THE SEVEN MINUTE STAR. Florian Mueck

around on his chair, then you can uncork your magical intro and grab those Rottweilers by the leash.

      Learn It By Heart

      Since the first sentence is so extremely important to create tension between you and your audience, I strongly recommend that you write it down and learn it by heart. You’ll get a welcome side-benefit as well: you won’t have to think anymore about what to say at the beginning.

      That’s Better, George

      So how could George have started his speech? Maybe with a quotation:

      “Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.— Henry Ford ’s words seem timeless. Despite our crisis-battered sector, we are more enthusiastic than ever about what lies ahead. Hybrids, electric cars, emission free cars — new challenges are reaching out to everyone in this room. Let ’s face them with enthusiasm. Henry would be proud of us!”

      When you start like this, you surprise the audience. Surprise means attention. Attention is what you want; attention is what you need.

      You have 30 seconds to grab those Rottweilers’ leashes — be creative and take your audience by surprise!