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38 Top Opening and Closing Remarks for Meetings

By: Grace He | Updated: March 18, 2024

You found our list of opening and closing remarks for meetings .

Opening and closing remarks for meetings are statements that introduce and wrap up workplace get-togethers. The purpose of these remarks is to set the tone of the subject matter and summarize topics covered during the meeting. Examples of opening and closing remarks for meetings include quick welcomes to attendees, announcements explaining the reason for the meeting, and conclusions that wrap up the content covered.

Utilizing opening and closing remarks is among the top public speaking tips for employees . You can use conference jokes or conference quotes as your opening or closing remarks. These icebreaker jokes are a great addition to your conference agenda .

This list includes:

short opening remarks for a meeting
opening remarks for a virtual meeting
chairman opening remarks in a meeting
opening remarks for a seminar
sample closing remarks for a meeting
sample closing remarks for an event
simple closing remarks

Here we go!

Short opening remarks for a meeting

Welcome, everyone. Thank you for taking the time to attend our meeting this morning. This meeting will address some announcements we think you will find interesting. We have a lot to cover, so we will get started without further ado.
Good morning, folks. We appreciate you blocking out your calendar so we can discuss some important topics with you. We promise to get through this as quickly as possible so you can get back to your day.
Hey, everyone! Great to see so many shining faces in the room, especially for the early hour! Apologies for calling this meeting on such short notice. We have some significant announcements to make, so we will get right to it.
Hi, team. Thank you for making an effort to be here today. Some serious developments occurred over the weekend, and we wanted to inform you of the details before you heard any worrisome rumors. Here is everything we can tell you so far.
Hello, all! Glad you could make it on such short notice. We have some exciting news to share, and we just could not wait to spill the beans! Rather than wasting any time, we can get right to the good stuff.
Good afternoon. Thanks for making time to be here today. As you know, we hit some important milestones this week. We thought sharing the success and discussing what comes next would be helpful. Away we go!
Greetings, everybody! Here we are at another super exciting monthly meeting, our chance to share the highs and lows we all have been through since the last time we met. Would anyone like to get things started for us?
Well, hey there! It has been a long time since our last meeting. We have all been quite busy, as you know. We have a lot to catch up on, so how about we jump right in and get started?

Opening remarks for a virtual meeting

Good morning to everyone on our video call today. We have participants joining today from locations all over the world. Before we get started, we would like to take a moment to share our appreciation for everyone lining up their schedules across the time zones in this way. We understand how difficult it was to coordinate this meeting so all major stakeholders could attend. We promise to make it worth your while. If anyone on the call knows of a colleague who cannot attend, please feel free to share our discussion with them when you can. You should have a meeting deck in your email to help you follow along. Feel free to open it, and we will get started.
Cyberteam: Assemble! Cheers to our remote crew, tuning in from the various workspaces around town and throughout the country. It is truly incredible that technology allows us to get together, even if only in digital form. You may have heard about some developments across several departments. We will address those topics and field any questions or concerns you may have. We will also discuss future developments in as much detail as possible. Much of what we will cover is still in the works, so we do not have as much information for you as we would like. However, we promise to do our best to get you up to speed and keep you informed as we learn more.
Good afternoon, team. You may have seen the email announcing our new project calendar. This timeline includes tasks spanning multiple teams, so we have a coordinated effort. We wanted to get everyone on a call to brainstorm ways to approach our rollout of various tasks. Depending on the needs, you may find your name on multiple lists, or you may not appear on any lists. Our hope is to distribute the work as fairly as possible among the team to minimize potential overload. Because you are the players involved, we want you to have a say in how we assemble the list.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for firing up your cameras and getting online this morning. We have a few special announcements to go over as well as updates on items we left in limbo during our last meeting. We also have a special guest joining us today. This guest speaker has information about making the most of your remote work experience. I know we have discussed workplace wellness in the past, and I thought we should hear from an expert on the subject. They will hop on for the last 30 minutes, which gives us the first 30 minutes to cover everything else. I will dive right in so we can have time for Q&A before our guest appears.
Hey, crew! We have gotten away from our meeting schedule as of late, and for a good reason. Great job on catching up on the backlog! Now that we are ahead of the curve again, I would like us to pick back up on our semi-monthly schedule to stay informed in a more unified setting. I think it is also a good idea for us to see one another’s shining faces every so often so we can remember what we all look like! More sincerely, our remote team needs face-to-face interaction, which is what these meetings are all about. I will put new items on our calendars to keep us on track through the end of the year.

Chairman opening remarks in a meeting

I am pleased to be speaking to all of you today. As the leader of this board, it is my duty to bring us together when necessary. This task can be challenging, considering our other obligations. I would like us to take this opportunity to review developments that occurred since our last meeting and cover several lingering action items.
Good morning, fellow board members. It is a privilege to address you all this afternoon for such a fortunate occasion. It is not often that the board has the opportunity to honor the accomplishments of its own members. Today, we will celebrate the successes of a long-standing trustee who has reached the pinnacle of personal and professional achievement. Before we start, please join me in welcoming our esteemed member with a round of applause.
Thank you all for attending. As chairman, I would like to begin this meeting by reviewing the minutes from our last session before covering our new agenda. You all know how quickly the new corporate strategy is unfolding. We have a growing list of issues to address, so we should get started.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all in attendance today. As your newly appointed chairman, I think it best to begin this meeting by introducing myself and explaining my background before having each member do the same. Once introductions are complete, we will review the charter and attend to any new business.

Opening remarks for a seminar

Welcome, everyone, and thank you for being with us today. For those who may not know, this seminar is our opportunity to share our latest developments and explain how this progress will lead us into our next phase. We have laid out a roadmap that puts us on solid footing the whole way through. We are eager to share the details and get your input on what improvements we can make. As key stakeholders in the business, your viewpoints count as much as anyone on the team. We hope you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts.
There are few moments in which our group can assemble for a subject as important as improving our culture. We feel the need is critical enough to halt operations and bring us all together. This company remains dedicated to the well-being of every employee, but dedication means nothing without action. We have created a seminar-style meeting that presents information intended to help make the most of your experience in the workplace. This is your space, after all, and we will do all we can to create an enriching culture for all of us.
I can think of few workplace developments less stressful than learning new software. Unfortunately, we have outgrown our old platform and have no choice but to move to a bigger and better model. After a great deal of deliberation, we have chosen a package that will make your current work much easier while also accommodating future growth. To get a head start on learning, we have put together this seminar with a representative from the software company. This speaker will provide an overview of the system and its functions before going into detail about how each feature fits in with our current system. Please feel free to ask questions and share your insight as we proceed.

Sample closing remarks for a meeting

We have covered a lot of material in a short time. If you need more details, you can schedule one-on-one time with your supervisors, who will have additional information shortly. Please write down any questions that arise so you can get answers and feel settled about our next steps.
I hope you enjoyed our brainstorming session. We are off to a great start and should have a great second meeting. I will add an item to the calendar to continue with our planning phase. If everyone will kindly send me their notes, then I will create a master folder we can all access. I will also email today’s meeting minutes out so we can create a living document as we go. More to come!
As you can understand, this meeting is only a first step. We will continue business as usual until we receive further word about new developments. Once we know more about the acquisition, we will put together another meeting for updates. You may have questions and concerns before then, which you may discuss with your manager, of course. To avoid creating unnecessary anxiety, we would ask that you refrain from speculating on details we have yet to disclose. I appreciate your cooperation.
I hope you can all agree that it is important for our team to spend quality time together outside of our usual tasks. These team building meetings are a perfect forum for showing off other sides of our personalities and connecting in fun and exciting ways. This meeting is the first of many! To ensure everyone feels a sense of ownership, I would like you all to send me your ideas for events we can include in future meetings. If you know of any games or icebreaker activities we should include, please send me a note or drop by my office to chat. The more input we have, the better variety of activities we can draw from.

Sample closing remarks for an event

We hope you enjoyed attending our event as much as we enjoyed putting it together. As always, we are ready to assist our clients in any way possible. If you have concerns after you head out, please get in touch with your account manager or a supervisor and let us know how we can help. We truly appreciate serving you and cannot wait to see where we go together next. Thank you for coming!
Thank you for coming to our get-together. We know breaking away from your busy day can be challenging, and we do not take it for granted. That said, it is always great to see our team come together for time away from the daily grind! We would not be able to do what we do without you. You are all integral to this organization’s success, and we are grateful to have you.
We have come a long way since the last time we were all together. The organization has grown considerably, and we know more growth will come. We hope we have clarified what comes next for this company and how we intend to achieve our goals. The agenda may seem ambitious, but we have no doubt that the people in this room are the right people to make the effort successful. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and dedication to our cause. We hope to see you again next time.
Before we all head out, I would like to thank everyone who showed up tonight. You really came through and made this event a smashing success! I would also like to give a shout-out to our event team, who put together everything from decorations to catering without falling behind on their daily tasks. This team is phenomenal, and the credit for such a winning event goes to them. Please join me in showing our appreciation for all they have done.

Simple closing remarks

Thank you all for coming. Enjoy the rest of your day!
This meeting went quicker than expected, so I will give you 30 minutes back.
Apologies for this meeting taking longer than scheduled. I appreciate you taking the extra time needed to finish up.
If you have any questions after the meeting, please feel free to come to my office.
Anyone needing more information can reach out to the contacts listed on the calendar item for this meeting.
We have much more to discuss, so I will schedule a follow-up meeting for a week from now.
As you can see, we have some serious challenges ahead of us. But I know that our usual team spirit will help us rise to the occasion.
This topic is highly sensitive, so we ask that you treat it with the proper discretion.
As a thank-you for your time and attention, there are treats in the breakroom. Feel free to drop by and grab a few!
You all put the “dream” in “dream team.” Thank you for your incredible effort and amazing output during such a demanding time!

Preparing opening and closing remarks will provide definitive starting and ending points for your meetings. You can set the tone while alerting attendees to the main topic as well as sharing a list of agenda items. These remarks also create an opportunity to open your meeting with a warm welcome and close on a note of gratitude and encouragement.

Next, read about virtual workshop ideas and virtual brainstorming ideas , and team meeting tips .

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FAQ: Opening and closing remarks for meetings

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about opening and closing remarks for meetings.

What are opening and closing remarks for meetings?

Opening and closing remarks for meetings are introductions and conclusions that bring a sense of organization to your agenda. You can use opening remarks to announce the topic of your meeting, while closing remarks will provide a wrap-up and alert attendees to any follow-up meetings or actions needed.

Why are good opening and closing remarks important?

Good opening remarks are important because they set the tone for the meeting, set goalposts, and keep listeners engaged. Similarly, good closing statements summarize essential topics, establish goals for future sessions, and provide calls to action.

What are some good opening statements for meetings?

Some options for good opening remarks include quick reasons for the meeting and brief rundowns of topics you will cover. Choosing an opener that matches the tone of the topics you want to address is essential.

How do you create good closing remarks for meetings?

Preparing good closing remarks can be as simple as reiterating information already covered and assigning the next steps. Additionally, these remarks should leave meeting attendees with a sense of understanding and accomplishment. Examples of some good closing remarks include thank yous to workers for attending, confirmations of the following steps, and reminders of follow-up items.

Author: Grace He

People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at teambuilding.com. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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How to Start a Speech: The Best Ways to Capture Your Audience

You’ve heard the saying, “First impressions are lasting; you never get a second chance to create a good first impression” — right?

The same is true when talking about how to start a speech…

The truth is, when you start your speech, you must focus everything on making a positive first impression on your audience members (especially if you are doing the presentation virtually ). Capturing the audience’s attention from the very beginning is crucial to prevent them from being distracted, losing interest, or forming negative opinions.

The introduction is the formal greeting for speeches, so let’s be sure to get this right to hook the audience. Understanding the importance of speech openings can significantly impact making a strong first impression. Planning and delivering the first words with confidence and relevance is essential, as they set the tone for the entire presentation and ensure you deliver a professional start, free from hesitation or irrelevance.

Here are 15 different ways to start a speech as well as 2 extra BONUS tips at the end.

1) Thank the Organizers and Audience

You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak.

Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience.

This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and connects you to the audience like an electrical plug in a socket.

2) Start With a Positive Statement

A presentation tip at the start is to tell the audience members how much they will like and enjoy what you have to say.

For example, you might say:

“You’re really going to enjoy the time we spend together this evening. I’m going to share with you some of the most important ideas that have ever been discovered in this area.”

Remember that speaking is an art, so be an artist and take complete control of your performance,

3) Compliment the Audience

You can begin by complimenting the audience members sincerely and with great respect.

Smile as if you are really glad to see them as if they are all old friends of yours that you have not seen for quite a while.

You can tell them that it is a great honor for you to be here, that they are some of the most important people in this business or industry, and that you are looking forward to sharing some key ideas with them.

You could say something like:

“It is an honor to be here with you today. You are the elite, the top 10 percent of people in this industry. Only the very best people in any field will take the time and make the sacrifice to come so far for a conference like this.”

4) Start Your Speech With the First Sentence Referring to Current Events

Use a current event front-page news story to transition into your subject and to illustrate or prove your point. You can bring a copy of the newspaper and hold it up as you refer to it in your introduction.

This visual image of you holding the paper and reciting or reading a key point rivets the audience’s attention and causes more people to lean forward to hear what you have to say.

5) Refer to a Historical Event

For many years, I studied military history…

Especially the lives and campaigns of the great generals and the decisive battles they won. One of my favorites was Alexander the Great. Standing in the symbolic shadow of such historical figures can provide a powerful and engaging start to any speech, especially when drawing parallels to contemporary challenges.

One day, I was asked to give a talk on leadership principles to a roomful of managers for a Fortune 500 company.

I decided that the campaign of Alexander the Great against Darius of Persia would make an excellent story that would illustrate the leadership qualities of one of the great commanders in history.

I opened my talk with these words:

“Once upon a time there was a young man named Alex who grew up in a poor country. But Alex was a little bit ambitious. From an early age, he decided that he wanted to conquer the entire known world. But there was a small problem.

Most of the known world was under the control of a huge multinational called the Persian Empire, headed by King Darius II. To fulfill his ambition, Alex was going to have to take the market share away from the market leader, who was very determined to hold on to it.

This is the same situation that exists between you and your major competitors in the market today. You are going to have to use all your leadership skills to win the great marketing battles of the future.”

6) Refer to a Well Known Person

You can start by quoting a well-known person or publication that recently made an interesting or important statement.

One of the subjects I touch upon regularly is the importance of continual personal development.

I will say something like:

“In the twenty-first century, knowledge and know-how are the keys to success. As basketball coach Pat Riley said, ‘If you are not getting better, you are getting worse.’”

7) Refer to a Recent Conversation

Start by telling a story about a recent conversation with someone in attendance.

For instance, I might say:

“A few minutes ago, I was talking with Tom Robinson in the lobby. He told me that this is one of the very best times to be working in this industry, and I agree.”

8) Make a Shocking Statement With a Startling Fact

You can start your talk by making a shocking statement of some kind.

For example, you might say something like:

“Here’s a startling fact: According to a recent study, there will be more change, more competition, and more opportunities in this industry in the next year than ever before. And 72 percent of the people in this room will be doing something different within two years if they do not rapidly adapt to these changes.”

Click here If you want to learn more techniques to wow your audience.

9) Quote From Recent Research

You can start by quoting a relevant, recent research report.

One example is:

“According to a story in a recent issue of Businessweek, there were almost 11 million millionaires in America in 2018, most of them self-made.”

10) Start Your Speech With a Strong Opening By Giving Them Hope

The French philosopher Gustav Le Bon once wrote, “The only religion of mankind is, and always has been hope.”

When you speak effectively, you give people hope of some kind.

Remember, the ultimate purpose of public speaking, is to inspire people to do things that they would not have done in the absence of your comments.

Everything you say should relate to the actions you want people to take and the reasons that they should take those actions.

11) Be Entertaining

Bill Gove used to walk onto the stage after his introduction if he had just finished talking to someone on the side and was breaking off to give his talk to the group.

The audience got the feeling that his entire talk was one continuous conversation, devoid of meaningless filler words .

Bill would often go to the edge of the stage and then drop his voice in a conspiratorial way, open his arms, and beckon the audience members to come a little closer.

He would say, “Come here, let me tell you something,” and then he would wave them forward as though he was about to tell a secret to the entire room.

The amazing thing was that everyone in the room would lean forward to hear this “secret” that he was about to share. People would all suddenly realize what they were doing and break out in laughter. It was a wonderful device to get the audience into the palm of his hands.

12) Ask a Question

You can open by making a positive statement and then pose a rhetorical question to engage your audience and set the stage for your presentation.

Try something like this:

“This is a great time to be alive and in business in America. But let me ask you, what does it truly mean to be self-employed in today’s economy?”

Raise your hand to indicate what you want people to do. I have used this line, and after a moment of thought, I then say to someone who looks intrigued in the front, “How many people here feel truly self-employed?”

Invariably, someone will say, “We all do!”

I then compliment and affirm the answer: “You’re right! We are all self-employed, from the time we take our first jobs to the day that we retire; we all work for ourselves, no matter who signs our paychecks.”

Similarly, a 17-year-old science fair winner effectively engaged their audience with a question at the beginning of their TED Talk, showcasing the power of this technique.

13) Open With a Problem

You can start with a problem that must be solved. If it is a problem that almost everyone has in common, you will immediately have the audience’s complete and undivided attention.

For example, you could say:

“Fully 63 percent of baby boomers are moving toward retirement without enough money put aside to provide for themselves for as long as they are going to live. We must address this problem and take action immediately to ensure that each person who retires will be able to live comfortably for the rest of his or her natural life.”

Introducing a new idea at this point can be a powerful way to engage your audience further, by promising a solution that is both innovative and beneficial.

14) Make a Strong Statement, Then Ask a Question

You can start by making a strong and powerful statement and then ask a question. You then follow with an answer and ask another question. This gets people immediately involved and listening to your every word.

Here’s an example:

“Twenty percent of the people in our society make 80 percent of the money. Are you a member of the top 20 percent? If not, would you like to join the top 20 percent or even the top 10 percent? Well, in the next few minutes, I am going to give you some ideas to help you become some of the highest-paid people in our society. Would that be a good goal for our time together today?”

15) Tell a Personal Story

You can start your talk with a personal story. Some of the most powerful words to capture the complete attention of the audience and make a personal connection are, “Once upon a time…”

From infancy and early childhood, people love stories of any kind. When you start off a presentation with a personal anecdote using the words, “Once upon a time…” you tell the audience that a relatable story is coming. People immediately settle down, become quiet, and lean forward, eager to hear how your experience might mirror their own or offer them new insights.

When I conduct full-day seminars and I want to bring people back to their seats after a break, I will say loudly, “Once upon a time there was a man, right here in this city…”

As soon as I say these words, people hurry back to their seats and begin to listen attentively, connecting with the story on a personal level.

Incorporating a personal story is very effective.

In fact, it’s probably one of the best public speaking tips I’ve learned to this day.

Bonus Tip: Tell Them About Yourself

Very often, I will start a serious speech or presentation to a business, sales, or entrepreneurial group by saying:

“I started off without graduating from high school. My family had no money. Everything I accomplished in life I had to do on my own with very little help from anyone else.”

It is amazing how many people come up to me after a talk that began with those words and tells me that was their experience as well.

They tell me that they could immediately identify with me because they too had started with poor grades and limited funds, as most people do. As a result, they were open to the rest of my talk, even a full-day seminar, and felt that everything I said was more valid and authentic than if I had been a person who started off with a successful background.

Building a bridge like this is very helpful in bringing the audience onto your side.

Bonus Tip: Get Them Talking to One Another

You can ask people to turn to the person next to them to discuss a particular point.

For instance, you could say:

“Tell the person next to you what you would like to learn from this seminar.”

Whatever you ask your audience members to do, within reason, they will do it for you. Your commands and your thought leadership will easily influence them, as long as you ask them with confidence.

By following any one of these tips for starting your speech, you are sure to grab your audience’s attention every time. How do you start a speech? Let me know in the comments.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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Opening a Meeting

Whether you are holding the meeting or attending the meeting it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. You should discuss things unrelated to the meeting, such as weather, family, or weekend plans.

Sample Dialogue:

Once everyone has arrived, the chairperson, or whoever is in charge of the meeting should formally welcome everyone to the meeting and thank the attendees for coming.

