We’ve all been on the receiving end of someone failing to begin well.
A badly aimed joke…
A stumble over their first few words…
A meandering beginning that fails to grab attention…
An over-reliance on a presentation…
Hesitation that suggests a lack of confidence, knowledge in their subject or worse, a lack of interest in you…
Delivering a first line well helps make a positive first impression but is much more than that.
Having a “Jump Off Line” springs you into the rest of your content – whether a pitch, presentation, speech or even a one-on-one meeting.
It will help avoid a huge range of limiting factors to your communication. So you secure the action you want by it becoming the catalyst to you delivering a performance, settling your nerves and boosting your confidence.
Think of the classic line from the Olympic sprint champion Linford Christie, he always started his races on the “’B’ of the ‘Bang’”.
Your Jump Off Line is your B of the Bang. It is where your performance starts.
Unlike Christie – who was aiming to finish his performance in 10 seconds or less - you don’t need to begin at lightning speed just with the right level of energy, confidence and purpose for that particular occasion.
To do this, make devising and practicing your Jump Off Line a key part of all of your future pre-performance plans.
From now and for evermore know and practice your Jump Off Line again and again until it rolls off your tongue.
When I say practice, I mean just that. Say it out loud. Then say it again, and again. Just ‘knowing’ what you are going to say is never enough.
Think about how it will connect with your audience. What reaction will it result in?
This will give you the certainty to ace that all important first line.
If you ace your first line, you will most probably ace the first paragraph of your speech.
If you ace your first line, you will grab your audience’s attention.
If you ace your first line, you will communicate confidence in yourself and what you are saying.
Remember: to always begin well devise, practice and deliver a Jump Off Line and see how this improves how you communicate.