Let me tell you something I’ve sat through more times than I can count.
“Hello, my name is… and today I’m going to talk about…”
You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. Everyone has.
And the thing is—it’s not wrong. But it feels like every other talk we’ve ever listened to. Before you’ve even gotten to your point, your audience has already filed you under “just another presentation.”
That’s the problem with the beginning of a speech. It’s not just a beginning—it’s your first impression. And you don’t get a second one.
So… How Should You Start?
You already know the usual advice:
- Tell a story
- Share a shocking statistic – The more unexpected something is, the more attention people will give it.
- Ask a question
- Do something unexpected
And yes, all of these can work. These are the best ways to start, especially stories. Stories are powerful—they pull people in, they make things human, they make people care. Stories turn numbers and ideas into something real.
But here’s the catch: not all stories. The story has to matter.
When a Story Doesn’t Work
Not every story is a good opening – even if it’s fun and interesting. If it doesn’t connect to your topic, leads you nowhere, and your audience will feel it. It becomes noise. A clever trick instead of a meaningful start.
So if you’re going to use a story, ask yourself:
- Does this connect clearly to my message?
- Does it lead somewhere?
- Or am I just trying to sound interesting?
A good story doesn’t just entertain—it sets direction.
“But What About My Credibility?”
I know what you might be thinking.
“What about my name? My experience? My credibility? Don’t I need to establish that early on?”
You do. That is definitely important.
However, it is not a checklist you need to fulfill during the first 10 minutes.
“My name is X, I have Y years of experience, I’ve worked at Z…” is extremely boring to hear and sounds like a LinkedIn profile read aloud.
Nobody came to your talk for that.
The Subtle Way to Show Authority
The good news? You don’t have to choose between being engaging and being credible. Subtlety is the keyword here. Giving your audience the information in a way they barely notice.
Your best tool? It is still the same: stories.
Let’s work on some examples (remember: these examples are just to give direction; your stories should have details and context to be interesting).
Example 1:
“Ten years ago, I was sitting in a meeting where everything that could go wrong… did.”
Without saying it directly, you’ve already told your audience:
- You’ve been in the industry for a while – at least 10 years
- You have real experience
- You’ve seen things go wrong
Example 2:
“I remember when I was still a junior, completely convinced I knew what I was doing…”
You were a junior; you are not anymore… and you made mistakes, as every member of your audience has, and you learned from them.
You’re showing growth, humanizing yourself, and, most importantly, building connections. All of that, at the same time, you’re establishing credibility.
Show, Don’t Announce
That’s really the shift.
Instead of telling your audience why they should listen to you, you show them, through a moment, a mistake, a realization, using a small and honest story.
When people hear a story, they lean in. They connect the dots themselves – they are actively thinking about what you’re saying.
And when they do that, your message sticks much more than if you had just listed your credentials.
A Better Way to Begin
It’s not all about telling stories to entertain your audience. Your experience matters. Your authority matters. And of course, your name matters as well.
Yet, how you introduce all this information matters even more.
Start with something real, something that happened. Something that leads somewhere.
Make it relevant. Make it human. Let your audience discover who you are, instead of being told — it’s a much better way to begin.
Cátia is a psychologist who is passionate about helping children develop and train social skills.