Well, since everyone is here, we should get started.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming today.
I think we'll begin now. First I'd like to welcome you all.
Thank you all for coming at such short notice.
I really appreciate you all for attending today.
We have a lot to cover today, so we really should begin.

Sample Welcome:

Pierre : I think we'll begin now. First I'd like to welcome you all and thank everyone for coming, especially at such short notice. I know you are all very busy and it's difficult to take time away from your daily tasks for meetings.

Introductions

If anyone at the meeting is new to the group, or if there is a guest speaker, this is the time when introductions should be made. The person in charge of the meeting can introduce the new person, or ask the person to introduce him or herself.

I'd like to take a moment to introduce our new tour coordinator.
I know most of you, but there are a few unfamiliar faces.
Stella, would you like to stand up and introduce yourself?
Hi everyone. I'm Judy Strauss. I'll be acting as Amanda's assistant while Nancy is away on maternity leave.

Roll Call/Apologies

If the meeting is a small group, it is probably unnecessary to take attendance out loud. The person who is taking the minutes will know everyone personally and can indicate who is present and who is absent. In a larger meeting, it may be necessary to send around an attendance sheet or call out names. If an important figure is absent, it may be necessary for the chairperson to apologize for his or her absence and offer a brief explanation for it.

It looks like everyone is here today.
If you notice anyone missing, please let Jane know so that she can make a note of it.
Unfortunately, Ken cannot join us today. He has been called away on business
Mike will be standing in to take the minutes today, as Lisa is home with the flu.

Some people who hold meetings prefer to pass around copies of the agenda, and others will post a large copy on a wall, or use an overhead projector. No matter which format is used, attendees should be able to follow the agenda as the meeting progresses. Before beginning the first main item on the agenda, the speaker should provide a brief verbal outline the objectives.

Sample Introduction to the Agenda:

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.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in Leadership [Examples, Tips]
Effective Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace (Examples)
Empathy: Definition, Types, and Tips for Effective Practice
How to Improve Key Communication Skills
38 Empathy Statements: Examples of Empathy
What is Self Compassion? (Exercises, Methods, Examples)

How to Start a Speech: The Best (and Worst) Speech Openers

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One of the hardest things about public speaking is knowing how to start a speech. Your opening line is your first impression. It’s how you capture attention. It’s how you captivate the audience. So how do you make sure you nail it every time?

The best way to know how to open a speech is to look at what has worked in the past. When we examined the top speeches of all time and the most popular TED talks of all time, we found some interesting speaking patterns.

Time has identified the top 10 greatest speeches of all time. They are:

Opening Lines of the Top 10 Greatest Speeches of All Time

#1: Socrates – “Apology”

#2: Patrick Henry – “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”

#3: Frederick Douglass – “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”

#4: Abraham Lincoln – “Gettysburg Address”

Opening Line: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address Quote

#5: Susan B. Anthony – “Women’s Rights to the Suffrage”

#6: Winston Churchill – “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat”

#7: John F. Kennedy – “Inaugural Address”

Opening Line: “We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning — signifying renewal, as well as change.”

#8: Martin Luther King, Jr. – “I Have a Dream”

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Speech Opening Line

#9: Lyndon B. Johnson – “The American Promise”

#10: Ronald Reagan – “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate”

How do all of these historical greats start their speeches? Is there a difference between these and some of the more modern top TED talks?

Before we dive in, let’s recap with some critical do’s and don’ts when opening a speech:

Opening Lines of the Top 10 TED Talks of All Time

Here are the opening lines to the top 10 Ted Talks of all time according to view count:

#1: Sir Ken Robinson – “Do schools kill creativity?” Opening Line: “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”

#2: Amy Cuddy – “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” Opening Line: “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.”

#3: Simon Sinek – “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”

#4: Brene Brown – “The Power of Vulnerability” Opening Line: “So, I’ll start with this: a couple years ago, an event planner called me because I was going to do a speaking event.”

#5: Mary Roach – “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Orgasm” Opening Line: “All right. I’m going to show you a couple of images from a very diverting paper in The Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.”

#6: Julian Treasure – “How to Speak so that People Want to Listen” Opening Line: “The human voice: It’s the instrument we all play.”

#7: Jill Bolte Taylor – “My Stroke of Insight” Opening Line: “I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia.”

#8: James Veitch – “This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email” Opening Line: “A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails.”

#9: Cameron Russell – “Looks Aren’t Everything; Believe Me, I’m a Model” Opening Line: “Hi. My name is Cameron Russell, and for the last little while, I’ve been a model.”

#10: Dan Pink – “The Puzzle of Motivation” Opening Line: “I need to make a confession at the outset here.”

What can we learn from these opening lines? There are some patterns that can help us. First, let’s start with what you shouldn’t do. Have you ever made one of these cardinal speaking sins?

Never Start a Presentation with…

Anything technical! This is a big mistake people make when they have not done a tech check ahead of time or are feeling nervous. Never start with these openers:

Is this microphone working?
Can you hear me?
Wow, these lights are bright!

Your nervousness. Many people think it is vulnerable to start with how nervous they are about speaking — you can mention this later, but it should not be the first thing. Why? People will then only be looking for signs of your nervousness. Don’t start with:

I’m so nervous right now!
Wow there are so many people here.
I’m not a great public speaker.

A lackluster or non-believable nicety. It’s great to be grateful to the person who introduced you, but it’s not a great way to include the audience. It’s ok to thank the audience for being there—but do it at the end (not as your opening line). These are all too boring:

Thanks for having me.
Thanks for that intro.
Nice to be here.

Boring, shmoring! I have an exception here if you can make it funny. Ken Robinson started with a nicety and then turned it into a joke. He said, “ “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”

More Public Speaking Resources

Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:

10 Presentation Ideas that will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills
6 Public Speaking Apps to try Before Your Next Presentation
My Top 5 Favorite Public Speakers
15 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips To Become a Master Speaker
How to Give Captivating Presentations
How to Give an Awesome Toast

How to Start a Presentation

A story. The absolute best way to start a presentation is with a story. There is nothing better to capture the imagination and attention of an audience. Try to use these speaking openers as fill-in-the-blanks for your speech.

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

In his talk, “The lies our culture tells us about what matters,” David Brooks started off with a great opening line AND a story. He said, “So, we all have bad seasons in life. And I had one in 2013. My marriage had just ended, and I was humiliated by that failed commitment.” Makes you want to watch right…

And if you need help on storytelling basics, be sure to check out some of my top 5 favorite speakers .

A BIG idea. Sometimes you want to share your big idea right up front. This can be helpful because it is intriguing and gets people clued in right away. All TED speakers try to integrate their big idea early.

You’re here for a reason. It’s…
The single most important thing I want to share with you today is…
Today, I want to share a big idea…

I love how Stacy Smith starts off her talk with her big idea framed in an interesting way. She said, “Today, I want to tell you about a pressing social issue. Now, it’s not nuclear arms, it’s not immigration, and it’s not malaria. I’m here to talk about movies.”

Special Note: Be very careful to NOT deliver your one-liner by re-reading your title slide. You also want to position it as exciting and intriguing. For example, don’t say, “Today I am going to talk about body language.” Instead say, “Today I am going to teach you the single most important thing you can do to improve your charisma… and it starts with your body.”

A quirky one-liner. If you can use humor — do it! Humor or curiosity is a great way to start a speech on a high. You can get creative with these! Think of an interesting fact about you, your audience or your topic that can lead you into your content.

One thing most people don’t know about me is…
A teacher, a mother and a duck walk into a bar…
I want to tell you something surprising.

When I gave my TEDx London Talk I started off with a quirky one-liner that immediately got a few laughs. It was “Hi, I’m Vanessa and I am a recovering awkward person.” It worked so well it is also the first line of my book, Captivate .

II love the way Eve Ensler opens her speech with an interesting one-liner: “For a long time, there was me, and my body.”

This is a great tip from Conor Neill. He says that it is great to start with a question that the audience is asking themselves or would be very curious to know the answer to. This might be phrasing a pain point or worry for your audience.

Do you ever worry about…?
Have you ever wondered…?
You might have always thought…

See Cono Neill’s examples here:

Did you know…? Any interesting factoid or curiosity is bound to intrigue your audience. This is great if it leads into your content or a story. I like to start with did you know… Here are some that I use. You will have to fill in the blank for your audience:

Did you know that it takes less than a second to make a first impression ?
Did you know that your nonverbal communication is 12.5 times more powerful than your words ?
Did you know that we are lied to 200 times a day ?

Jamie Oliver does this amazingly in his TED Talk. He starts with this mind-blowing fact, “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat.”

Hopefully these opening lines will give you some ideas to use to open your speech.

How to End a Speech: My Favorite Closers

Do you know how to end on a high? Leave a lasting impression in your presentation? Science tells us that the first and last parts of your presentations are the most important. Get our FREE download to get our closer guide.

Popular Guides

20 thoughts on “how to start a speech: the best (and worst) speech openers”.

Love your material

didnt help me but still good stuff

Thank you Vanessa. I’ve been a public speaker for 25 years and I’m impressed with your content here. Thank you. Looking forward to a deep dive into more of your material. With gratitude.

Found these examples super informative. Can’t wait to mix match the examples to see which one will work best for my presentation!

I am preparing to make a presentation on Public Speaking and came across your article. This is very instructive and timely too.Many thanks.

Comments are closed.

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How to Lead Introductions in Business Meetings

Source: Tim Cordell on Cartoonstock.com

Many years ago I was asked to represent my company on a national committee. I had to fly from Portland, Oregon to Washington D.C. for the meeting, find my way around the city wearing an actual business suit and heels, then walk into this room and make a good impression.

I was prepared for the content of the meeting – I knew my stuff – but I was far from comfortable. The 30 or so other members of the committee came from Microsoft, the Department of Defense, and a host of big organizations; I worked for a 20-person web software vendor no one had ever heard of. Most of the committee members were much older than I was, and there were very few women.

Soon enough, the gavel pounded and the chair began the meeting. After a brief greeting, he said:

“Go around the room and tell the group a bit about yourself, starting with Don here.”

Tell them about me? What am I supposed to say in this room of dour-looking, experienced people?

I knew that if I wanted any shot of making an impact in the meeting, the other people in the room had to take me seriously, and this introduction was my chance to make that oh-so-important good first impression. But what could I say that would impress this room? I felt like I was at an awful interview, and I began to sweat.

In this case, I needn’t have sweated the introductions (or my blouse) so much. Don stood up and calmly stated his name and the organization he represented, then sat back down. Simple. As it went around the room, each person followed this short pattern, and I began to relax.

My name and where I work? That’s it? Those are questions I can answer easily! Why hadn’t the chair been clearer about what he wanted people to say?

Poor leadership creates undue anxiety

Introductions in meetings are meant to help people get comfortable speaking together. It’s a meeting after all, which means it only works well if those in attendance talk to each other. That’s hard to do when you don’t know someone’s name or you’ve been put on the defensive by an inappropriate question.

For many people, those first minutes of a meeting will always be nerve-wracking. How the meeting leader handles those opening minutes can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of the conversation that follows.

For that committee meeting, I spent the first 15 minutes unclenching from the adrenaline overdose and had no idea what they talked about. In an online setting, if you lose someone’s attention like that for 15 minutes, they’ve missed half the meeting!

How should that committee chair have started the introductions, then?

Let’s start with some basics.

The Cardinal Rules of Leading Business Meeting Introductions

Rule 1: make sure everyone gets introduced..

If someone is important enough to be invited, they must be introduced. Business introductions make sure the people in the meeting know who they’re talking to. They provide critical context for the discussion, giving everyone a sense for the range of perspectives and experience in the room. With an online meeting, having everyone introduce themselves also reveals any issues with audio or language differences.

This goes for latecomers and other people who walk into the room, too. While you shouldn’t interrupt someone to introduce a new attendee, make sure use the next pause to quickly do so. If you’re on a conference call and the CEO walks into the room behind you, the people on the other side of the phone deserve to know that the audience just changed.

Rule 2: Provide clear direction.

Tell people specifically what you want them to share with the group, and provide an example by introducing yourself first. This was the big mistake in the committee meeting I attended; the leader left it up to the group to figure out how to introduce themselves. For someone new to the group and inexperienced like me, he might as well have pointed my way shouting “Dance, monkey, dance!”

Not sure what you should ask? You’ll find example questions below.

After explaining what you want to hear, cover the order in which people should speak. For online meetings, go top-to-bottom through the attendee list.

Rule 3: Keep it safe.

If you give clear instructions and provide an example by introducing yourself first, you’ll have a great start on alleviating anyone’s anxiety.

To further ensure you don’t inadvertently shut someone down:

Never ask people to share potentially sensitive information in a business setting. Stay clear of topics that get too personal; not everyone has happy childhood memories, and lots of adults just don’t have a favorite band or ice cream flavor any more. If you must delve into the personal, save it for your team-building exercises and off-sites.
Don’t ask questions that make people feel they have to justify their right to be in the meeting. You may need to understand the skills and expertise of the people present, but there are ways you can find this out without making someone feel like they’re being interviewed.

This doesn’t mean you have to keep introductions terse (Name & rank, attendee!) or boring (How’s the weather there, Steve?). Instead, craft an introduction question based on rule #4.

Rule 4: Make introductions relevant to the meeting.

Context (not content) is key. The best introductions will help everyone understand how each participant relates specifically to the situation at hand.

Are they there just to listen, or do they have an agenda of their own? Are they an expert in subject, or is this all completely new? Will they be in charge of decisions, or expected to carry them out?

Include at least one question in your introductions that ties directly to the goal of the meeting and reveals some of this context.

The Basic Business Introduction Questions

For business and professional meetings, introductions should always include:

Each person’s first and last name

Then, context, context, context!

The company or department they represent This is their business context.

Current location (for remote attendees) This is their personal context; important for understanding time zone concerns, possible connection issues, and background noise.

Why they’re at the meeting This is their meeting context.

To get at this last one, you might ask:

What’s the most important thing you want to get out of this meeting?
What are you hoping to learn here today?
What prompted you to be here today?
What excites you most about the work we’re doing here?
What skills can you contribute to the team that may not be obvious to the rest of us?

Related: The Essential Project Kickoff Meeting Agenda

When you have more time: Introduction Activities

Most introductions run like an icebreaker’s disapproving neighbor. They’re in the same general area, but definitely living different lifestyles.

These activities dip their toes into the team-building waters, bringing a little more game-feel to the meeting, while still keeping it all very professional.

Gifts and Hooks

We’ve talked about this one before , and bring it up here again because this is the best example we know of a non-fluffy, clearly useful introductory game for working teams.

In Gifts and Hooks, the leader explains that team members bring gifts to the table (their skills, knowledge, etc.), but they also need hooks — things the person needs in order to remain fully engaged. Team members write down both their gifts and their hooks, then go around the room to share them.

You can get a detailed description of Gifts and Hooks by Michael Wilkinson on the IIF site.

Alliteration Alleviates Anonymity

To increase the energy in a group and help stir the creative juices, Denise Grissom Bradford suggests asking people to introduce themselves using an alliteration (i.e. Dancing Denise from Duluth or Jolly John joins jauntily).

With the right group, and especially as a start for brainstorming or other creative meetings, this approach is fun without pushing the goofy too far out of bounds. And, since one of your goals is to help people learn each other’s names, alliteration definitely makes members memorable.

Other variations: Limericks! Haiku!

Questions from the group

Instead of coming up with the questions yourself, ask the group what they want to know about each other. This works best if you go over the meeting purpose first, and provide an example.

If you’re meeting online, ask people to type their questions into chat, or put them on cards if you’re face-to-face. Remind everyone that the questions shouldn’t be embarrassing or difficult to answer.

Then, go around the room and ask each person to state their name and answer one or two of the questions posed by the group.

Related: 5 Icebreakers for Distributed Team Meetings

Final tip: You don’t need to start with introductions

Introductions usually come near the beginning of the meeting, but they shouldn’t always come first.

For most meetings, you’re better off starting by confirming the meeting purpose and goals. Welcome everyone, clarify why you’re meeting and what the team is meant to accomplish, and THEN go through introductions.

Starting with the meeting purpose FIRST establishes the all-important context for the introductions that follow.

Introverts, newbies, and meeting-avoiders:

What other tips would you give meeting leaders to help make introductions go more smoothly for you? Let us know in the comments here or on Twitter , #bettermeetings.

Categories: leadership & facilitation tips & techniques

Elise Keith

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Speech Writing

Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech- Tips & Examples

10 min read

What is an Introduction Speech?

An introduction speech, or introductory address, is a brief presentation at the beginning of an event or public speaking engagement. Its primary purpose is to establish a connection with the audience and to introduce yourself or the main speaker.

This type of speech is commonly used in a variety of situations, including:

Public Speaking: When you step onto a stage to address a large crowd, you start with an introduction to establish your presence and engage the audience.
Networking Events: When meeting new people in professional or social settings, an effective introduction speech can help you make a memorable first impression.
Formal Gatherings: From weddings to conferences, introductions set the tone for the event and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

In other words, an introduction speech is simply a way to introduce yourself to a crowd of people.

How to Write an Introduction Speech?

Before you can just go and deliver your speech, you need to prepare for it. Writing a speech helps you organize your ideas and prepare your speech effectively.

Here is how to introduce yourself in a speech.

Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial. Consider their interests, backgrounds, and expectations to tailor your introduction accordingly.

For instance, the audience members could be your colleagues, new classmates, or various guests depending on the occasion. Understanding your audience will help you decide what they are expecting from you as a speaker.

Opening the Speech with a Hook

The best speech introduction starts with a hook or opening line that grabs your audience's attention. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking question about yourself or the occasion.

Introduce Yourself

Introduce yourself to the audience. State your name, occupation, or other details relevant to the occasion. You should have mentioned the reason for your speech clearly. It will build your credibility and give the readers reasons to stay with you and read your speech.

Keep It Concise

So how long is an introduction speech?

Introduction speeches should be brief and to the point. Aim for around 1-2 minutes in most cases. Avoid overloading the introduction with excessive details.

Highlight Key Points

Mention the most important information that establishes the speaker's credibility or your own qualifications. Write down any relevant achievements, expertise, or credentials to include in your speech. Encourage the audience to connect with you using relatable anecdotes or common interests.

Rehearse and Edit

Practice your introduction speech to ensure it flows smoothly and stays within the time frame. Edit out any unnecessary information, ensuring it's concise and impactful.

Tailor for the Occasion

Adjust the tone and content of your introduction speech to match the formality and purpose of the event. What works for a business conference may not be suitable for a casual gathering.

Introduction Speech Outline

To assist you in creating a structured and effective introduction speech, here's a simple speech format that you can follow:

Here is an example outline for a self-introduction speech.

Outline for Self-Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech Example

So if you are wondering what to say in an introduction speech we have you covered! We have compiled introduction speech examples to help you understand how to put your ideas into practice for different scenarios.

Introduction Speech Writing Sample

Short Introduction Speech Sample

Self Introduction Speech for College Students

Introduction Speech about Yourself

Student Presentation Introduction Speech Script

Teacher Introduction Speech

New Employee Self Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech for Chief Guest

Moreover, here is a video example of a self-introduction speech. Watch it to understand how you should deliver your speech:

Want to read examples for other kinds of speeches? Find the best speeches at our blog about speech examples !

What Are Some Famous Introduction Speeches?

Here are the best introduction speeches for students to get inspired:

Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (2014) : Malala's speech upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize introduced her advocacy for girls' education and youth empowerment globally.
Elon Musk's Presentation on SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System (2016) : Elon Musk introduced SpaceX's ambitious plans for interplanetary travel, outlining a vision for the future of space exploration.
Michelle Obama's Democratic National Convention Speech (2008) : Michelle Obama's speech introduced her as a potential First Lady, sharing personal stories and values that resonated with the audience.
J.K. Rowling's Harvard Commencement Speech (2008) : Rowling's speech introduced themes of failure, imagination, and resilience, drawing from her personal journey as an author and philanthropist.

Introduction Speech Ideas

So now that you’ve understood what an introduction speech is, you may want to write one of your own. So what should you talk about?

The following are some sample introduction speech topics and ideas that can provide an engaging start to a presentation, meeting, or social gathering.

