An important lesson about our audience’s curiosity …

Read more thoughts on the art of communicating week-daily at https://michaelgerharz.com/blog

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Think of a great book you enjoyed lately.

How did it begin?

Mine started with a burning house.

Great authors know that once the reader is drawn into the story, there will be plenty

of time to introduce all the details.

Great authors also know that when they fail to draw a reader into the

story quickly, they will just put the book aside after a few pages.

Now, think about the last speech you listen to.

Or the last blog post you read.

How did it begin?

Mine started with the speaker introducing his CV.

And it continued with the milestones of his company's history.

Not only didn't he draw me into the story right from the beginning.

He just never bothered to draw me in at all.

He delivered all the details, but never provided me with

even a single reason to care.

He told me everything but failed to make me curious for anything.

Great stories draw me in because they make me care.

They make me curious.

They give me a reason to want to know what's next, right

from the very first sentence.

Once the audience is drawn into a story, they will want to know more.

They will want to know all the details.

Most speeches just dump information.

Great speeches, however, make me care for that information first.

Most speeches just start somewhere.

Great speeches start by making me curious first.

How does your speech begin?