​​Open with a Bang! Not a Whimper! The opening of your speech is designed to do one thing: Get the audience’s attention so that they will want to hear more. You can do this by incorporating the following options: 1. Go straight into a story from your very first word. I almost always go straight into my story because it connects with the audience. 2. Ask a powerful question. Questions make your audience think. When they are thinking about your question, they are with you and t