Personal Story: Share a brief personal story or experience that has shaped you.
Professional Background: Highlight your career achievements and expertise.
Hobby or Passion: Discuss a hobby or passion you're enthusiastic about.
Volunteer Work: Talk about your involvement in volunteer work or community service.
Travel Adventures: Share anecdotes from your travel adventures.
Books or Literature: Provide an introduction related to a favorite book, author, or literary work.
Achievements and Milestones: Highlight significant achievements and milestones in your life or career.
Cultural Heritage: Explore your cultural heritage and its influence on your identity.
Social or Environmental Cause: Discuss your dedication to a particular social or environmental cause.
Future Aspirations: Share your future goals and aspirations.

You can deliver engaging speeches on all kinds of topics. Here is a list of entertaining speech topics to get inspiration.

7 Tips for Delivering the Best Introduction Speech

Now that you know how to write an effective introduction speech, let's focus on the delivery. The way you present your introduction is just as important as the content itself. Here are some valuable tips to ensure you deliver a better introduction speech:

Tip# 1: Maintain Eye Contact

Make eye contact with the audience to establish a connection. This shows confidence and engages your listeners.

Tip# 2: Use Appropriate Body Language

Your body language should convey confidence and warmth. Stand or sit up straight, use open gestures, and avoid fidgeting.

Tip# 3: Mind Your Pace

Speak at a moderate pace, avoiding rapid speech. A well-paced speech is easier to follow and more engaging.

Tip# 4: Avoid Filler Words

Minimize the use of filler words such as "um," "uh," and "like." They can be distracting and detract from your message.

Tip# 5: Be Enthusiastic

Convey enthusiasm about the topic or the speaker. Your energy can be contagious and inspire the audience's interest.

Tip# 6: Practice, Practice, Practice

Rehearse your speech multiple times. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself or seek feedback from others.

Tip# 7: Be Mindful of Time

Stay within the allocated time for your introduction. Going too long can make your speech too boring for the audience.

Mistakes to Avoid in an Introduction Speech

When crafting and delivering an introduction speech, it's important to avoid common pitfalls that can reduce its impact. Here are some mistakes to watch out for:

Rambling On: Avoid making the introduction too long. Keep it short and sweet to set the stage without stealing the spotlight.
Lack of Preparation: Not preparing enough can lead to awkward pauses or losing your train of thought. Practice your speech to feel more confident.
Using Jargon or Complex Language: Steer clear of technical jargon or complicated language that might confuse the audience. Keep it simple and clear.
Being Too Generic: A bland introduction can set a dull tone. Make your speech specific to the event and the speaker to keep it engaging.
Using Inappropriate Humor: Be careful with humor. Avoid jokes that could offend or alienate the audience.
Overloading with Background Information: Providing too much background information can overwhelm the audience. Offer just enough to give context without bogging down the introduction.

To Conclude,

An introduction speech is more than just a formality. It's an opportunity to engage, inspire, and connect with your audience in a meaningful way.

With the help of this blog, you're well-equipped to shine in various contexts. So, step onto that stage, speak confidently, and captivate your audience from the very first word.

Moreover, you’re not alone in your journey to becoming a confident introducer. If you ever need assistance in preparing your speech, let the experts help you out.

MyPerfectWords.com offers a custom essay service with experienced professionals who can craft tailored introductions, ensuring your speech makes a lasting impact.

Don't hesitate; hire our professional speech writing service to deliver top-quality speeches at your deadline!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a speech introduction be.

A speech introduction should be concise, typically lasting about 1 to 2 minutes. It should set the stage, capture the audience's attention, and provide a clear direction for the rest of the speech.

What Is the Best Speech Introduction Greeting?

The best greeting for a speech introduction depends on the formality of the event. Some examples include:

Formal: "Good morning/afternoon/evening, distinguished guests."
Semi-formal: "Hello everyone, thank you for being here today."
Informal: "Hi everyone, thanks for coming."

What Word to Start a Speech?

Starting a speech with an engaging word or phrase can capture the audience's attention. Here are a few speech starting lines:

"Imagine..." to prompt the audience to visualize something.
"Today..." to ground the speech in the present moment.
"Have you ever..." to ask a thought-provoking question.
"In our lives..." to make a personal connection.
"Picture this..." to create a vivid mental image.

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Opening A Meeting Effectively In 7 Easy Steps

By Simon Kennell on April 19, 2022

Strong openings are the key to productive meetings. Starting a meeting effectively helps you set the tone, introduce the main topic, set expectations, and make a good first impression. In this new episode of Talaera Talks, you will learn an effective step-by-step roadmap to open your meetings and set them up for success.

Opening A Meeting In 7 Steps

The beginning of a meeting is more important than one may think. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting through a meeting without really seeing the point. A meeting opening should be informative , so make sure you let the participants know the purpose and goals of the meeting. But not only that – it should also get participants excited and involved by showing them why this meeting is important to them. To cover all the important points, follow the steps below.

1. Preparation and agenda

When you set up a meeting, stop for a moment and think. Consider the goal of the meeting and what key outcomes you want to get out of it. Then, send out an agenda (ideally a week in advance) with the major points that you’d like to cover during the meeting. The agenda should include the objectives of the meeting, some questions for participants to start thinking about, and potentially some key homework and takeaways that they should be considering.

2. Small Talk

In business, it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. Although the length of small talk varies depending on the culture and the context, a good rule of thumb is to allow between 3 and 7 minutes. Let people get into the feel of the meeting, see each other, and chat a bit before diving into the main topic. Learn how to win at small talk – Surviving the First 5 Minutes of a Virtual Meeting .

3. Welcome and thank everyone for joining

Once all the participants have arrived, the person in charge of the meeting should welcome the attendees and thank them for joining. Choose at least one of the phrases below:

Alright, it seems we’re all here. I see we’re all set and ready to go. Thank you for taking the time to meet today.
Thank you for joining.
Since everyone is here, we should get started.
I really appreciate you all for attending this meeting today.
Thank you for joining us today. It’s great to see you all.

At this point, you may need to introduce yourself in a professional way and potentially other participants.

4. Follow up from last meeting’s points

If you have any important points from the previous meeting, now it’s the time to follow up.

In our previous meeting, we discussed points A, B, and C. And we decided on points one, two, and three.
As you all know, we’ve been working on the new feature based on the discussion we had last week.
In our previous meeting, we briefly touched on our business strategy, and today I’d like to discuss this topic more in depth.
Last month, we talked about how we could implement a better workflow for new users.

5. Context (Why are we meeting?)

Provide the context of why the meeting is happening. Now, if they’re good attendees, they may have read the prep work and agenda that you sent beforehand but it is always good to provide some context. Clearly tell them the reason why you invited them. This step will help you keep everyone involved and interested in the meeting.

Before we dive into the meeting today, I’d like to set some context for the topic that we’ll be discussing.
Over the past week or so, our team has been discussing this point, and we felt that it was a great opportunity to get everybody together and discuss it in depth.

6. Objectives and expectations

Set very clear objectives and state the type of action items you would like to define by the end of the meeting. Be specific about the purpose of each agenda item and tell them why you are meeting and what you want to get out of it. You will want to use verbs and action words for this section ( generate ideas, find a solution, decide the budget).

The goal of our meeting today is to identify what steps we can take to more effectively utilize the marketing budget. So we’ve gathered you all here today to brainstorm some ideas and we’re hoping that by the end of today, we’ll have a few action items that can get us to the next place or where we want to be.
Our main goal today is to gather status reports from the team. This will allow us to see where we stand and what the next steps should be.

7. Meeting roadmap

The last step is to provide a clear roadmap for the meeting. Explain the dynamics and put time markers on it if you think it makes sense.

I’d like to start by answering any questions that you may have about the budget and any for me to shed some more light on this topic. I think it would be really helpful to open up the discussion to any ideas that the team may have based on the points that I sent last week. From there, after we’ve identified a few action items, I like for us to split up the tasks to make sure that, before the next meeting, we’re all set on what we need to accomplish.
I’d like to start the meeting by answering any questions for about 5 to 10 minutes. Hopefully, that can provide you with some clarity. And then from there, I think it’d be helpful to have about 15-20 minutes of open discussion and brainstorm on any of the ideas that our team may have. I want to make sure that we leave about five to seven minutes at the end so that we’re all clear on what the next action items are before our next meeting.

Before scheduling a meeting, think about why you need it and what you would like to get out of it. Then, send some preparation materials to participants before the meeting. Allow a few minutes for some small talk, welcome and thank everyone for joining, and follow up on the points from the previous meeting. Make sure you provide context (why we you meeting?), set very clear objectives or goals for what you want to accomplish, and end with a clear roadmap of all the different points that you will be covering throughout the meeting.

It may seem that there are quite a few steps to open a meeting, but it is one of those things that once you try it a few times, it will come naturally. So check it out. Try it a few times. Use the notes. And tell us your best tips to start a meeting effectively.

This article works as supporting material for our podcast episode 44. You can read the transcript below. Make sure you check out all our other Talaera Talks episodes and subscribe to get new episode alerts.

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If you enjoyed this article, keep reading:

How To Start a Presentation: Follow These 4 Easy Steps
6 Tricks The Best Public Speakers Use To Captivate Their Audience
101 Must-Know Transition Phrases for Engaging Presentations Online
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Tips on Effective Communication That Actually Work [Podcast]

Talaera Talks – Transcript Episode 44

If you are learning English, including new English words and expressions will help you with effective communication. Remember to check out our other episodes on how to make small talk, how to deliver engaging presentations, how to speak English fluently, and many more: visit the podcast website . Listen to it on your favorite platform.

Intro Welcome to Talaera Talks , the business English communication podcast for non-native professionals. My name is Paola and I am co-hosting this show with Simon. In this podcast, we’re going to be covering communication advice and tips to help express yourself with confidence in English in professional settings. So we hope you enjoy the show! 0:24 Welcome back to another episode of Talaera Talks. This is your host, Simon, coming to you from Copenhagen, Denmark. I hope wherever you are, you’re having a great day and tuning into this Talaera Bit. So let’s get started. What are we talking about today? One of those kind of transition things that you need to do can be a little bit awkward. How do you do it when we’re opening a meeting? What are the steps to take to do it in a professional way to do it in a way where you make sure that everybody is comfortable and on the right track that you’re going to get the meeting going and in an organized way? So if you are very smart, you will do a little bit of preparation beforehand. So whether you’re meeting in person, or whether you’re meeting online, it may be a good idea to send out an agenda, possibly a week in advance with a few of the major points that you’d like to cover during the meeting. So this could involve Yeah, the objectives of the meeting, it could also involve some questions that you would like people to start thinking over with some key kind of homework and takeaway that they should be considering.

1:52 So you get to the day of the meeting. And a lot of times, you want to allow maybe 5-6-7 minutes of some small talk, let people kind of get into the feel of the meeting, get to get to see each other get to discuss and chat a little bit. And then when it gets to a reasonable pause, you can start the meeting. And the first thing you want to do is thank everyone for joining. So you could say something like, ‘Okay, we’re all here, I see we’re all set and ready to go. Thank you for taking the time to meet today’, or ‘thank you for joining’.

2:32 And then if you do have points from the previous meeting, you can use that time to follow up and just say okay, ‘so in our previous meeting, we discussed points A, B, and C. And we decided on points one, two, and three’. From there, you want to provide the context of why are we meeting today. Now, if they’re good attendees, they may have read the prep work that you sent beforehand. But it’s always good to just provide some context. So you can say something like, ‘Okay, before we dive into the meeting, today, I’d like to set some context for the topic that we’ll be discussing’. Or you could say, ‘well, over the past week or so our team has been discussing this point. And we felt that it was a great opportunity to get everybody together and really discuss it in depth’. So you’re providing that reason for why people are meeting that’s very important.

3:41 Then from there, you want to set the objective. Why? Why are we meeting today? What what is what is the goal? What are we trying to get out of the meeting today? What expectations are we setting? So you could say something like and being very clear, ‘The goal of our meeting today is to identify what steps we can take to more effectively utilize the marketing budget. So we’ve gathered you all here today to brainstorm some ideas and we’re hoping that by the end of today, we’ll have a few action items that can get us to the next place or where we want to be’. So what I did there was I just set some very clear objectives that by the end of our meeting today, we want to have action items, which is a great way to say we want to have actionable items, things that we need to do that are using verbs that we’re going to have done before our next meeting.

4:48 Now, when setting expectations, you could also say ‘we’re all here today to review the points that I sent out last week in the prep material that I sent out’. And you want to make sure that the objective isn’t too big to where it’s going to be something that’s not realistic for the meeting. You want to make sure that it’s realistic.

5:14 And then the last step is to provide a roadmap for the meeting. So you could say something like, ‘I’d like to start by answering any questions that you may have about the budget and any clarity that I can provide around that. And then I think it would be really helpful to open up the discussion to any ideas that the team may have based on the points that I sent last week. From there, after we’ve identified a few action items. I like for us to kind of split up the tasks to make sure that before the next meeting, we’re all set on what we need to accomplish’. So there, I gave a very clear roadmap of what we’ll be doing throughout the meeting. And of course, if it makes sense to put some time markers on it, you can do that. So you could say, ‘I’d like to start the meeting by answering any questions for about five to 10 minutes. Hopefully, that can you provide some clarity. And then from there, I think it’d be helpful to have about 15-20 minutes of open discussion and brainstorm on any of the ideas that our team may have. I want to make sure that we leave about Yeah, five to seven minutes at the end so that we’re all very clear on what the next action items are before our next meeting’.

6:36 So what did we do today? We made sure to identify some preparation material we can send before the meeting, we allowed for some small talk, we thanked everyone for joining, followed up on the last meetings points. We made sure to provide context, which is the why we are meeting, we set very clear objectives or goals for what we want to accomplish. And then we made sure to provide a roadmap of all the different points throughout the meeting that we’ll be covering. So opening the meeting, it sounds like there’s several steps, but really, it’s one of those things that once you try it a few times it will come very naturally. So check it out. Try it a few times, use the notes. And as always, keep learning.

7:48 And that’s all we have for you today. We hope you enjoyed it, and remember to subscribe to Talaera Talks . We’ll be back soon with more! And visit our website at talaera.com for more valuable content on business English. You can also request a free consultation on the best ways for you and your team to improve your communication skills. So have a great day and keep learning!

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How to Run Introductory Meetings (+ Practical Examples)

Are you ready to turn a simple introduction into a lasting professional relationship?

Are you seeking effective ways to establish a connection with a new team or wondering how to set the right tone from the get-go?

These dilemmas are prevalent across various industries. In this blog, we'll delve into these questions and more, exploring practical solutions and insights.

What Is An Introductory Meeting?

An introductory meeting is an important gathering, particularly for managers getting to know their new teams, but its principles are equally applicable in a variety of other settings.

Often the first opportunity for individuals to meet, these meetings are essential in professional, social, or academic contexts for establishing new connections. This could be within a team, at a networking event, or in a one-on-one session with a potential client.

During these meetings, participants generally introduce themselves, discuss their backgrounds, and collectively determine the goals of the meeting. This process is pivotal in laying the foundation for effective communication and robust relationship building.

For managers and others alike, a successful introductory meeting hinges on setting a clear agenda, mastering the skill of active listening, and effectively establishing rapport.

Typically, these meetings last between 30 to 60 minutes, balancing thoroughness with efficiency to maximize productivity and engagement.

How to Conduct an Introductory Meeting

Successful introductory meetings are a blend of strategic planning and interpersonal skills. Central to this is active listening and demonstrating genuine interest, which are crucial in fostering personal connections and trust.

The success of these meetings hinges on more than just information exchange; it's about creating an environment of support and trust, paving the way for future collaborations and shared visions.

A brief overview for a productive meeting:

Develop a detailed agenda that highlights critical discussion points and aligns expectations, ensuring a mutual understanding from the outset.
Introduce yourself and sharing your professional information. Personal life details can enhance your relatability to the audience.
Allocate time for questions and answers , clarifying any uncertainties for all participants.
Follow-up steps are essential after an introductory meeting because they ensure relationship building with participants.

(1) Setting Clear Objectives and Creating an Agenda

Begin your introductory meeting by setting clear and specific goals, such as:

Articulate your expectations and vision: Whether it's to enhance strategy or apply your expertise to advance the company, make your purpose and long-term plans for the team clear.
For different contexts, share pertinent information: In business settings, discuss products or services, while job interviews might center around company values.

Documenting these objectives can effectively shape your presentation.

To ensure a focused and efficient discussion, organize the meeting with a detailed agenda. This preparation covers all essential topics and maintains the meeting's productivity.

(2) Introduce Yourself

Begin your introductory meeting with a personal touch by talking about yourself, even if you've met some attendees before. Start with your name, professional background, and experience in the industry.

Sharing personal details like your hometown, family, or hobbies can help you connect with your audience on a more personal level. A well-crafted introduction sets a positive tone, demonstrating confidence and engaging your audience.

In smaller meetings, encourage team members to introduce themselves, sharing both professional and personal information. This fosters a sense of community and helps everyone understand each other's roles and backgrounds.

Tips for Introducing Yourself:

Talk about your experience: When detailing your professional experience, go beyond just your last job title. Share the duration of your tenure with previous employers, key accomplishments, and how the skills you acquired there will contribute to your effectiveness as a manager.
Embrace authenticity: Being genuine in your introduction is essential. Express your true self by talking about your personal interests or unique experiences.
Smile: A smile can communicate confidence, positivity, and friendliness. Maintain a smiling demeanor to create a welcoming and confident atmosphere.
Keep eye contact: Establishing eye contact with each member of your team during the meeting can enhance trustworthiness and approachability.
Dress appropriately: Dressing professionally is crucial as it influences first impressions. Familiarize yourself with the company's dress code to ensure your attire is appropriate for the meeting.
Remain composed: While it's normal to feel nervous, appearing calm can boost your perceived confidence. Use techniques like speaking clearly and at an adequate volume to demonstrate composure.
Be mindful of your speech: Speak clearly and at a suitable volume, ensuring everyone understands you, especially if English isn't their first language. Adjust your speaking pace to be inclusive and understandable.

(3) Q&A

In your introductory meeting, allocate time for a Q&A session, a crucial step in ensuring clear communication and building rapport, especially in team meetings and client interactions.

Inform participants at the outset about this opportunity for queries, giving them ample time to prepare their questions.

When addressing these questions, practice active listening and seek clarification if needed, demonstrating your genuine interest and commitment.

Q: "With our current team size and the complex nature of the project, how do we plan to meet deadlines without sacrificing quality, especially considering potential tech compatibility issues with our older systems?"

A: "Great question. To manage workload and maintain quality, we're planning to outsource some tasks to specialized vendors. Regarding the tech compatibility, we're aware of the limitations and are initiating an upgrade to our existing systems to support the new project. We'll be forming a task force to tackle these specific challenges, and I encourage those interested in these areas to join and contribute to the planning and execution."

(4) Follow-Up Steps

As you conclude your introductory meeting, it's crucial to outline the subsequent steps, affirming the meeting's role as the foundation for ongoing collaboration.

Here are the essential steps:

Express your intention to schedule individual meetings with team members, which will facilitate deeper connections and understanding.
Share your contact details, inviting open communication for any further inquiries or discussions. A gesture of gratitude, combined with enthusiasm for future collaboration, leaves a lasting positive impression.
Commit to following up with a detailed summary email or message. By recapping key points and agreed-upon actions, you will ensure that everyone is aligned and accountable. If time is limited for summarizing all the information, consider using Wudpecker to assist with its automatically AI-generated meeting notes.

Begin your introductory meeting with engaging icebreakers to establish a relaxed atmosphere, promoting open communication and reducing any initial tension. This strategy enhances the effectiveness of future meetings and supports rapport building. For larger teams, brief icebreakers are ideal, followed by individual meetings for deeper connections.

For virtual settings, consider using interactive tools like digital whiteboards for collaborative activities or online quizzes related to team interests. These virtual icebreakers can be both fun and engaging, helping new team members feel welcomed and valued in their roles.

Such techniques are crucial in creating a welcoming atmosphere and ensuring open lines of communication, which are key to successful team management.

Practical Examples of Virtual Icebreakers and Interactive Tools

1. Two Truths and a Lie: Each participant states two true facts and one false fact about themselves, and others guess which is the lie. This can be done via video conference, with participants typing their guesses in the chat.

2. Online Polls and Quizzes: Use tools like Google Forms or Slido to create fun quizzes related to your industry, the company, or general trivia. This keeps attendees engaged, ideal for creating a relaxed atmosphere.

