Instant audience approval. No fear. No sweat.

When we talk, we want to be heard. People guard their time. They ask themselves, "Why should I invest my time and attention to listen to you?" Or, "Why should I believe this message?"

Whether it is a speech, a presentation, a webinar or even a casual conversation, we have just a few seconds to prove our value. How can we capture our audience’s instant attention and support? By mastering our first 20 seconds.

We can compel our audience to lean forward and eagerly accept our message. It doesn’t matter if we are an experienced public speaker or just making our first speech. By using any of the three major openings in this book, we can confidently start our speeches and presentations without fear.

Our obligation is to get our audience to hear, believe, and identify with our message. We must fulfill our duty to our audience.

Mark Davis is a public speaking coach and keynote speaker for business conferences, in addition to conducting public speaking workshops. Tom "Big Al" Schreiter speaks to network marketing groups around the world.