Capture The Atmosphere. An effective way to get into a speech in a casual, friendly way is to include something that has just happened. It immediately involves the audience. For example, if you are speaking to an service organization such as Kiwanis, or the Lions, there will be some club business ahead of your speech. Pay attention. Maybe someone has been given an award. In your introduction, you might say, “It is so nice to be here with you today. Before I get into my remarks I wanted to also recognize John Smith for his attendance award. It’s great to see such a commitment to your mission and to that of this community.” Without saying another word, you already have the audience engaged because you’ve paid attention and made them feel special.
Using Humor. Now this isn’t easy. And it takes practice. First of all, it is better to tell a humorous story than a joke. It seems more natural and you will eventually find you can weave it into your speech. It helps to smile because it is a signal to the audience that it is OK to laugh. Also, humor doesn’t have to elicit huge guffaws. Just getting a chuckle warms up the audience. And not everything goes over well. I always kept a couple of blank index cards with me and if something didn’t work out I would often toss the card over my shoulder saying, “well I see that one didn’t work.” Guess what - it got laughs.
Look At The Audience. Nothing is more of a disconnect that having a speaker not look at the audience. It might be a little disconcerting at first but when you look at people in the eye you’re involving them and they know it. Look at people in different parts of the room. And if you’re at a head table be sure to turn and took to your right or left of where you are. It is also important to not fidget. And, don’t keep sticking your hands in your pocket. This is distracting and is a sign of nervousness.