3. Photo Sharing: Ask team members to share a photo of their workspace, pet, or favorite travel destination and briefly talk about it. This personalizes the experience, helping in establishing connections.

4. Interactive Whiteboards: Platforms like Miro or Jamboard facilitates collaboration and effective communication on projects and ideas using real-time digital whiteboard, brainstorming ideas or mapping out plans together.

These activities not only break the ice but also help in building rapport and easing into more formal meeting agendas.

Mastering the art of the introductory meeting is essential for fostering effective communication and strong professional relationships.

By setting clear goals, engaging in active listening, and employing innovative techniques, you lay the groundwork for successful collaborations and team dynamics.

Remember, the key to a productive introductory meeting lies in preparation, authenticity, and the ability to connect with your audience.

By following the strategies outlined in this blog, you're well-equipped to lead meetings that not only achieve their objectives but also build a foundation for future success.

Let your introductory meeting be the first step towards a journey of impactful and meaningful professional interactions.

How do you prepare for an introductory meeting?

Preparing for an introductory meeting involves several steps:

Start by setting clear objectives and crafting a detailed meeting agenda.
Understand the background of the attendees, whether it's a team meeting, one-on-one, or a meeting with a potential client.
Prepare talking points relevant to the meeting goal, focusing on building relationships and effective communication.

What do you talk about in an introduction meeting?

In an introductory meeting, topics are about discussing your role, experience, and background, and inviting others to do the same to establish rapport. Cover the meeting agenda, focusing on specific projects or goals, and encourage active listening and genuine interest to understand each attendee's perspective.

What is called as introductory session?

An introductory session, or introductory meeting, is the initial meeting aimed at getting acquainted, sharing information, and setting expectations for future interactions. It's essential for establishing personal connections and aligning the team or participants.

Is it introduction or introductory session?

An introduction refers to the act of presenting oneself or others, while an introductory session is the entire meeting or event where introductions and initial discussions take place. An introductory session is more comprehensive and may include various activities to build trust and find common ground.

Date: [Insert Date]

Time: [Insert Time]

Location: [Insert Location or Virtual Meeting Link]

Duration: [Insert Expected Duration]

Opening Remarks (5 Minutes)

Greet participants.
Summarize the meeting's purpose and establishing basic guidelines.

Introduce Yourself (20 Minutes)

Take time to introduce yourself, sharing your name, role in the organization, and a brief professional background.
Encourage the sharing of an interesting personal fact or hobby to foster a more relaxed and personal atmosphere.

Q&A (5 Minutes)

Open the floor to any questions participants might have about the meeting's content, objectives, or any organizational updates.
If time allows, address individual questions or concerns.

Follow-up Steps (10 Minutes)

Recap the main points of the meeting and any important information shared during introductions.
Provide information on ways to stay connected, such as contact details, team communication channels, or scheduling tools.

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How to smoothly start a meeting (when you’re in charge)

Your turn, now!

Tell me: What are your own tips to conduct a smooth meeting?

Write your answer down in the comments! It’s a great way to practice, and share with the world!

Don’t lose professional opportunities because of your English. Get my insider tips and interview secrets to get the job at your next interview. Click here to learn how you can become more confident for interviews and convince the recruiter you’re the right candidate.

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Thanks for watching Speak English with Christina, and I’ll see you next time!

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My tips to conduct a good meeting is to speak slow and clear. I am from Denmark. If I speak too fast, people can’t understand my accent or words.

Hi Philip, Great tips, thanks! Yes, often people think they need to speak fast to speak well, but often it is the opposite! Just think of how difficult it is to talk with Americans because they speak fast. The goal is clear communication, not fast speech. Thanks for reminding us of that!

Thanks! This is really helpful

I think choosing the proper words Is important. Also, prevent some ambiguous words, in case there is any misunderstanding.

Absolutely, Hank!

Thanks so much!

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Introduction Speech

Introduction speech generator.

Discover the art of crafting compelling introduction speeches through our comprehensive guide. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned speaker, our step-by-step approach simplifies the process. Explore a rich collection of speech examples , tailored to inspire and improve your public speaking skills. Master the nuances of delivering impactful introductions that captivate your audience, using our expertly curated speech examples as your roadmap to success.

What is Introduction Speech?

An introduction speech , also known as an introductory speech or an icebreaker speech, is a short address given to introduce oneself or someone else to an audience. The purpose of an introduction speech is to provide relevant information about the person being introduced, set the tone for the event or presentation, and establish a connection with the audience. This type of speech is commonly used in various settings, such as conferences, meetings, seminars, social events, and classrooms.

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A speech can be of any form and used for various functions. It can be a thank-you speech to show one’s gratitude or even an introduction speech to introduce a person (even oneself), product, company, or the like. In these examples, let’s look at different speech examples that seek to introduce.

Introduction Speech Example

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Introduction Speech for Students

Introduction Speech for School

Self-Introduction Sample

Short Introduction Speech

Introduction Speech for Employee

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waalc.org.au

Formal Introduction Sample

archive.icann.org

More Introduction Speech Examples and Samples

Self Introduction Speech for Interview Self Introduction Speech for School Students Self Introduction Speech for Middle School Self Introduction Speech for University New Manager Introduction Speech Introduction Speech for an Event Introduction Speech for Freshers Party Introduction Speech for Guest Speaker Introduction Speech for Seminar Introduction Speech for Conference Introduction Speech for Workshop Introduction Speech for Award Ceremony Introduction Speech for Corporate Event Introduction Speech for Team Meeting Introduction Speech for Annual Day Introduction Speech for Webinar Introduction Speech for Cultural Event Introduction Speech for Product Launch Introduction Speech for Training Session Introduction Speech for Charity Event Introduction Speech for Graduation Ceremony Introduction Speech for Farewell Party Introduction Speech for Business Meeting Introduction Speech for School Assembly Introduction Speech for Panel Discussion Introduction Speech for Retirement Party Introduction Speech for Anchoring Introduction Speech for Program

How to Write a Introduction Speech?

Start with a warm and friendly greeting to the audience.

Example: “Good afternoon, everyone.”

2. Self-Introduction (if introducing yourself)

State your name and your role or position.

Example : “My name is [Your Name], and I am [your position, e.g., ‘the new marketing manager’].”

3. Purpose of the Speech

Explain why you are speaking and the context of the event.

Example : “I’m here today to introduce our guest speaker, [Speaker’s Name].”

4. Background Information

Provide relevant details about the person being introduced, such as their qualifications and achievements.

Example : “[Speaker’s Name] is a renowned expert in [field], with over [number] years of experience.”

5. Significance and Credentials

Highlight why the person is important and their qualifications to speak on the topic.

Example : “[Speaker’s Name] has received numerous awards, including [specific award].”

6. Personal Touch:

Add a personal anecdote or a light-hearted comment to make the introduction engaging.

Example : “When [Speaker’s Name] is not busy revolutionizing the industry, they enjoy hiking and cooking gourmet meals.”

7. Conclusion

Wrap up the introduction by reiterating the importance of the person or the event.

Example : “Please join me in welcoming [Speaker’s Name].”

8. Transition

Smoothly transition to the next part of the event or hand over to the person being introduced.

Example : “Without further ado, here is [Speaker’s Name].”

Tips For Introduction Speech

Start with a Greeting:

Begin with a warm, friendly greeting.

Introduce Yourself:

State your name and your role or connection.
Example: “I’m [Your Name], [Speaker’s Name]’s colleague.”

State the Purpose:

Explain why you’re speaking and the context.
Example: “I’m here to introduce our guest speaker, [Speaker’s Name].”

Highlight Key Details:

Share relevant background information and achievements.
Example: “[Speaker’s Name] has over 20 years of experience in [field].”

Add a Personal Touch:

Include a personal anecdote or light-hearted comment.
Example: “Outside of work, [Speaker’s Name] enjoys hiking and gourmet cooking.”

Summarize Significance:

Emphasize why the person is important.
Example: “[Speaker’s Name]’s innovative work has set new industry standards.”

Conclude and Transition:

Wrap up and smoothly transition to the speaker.
Example: “Please join me in welcoming [Speaker’s Name].”

FAQ’s

What should an introduction speech include.

Include the speaker’s name, credentials, achievements, and relevance to the topic or event.

How long should an introduction speech be?

An introduction speech should typically last between 1 to 3 minutes, keeping it concise and engaging.

How can I prepare for an introduction speech?

Research the speaker thoroughly, practice your speech, and time yourself to ensure it’s concise and engaging.

How do I address the audience in an introduction speech?

Address the audience formally, using appropriate greetings such as “Ladies and Gentlemen” or “Distinguished Guests.”

Should I mention the speaker’s personal life?

Only mention personal details if they are relevant and appropriate for the context and audience.

How can I make the introduction speech engaging?

Share interesting and relevant facts, anecdotes, or achievements about the speaker that connect with the audience.

What tone should I use in an introduction speech?

Use a respectful, enthusiastic, and welcoming tone to create a positive atmosphere.

How can I start an introduction speech?

Begin with a compelling opening, such as a quote, anecdote, or interesting fact about the speaker.

Why is an introduction speech important?

It sets the tone for the speaker, builds credibility, and engages the audience, preparing them for the main presentation.

What mistakes should I avoid in an introduction speech?

Avoid overly long speeches, irrelevant details, mispronouncing names, and using a monotone voice.

Text prompt

Instructive
Professional

Write an Introduction Speech for a guest speaker at a conference.

Create an Introduction Speech for a new teacher at school.

Help team members get to know each other and build rapport for a successful start to your collaboration here!

If you’re welcoming new members to your team, building new professional relationships, or even joining a new team yourself, it’s time to think about how you’ll manage introductions. Mary Shapiro, author of the HBR Guide to Leading Teams , says in a new group setting,

“One of your first priorities should be to get to know your team members and to encourage them to get to better know one another,” and advises that you “resist the urge to immediately start talking about the work and the task outcome.”

Running an introductory meeting is a great way to help your team focus on relationship building instead of jumping immediately to project work. An effective first meeting will encourage connections, help your team get aligned, and lay the foundation for effective teamwork moving forward. However, there are a few ground rules to keep in mind for success. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to manage your team’s introductions and make sure nothing’s missing on meeting day.

What is an introductory meeting?

Benefits of an introductory meeting, how to host an introductory meeting, tips for introducing yourself in a meeting.

An introductory meeting is a meeting between two or more people who haven’t met before with the goal of initiating a positive working relationship. For example, you might be welcoming one or more new team members and want to help them integrate effectively into the group. Alternatively, you might be starting a new role as a manager and want to share your professional background and leadership philosophy with your new team.

To prepare for an introductory meeting, it’s important to reflect on the meeting goal, whom you should invite, what to include on the agenda, and how you’ll introduce yourself. You’ll also need to decide what tools will make your meeting a success. For example, you can use Fellow to create a meeting agenda ahead of time, record meeting notes, and assign action items for an effective introductory meeting.

Run efficient introductory meetings, come to a decision, and get back to work

Level up your meeting habits to boost engagement and productivity with a collaborative meeting agenda. Try a tool like Fellow!

Improves teamwork
Encourages connections
Fosters alignment
Heightens knowledge

1 Improves teamwork

Running an introductory meeting is a great way to improve teamwork from the very start. This first meeting with your team will let everyone get to know each other and start building positive working relationships. In remote or hybrid work environments where people miss out on casual office conversations, introductory meetings are also an effective way to help team members bond. For example, you can use icebreakers to help your team feel more connected on a personal level. In the meeting , you can use your introductions to lay the groundwork for effective communication, establish a clear purpose, and start building trust with your team. These elements are essential for effective teamwork and will help your team perform well as soon as you start working together.

2 Encourages connections

A well-connected team is a successful team! When you get a group of people together who don’t know their team leader or fellow team members, it can be challenging to jump straight into project work. By hosting an introductory meeting before the work starts, you’ll help people feel ready to collaborate. People may feel nervous about working with a new team or manager, so building these connections early on is key to making everyone feel relaxed and capable of doing their best work. After your introductory meeting, people have the option to book one-on-ones to continue getting connected on a personal and professional level.

3 Fosters alignment

An introductory meeting is an effective way to increase alignmen t and get everyone on the same page from the start. Encouraging your team members to give a brief overview of their professional skills, experience, and areas of expertise in their introductions will help everyone understand where each member fits on the team. You can also take a few minutes to outline each team member’s role and responsibilities so people are aligned on how you’ll be working together. At the end of the meeting, you’ll also cover the next steps so everyone understands what’s ahead and can leave the meeting ready and excited to get started.

4 Heightens knowledge

In addition to helping your team connect, an introductory meeting is a great opportunity for information sharing among your team. Sharing important information from the start fosters transparency and makes your team more likely to communicate openly in the future. For example, you can share relevant company information, the goal of your collaboration, and any potential risks or challenges ahead. By sharing key information in your introductory meeting, you’ll help your team members gain the knowledge they need to work together effectively. However, make sure to avoid information overload by scheduling a separate project kickoff meeting to go over additional details.

Set a meeting purpose
Share a collaborative meeting agenda
Only invite those who need to be there
Begin by introducing yourself
Provide an opportunity for questions
Establish expectations
Assign clear next steps

1 Set a meeting purpose

Some simple preparation for your introductory meeting will help make sure it’s a success. First, set out the purpose of the meeting to keep things focused on meeting day and help everyone prepare ahead of time. A best practice is to write a meeting purpose statement that clearly describes the why of your meeting. For example, “The purpose of this meeting is to help everyone get to know each other before we start our first project.” Make sure your meeting purpose is clear, specific, and actionable so everyone knows what to expect and comes ready for their introductions.

Fellow helps ensure every meeting has a clear purpose. With the Meeting Guidelines feature set, when a meeting is being created, meeting organizers are prompted to add a meeting purpose to the description of the meeting, to help boost meeting engagement.

2 Share a collaborative meeting agenda

Once you’ve clarified your meeting’s purpose, it’s time to put together an agenda. Creating an agenda ahead of time will help the meeting stay on track and ensure there’s enough time for everyone’s introductions. Since people may be anxious about meeting a new team or manager, sharing the agenda in advance will also help everyone know what to expect and feel more relaxed. With a collaborative agenda, the group can add questions or talking points so you know what information to cover for a successful first gathering.

With Fellow, you can create collaborative meeting agendas that will help your team thrive before, during, and after each meeting. Fellow’s collaborative meeting agendas ensure that everyone:

Shows up prepared: Review past notes and encourage everyone to add talking points to the meeting agenda
Collaborates on notes: With a full history of meeting notes archived in Fellow, you’ll never forget what was discussed
Records action items: The most important work comes after the meeting. Ensure that your team has clear objectives by recording action items in one spot
Sends meeting notes: With a single click of a button, you can send meeting notes via email or Slack so that everyone feels like they were a part of the discussion

3 Only invite those who need to be there

For your introductory meeting, it’s key to only have the essential people in the room. The purpose of this meeting is to facilitate personal connections, so you want to make sure there’s enough time for everyone to interact, ask questions, and establish rapport. Having too many faces in the room will also make it harder for people to bond with each other and get connected on a personal level. Try to invite only the people who will be working together directly—like those on a specific project or team. To help the rest of the company get to know new team members, you can encourage everyone to create an “about me” page and add it to the company wiki.

4 Begin by introducing yourself

Set an example and help people feel more at ease by introducing yourself first at the start of the meeting. One purpose of your introduction is to build trust and credibility, so share a few professional highlights such as companies you’ve worked for, notable projects, and your areas of expertise. To avoid bragging, make sure you shine the spotlight back on your team and share how you hope to support them and why you’re excited to work together. Mention a few fun personal facts to build rapport—like your favorite foods, memorable trips, or hidden talents. However, don’t go overboard; keeping your introduction short and sweet will make it more memorable and help people stay engaged.

5 Provide an opportunity for questions

In your introductory meeting, people might want to know more about how you’ll be working together, the expectations you have as a manager, your team’s overall purpose, and more. Adding a section for questions in the agenda ahead of time will help people come prepared with their top questions. Be an active listener and remember it’s okay not to have the answers for everything—your team will appreciate honesty and transparency! If you aren’t able to address everyone’s questions during the meeting, you can schedule one-on-ones with people to continue the conversations.

6 Establish expectations

Setting expectations in your introductory meeting is a key step for building a thriving team culture from the start. When your employees’ expectations are aligned with yours and each other’s, everyone knows what the path to success looks like and stays unified as a team. Set expectations in your introductory meeting by reviewing how you’ll work together and your team’s rules for performance, behavior, communication, and more.

For example, some effective ground rules related to meetings are that everyone arrives on time, people are present during the meeting, and an agenda is sent at least 24 hours ahead of time. Following your introductory meeting, you can meet with team members individually for an expectations meeting to cover their roles and responsibilities in-depth.

7 Assign clear next steps

One of the most important parts of every meeting agenda is assigning action items before the meeting’s over, and your introductory meeting is no exception. For example, you may want to assign tasks related to scheduling one-on-ones and a project kickoff meeting, creating “about me” pages for the company wiki, or making sure everyone’s set up with your project management tools. There will likely be a lot of excitement in the room during your introductory meeting, and clear next steps will help turn this energy into positive momentum for your team.

With Fellow , you can easily assign, track, and follow up on meeting action items. Action items are organized by urgency and importance so your whole team can clearly see what to get working on first.

“My absolute favorite part about Fellow is the Action Items feature. Fellow makes it extremely easy to assign myself or others to a task that needs to be completed. Recently, Fellow has been updated with the ability to assign Action Items to multiple people. Each Fellow user can sort and group their Action Items in ways that are most impactful to them individually.” – Fellow review on G2

Follow these best practices to make a great impression in your introductory meeting:

Avoid talking too much about yourself in your introduction by focusing on how you hope to support your team.
Add one or more icebreakers at the start of the agenda to help people bond.
Pay attention to your body language to ensure you come across as calm and confident.
Assign talking points to help guide people’s introductions.
Include a balance of personal and professional details in your introduction to help people connect with you on a personal level, too.
Use Fellow’s AI-generated agendas to help you generate headings and talking points for your introductory meeting.
Keep your introduction short and sweet to make it memorable and leave time for questions.

Parting Advice

While it can be tempting to jump straight into project work with new team members, investing some time in introductions will pay off with improved teamwork from the very start. Scheduling an introductory meeting is a great way to get people excited about working together and ready to take the first steps. Remember to include plenty of time for icebreakers and questions and encourage everyone to share both professional and personal highlights. The focus of this meeting should be on getting to know each other—save the nitty gritty for your one-on-ones and project kickoff meetings. For tips on how to lead your team to success following your introductions, don’t forget to check out the Fellow blog !

How to Conduct a Meeting Audit in 7 Steps: A Guide for Leaders 6 min read

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How To Write and Automate a Meeting Summary for Optimal Outcomes 7 min read

How to Introduce Yourself to a New Team (+ Examples)

See how leaders in 100+ countries are making meetings more productive and delightful.

Say goodbye to unproductive meetings. Fellow helps your team build great meeting habits through collaborative agendas, real-time notetaking, and time-saving templates.

End every meeting knowing who is doing what by when. Assign, organize, and prioritize all your meeting action items in one place.

Give and get feedback as work happens. Request and track real-time feedback on meetings, recent projects, and performance.

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Welcome speech

How to write a welcome speech in 3 steps

With a printable welcome speech planner, outline and a sample welcome speech

By: Susan Dugdale

So, you've been asked to give a short welcome speech for an event. Congratulations! And now you want to be doubly sure you get it right. The right content. The right tone. Plus, the right length!

You'll find everything here you need to do that easily, from start to finish.

Jump in. You are just three steps away from a completed welcome speech. Shall we start?

The fastest and best way to get your speech done is to:

skim read this page to get an overview of the speech writing process, ( the welcome speech template and the planner you're going to use), to read the example welcome speech , and to find out more about the function of a welcome speech and the importance of its tone .
then download, print and complete the welcome speech planner .
and lastly, use the notes you made in the planner to write your welcome speech . To help with that, you can download and print the outline of my example welcome speech to use. Edit, and add your information to make the speech your own.

Return to Top

The welcome speech template

To be effective your welcome speech needs to meet expected, as well as any specific, requirements dictated by the occasion.

The 6 standard welcome speech content ingredients

A woman with a cookbook reading a welcome speech recipe. Plus, a list of ingredients.

There are six common or standard content items in a good welcome speech.

