我曾请教西北大学前校长林·哈罗德·胡，问他在他漫长的演讲经验中，最重要的是什么？他沉思了一会儿，然后回答：“想出一段能够立即抓住听众注意力的开场白。”对于演讲的开场白和结束语，林·哈罗德·胡先生都事先进行周密的计划。约翰·布莱特也是如此，葛雷史东也这么做，韦伯斯特、林肯更是如此。几乎每一位具有常识和经验的演讲者都这样做。怎样使听众从讲演人一开始说话就“全心交付”，是一切说服性讲演的成功要素。这儿有些方法，只要善加运用，就可以使开场白很吸引人。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.