我曾請教西北大學(xué)前校長林·哈羅德·胡,問他在他漫長的演講經(jīng)驗中,最重要的是什么?他沉思了一會兒,然后回答:“想出一段能夠立即抓住聽眾注意力的開場白?!睂τ谘葜v的開場白和結(jié)束語,林·哈羅德·胡先生都事先進行周密的計劃。約翰·布萊特也是如此,葛雷史東也這么做,韋伯斯特、林肯更是如此。幾乎每一位具有常識和經(jīng)驗的演講者都這樣做。怎樣使聽眾從講演人一開始說話就“全心交付”,是一切說服性講演的成功要素。這兒有些方法,只要善加運用,就可以使開場白很吸引人。I once asked Dr. Lynn Harold Hough, formerly president of Northwestern University, what was the most important fact his long experience as a speaker has taught him. After pondering a moment, he replied, "To get an arresting opening, something that will seize favorable attention immediately." Dr. Hough struck at the heart of the matter of all persuasive speaking: how to get the audience "tuned in" right from the speaker's first words. Here are some methods which, if applied, will give high attention value to your opening phrases.