Greetings to welcome everyone and thanking them for coming along.
Acknowledgement of special guests, if there are any.
An introduction of the event itself and a brief overview of special highlights the audience will want to know about.
Any important housekeeping information, for instance: where the bathrooms are, where lunch will be served and when...
An introduction for the next speaker, if there is one.
Thanking everyone for coming once more and then concluding having made everybody feel at ease, eagerly anticipating what is to come.

Numbers 1, 3, and 6 are basic essentials you cannot do without. Numbers 2, 4 and 5 may, or may not, be applicable. Pick what you need from them to fit your occasion.

Short sample welcome speech for a conference

Now let's put all six ingredients into an example of a short welcome speech to open a conference that you can adapt for your own speech.

* (This speech is pure fiction! I made it up to show you how it's done. You'll see its tone is formal rather than informal to fit the occasion. I don't think there is a group called Parents United. However, there are others with a similar mission: 10 Inspiring Organizations that Promote Literacy and Education .)

Example welcome speech - "Readers by Right"

"Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith, Jane Brown and all of our guests, good morning!

My name is April Molloy, and it's my privilege and great pleasure on behalf of Parents United to welcome you all here today.

We are delighted to have you with us to participate and share in this special occasion, our 5th annual Children's Day Conference. Thank you for coming. That many of you have willingly traveled long distances to be here serves as a reminder to us all just how important our work is.

Quote extract: We want all children, regardless of race, creed or circumstance to achieve their full potential.

Parents United is committed to actively raising the quality of life for every child. We want all children, regardless of race, creed or circumstance to achieve their full potential. Our task is to make it possible. Our mission is to provide practical, step by step assistance.

This year our theme is literacy. We've named the day 'Readers by Right'.

Thanks to the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we are aware of 'rights' in many spheres, including education. Article 26 declared it should be compulsory and free for children.

That goal is as pertinent today as it was then. And it's a goal I know we all share - the full development of every child. As a body, Parents United recognizes good reading skills established in childhood as the foundation of fulfilling, and ongoing education.

Quote extract: Jim and Jane bring their passion and knowledge of how to reach those in our communities who are frequently overlooked or bypassed.

We are honored to have Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith and Jane Brown with us today. All three are esteemed specialists in teaching young children to read.

Sue-Ellen has worked for a long time with educational authorities to establish programs putting in place necessary pre-reading skills. Her hard work needs no introduction. The results speak for themselves.

Jim and Jane bring their passion, and knowledge of how to reach those in our communities who are frequently overlooked or bypassed. Their work among disadvantaged English-as-a-second-language families has bridged gaps that were deep dark chasms.

Prepare yourself to be challenged, excited and inspired.

And before I handover to Lesley Watts, our coordinator for 'Readers by Right', who will outline the day's various events, I want to say once more on behalf of the Parents United organizing committee, welcome. It's wonderful to see so many of you here."

Get your welcome speech started

To shortcut wondering, "Should I say this?" or "Maybe I should say that?" and "Then again there's also ...", I have a very simple solution for you.

Get yourself a printable welcome speech planner

Illustration of an audience listening intently with text overlay saying: Click to download a welcome speech planner

Download and print my special greeting address planner .

It covers ALL the necessary ingredients that go into preparing a successful welcome speech. It's simple to use and easily filled out. Once it's done, writing your speech will be a lot less hassle as you'll have the core content ready to work with.

Writing your welcome speech

Tips to help you get your speech right.

When you're entering information into your speech planner:

ensure you've got all the names of individuals or special guests you need to mention specifically and, that you know how to pronounce each of them. Also check that you know and use their preferred pronouns: them/they, she/her, he/him...
double check the remarks you're going to make about them, or anything else, are factually correct.

Use your introduction of your guests/or the event, as a "teaser" for what is going to come. It will help create anticipation in the audience. Don't ruin it by giving too much away! Just enough to tempt and no more.

Keep it brief. One to two minutes is generally sufficient.

(The word count of my sample welcome speech is 357. It will take approximately 2 minutes to say .)

Use the S-S-S formula for success: Short, Simple and Sincere. Your listeners will appreciate it.

Infographic: SSS speech formula: simple, short and sincere

Get a printable welcome speech outline

If you would like to use and adapt the structure I used in my sample speech as the foundation for your welcome speech, click the link to download the printable: welcome speech outline .

Then edit; delete, amend and add, until you are done.

Illustration of an audience listening intently with text overlay saying: Click to download a welcome speech outline

Get a hand with vocabulary

If you're stuck for words, here's a large selection of adaptable welcoming phrases with example s entences. Reading through them could help you to find exactly what you want.

What does a good welcome speech do?

An effective welcome speech has three important functions. It:

signals the official beginning of an event . It says to the audience, hush, sit down, stop talking and listen. What you came for is starting!
sets the tone for the occasion through the choice of language used . For example, using light-hearted and informal words to welcome guests to a dear friend's birthday party may be completely appropriate. However, the same type of language to welcome family and friends to a memorial service is unlikely to be. In that setting, people generally expect a more solemn and formal word choice. They could be deeply offended and think the use of casual language is disrespectful. Understanding and getting tone right is a key element in the overall success of your welcome speech.
unites the audience . It draws everyone together in the common purpose at the heart of the occasion. For example, at a birthday party, the welcome speech invites everyone to join in celebrating the person whose birthday it is. The welcome speech opening a specialist conference will affirm its principal purpose: the coming together of people with mutual interests to meet and share new knowledge. Or if a welcome speech is given to newcomers in a workplace, club or educational setting, its purpose is to give an introductory overview of how things work to help them feel more at ease in their new situation - to help them develop a sense of belonging.

Getting the tone right for an event

What is tone.

Tone is the combined impact of the words chosen to express something, with how they are structured and, delivered. All three elements come together to create tone * .

Get tone wrong, and your welcome speech is a disaster.

Get it right, and it's a triumph!

(Yes, that's hyperbole but I'm sure you get the idea. ☺)

* Tone - a mood, quality or feeling

How to choose the right words

The beginning of getting tone right is to think about your audience and the event itself. Your goal is to unite and bring them together in the main purpose at the core of the occasion. What type of language will do that most appropriately and easily?

Infographic illustrating the principal differences between formal and informal language to create tone

To answer that question, think about the common interest everybody shares - the principal reason behind them getting together. It will help guide your language choice.

Is it a fun event like a birthday party for close friends and family? If so, then informal language is likely to be the most apt.

You might hear something along the lines of: "Well, here we all are! The big day has finally arrived. Jean-Marie is 50! Half a century! How on earth did that happen?"

If it's a remembrance service for someone who has recently died, the language you're likely to hear is more formal.

For example: "Friends, family, colleagues, thank you for joining us today to celebrate and give thanks for our dear Jean-Marie. Your presence is gratefully appreciated."

What is appropriate? What is expected? Do spend some time thinking tone through. Misunderstanding and getting it wrong can be very embarrassing for everyone. If in doubt, ask someone whose opinion you trust.

Related helpful pages

Help rehearsing your welcome speech.

Get step by step instructions on how to rehearse including how to make and use cue cards.

Image: Young man rehearsing his welcome speech.

And please do rehearse. It makes a huge difference! You'll sound, and look better. Taking the time to rehearse shows respect for yourself, the audience and the event. Truly.

Help to manage pre-speech jitters

Label: 14 ways to manage public speaking fear.

Nervous? If you're shaking in your boots at the thought of having to speak in front of an audience, click overcoming public speaking fear for assistance. Take your time. The page has 14 tried and tested suggestions to consider.

Help with other types of welcome speeches

Or perhaps you need welcome to the family speeches or a church welcome speech sample ? Click the links to find easily adaptable examples.

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How to Memorably Introduce Another Speaker

Deborah Grayson Riegel

What to say to get your audience’s attention.

As a professional speaker and facilitator for over 20 years, I’ve been introduced more than a thousand times, by countless meeting planners, conference organizers, and team leaders. Nevertheless, most of the introductions have fallen into one of four categories:

Deborah Grayson Riegel is a professional speaker and facilitator, as well as a communication and presentation skills coach. She teaches leadership communication at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has taught for Wharton Business School, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and Peking University’s International MBA Program. She is the author of Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life and the best-selling Go To Help: 31 Strategies to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help .

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"Be a voice not an echo." - Albert Einstein

How to Start a Speech — 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!

Want to move audiences? Develop a powerful opening! Here is how to start a speech, including 12 foolproof ways to grab audiences in public speaking.

Let's talk about how to start a speech. When it comes to persuading, inspiring, or influencing an audience, your opening is by far the most important moment in your performance.

So how do you begin a presentation in ways that will get an audience on your side and start you on the road to speaking memorably?

Learn this skill and 101 tips and tricks for more successful speaking in my Public Speaking Handbook, How to Give a Speech . Also available as an Amazon bestseller!

Dr. Gary Genard's Amazon best seller for business speeches, How to Give a Speech.

Let's imagine that you're finally pitching to that audience of decision makers. It's the high-stakes opportunity you've been waiting for, and you've put together a killer presentation. There's just one problem: how do you start the thing off with a bang? Remember, anyone can give an ordinary presentation. It's your job to stand out from the crowd for career success.

Your Opening Sets the Tone of Your Presentation

You probably already know you need to begin with power and purpose. You're just not sure how . . . or for that matter, exactly why.

The answer is that, when it comes to influencing listeners in speeches and presentations, two concepts explain why your beginning and ending need to be particularly strong. I'll discuss both concepts here, then provide some powerful tools for your opening gambit: your speech Introduction .

Ready to set your audience on fire?

This article is available as a free PDF . Click here to download "How to Start a Speech - 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!" Learn and practice starting out powerfully!

Your Introduction and Conclusion Need to Be Strong

The two concepts concerning why you need to start and end strongly, are primacy and recency . Primacy states that people remember most vividly what they hear at the beginning of a speech. Recency says those same people will strongly recall what you say at the end. In terms of public speaking, this translates into your introduction and conclusion. And you really do need to start early. Here's how to create an opening your audience will remember .

In more practical terms, there are three specific reasons why your introduction needs to be engaging and interesting immediately :

(1) Audiences make judgments about you and your message in the first minute. After that point, you'll be able to change those opinions about as easily as you can change a hamster into a ham sandwich. So here's how to be strong in the first 60 seconds of your speech .

(2) Your opening sets the entire tone of your presentation (including whether you'll be interesting or not).

(3) This is when you introduce your message and tell the audience why they should listen.

Sound like a tall order? It isn't, if you use the seven key components of successful presentations . Your audience needs to be both fully engaged and predisposed favorably toward you and your message. Neither will happen unless you can grab their attention, so they're onboard when you spin your verbal magic. Keep reading to learn how that's done.

Ready to boost your influence with stakeholders? Grab your copy of my book, Speak for Leadership . Learn an executive speech coach's secrets! Get it today here or on Amazon .

Using Creativity in Business Presentations

Achieving the objective of a 'grabbing' opening takes thought, a bit of imagination, and yes, a little creativity. The good news is that since you know your topic well and you're psyched up for the big game (it's an audience of decision-makers, remember?), you should be well positioned to succeed.

Primacy won't have much of a chance to operate, though, if you use what I call the 'Today, I'm going to talk about . . .' opening. This is boring! Be on the lookout instead for something that will pique the interest of your listeners, and perhaps surprise them. And here's something else you absolutely need to know: 20 ways to connect with an audience for lasting influence .

A few minutes of focused thinking should be all you need to know how to come up with an effective opening. And remember to avoid that I call introducing your introduction. That sounds like this: 'Let me start out with a story . . .', or, 'I heard a very funny joke the other day . . . ' Or even the inexplicable 'Before I begin . . . ' since you've already begun!

Just tell us the story, the joke, or the in-the-know reference that will delight your listeners. But if you signal your effect beforehand, you water down its potency and its power to surprise.

So how can you be completely focused and on your game?

12 Powerful Ways to Start a Speech or Presentation

As a springboard to launching your presentation with verve and originality, here are a dozen rhetorical devices you can use. Each of them is an effective 'speech hook that you can use to start any speech or presentation:

Startling statement
Personal anecdote or experience
Expert opinion
Sound effect
Physical object or demonstration
Testimony or success story

You could literally think of dozens more from your own experience or that of your audience. Remember, the best grabbers engage an audience immediately, both intellectually and emotionally. Interestingly, these same devices can be used to conclude in a way that keeps your audience thinking about what you said. It's all part of my six rules for effective public speaking .

Coming up with an exciting grabber and clincher involves some work on your part. But the rewards if you're successful more than justify the effort.

Famous Speech Openings

How about a few examples? Here are four great openings that illustrate some of the grabbers listed above:

Jesus , Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." — Startling statement.

Bill Clinton , 1993 speech in Memphis to ministers (after having heard himself introduced as "Bishop Clinton"): "You know, in the last ten months, I've been called a lot of things, but nobody's called me a bishop yet. When I was about nine years old, my beloved and now departed grandmother, who was a very wise woman, looked at me and she said, 'You know, I believe you could be a preacher if you were just a little better boy.'" — Humor

Jane Fonda in her TED Talk "Life's Third Act": "There have been many revolutions over the last century, but perhaps none as significant as the longevity revolution. We are living on average today 34 years longer than our great-grandparents did. Think about that: that's an entire second adult lifetime that's been added to our lifespan." — Statistic.

Steve Jobs , 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford University: "Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it, no big deal—just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another eighteen months or so before I really quit. So why'd I drop out? It started before I was born." — Story, with a seamless transition into his speech.

Like historical mysteries? — Discover my Dr. William Scarlet Mystery Series!

A haunted young artist. A trail of bodies. What is terrorizing London? Scotland Yard surgeon and psychic Dr. William Scarlet pursues a serial killer in Red Season ! Also on Amazon .

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Gary Genard is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching and corporate group training worldwide. He was named for nine consecutive years as One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals , and also named as One of America's Top 5 Speech Coaches . He is the author of the Amazon Best-Sellers How to Give a Speech and Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence . His book, Fearless Speaking , was named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." He is also the author of the Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries . Contact Gary here.

Tags: leadership skills , public speaking training , public speaking , business presentations , public speaking tips , Speaking for Leadership , Public Speaking Techniques , how to start a speech , how to give a speech , speech introduction , how to persuade an audience , how to open a speech , speech coach , speech coaching , public speaking for leadership , presentations , The Genard Method , Dr. Gary Genard , CEO , speak for leadership , public speaking training company , executive coaching , keynote speaker training , how to start a presentation , motivational speaker training , TEDx speaker training , public speaking coaching , speech hooks , speech training , speech expert , online public speaking training , executive coach , public speaking books , leadership books , books on leadership , leadership expert , leadership authors , executive speech coaching , speech for leadership , public speaking for doctors , public speaking for lawyers , public speaking for engineers , public speaking for IT professionals , public speaking for data scientists , public speaking for scientists , public speaking for business , how to win friends and influence people , public speaking for business executives , talk like TED , Red Season , Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries

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WHO Director-General /

WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the extraordinary meeting of the Standing Committee on Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response – 15 August 2024

Chair, members of the committee, dear colleagues and friends,

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, and thank you all for joining us for this first extraordinary meeting of this Committee, which we have convened following my declaration yesterday of a public health emergency of international concern over the upsurge of mpox in Africa.

The Emergency Committee is currently working on temporary recommendations, which we will issue in the coming days, to provide guidance to address the acute risk of mpox in countries affected by, or at risk of, the disease.

In addition, I have extended for another year the standing recommendations that I issued when I declared an end to the previous mpox PHEIC last year. Those recommendations provide more general guidance to address the chronic risk of mpox globally.

Meanwhile, we are pleased to provide you with a briefing on the reasons for my declaration, and what we are doing to support countries to prepare for, prevent and respond to outbreaks of mpox.

So far this year, 15 664 cases of mpox, with 537 deaths, have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone, already exceeding last year’s total, which was itself a record.

The upsurge in DRC is being driven by two separate outbreaks of two strains, or clades of the virus that causes mpox.

The first is an outbreak in northwestern DRC of what was previously known as clade 1, now called clade 1a, which is endemic in that part of the country. This outbreak is primarily affecting children and is spread through multiple modes of transmission.

The second is an outbreak in northeastern DRC of a new offshoot of clade 1 called clade 1b, which was first detected in September last year and is spreading rapidly, mainly through sexual transmission among adults.

In the past month, more than 100 cases of clade 1b have also been reported in four countries neighbouring DRC which had not reported mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

The rapid spread of clade 1b, and its detection in neighbouring countries, are the main reasons for my decision to declare a public health emergency of international concern.

But clade 1b is not our only concern. Cases of clade 1a have also been reported this year in the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo, while clade 2 has been reported in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria and South Africa.

Both clade 1a and 1b cause more severe disease than clade 2, which caused the global outbreak of mpox over which I declared a public health emergency of international concern in 2022.

It’s a complex picture, and responding to each of these outbreaks, and bringing them under control, will require a complex, comprehensive and coordinated international response.

WHO is working with the affected countries, and others at risk, through our country and regional offices, as well as with partners including the Africa CDC, NGOs, civil society and more.

For example, we are providing machines and supplies to test samples and confirm cases of mpox;

We’re supporting laboratories to sequence viral samples;

We’re on the ground supporting case investigation and contact tracing, risk communication and community engagement;

We’re training health workers and supporting clinicians to provide appropriate care;

We’re supporting countries to access vaccines and develop the strategies to roll them out;

And much more.

To fund this work, WHO has developed a regional response plan, requiring an initial US$ 15 million.

It is likely that amount will increase as we update the plan in light of growing needs.

We have released about US$ 1.5 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies, and we plan to release more in the coming days. We are also appealing to donors to fund the rest of the response plan.

WHO is committed in the days and weeks ahead to coordinate the global response, working closely with each of the affected countries, and leveraging our on-the-ground presence, to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives.

Thank you all for your commitment. We look forward to your questions, comments and advice.

Mpox IHR Emergency Committee 2024

WHO Director-General declares mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern

Health topic: mpox

Ukraine war latest: Third Russian bridge 'attacked' - as Putin 'in position he never dreamt in worst nightmares'

Russia says Ukraine has attacked a third bridge in the Kursk region - as an ex-UK foreign secretary says Kyiv has put Vladimir Putin "into a position he never dreamt in his worst nightmares". Listen to a Daily podcast on how Ukraine crossed the Russian president's "red line" as you scroll.

Monday 19 August 2024 16:40, UK

Big picture : What you need to know as war enters new week
Ukrainian city under attack tells families to evacuate
Third bridge 'attacked' in Russian region of Kursk
Michael Clarke : Battle of bridges is about to begin
Putin 'in a position he never dreamt of in his worst nightmares'
Your questions answered: What is Ukraine hoping to achieve with invasion of Russia?
Listen to the Daily above and tap here to follow wherever you get your podcasts

That's all our live coverage on the war in Ukraine for now.

We will be back if there are any major developments this evening. If not, we'll be back tomorrow with all the latest updates.

Before we go, here's a reminder of today's key events:

A "battle of bridges" may be about to start after Ukraine targeted a third Russian bridge in the region of Kursk, defence and security analyst Professor Michael Clarke said;
A mandatory evacuation order for families with children has begun in the city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, as Russian forces advance; Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman says there has been "no change" in the UK's position on Ukraine using Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia's borders;
Ukraine's attack on the Kursk region means Russia is not ready to hold peace talks for now, an aide to Vladimir Putin has said;
Elon Musk has denied gifting a Tesla Cybertruck to a Chechen warlord;
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a clear indication as to the goals of the two week-old invasion for the first time last night, saying he wanted to create a buffer zone for his country.

Lithuania has today started building a military base that will accommodate up to 4,000 German troops once it's completed by the end of 2027.

It will be the first permanent foreign deployment for the German military since the end of the Second World War.

Lithuania's chief of defence, Raimundas Vaiksnoras, estimated it would spend more than a billion euros building the base over the next three years.

Amid fears Russia could eventually decide to invade other neighbouring countries, Mr Vaiksnoras said it would give "reassurance to our population and as deterrence, to push the Russians out".

The base will be located near the capital Vilnius, which is about 150 miles from the Russian border and 12 miles from Belarus, a staunch supporter of the Kremlin.

German defence minister Boris Pistorius compared the posting of 4,000 troops to allied forces being stationed in West Germany during the Cold War - a move that was also designed to defend Europe in the case of a Soviet attack.

