How to Write an Informative Speech

How to Write the Introduction to a Speech

You did it!  You wrote the speech body which means you completed about 80% of the speech writing process.  Nice work :)  Only a bit left to do.

Step 3: Write Your Introduction

Now that you have a speech body, you can introduce it to your audience.  Effective introductions intrigue and entice the audience into listening to your message.  They also lay out an organizational plan to help the audience follow your train of thought.  Effective introductions include five important elements to accomplish this goal:

  1. Attention-getter
  2. Purpose statement - I tend to refer to this as a "topic statement"
  3. Establishment of credibility
  4. Audience connection
  5. Main idea preview - I sometimes refer to this as a "thesis statement preview"

To Read: 

To learn about each of these elements, read chapter 9 "Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively" in Stand Up, Speak Out: The Ethics and Practice of Public Speaking.