Chapter 13 Organizing, Writing, and Outlining Presentations 379forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and upset the
harmonious balance between God and humankind. Truth does not take time
to explain this story; she knows that her audience will understand her reference
and uses allusion to add power and emotion to her message.
Comparisons: Similes and Metaphors
One of the most common and useful tools in public speaking is the figure of
speech known as the simile. A simile uses like or as to compare two things. Truth
uses a simile to conjure up the images of her strength and fortitude when she
states “I could work as much and eat as much as a man—when I could get it—
and bear the lash as well!”
Like similes, metaphors liken one thing to another, but in a literal way,
even though there may be no literal connection between the two. A metaphor
presents the comparison as a statement of fact—it does not contain the word
like or as—but it is not expected to be taken as a fact. You might use a meta-
phor, such as “The fog was a heavy blanket over the city,” to add imagery to
your speech.
Writing a Strong Introduction
Like a lead paragraph of a news story that hooks in readers, the introduction
to your speech must accomplish four crucial tasks: grab your audience’s atten-
tion, introduce your purpose and topic, offer a preview of your main points,
and give your listeners a sense of who you are and why they should want to
hear what you have to say. Recall the “primacy” part of the primacy–recency
effect discussed earlier in this chapter. Your introduction is the first thing
your audience will hear; it therefore sets the tone and the stage for the rest of
your speech.
Capture Your Audience’s Attention
Finding a creative, attention-grabbing opening can be a struggle, but in the
end it will be well worth the effort, for your first words can and do make a
big impression on your audience (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2009). If you
open with something as boring as “Hi, my name is.. .” or “Today I’m going
to talk about... ,” your audience may conclude that there’s nothing more inter-
esting to follow. In many cases, it is a good idea to finalize your introduction
after the bulk of your speech is complete. This can be an advantage because
you will approach your introduction armed with your main points and
your supporting material—and probably a few ideas on how to make it lively!
Consider the following suggestions.
Use Surprise
It is likely that during research on your topic, you came across a fact, statistic,
quote, or story that truly surprised you. Chances are that such information will
likewise come as a surprise to your audience. A startling statement uses unusual
CONNECT
Your speech introduction
is the first impression you
give your audience. But
introductions are important
in other contexts as well.
The Interviewing Appendix
shows how your résumé
and cover letter give a
potential employer an in-
troduction to you and your
abilities. If your résumé has
typos or other errors, your
first impression will be less
than stellar—just as a dis-
organized or inappropriate
speech introduction leaves
a negative impression with
your audience.