Russia says it is banning 32 experts and employees at British thinktanks.

Moscow has accused them of pushing an anti-Russian line in Western policy circles, Reuters reports.

People on the list of those banned, which has been published on the Russian foreign ministry's website, have also been accused of spreading disinformation designed to discredit Moscow.

We told you earlier that Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, was visiting Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine later this week.

We now have a little bit more detail on Mr Modi's visit to Kyiv, scheduled for 23 August.

The Ukrainian presidential office said on Telegram that the two leaders would discuss the countries' relations and multilateral cooperation.

"This is the first visit of the head of the Indian government to our country in the history of bilateral relations", the office added.

Ukraine claims to be making advances after launching a shock invasion into Russia's Kursk border region, in a move which has embarrassed Vladimir Putin's top military brass.

Readers have been sending in their questions to our senior correspondents and military experts for their take on the latest developments.

Today, Jane in Shropshire asks:

What is success for Ukraine in their invasion into Russia?

Our security and defence analyst Michael Clarke says:

This incursion is, by definition, a temporary military manoeuvre, designed to put pressure on Russian strategy and gain some military leverage.

It will end when the coming battle of Kursk has reached a point where Ukrainian forces judge that they can still leave the pocket without being too badly mauled by Russian forces, who will be trying to cut them off from their escape route back into Ukraine.

But that point may be some weeks away.

Success and failure will be an essentially political judgement: did Ukraine's Kursk offensive relieve Russian military pressure elsewhere - particularly in the Donbas around Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Niu York and Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian forces are under real pressure? Did it increase support for Kyiv in the West? Did it affect the mood around Putin and the confidence in the Kremlin that they would win this war sooner or later?

Those will be the metrics by which this bold initiative will eventually be judged.

Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman says there has been "no change" in the UK's position on Ukraine using Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia's borders.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to use the missiles to attack targets deep inside Russia that could speed up the end of the war.

But Britain, along with other Western governments, have so far rebuffed Kyiv's requests amid fears of escalation.

Asked about Storm Shadow missiles and whether Ukraine is permitted to use them in Kursk as part of its push into Russia, a No 10 spokesman said: "We are providing military aid to support Ukraine's clear right to self-defence."

Asked about discussions between the UK and overseas partners, including the US and France, the spokesperson added: "We also have an ongoing dialogue with our allies about a co-ordinated effort between us all to do the same thing and be united in our support for Ukraine.

"So, more broadly, yes, there are conversations always happening between ourselves."

Civilians in Pokrosvk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region have just a week or two to flee their homes as Russian troops make rapid gains, a Ukrainian official has said.

A key target city for Moscow, fighting around Pokrovsk remains the heaviest in eastern Ukraine.

Several clashes were reported in the area last week as Kyiv pushed on with its shock invasion of Russia's Kursk border region.

Serhiy Dobriak, the head of Pokrovsk's military administration, said residents should leave as quickly as they can.

They have "a week or two, no more", he told Radio Liberty's Ukrainian Service.

He said authorities have capacity to evacuate at least 1,000 people per day, but only around half that amount is currently leaving.

Some 53,000 people, including nearly 4,000 children, remain in the city.

More than 121,000 people have been evacuated from nine border districts in Kursk, Russian media is reporting, citing the country's emergencies ministry.

Ukrainian troops launched a cross-border invasion into the region nearly two weeks ago, in a move that shocked Vladimir Putin and his top military leaders and left them struggling to push Kyiv's forces back.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier that he was briefed by his top military commander that Ukraine was achieving its goals in Kursk.

Kyiv predicts Moscow will have around 200,000 extra forces in Ukraine by the end of the year, according to a report.

Forbes Ukraine cited deputy defence minister Ivan Havryliuk as saying some 800,000 Russian troops were expected in the country by the end of 2024.

Currently, there are around 600,000 soldiers in occupied areas of Ukraine, he said.

Analysts at the Royal United Services Institute say Russian forces have been expanding in size despite suffering heavy casualties, and the Kremlin believes it can sustain the "current rate of attrition" through 2025.

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Election Highlights: Harris and Walz Rally in Las Vegas to End Their Introductory Tour

Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota were in Nevada for the final rally of their tour of battleground states. Former President Donald J. Trump tested a new attack at an event in Montana.

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Chris Cameron Michael Gold and Simon J. Levien

Here’s the latest on the presidential race.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, campaigned in Las Vegas on Saturday night, the final stop on their introductory tour of battleground states that began in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Earlier on Saturday, new polls by The New York Times and Siena College showed Ms. Harris ahead of former President Donald J. Trump by four percentage points in the critical battlegrounds of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. The surveys of likely voters in each state were conducted from Aug. 5 to 9.

The polls were the latest sign of Ms. Harris’s political momentum since she announced that she had chosen Mr. Walz to be her vice-presidential candidate. The new ticket has been drawing large crowds, including at a rally in Glendale, Ariz. , on Friday that the Harris campaign claimed had more than 15,000 people in attendance, which would have been its biggest rally yet.

Mr. Trump was scheduled to attend fund-raisers in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Aspen, Colo., on Saturday. On Friday, he unveiled fresh attacks against Ms. Harris during a campaign event in Bozeman, Mont., twice interrupting his speech to play compilations of some of her past remarks that his campaign hopes will portray her as overly liberal and inept.

Mr. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, rallied near Las Vegas last week , denouncing the vice president’s role in the Biden administration’s border policies. At her Arizona rally, Ms. Harris said she supported “strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship.”

Here’s what else to know:

A twist on that helicopter tale: Mr. Trump spent Friday doubling down on his story of nearly crashing during a helicopter ride with Willie Brown, the notable Black politician from California. Another Black politician from California, Nate Holden, said in an interview with The New York Times that he had been on a helicopter ride with Mr. Trump around 1990 when the aircraft experienced mechanical trouble and was forced to make an emergency landing in New Jersey.

A first-time endorsement: A Latino rights group backed Ms. Harris , breaking with its 95-year history of abstaining from formal presidential endorsements. The League of United Latin American Citizens, known as LULAC, said its members were stirred to action by concerns over the potential negative impact on Latinos if Mr. Trump were elected again.

Not an endorsement: Joe Rogan, the world’s most popular podcaster, backpedaled on comments he made on Thursday that seemed to throw his support behind the independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. After backlash from Mr. Trump’s supporters, Mr. Rogan, the podcaster with a large, devoted following that leans young and male, posted on X that what he said was not “ an endorsement. ” Another podcaster, Tim Pool, also expressed his support for Mr. Kennedy before quickly switching his support to Mr. Trump in the face of withering criticism from Trump supporters.

A tale of two very different bank accounts: Mr. Vance and Mr. Walz both came from modest backgrounds in the Midwest, but their personal fortunes have wildly diverged since then. Mr. Vance is a multimillionaire. Mr. Walz has much less than that, and is already emphasizing that contrast on the campaign trail .

Generating buzz: A high school class lesson that Mr. Walz gave 31 years ago is getting new attention online . As a geography teacher in Nebraska in 1993, Mr. Walz asked his students to take what they had learned about the Holocaust to predict which nation was most at risk for genocide. “They came up with Rwanda,” Mr. Walz said, talking about the project at a conference last month . “Twelve months later, the world witnessed the horrific genocide in Rwanda.”

David E. Sanger and Michael Gold

David E. Sanger reported from Wellington, New Zealand. Michael Gold reported from Bozeman, Mont.

The hacking of presidential campaigns begins, with the usual fog of motives.

For the third presidential election in a row, the foreign hacking of the campaigns has begun in earnest. But this time, it’s the Iranians, not the Russians, making the first significant move.

On Friday, Microsoft released a report declaring that a hacking group run by the intelligence unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had successfully breached the account of a “former senior adviser” to a presidential campaign. From that account, Microsoft said, the group sent fake email messages, known as “spear phishing,” to “a high-ranking official of a presidential campaign” in an effort to break into the campaign’s own accounts and databases.

By Saturday night, former President Donald J. Trump was declaring that Microsoft had informed his campaign “that one of our many websites was hacked by the Iranian Government — Never a nice thing to do!” but that the hackers had obtained only “publicly available information.” He attributed it all to what he called, in his signature selective capitalization, a “Weak and Ineffective” Biden administration.

The facts were murkier, and it is unclear what, if anything, the Iranian group, which Microsoft called Mint Sandstorm, was able to achieve.

Mr. Trump’s campaign was already blaming “foreign sources hostile to the United States” for a leak of internal documents that Politico reported on Saturday that it had received, though it is unclear whether those documents indeed emerged from the Iranian efforts or were part of an unrelated leak from inside the campaign.

The New York Times received what appears to be a similar if not identical trove of data from an anonymous tipster purporting to be the same person who emailed the documents to Politico.

Either way, the events of the past few days may well portend a more intense period of foreign interference in a race whose sudden turns, and changes of candidates, could have thrown the hackers off their plans.

Russia has so far played a relatively minor role, investigators and cybersecurity experts say, focusing instead on seeking to undermine both the Olympics, from which it was barred from fielding its own team, and support for Ukraine. And while American intelligence officials say they have little doubt that Russia wants to see Mr. Trump return to office, Chinese hackers, they say, seem uncertain how to play the election; they have reason to dislike both Mr. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

There is little doubt, investigators say, that the Iranians want to see Mr. Trump defeated. As president, he withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, reimposed economic sanctions on Iran and then, in January 2020, ordered the killing in Iraq of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani , the commander of the Quds Force, a clandestine wing of the Revolutionary Guards responsible for foreign operations.

Four years later, the Revolutionary Guard Corps appears still determined to avenge Suleimani’s death, and just last week the Justice Department announced it had charged a Pakistani man who had recently visited Iran, accusing him of trying to hire a hit man to assassinate political figures in the U.S. , most likely including Mr. Trump. (There is no evidence that Iran was involved in the July 13 attempt on Mr. Trump’s life in Butler, Pa.)

Mr. Trump often casts his actions against Iran as evidence of his strength, despite the fact that his exit from the Iran deal gave Tehran an opening to rebuild a nuclear program that had been hobbled by the 2015 agreement. Still, the combination of the hack and the hit men looking for Mr. Trump and his former aides gave the former president an obvious foil, and he was using it over the weekend to make the case that the Iranians would prefer a continuation of the Biden-Harris administration.

Microsoft stopped short of saying that the hacking effort it detected was focused on Mr. Trump’s campaign, though the campaign itself said that was the case. In an interview, Tom Burt, the head of the company’s customer security and trust team, said that in June, “the Iranian team associated with Iranian intelligence” operations of the Revolutionary Guards successfully breached the email account of a former campaign adviser, whom the company did not name. From that account, he said, the Iranians sent a spear phishing email to an official of a presidential campaign.

While it would have appeared to the recipient to have come from the former campaign adviser, Mr. Burt refused to say whether the targeted campaign was also Mr. Trump’s. By long-established practice, Microsoft says, it can reveal such details only with the permission of the victim of an attack.

In many ways, the effort was similar in technique to what Iran attempted when it sought to interfere in the 2020 presidential campaign . This time, however, the Iranian effort looks to have been more sophisticated — namely, through the hacking of a trusted intermediary — suggesting the hackers learned something from what the Russians accomplished in past campaigns, notably in 2016.

But Mr. Burt said the company could not determine if the effort was successful in penetrating the campaign it targeted.

The documents sent to Politico, as it described them, and to The Times included research about and assessments of potential vice-presidential nominees, including Senator JD Vance, whom Mr. Trump ultimately selected. Like many such vetting documents, they contained past statements with the potential to be embarrassing or damaging, such as Mr. Vance’s remarks casting aspersions on Mr. Trump.

In a statement on Saturday, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, preemptively chastised outlets that reported on any information that was improperly obtained.

“Any media or news outlet reprinting documents or internal communications are doing the bidding of America’s enemies and doing exactly what they want,” he wrote.

The 2016 election that Mr. Trump won was marked by similar “hack and leak” efforts after Russian hackers broke into the email accounts of top Democratic officials. Leaked emails showed the internal workings of the party and of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and also revealed criticisms of Mrs. Clinton by aides, and a trove of them was published by WikiLeaks in the final weeks of the presidential race.

Seeking an edge then, Mr. Trump’s campaign seized on the emails — many of them from Mrs. Clinton’s campaign chair, John Podesta. “We love WikiLeaks,” Mr. Trump declared at the time.

Nicholas Nehamas Reid J. Epstein and Kellen Browning

Nicholas Nehamas reported from Las Vegas, Reid J. Epstein from Washington and Kellen Browning from Phoenix.

Rallying in Las Vegas, Harris pledges to end federal taxes on tips.

Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday that she would seek to end federal income taxes on tips if she were elected president, mirroring a policy proposal that former President Donald J. Trump made earlier this year.

The proposal from Ms. Harris — which she announced in Las Vegas, where thousands of casino employees depend on tipped wages — is a priority of Nevada’s influential Culinary Workers Union. Both Ms. Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, recognized the union in their remarks to a packed basketball arena on Saturday night.

“When I am president,” Ms. Harris told the Las Vegas crowd, “we will continue our fight for working families of America, including to raise the minimum wage and eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.”

The “no tax on tips” pitch has garnered bipartisan support since Mr. Trump first floated it in June , including from Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican, and both of Nevada’s Democratic senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen. Mr. Trump also announced his support for the policy in Las Vegas.

The former president responded immediately to Ms. Harris’s proposal on Saturday night, posting on his social media website, Truth Social, that she had “copied” his own. “This was a TRUMP idea,” he wrote. “She has no ideas, she can only steal them from me.”

The Las Vegas stop was the last public event of a five-city introduction of the Harris-Walz ticket. As with the other rallies, Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz drew a crowd many times larger than any that had shown up for President Biden while he was seeking re-election.

By Saturday, there were signs that some of the Democrats’ good vibes may have an expiration date. The Harris campaign said Mr. Walz “misspoke” when he said he had carried weapons of war “in war” in a video articulating his views on gun control. And Ms. Harris, before her event in Las Vegas, answered several questions from reporters for the first time since becoming the Democratic nominee — a development that took place after pressure from Mr. Trump and his campaign.

But overall, the week’s rollout was widely viewed as a success. Ms. Harris has engendered more enthusiasm than any Democratic nominee since Barack Obama in 2008. The appointment of Mr. Walz as her running mate took place without any significant grumbling from the party — a bit of a surprise after a two-week vice-presidential audition that surfaced ideological divisions in the party, particularly over the war in Gaza.

On Saturday, Mr. Walz urged the crowd at the arena on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas — which the campaign said included more than 12,000 people — not only to vote for the Democratic ticket but also to work to ensure their friends and neighbors did, too.

“I know very clearly that I am preaching to the choir,” Mr. Walz said. “But here’s my words for you: The choir needs to sing. The choir needs to sing.”

During stops in Philadelphia , Wisconsin , Detroit and Arizona , Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz spoke to capacity crowds. By the end of the week, the high points in their stump speeches had become familiar enough to audiences that people in the crowd shouted them along with the candidates. All told, the new running mates drew more than 64,000 attendees to their rallies, according to estimates from the campaign.

“Aren’t they a breath of fresh air?” Representative Susie Lee, Democrat of Nevada, asked attendees in Las Vegas.

Mr. Biden had trailed Mr. Trump badly in Nevada, where inflation is a top concern for many voters. But Ms. Harris has tightened that gap significantly since Mr. Biden dropped out.

On Friday, the vice president secured the backing of the Culinary Workers Union, an endorsement that will likely add to her campaign’s organizing operation and eventual voter turnout.

The culinary union is a 60,000-member organization that represents casino and hotel workers and has been a key part of the coalition that has helped Democrats win in Nevada.

Mariana Swanson, a culinary union member who worked as a restroom attendant at a Las Vegas nightclub where she depended on tips, said Ms. Harris’s announcement came as a “shock,” though a welcome one.

“It’s more money for taking care of your family,” said Ms. Swanson, 43, a Democrat and one of many attendees wearing a red culinary union T-shirt. “It’s more money for paying your bills.”

With her promises to raise the minimum wage and eliminate taxes on tips, Ms. Harris seemed to preview the planned release of her policy platform next week. She had told reporters earlier on Saturday that the platform would focus on the economy and lowering costs for working families.

In addition to rank-and-file Democrats, wealthy donors are also responding to the new ticket. On Sunday, Ms. Harris was scheduled to attend a fund-raiser in San Francisco that drew more than $12 million in contributions, her campaign said.

Ms. Harris’s crowd in Las Vegas would have been larger than it was, but law enforcement officials closed the doors as people fell ill while waiting outside the arena in temperatures that reached 109 degrees. Roughly 4,000 people were in line at that point and had to be turned away, the Harris campaign said.

“Don’t worry,” a hoarse-voiced Mr. Walz promised those who had made it inside. “We’re going to be back a lot.”

Before the rally began, thousands of attendees stood and danced in their seats waving Harris-Walz signs, as disco remixes, hip-hop and Latin pop blared over the speakers and the arena’s lights flashed in multicolored rhythm.

“We’ve got a party up in here,” D-Nice, a D.J. and the event’s M.C., shouted to roars of approval. “Let’s light this place up.”

Nicholas Nehamas

Harris has wrapped up here in Las Vegas. She made news by endorsing a “no tax on tips” proposal that has wide bipartisan appeal and had previously been proposed by Trump.

Vice President Harris just said that as president she would support making tipped income tax-free, a major issue in Nevada, where much of the economy is service-based. It’s a proposal that has already been floated by her Republican opponent, former President Donald J. Trump.

Harris also expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage. She told reporters earlier today that she would release her policy platform next week, with a focus on the economy and on lowering costs for working families.

Michael Gold

Donald Trump accused Harris of copying his “no taxes on tips” policy. In a post on his social media site, Truth Social, he wrote that Harris “has no ideas, she can only steal from me” and insisted that she would not follow through on the pledge. “This was a TRUMP idea,” he wrote.

Harris is now joining Walz onstage to deafening cheers from the crowd.

Walz is telling the story of his decision to join the National Guard at 17. Republicans have raised questions about his decision to retire from the Guard more than two decades later when it was rumored his unit would be deployed to Iraq.

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota has taken the stage, his first visit to the crucial swing state of Nevada as Harris’s running mate. “I’m melting like a snowman outside,” the Minnesotan says of the Las Vegas heat.

Tilly Torres, a Las Vegas teacher, is introducing Harris. She said she had $87,000 in student debt forgiven through the Biden administration’s actions, one of its more popular initiatives. “For the first time,” Torres said, “I have financial freedom.”

Torres also has kind words for Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Harris’s running mate, saying that if he can “handle a high school lunch room,” then the vice presidency will be a piece of cake.

Beyonce’s song “Freedom” is blasting through this packed college basketball arena in Las Vegas, meaning Harris will soon appear.

Vice President Kamala Harris is 35 minutes and counting behind schedule for her remarks in Las Vegas tonight.

Reid J. Epstein

The Harris campaign said it was set to raise $12 million at a San Francisco fund-raiser on Sunday. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to speak to some 700 people.

Theodore Schleifer

Fun fact — that $12 million is precisely the amount that former President Donald J. Trump raised in San Francisco at an event this summer. But Trump raised it from only about 100 people.

The Harris campaign says that more than 12,000 people are attending her rally in Las Vegas tonight. But law enforcement officials closed the doors as people fell ill while waiting outside in temperatures that reached 109 degrees. Roughly 4,000 people were in line at that point and had to be turned away, the campaign said.

Don’t expect to hear this later from Vice President Kamala Harris, but one of her warm-up speakers, Representative Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat, just made a joke about a false rumor circulating on the internet about Senator JD Vance of Ohio, former President Donald J. Trump’s running mate. “You better hide behind that sofa because we’re coming for you,” Titus said to laughter from a crowd of thousands.

The crowd here quickly joined Representative Steven Horsford, Democrat of Nevada, in a chant of “We’re not going back,” a rallying cry in Harris’s stump speech. The easy recognition shows how familiar Democrats are growing with her applause lines.

Nicholas Nehamas Jazmine Ulloa and Shane Goldmacher

Nicholas Nehamas reported from Las Vegas, Jazmine Ulloa from Washington and Shane Goldmacher from Phoenix.

Harris hopes a new playbook will neutralize G.O.P. attacks on immigration.

For weeks, Republicans have pummeled Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration, blaming her for President Biden’s policies at the border.

