Every speech should have a theme and three parts--an attention-getting opening that alerts the audience to the theme; a middle section that elaborates on the theme with 2-3 specific examples; and a quick conclusion that repeats the theme and finishes on a high note.
One of the easiest, and best, attention-getters is to open with a short, concrete story which leads naturally into your theme. Gentle humor or suspense work, but stay away from anything that might discomfort or upset your audience. You want to make a good impression so the audience warms up to you.
Keep your stories, or examples, clear, short and specific. Refer to actual people or things so the audience can visualize what you are describing in their minds. Keep it positive and upbeat--and suitable for any age.
Audiences love speakers who are natural and sincere--and who are trying their best to do a good job. An audience will always be on your side, even if you screw up, as long as you don't do anything to make them uncomfortable or upset. If you ever tick off an audience, you might as well just stop and sit down.
Keep your conclusion brief. Restate your theme and finish with a memorable statement. A tried-and-true technique is to finish with a statement that refers back to your opening story--it makes for a satisfying full-circle ending.
A couple of other hints:
Never read your speech; talking directly to the audience creates a bond between you and them, and audiences will forgive all kinds of errors if they feel connected to you.
Keep your speech short. Five minutes is perfect, so keep an eye on your watch. If you're at 4 minutes and still in your first example, skip the other two and move directly to the conclusion.
And, finally, i used to tell my students, once they started to speak, to direct all their attention to the REALLY important people in the room--the audience--not their own insecurities and feelings. Everyone will have more fun if you, as the speaker, can put your own issues aside for the next few minutes.
