4. Telling a Joke

The fourth and final way that you should avoid opening your speech is with a joke. If your friends and colleagues often tell you that you have a great sense of humor, that’s terrific, but remember there is big difference between having a sense of humor and telling a joke. Displaying your unique sense of humor during your speech can be great, but starting with joke generally bombs. Even if you are a really, truly and supremely funny, please leave jokes to comedians and remember your first words are important. Use a strong cold open technique to immediately capture audience interest.