Now, Ms. Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, is seeking to neutralize that line of attack, one of her biggest weaknesses with voters, running a playbook that Democrats say has worked for them in recent elections and staking out her clearest position yet as a tough-on-crime prosecutor focused on securing the border.

This week, she has hit back by promising to heighten border security if elected and slamming her Republican opponent, former President Donald J. Trump, for helping kill a bipartisan border deal in Congress. And her campaign has walked back some of the more progressive positions she took during her bid for the Democratic nomination in 2019, including her stance that migrants crossing the U.S. border without authorization should not face criminal penalties.

“I was attorney general of a border state,” Ms. Harris, who was once California’s top prosecutor, said on Friday at a rally in Arizona, a swing state where immigration is a top concern for voters. “I went after the transnational gangs, the drug cartels and human traffickers. I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.”

A day earlier, the Harris campaign released a television advertisement highlighting her pivot. The ad, targeted to voters in the battleground states, promised that Ms. Harris would “hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.” It made no mention of undocumented immigrants already in the United States — a top priority for many progressives and immigration activists — although in her Arizona speech Ms. Harris stressed the importance of “comprehensive reform” that includes “an earned pathway to citizenship.”

No other Democratic nominee has taken a position this tough on border security since Bill Clinton. Her stance reflects a change in public opinion since Mr. Trump left the White House in 2021. More Americans, including many Democrats and Latino voters, have expressed support for hard-line immigration measures.

The shift in public opinion comes as Republicans have escalated their rhetoric against migrants. Border crossings skyrocketed during the Biden administration, though more recently they have sharply declined since a Biden executive order designed to clamp down on the border. The question for Ms. Harris is whether her new message as the party’s standard-bearer will come too late for voters who have already formed opinions of her record.

Senior Trump campaign officials have ranked immigration as among Ms. Harris’s deepest vulnerabilities and sought to pin responsibility for the Biden administration’s policies on her, calling her the “border czar.” The title far exceeds the actual policy portfolio given to her by Mr. Biden, who asked her to address the root causes of migration from Latin America.

Democratic polling has raised similar concerns about Ms. Harris’s immigration record. Blueprint, a Democratic group, recently tested six potential Republican lines of attack on Ms. Harris — including labeling her the “border czar” — and found that those involving immigration were the most effective, even more so than attacks related to the economy and inflation.

Other polls have shown that voters place more trust in Mr. Trump’s ability to handle border issues than in Ms. Harris’s. But if Ms. Harris can at least counter Republican arguments on immigration, she may be able to sway voters on issues more friendly to Democrats, such as abortion, her allies say.

The decision for the Harris campaign to frame her record as California attorney general as a “border-state prosecutor” stands in contrast to how she ran in the 2020 Democratic primary.

Then, during a debate, she raised her hand in response to a question about whether people who are here illegally should be eligible for public health care.

For his part, Mr. Trump has attacked Ms. Harris over the border in dark terms, engaging in fear-mongering about migrants and using dehumanizing language to falsely paint them as a threat to Americans .

“Every day, Kamala is letting migrant criminals roam free to assault, rape, mutilate and kill our citizens,” the former president said at a rally in Montana on Friday.

Chris DeRose, a Republican who served as a clerk of courts in Arizona’s Maricopa County, said many swing voters would be dubious of Ms. Harris’s rhetoric.

“She’s part of the Biden-Harris administration,” Mr. DeRose said. “There’s going to be some skepticism.”

But Ms. Harris and her allies have tried to make Mr. Trump’s immigration record into its own campaign issue. This year, Mr. Trump successfully convinced Senate Republicans to kill a bill supported by Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris that would have effectively mandated that the border be shut down to migrants when numbers reached certain levels and that vastly expanded detentions and deportations.

“Donald Trump tanked the deal,” Ms. Harris said in Arizona as a crowd of more than 15,000 supporters booed. “Because he thought by doing that it would help him win an election.”

Jen Cox, a senior adviser for the Harris campaign in Arizona, said Democrats in that state, including Senator Mark Kelly, had won elections with tougher messages on immigration.

“Voters want to see folks be serious about actually fixing the broken immigration system and securing the border,” Ms. Cox said in an interview. “They don’t want to see folks play politics with it.”

In a closely watched special election in New York this year, Tom Suozzi, a Democrat, won a competitive House race after slamming Mr. Trump over the scuttled border deal and taking unusually hard-line stances for a member of his party, including calls to temporarily shut down the border and deport migrants who assault the police.

“The most effective politician is the one that says what the people are thinking already,” Mr. Suozzi said. “And people are talking about this issue. They are very much concerned about it. And the vice president can continue to emphasize that, yes, we recognize this is a problem and we are willing to compromise to solve the problem, unlike the other side.”

Harris campaign aides say her move to the center since the 2020 primary had been shaped by her time as vice president.

Mike Madrid, a longtime G.O.P. consultant focused on Latino voters, said Ms. Harris’s pledge to sign the border security bill, which did not include protections for undocumented immigrants already in the United States, and the security-focused message of her new television ad reflected wider changes among Democrats.

Since the Obama years, Democrats had sought to fuse efforts to increase border security with calls to establish permanent paths to legal residency and citizenship for the roughly 10 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, many of whom have lived in the country for years, holding jobs, paying taxes and starting families.

But the Latino electorate, the fastest-growing slice of the voter bloc, now tends to be third- and fourth-generation voters more removed from the immigration experience, Mr. Madrid said.

“This doesn’t mean you have to go all Donald Trump on immigration,” he said. “It means you have to lead with border security and then weave in the elements of immigration reform later.”

Michael Gold contributed reporting from Bozeman, Mont., and Reid J. Epstein contributed reporting from Washington.

Hundreds of people are waiting outside to get into a Harris campaign rally at a basketball arena in Las Vegas, where the temperature is 107 degrees.

Inside, it’s a full celebration, with thousands of people standing and dancing in their seats to disco remixes. “We’ve got a party up in here,” the D.J. D-Nice, the event’s M.C., says over the speakers. It cannot be said enough how different the energy at Harris’s rallies has been from that at President Biden’s.

Vice President Kamala Harris took five questions from the traveling press pool on Saturday. It was the first time since she became the Democratic presidential nominee that she engaged with journalists even to that degree. She said she planned to deliver a policy platform next week.

Harris has faced criticism — including from former President Donald J. Trump — for not holding a news conference or sitting for interviews with journalists.

The singer Celine Dion, in a statement on social media, said she and her management team did not authorize or endorse the playing of “My Heart Will Go On,” her hit song from the movie “Titanic,” at a Trump rally in Montana on Friday. The Trump campaign has played the song at multiple rallies recently, and Trump has over the years received several requests from artists asking him not to use their music at his political events.

Neil Vigdor

The Harris campaign says Walz “misspoke” in a comment about his military service.

Officials for Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign are trying to clean up remarks made in 2018 by her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, that gave the impression that he had served in combat, just days after the campaign had inadvertently drawn attention to them to illustrate Mr. Walz’s views about responsible gun ownership.

In a clip from a political event in 2018, when he represented Minnesota in the House, Mr. Walz referenced his 24 years in the Army National Guard and background as a hunter while discussing his views on gun control. He spoke of supporting common-sense gun legislation that also protects Second Amendment rights, including background checks and restrictions on high-powered firearms.

“We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at,” Mr. Walz said in the clip, which the campaign had shared Tuesday on social media, just hours after Ms. Harris named him as her running mate.

Mr. Walz deployed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, but not in a combat zone.

Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for the Harris-Walz campaign, said in a statement on Saturday that Mr. Walz’s remarks had been a misstatement and that he had not tried to mislead anyone about his military service.

“In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the governor misspoke,” Ms. Hitt said.

Mr. Walz, who is in his second term as Minnesota’s governor, has come under intense scrutiny from Republicans over his military record . They have accused him of exaggerating his record and also of quitting the Army National Guard two decades ago to avoid being deployed to Iraq, rekindling claims made by two retired command sergeant majors during Mr. Walz’s first campaign for governor in 2018.

Leading that criticism is Senator JD Vance of Ohio, former President Donald J. Trump’s running mate, who has accused Mr. Walz of “stolen valor.”

Mr. Vance served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007 during the Iraq war. He was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and 2006 with the aircraft wing but was not a frontline combatant. His official military occupation, known as a combat correspondent, meant he was tasked with basic communication roles such as writing articles about the happenings in his unit.

The Republican broadsides against Mr. Walz resembled the “Swift Boat” attacks in the 2004 presidential election that created a cloud of uncertainty over the military record of Senator John F. Kerry, then the Democratic presidential nominee. Chris LaCivita, who is a senior strategist for the Trump campaign, was an architect of those attacks, which were highly effective.

The conservative-leaning editorial board of The Wall Street Journal spurned comparisons this week between Mr. Kerry’s situation and Mr. Walz’s military service, which it wrote was “far different.” It said that there were plenty of reasons to criticize Mr. Walz, but that his military record was not one of them. It quoted a New York Sun editorial that described the attacks as “thin gruel.”

On a number of occasions, Mr. Walz has emphasized that he did not serve in combat. During a CNN interview last month, when the anchor Jake Tapper said that Mr. Walz had deployed to Afghanistan, Mr. Walz corrected him and said that he had served in Europe in support of that war.

In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio in 2018, when he was running for governor, Mr. Walz said of his military career: “I know that there are certainly folks that did far more than I did.”

And when Mr. Walz was running for re-election as governor in 2022, The Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote that he had shied away from dramatic accounts of his time in the National Guard, framing himself instead as a former high school teacher and football coach.

The 2018 clip of Mr. Walz saying that “those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at,” was not the only one that Mr. Trump’s allies seized on this week.

They also pounced on a 2007 C-SPAN clip from a Capitol Hill news conference when Representative Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker at the time, thanked Mr. Walz for his service “on the battlefield.” Mr. Walz was identified by C-SPAN as an “Afghanistan war veteran” at the time.

Reid J. Epstein , Michael C. Bender , Thomas Gibbons-Neff and John Ismay contributed reporting.

In a memo, Tony Fabrizio, the Trump campaign’s chief pollster, argued that new polls by The New York Times and Siena College “dramatically understated President Trump’s support.” Fabrizio cited polls conducted in the days before the 2020 election that accurately predicted President Biden’s victory but overestimated the margin.

Donald Trump will attend two fund-raisers today in mountain resort towns favored by the wealthy. First, he’ll attend a lunch event in Jackson Hole, Wyo., then he will travel to a dinner fund-raiser in Aspen, Colo.

A former Trump administration official and climate change denier, appearing in a leaked training video for Project 2025, emphasized that the next Republican president must be focused on reversing the federal government’s current environmental policies. “If the American people elect a conservative president, his administration will have to eradicate climate change references from absolutely everywhere,” said Bethany Kozma, a former deputy chief of staff at the United States Agency for International Development. The video is one of several that were obtained by ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom, and the journalism project Documented.

Former President Donald J. Trump has tried to extricate himself from the negative attention surrounding Project 2025, the right-wing policy playbook prepared for the next Republican president that Democrats have used as a political cudgel.

Adam Nagourney

As a rule, candidates who think they are ahead do not challenge their opponent to three debates, as Donald Trump did with Kamala Harris the other day. So it’s a pretty good bet that Trump’s own polling — or at the least, his political gut — had picked up on what Times/Siena college poll reports this weekend: that Harris could be a much tougher opponent than Biden.

Michael Gold and Simon J. Levien

Reporting from Bozeman, Mont.

Fine-tuning his attacks on Harris, Trump tries using her words against her.

As former President Donald J. Trump continues to reach for attacks on his new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, that might halt her political momentum, he unveiled a new tactic at a rally in Bozeman, Mont., on Friday night, aiming to use Ms. Harris’s own words against her.

Interrupting his typical pattern of a digressive and lengthy speech, Mr. Trump played two video compilations of past remarks by Ms. Harris that his campaign hopes will portray her as overly liberal and inept.

The first video drew on statements that Ms. Harris made during the 2020 presidential campaign, when she tacked to the left and backed progressive ideas on criminal justice reform. The second was a montage of interviews and speeches that Mr. Trump’s campaign used to mock her speaking style and insult her intelligence.

The videos did little to alter the message that the Trump campaign has deployed against Ms. Harris for weeks and that Mr. Trump summed up during his speech on Friday.

“America cannot survive for four more years of this bumbling communist lunatic,” Mr. Trump told thousands gathered in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at Montana State University. “We cannot let her win this election.”

Mr. Trump and his allies have repeatedly tried to portray Ms. Harris as more liberal than President Biden in the three weeks since he ended his campaign and cleared the way for her to be the Democratic presidential nominee.

The video compiling her past positions accused her of supporting a ban on fracking, mandatory gun buybacks and a single-payer health insurance system like “Medicare for all.”

Ms. Harris has backed away from those policy positions, which largely stem from her time in the 2020 presidential race. But Mr. Trump — who has been known to flip-flop or equivocate on hot-button issues like abortion — argued that her early statements were the only ones that mattered.

Mr. Trump’s rally on Friday was his first since Ms. Harris chose Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate, and he used the selection to bolster his portrait of the Democratic ticket as overly liberal. Effectively likening Mr. Walz to a socialist, he accused the governor of being too lax in his response to protests that turned to riots in Minneapolis after the police murder of George Floyd and for signing a law giving access to menstrual products to transgender children.

Referring to Mr. Walz as “Comrade Walz,” Mr. Trump argued that Ms. Harris tapped him for his progressive bona fides. “This is her ideology,” he said.

Mr. Trump also acknowledged that he has frequently mispronounced Ms. Harris’s given name in recent speeches, though he added that he “couldn’t care less” how it should be pronounced. He admitted that he has in the past “done a lot of bad name-calling” in which he has purposefully mispronounced a person’s name. “They say, ‘Sir, you made a mistake,’” Mr. Trump recounted. “I said, ‘No, I didn’t.’”

Still, Mr. Trump’s speech offered continued evidence of the growing pains he has faced as he tries to shift years of attacks against Mr. Biden toward Ms. Harris.

Even as he argued that Ms. Harris was more extreme than Mr. Biden, he tied her to the president’s policies on immigration and the economy.

At one point, he said she was the one running the country the past four years, even as he repeatedly argued that she was too unintelligent or incompetent to do so effectively. Mr. Trump has long made the same argument about Mr. Biden.

Mr. Trump's rally is part of a western swing that includes fund-raisers in mountain resort towns favored by the wealthy. Before he took the stage in Bozeman, he attended an event in Big Sky, Mont., and on Saturday he will travel to fund-raisers in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Aspen, Colo.

Montana is not an obvious site for a presidential campaign rally. Mr. Trump won the state handily in both 2016 and 2020, and he is expected to do so again in November. But with Republicans keen on flipping Democrats’ narrow edge in the Senate, Mr. Trump traveled to Montana to support his party’s Senate candidate there, Tim Sheehy, who is looking to unseat the Democratic incumbent, Senator Jon Tester.

At one point, Mr. Trump, whose flight to Bozeman was diverted to another city after his plane suffered a mechanical issue, reflected on how long it takes to travel to Montana.

“I’ve got to like Tim Sheehy a lot to be here,” he said.

Shawn Hubler Maggie Haberman and Heather Knight

Yes, Trump was in a scary helicopter ride, but not with that politician.

Donald J. Trump was doubling down on Friday about his story of nearly crashing during a helicopter ride once with Willie Brown, the notable Black California politician.

He was so adamant that it had happened that he threatened to sue The New York Times for reporting that the story was untrue , then posted on his social media site that there were “‘Logs,’ Maintenance Records, and Witnesses” to back up his account.

“It was Willie Brown,” Mr. Trump, who spent much of the last year hoping to make gains with Black voters, posted. “But now Willie doesn’t remember?”

Mr. Brown, 90, who was mayor of San Francisco and speaker of the California Assembly, gave several interviews on Thursday and Friday saying such a trip never occurred.

Turns out, however, that there was a Black politician from California who once made an emergency landing in a helicopter with Mr. Trump. It just wasn’t Mr. Brown.

Nate Holden, 95, a former Los Angeles city councilman and state senator, said in an interview with The Times that he had been on a helicopter ride with Mr. Trump around 1990 when the aircraft experienced mechanical trouble and was forced to make an emergency landing in New Jersey.

Recounting an episode that he had described earlier on Friday to Politico, Mr. Holden said Mr. Trump had been seeking to develop the site of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles when it was part of Mr. Holden’s district. Mr. Trump wanted him to see his Taj Mahal casino, Mr. Holden said, so on a visit to Manhattan, he rode with Mr. Trump from his Midtown skyscraper to a helipad, where the two took off for Atlantic City, accompanied by Mr. Trump’s brother Robert and by his executive vice president of construction and development, Barbara Res.

“He was trying to impress me,” Mr. Holden said. “We start flying to New Jersey. He said, ‘Look at the skyline! Look at how beautiful it is! And I’m part of it!’”

Mr. Holden said he wasn’t impressed. “I grew up in New Jersey,” he said. “It ain’t nothing new to me.”

“Anyway,” he continued, “we start flying to Atlantic City. He’s talking about how great things are. And about 15, 20 minutes in, the pilot yells, ‘Shut up! Shut up!’”

The hydraulic system had failed, he said. “Donald turned white as snow,” Mr. Holden recalled. “He was shaking.”

Mr. Holden said that as the helicopter’s crew worked frantically to set the aircraft down safely, his own thoughts ran to a helicopter crash in 1989 that had killed three senior executives of Mr. Trump’s casinos over Forked River, N.J.

“I just thought, how the hell do you let your staff not maintain your aircraft after you just had a crash that killed some of your staff? How could you let this happen again? I thought, if we go down, this is your fault.”

The helicopter ultimately landed safely in Linden, N.J., Mr. Holden said.

Ms. Res wrote about the episode in a memoir and corroborated Mr. Holden’s account in a brief interview late Friday. Ms. Res, who also spoke to Politico, recalled that Mr. Trump liked to say that Mr. Holden had “turned white” from fear, but that it was actually Mr. Trump whose face was ashen.

A spokesman for Mr. Trump did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Mr. Holden said he was in his living room watching Mr. Trump’s news conference on TV on Thursday when the former president told of experiencing a brush with death on a helicopter ride with Mr. Brown.

“I said, ‘What the hell is this?’” Mr. Holden said. “‘Was he in two near-fatal helicopter crashes? He didn’t fix those damn helicopters yet?’”

Mr. Holden said that he called Mr. Brown to compare notes. Mr. Brown told him he had never been in a helicopter with Mr. Trump.

“I said, ‘Willie, you know what? That’s me!’” Mr. Holden said. “And I told him, ‘You’re a short Black guy and I’m a tall Black guy — but we all look alike, right?’”

Mr. Holden gave his own height as 6-foot-1. “Willie has to be about 5-foot-6. Maybe 5-foot-5. He comes up to about my shoulders. And he’s bald. And I’m not bald.”

Mr. Brown, he said, “just laughed and laughed.”

Mr. Holden, summing up his assessment of Mr. Trump’s recollection, said: “I just think he makes things up. That’s what I think. He never thought anybody’s going to check.”

Mr. Trump told the story about nearly dying in a helicopter crash with Mr. Brown after a reporter at Thursday’s news conference asked him a leading question about Vice President Kamala Harris’s long-ago relationship with Mr. Brown and whether it helped her career trajectory.

The two dated in 1994 and 1995 when she was a prosecutor in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and Mr. Brown was the Assembly speaker. Mr. Brown appointed Ms. Harris to two state boards before she ended their relationship.

“Well, I know Willie Brown very well,” Mr. Trump responded. “In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him.”

He recounted how the two had a close brush with death — “We thought maybe this was the end” — and that Mr. Brown used the frightening ride to tell him “terrible things” about Ms. Harris. “He was not fan of hers very much, at that point,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump had previously told the story, saying it was Mr. Brown on a helicopter with him, in his book, “Letters to Trump,” which was published in 2023.

Reached again Friday night, Mr. Brown reiterated that he had never flown in a helicopter with Mr. Trump and that he had not denigrated Ms. Harris to the former president because he admires and respects her.

“Those are the two things I am certain of,” he said. “All the rest of this is amusing.”

Asked if Mr. Trump might have confused the two California politicians because they are both Black, Mr. Brown said, “I wouldn’t want to conclude that he can’t tell Black people apart, because I’d hate for him to think that I’m Beyoncé.”

And then he burst out laughing.

