To get an audience to love you, open with a story that is about THEM! What is everyone interested in? Themselves.
Last night I spoke at a women’s event in Robinson, Illinois. I opened with a story about my drive through Amish country and the unusual names of the cities I drove through to get there:
“What a long scary drive it was from Indianapolis to get here. I was driving so long that I looked at the time on my cell phone and it went back an hour? [Indiana is Eastern time and Illinois is on Central Time.] Then, in front of me on the road was a horse and buggy. Time didn’t change an hour! It changed a 100 years! {Huge laughs]. Then I drove, what seemed to me to be forever, and I hit Palestine [name of a city near Robinson]. Did I miss a turn? Because somehow I’m not in the Midwest, I’m in the Middle East! [Huge Laughs]. This is scary because, 1. It’s late at night, 2. I’m Jewish. [Huge Laughs]”
I always riff at the beginning of my speech on material that is specific to the audience. The audience really appreciates that and I then have them in the palm of my hand after that!
Judy Carter
"Laughing your way out of Stress"
www.judycarter.com
310-915-0555
facebook/judycarter3
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