience tangible.
- By sharing specific entrepreneurial struggles – risking savings, enduring setbacks and balancing family well-being – the speaker builds empathy and connection with everyone in the audience: people familiar with entrepreneurship who immediately relate to these struggles. The tone feels serious and urgent.
- The speaker frames the Mercury Seven astronauts as heroes who overcame huge challenges and made history. The audience feels inspired after the speaker suggests that entrepreneurs, too, can persevere and achieve heroic greatness.
- Speechwriters who deliver custom speechwriting services often use rhetorical questions to encourage self-reflection and keep the audience engaged and ready for what’s coming next. In this case, the speaker asked questions about entrepreneurs: “Are they bold enough to risk their entire life’s savings to commercialize a new technology? Do they have all the right stuff to endure agonizing setbacks? Are they willing to put their family’s well-being on the line – with no guarantees?”
STRATEGY 5: Present a hypothetical scenario – then draw a compelling contrast
SPEECH TITLE: “Free Enterprise at Work: How Winsupply’s Business Model Gives Everyday People the Freedom to Earn Their Own Success”
SPEAKER: Richard W. Schwartz, chairman of the board, Winsupply Inc.
AUDIENCE: College students attending the Road to Freedom Seminar: Secrets to Advancing Free Enterprise Over Socialism, the Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise, Young America’s Foundation, Reston, Virginia

THE OPENING LINES:
Imagine this scenario:
What if I walked up to you today and said that come tomorrow, you and I were going to have an amazing, one-of-a-kind opportunity to go into business together.
And what if I promised you that this opportunity – this business – was going to be something pretty unique. Something really different.
You’d probably be more than a little curious, right?
And what if I went on to tell you that we’d base our unique and different business on three simple things: Sharing, Trusting, and Helping. All those things you learned way back when you were in kindergarten.
Your first thought would probably be: “What kind of a new nonprofit organization is this?” “Tell me more!”
And then you’d probably be completely surprised when I went on to tell you that this unique and different business was NOT a new nonprofit – but instead: a for-profit business operating in a free market to help thousands of people earn their own success by doing good in the world.
Think about that for a minute.
- A for-profit business based on sharing, trusting and helping.
- A for-profit business doing good in the world.
- A for-profit business that is free enterprise at its very best.
Now if I told you all this, would you believe me?
My guess is that you might be just a little skeptical.
After all, today we keep hearing that our economic system in America has failed many of us – and we need to find a better way.
WHY THE STRATEGY WORKS:
- The hypothetical scenario piques curiosity and invites the audience to visualize the concept.
- The speaker creates intrigue and suspense by framing the business as “unique” and “different.” The audience wonders: What makes this business so special?
- By anticipating skepticism from the audience – and then immediately addressing assumptions – the speaker disarms doubt and keeps people open to his message.
- The “sharing, trusting, helping” ideas connect to universal values and nostalgia: lessons learned in kindergarten. This emotional appeal balances the logic of the argument presented.
- The speaker uses repetition – “a for-profit business” – to emphasize the surprising nature of his claim: that altruistic principles can drive free enterprise, and a business can still be profitable.
- Contrast is another technique used by speechwriters who deliver custom speechwriting services. In this case, the speaker contrasts nonprofit-like values with a for-profit framework, a surprising juxtaposition that challenges conventional thinking and makes the audience eager to learn more.
Bonus strategies often used by speechwriters delivering custom speechwriting services
Want to see even more strategies at work so you get new ideas about how to open your speech with impact?
Here are five additional strategies used in speeches that were either category winners or honorable mentions in the Cicero Speechwriting Awards competition over the years:

STRATEGY 6: Share alarming trends to frame an issue with urgency
Read the opening paragraphs from this speech: “How Distributors and Reps Can Build Trust and Work Better Together to Remain Relevant in Our Markets.”
STRATEGY 7: Tell a legendary story of success that demanded bold change – then present a current challenge that demands bold change
Read the opening paragraphs from this speech: “Change the Status Quo.”
STRATEGY 8: Use relevant symbols
Read the opening paragraphs from this speech: “Their Bonds are Strong.”
STRATEGY 9: Tell a cautionary tale
Read the opening paragraphs from this speech: “We Need to Follow Two Parallel Paths at the Same Time.”
STRATEGY 10: Deliver a quote tied to your theme – then personalize with your own story
Read the opening paragraphs from this speech: “We Need to Recognize and Affirm the Voices of Women.”
What to remember
Never leave the opening of your speech to chance. Instead, craft your opening lines with intention by applying one of the strategies often used by speechwriters delivering custom speechwriting services – and ultimately deliver award-winning speeches that change the way an audience thinks or behaves.
Need a little more help? Contact Teresa Zumwald: a 20-time winner of the Cicero Speechwriting Awards who delivers custom speechwriting services.