Kellen Browning and Shane Goldmacher

Reporting from Glendale, Ariz.

Harris rides momentum to Arizona, for what her campaign says is largest rally yet.

Vice President Kamala Harris rolled into Arizona on Friday evening with the same political momentum that has infused her first swing across the country this week, drawing a crowd that her campaign estimated at more than 15,000 — her largest yet — in a Western state that not long ago appeared to be falling off the battleground map.

Along with her newly minted running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Ms. Harris delivered a stump speech that is barely a week old, and yet familiar enough to an impassioned new following that some shouted her lines before she did.

The rally was her fourth in four days with an arena-filling crowd that demonstrated the degree to which her candidacy replacing President Biden’s had remade the 2024 race.

Mr. Walz relished the crowd that filed into the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., in 100-degree heat as he poked fun at Mr. Trump’s obsession with rally crowds.

“It’s not as if anybody cares about crowd sizes or anything,” Mr. Walz said to knowing cheers.

Despite her momentum, Ms. Harris faces an uphill battle in Arizona , a longtime Republican stronghold that flipped to Mr. Biden in 2020 but, according to polling, had been drifting back to former President Donald J. Trump this year.

To win, she will need to reunite the diverse coalition of voters who delivered the state four years ago, and she made an explicit appeal to one part of that group on Friday: Native American voters.

“As president, I will tell you, I will always honor tribal sovereignty and respect tribal self-determination,” she said. The first speaker at the rally, notably, was Stephen Roe Lewis, the governor of the Gila River Indian Community, south of Phoenix.

In her speech, Ms. Harris zeroed in on two issues that are especially pertinent to Arizonans: immigration and abortion.

Crossings from Mexico into Arizona have remained high this year even as they have dropped elsewhere, and Ms. Harris positioned herself as supporting both an “earned pathway to citizenship” and tougher border restrictions, pointing to her record as California’s attorney general.

“I went after the transnational gangs, the drug cartels and the human traffickers,” Ms. Harris said. “I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won. So I know what I’m talking about.”

By contrast, Ms. Harris said, Mr. Trump was playing politics with the issue. She highlighted his opposition to a bipartisan bill this year that would have beefed up border security.

“He talks a big game about border security,” she said, “but he does not walk the walk.”

The comments come as her campaign began to air a tough-on-immigration ad that labeled her a “border-state prosecutor.” Senior Trump campaign officials see the border and immigration as one of Ms. Harris’s deepest areas of vulnerability, and his campaign has repeatedly labeled her, inaccurately , as Mr. Biden’s failed “border czar.”

Ms. Harris did add a new riff to her speech, responding to Mr. Trump’s muddled comments on Thursday at a news conference in Florida, in which he did not rule out directing the Food and Drug Administration to revoke access to abortion pills.

Ms. Harris said Mr. Trump’s agenda “would ban medication abortion in every state,” adding, “But we are not going to let that happen — because we trust women.”

Mr. Trump has previously supported the Supreme Court’s ruling on the abortion drug mifepristone. Karoline Leavitt, a Trump spokeswoman, said in a statement the former president’s position on mifepristone “remains the same — the Supreme Court unanimously decided on the issue and the matter is settled.”

The abortion rhetoric could prove especially potent in Arizona, where the State Supreme Court reinstated a near-total ban on the procedure this year. The State Legislature eventually repealed it, but abortion is still banned after 15 weeks, and voters will have a chance to enshrine the right to an abortion until fetal viability in the state’s Constitution through a ballot measure in November.

The speakers who preceded Ms. Harris on Friday made a number of appeals to independents and moderate Republicans, another segment she will need to win over.

“I do not recognize my party,” said John Giles, the mayor of Mesa, Ariz., who is a prominent Republican backing Ms. Harris. “We need to elect a ticket who will be the adults in the room.”

Senator Mark Kelly, the Arizona Democrat who is also a Navy veteran and former astronaut, introduced Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz. It was the second time this week that a finalist in Ms. Harris’s running-mate sweepstakes introduced her at a rally. Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania did the same in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Mr. Kelly said Mr. Trump had “zero respect for any of us who have worn the uniform.” Mr. Trump’s allies have raised questions about Mr. Walz’s decision to leave the National Guard in 2005 to run for Congress.

Attendees and speakers said the enormous crowd braving scorching desert temperatures on Friday was a sign that, after months of dreariness among Democrats, momentum in Arizona was finally on their side.

“It may be a little warm outside,” Kate Gallego, the mayor of Phoenix, said, “but based on the energy in this arena, I know it’s Donald Trump who’s feeling the heat.”

Maggie Haberman

Trump claims he has helicopter trip records and threatens to sue.

Former President Donald J. Trump on Friday afternoon vehemently maintained that he had once been in a dangerous helicopter landing with Willie Brown , the former mayor of San Francisco, and insisted he had records to prove it, despite Mr. Brown’s denial.

In an angry phone call to a New York Times reporter as he landed several hours away from his planned rally in Bozeman, Mont., because of a mechanical issue on his plane, Mr. Trump excoriated The Times for its coverage of his meandering news conference on Thursday at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and home, during which he told of an emergency landing during a helicopter trip that he said both he and Mr. Brown had made together.

Mr. Trump was expected to keep his rally schedule on Friday as planned, boarding a smaller plane to complete the journey.

Mr. Brown denied on Thursday that he had ever flown in a helicopter with Mr. Trump.

It appeared Mr. Trump may have confused Willie Brown with Jerry Brown, the former governor of California, with whom Mr. Trump traveled by helicopter in 2018 while surveying wildfire damage in the state. But Jerry Brown, who left office in January 2019, said through a spokesman, “There was no emergency landing and no discussion of Kamala Harris.”

Willie Brown, who was a boyfriend of Vice President Kamala Harris during the 1990s, knew Mr. Trump as a potential business associate during those years, when Mr. Trump, then a New York developer, was working on new projects. A biography of Ms. Harris, “Kamala’s Way: An American Life,” reported that Mr. Trump had sent his private plane for Mr. Brown and Ms. Harris in 1994 to fly them from Boston to New York City.

“We have the flight records of the helicopter,” Mr. Trump insisted Friday, saying the helicopter had landed “in a field,” and indicating that he intended to release the flight records, before shouting that he was “probably going to sue” over the Times article.

When asked to produce the flight records, Mr. Trump responded mockingly, repeating the request in a sing-song voice. As of early Friday evening, he had not provided them.

Mr. Trump has a history of claiming he will provide evidence to back up his claims but ultimately not doing so.

He has also told the helicopter story before, in his 2023 book, “Letters to Trump,” in which he published letters to him from a number of people, including Mr. Brown. In the book, Mr. Trump wrote, “We actually had an emergency landing in a helicopter together. It was a little scary for both of us, but thankfully we made it.”

Two rivals in Michigan’s crucial Senate contest say they were both swatted.

The two leading contenders for Michigan’s open Senate seat disclosed that they had been targeted in separate “swatting” incidents in a span of less than 24 hours, just days after winning primaries in a crucial contest that could determine which party controls the chamber.

The first incident, involving Representative Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, happened on Thursday night at her home in Oakland County, north of Detroit. The second one occurred on Friday at an address that had been listed on public records under the name of Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate and former House member, in neighboring Livingston County.

Politicians on both sides of the political aisle have increasingly been the target of swatting in recent years. The hoaxes — when false threats are deliberately made to law enforcement to draw a heavily armed response to a person’s home — have added to a climate of intimidation and the harassment of public officials.

Ms. Slotkin was not home at the time of the incident, according to a spokeswoman for her office, Lynsey Mukomel, who said in a statement that Michigan State Police troopers went to the residence after a false threat was emailed to a local official. She did not elaborate on the nature of the false threat. Michigan State Police confirmed they responded.

“Michigan State Police checked the property and confirmed no one was in danger,” Ms. Mukomel said, adding that U.S. Capitol Police would investigate the incident.

Mr. Rogers, a former longtime House member who was endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump, experienced a similar incident around 12:30 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, said Chris Gustafson, a spokesman for his campaign.

A person reported that a man was holding a woman at gunpoint at the property in Livingston County connected with Mr. Rogers, according to Mr. Gustafson, who said that Mr. Rogers currently does not live there but that other members of his family do. (Mr. Rogers now lives in Oakland County, Mich., according to his campaign.)

Shanon Banner, a Michigan State Police spokeswoman, said that a sergeant had responded to a report about a domestic situation at a residence in Livingston County on Friday and determined that it was false. She was not immediately able to confirm whether it was the same property.

Mr. Gustafson, in a statement, said that it was the second time that Mr. Rogers had been targeted in a swatting incident. The first was in 2013, when he was a member of Congress.

“This kind of violence cannot be tolerated, and it is our hope that those responsible will be quickly prosecuted and held accountable,” Mr. Gustafson said.

The rivals are running for a seat that is being vacated by Senator Debbie Stabenow, Michigan’s senior senator and a Democrat, who announced last year that she would not seek a fifth term . Democrats control the Senate by a thin 51-49 seat majority.

Ken Bensinger

Joe Rogan would like to clarify: He did not endorse Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The world’s most popular podcaster has, sort of, but not really, thrown his support to one of the 2024 presidential race’s least popular candidates.

On Thursday, Joe Rogan said he preferred Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent, for president. “He’s the only one that makes sense to me,” Mr. Rogan said, as a guest on a podcast hosted by Lex Fridman, and called Mr. Kennedy a “legitimate guy.”

Mr. Rogan’s devoted following, one that leans young, male and numbers in the tens of millions, is highly coveted. His remarks about Mr. Kennedy, uttered on a show with a far smaller reach than his own, nonetheless set off a frenzied response.

Supporters of former President Donald J. Trump, worried that Mr. Rogan’s stance could carve off voters and hurt his electoral chances come November, quickly turned on the podcaster, standup comic and U.F.C. announcer. They questioned his intelligence and even mocked his height , a spectacle that was greeted with something akin to joy — or, at least, schadenfreude — among Democrats who have long written off Mr. Rogan as helpful to their cause.

By Friday morning, Mr. Rogan was backpedaling. “This isn’t an endorsement,” he posted on the social media platform X, and advised that he is “not the guy to get political information from.”

Mr. Trump himself weighed in on Friday afternoon, pondering “how loudly Joe Rogan gets BOOED the next time he enters the UFC ring” in a post on his social network that seemingly reflected his concerns that the influential podcaster could tip the scales against him.

“This takes straight from the Trump base,” said Mike Madrid, a Republican political consultant. A New York Times/Siena poll in battleground states in May found that 54 percent of respondents who said they planned to vote for the former president had a favorable opinion of Mr. Rogan.

Mr. Kennedy, long before Mr. Rogan’s unwinding act, had already taken credit for the perceived nod, posting on social media: “From one ‘legitimate’ guy to another, thank you.”

Even if it’s not a true endorsement, Mr. Rogan’s praise could come as a huge shot in the arm for Mr. Kennedy, who has seen his polling average drop from as much as 15 percent in early June to somewhere around 6 percent as of late last month.

While Mr. Kennedy drew national attention this week after acknowledging that he dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park a decade ago, such headlines have not helped ease his struggles raising money . He’s also fighting to get his name on the ballots in critical states, or, in the case of New York , keep it there.

“He doesn’t attack people. He attacks actions and ideas, but he’s much more reasonable and intelligent,” Mr. Rogan said of Mr. Kennedy on the “Lex Fridman Podcast,” which has 4.1 million subscribers on YouTube.

Mr. Rogan’s fan base is much bigger. In March, Spotify said that “The Joe Rogan Experience” had 14.5 million followers , almost triple the platform’s second most popular program. He also has 19 million followers on Instagram and 17 million followers on YouTube.

A poll by YouGov last year found that 81 percent of his listeners are male and 56 percent are under 35 years old , feeding the perception that he has a direct line to a cohort that polling suggests tends to support Mr. Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris.

“This is a group Trump needs strong performance with,” Mr. Madrid said.

During his interview with Mr. Fridman, he said that he was “not a Trump supporter in any way, shape or form” and adding that he turned down multiple offers to have him on his show. “I’ve said no every time,” Mr. Rogan said. “I’m not interested in helping him,”

Mr. Kennedy sat for an interview on the “Joe Rogan Experience” in June 2023.

Ruth Igielnik contributed reporting.

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FREE 51+ Introduction Speech Samples & Template in PDF, Word
FREE 51+ Introduction Speech Samples & Template in PDF, Word
FREE 51+ Introduction Speech Samples & Template in PDF, Word
FREE 51+ Introduction Speech Samples & Template in PDF, Word
FREE 36+ Introduction Speech Samples in PDF
FREE 51+ Introduction Speech Samples & Template in PDF, Word

COMMENTS

38 Top Opening and Closing Remarks for Meetings
Opening and closing remarks for meetings are statements that introduce and wrap up workplace get-togethers. The purpose of these remarks is to set the tone of the subject matter and summarize topics covered during the meeting. Examples of opening and closing remarks for meetings include quick welcomes to attendees, announcements explaining the ...
Meeting Introduction Examples: The Power of First Impressions
Some examples of meeting ground rules are: State your name before you begin speaking. Stay 100% focused during the meeting by avoiding incoming emails, direct messages, and text messages. Never interrupt the individual who is speaking or sharing a point. Come prepared with action items to discuss with the team.
How to Introduce Yourself in a Meeting: 8 Tips + Examples
7 Pay attention to your body language. It's important to choose the right words for your introduction, but what you express nonverbally makes an impact too. Body language is an essential component of meeting communication—you'll want to project confidence and show your friendly demeanor.
The Right Way to Start a Meeting
The Right Way to Start a Meeting. by. Liane Davey. March 02, 2017. We all know there's a price to pay for a making bad first impression: A limp handshake conveys low confidence; a wrinkled suit ...
Welcome Speech for Meeting
Always make sure that all details needed are within your reach or that you already have them down as notes. 2. Write a Short Draft of Your Speech. Draft it out. It may sound as simple as that, and it really is, but to make a good welcome speech, one must at least learn to draft out what you need to say.
How to Start a Speech: The Best Ways to Capture Your Audience
1) Thank the Organizers and Audience. You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak. Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience. This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and ...
Opening a Meeting
Vocabulary for opening a business meeting in English. These pages will help you prepare for meetings. With quiz and test. For learners of Business English. ... Introductions. If anyone at the meeting is new to the group, or if there is a guest speaker, this is the time when introductions should be made. The person in charge of the meeting can ...
How to Start a Speech: 7 Tips and Examples for a Captivating Opening
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. Example: "They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!". 5.
How to Start a Speech: The Best (and Worst) Speech Openers
Opening Lines of the Top 10 Greatest Speeches of All Time. #1: Socrates - "Apology". "How you, men of Athens, have been affected by my accusers. I do not know.". #2: Patrick Henry - "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death". "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope.".
How to Lead Introductions in Business Meetings
Rule 1: Make sure everyone gets introduced. If someone is important enough to be invited, they must be introduced. Business introductions make sure the people in the meeting know who they're talking to. They provide critical context for the discussion, giving everyone a sense for the range of perspectives and experience in the room.
How to Write an Introduction Speech: 7 Easy Steps & Examples
Networking Events: When meeting new people in professional or social settings, an effective introduction speech can help you make a memorable first impression. Formal Gatherings: From weddings to conferences, introductions set the tone for the event and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Opening A Meeting Effectively In 7 Easy Steps
2. Small Talk. In business, it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. Although the length of small talk varies depending on the culture and the context, a good rule of thumb is to allow between 3 and 7 minutes. Let people get into the feel of the meeting, see each other, and chat a bit before diving into the main ...
How to Run Introductory Meetings (+ Practical Examples)
Opening Remarks (5 Minutes) Greet participants. Summarize the meeting's purpose and establishing basic guidelines. Introduce Yourself (20 Minutes) Take time to introduce yourself, sharing your name, role in the organization, and a brief professional background.
How to Smoothly Start a Meeting as a Chair
Start With a Quick Introduction. Open a meeting or a conference call by greeting everyone, and introducing yourself. Example: Hello everybody, and thanks for joining. I'm Michelle Carter, project manager at Antiveo, and I'll be chairing the meeting today. ... The goal is clear communication, not fast speech. Thanks for reminding us of that ...
Introduction Speech
Example: "Good afternoon, everyone.". 2. Self-Introduction (if introducing yourself) State your name and your role or position. Example: "My name is [Your Name], and I am [your position, e.g., 'the new marketing manager'].". 3. Purpose of the Speech. Explain why you are speaking and the context of the event.
Introductory Meetings: 7 Tips to Host One Effectively
An introductory meeting is a meeting between two or more people who haven't met before with the goal of initiating a positive working relationship. For example, you might be welcoming one or more new team members and want to help them integrate effectively into the group. Alternatively, you might be starting a new role as a manager and want ...
How to Structure Your Most Effective Meeting Introduction
Launching — Your Meeting Introduction. Your launch sets the tone, confirms roles, clarifies boundaries (scope), and describes what results will be generated during the session. A meeting launch should last no longer than 5 minutes (excluding icebreakers or other special activities such as an executive kickoff or a product or project update).
How to write a welcome speech in 3 steps (with sample speech)
There are six common or standard content items in a good welcome speech. These are: Greetings to welcome everyone and thanking them for coming along. Acknowledgement of special guests, if there are any. An introduction of the event itself and a brief overview of special highlights the audience will want to know about.
How to Memorably Introduce Another Speaker
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Your Speech's Introduction: How to Make It Powerful
4) Give Them a Roadmap of Your Journey Together. So let's review. You've hooked your listeners' attention, made your topic sound intriguing, and told them how it's going to improve their lives. You're ready for the final part of your introduction: giving them a roadmap of where you'll be going together.
26 Ways To Start a Speech and Capture People's Attention
Here are 26 different techniques for beginning your speech: 1. Use a quote. One method of starting a speech and gaining the audience's attention is to use a famous or relatable quote. This approach can give your audience context for your topic and connect it to something they recognize. For instance, if you plan to give a speech on a political ...
Welcome Speech in English: Best Samples, Examples & Tips
The objective of a welcome speech in English is to introduce yourself and the rest of the attendees at the event. This is done through a short introduction about who you are, what you do, why you're attending, etc. The following are the objectives of a welcome speech: Introduce yourself. Provide Information regarding the event.
How to Start a Speech
After that point, you'll be able to change those opinions about as easily as you can change a hamster into a ham sandwich. So here's how to be strong in the first 60 seconds of your speech. (2) Your opening sets the entire tone of your presentation (including whether you'll be interesting or not). (3) This is when you introduce your message and ...
WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the extraordinary meeting of
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38 Top Opening and Closing Remarks for Meetings

Short opening remarks for a meeting

Opening remarks for a virtual meeting

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How to Start a Speech: The Best Ways to Capture Your Audience

1) Thank the Organizers and Audience

2) Start With a Positive Statement

3) Compliment the Audience

4) Start Your Speech With the First Sentence Referring to Current Events

5) Refer to a Historical Event

6) Refer to a Well Known Person

7) Refer to a Recent Conversation

8) Make a Shocking Statement With a Startling Fact

9) Quote From Recent Research

10) Start Your Speech With a Strong Opening By Giving Them Hope

11) Be Entertaining

12) Ask a Question

13) Open With a Problem

14) Make a Strong Statement, Then Ask a Question

15) Tell a Personal Story

Bonus Tip: Tell Them About Yourself

Bonus Tip: Get Them Talking to One Another

Browse Categories

Opening a Meeting

Roll Call/Apologies

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

1. Choosing the Right Opening Line

2. Using a Personal Story

3. Making a Shocking Statement

4. Using Humor

5. Incorporating a Quote

6. Starting with a Question

7. Acknowledging the Occasion

Frequently Asked Questions

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How to Start a Speech: The Best (and Worst) Speech Openers

Opening Lines of the Top 10 Greatest Speeches of All Time

Opening Lines of the Top 10 TED Talks of All Time

Never Start a Presentation with…

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How to Lead Introductions in Business Meetings

Poor leadership creates undue anxiety

The Cardinal Rules of Leading Business Meeting Introductions

Rule 2: Provide clear direction.

Rule 3: Keep it safe.

Rule 4: Make introductions relevant to the meeting.

The Basic Business Introduction Questions

When you have more time: Introduction Activities

Gifts and Hooks

Alliteration Alleviates Anonymity

Questions from the group

Final tip: You don’t need to start with introductions

Introverts, newbies, and meeting-avoiders:

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