(Ignore Even One of These and You Will End Up All Alone!)

Ever been charged by a Rhino?  Probably not.  Neither have I.  However, I am pretty sure it would have my undivided attention if I was!  Maybe I should read one of those “worst case scenarios” just in case.

One thing every speaker, teacher, and preacher must insist on at the beginning of a message, and must not compromise on is the undivided attention of his or her audience

OK.  We all know there are three parts to every speech, lesson, or sermon:  the beginning, the middle, and the end, or the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.  All three are important, butif you don't bulldog the listeners' attention in the beginning and give them a compelling reason to listen then you are in for a long lonely ride.Of course, I am not suggesting that you attack your audience, but you certainly need to attack all of the distracting thoughts that are trying to pry them away from your message.

I must admit that there have been plenty of times when I have finished a message and felt like I never really had the attention of my audience, probably because I did not.  There have even been times during a sermon when I have realized I did not have anyone's attention, usually because I did not capture them in the beginning.

There are4 “set in stone” rulesyou absolutely must follow in the beginning of your message to grab your audience by the collar and force them to listen.  I know this sounds a little graphic, but if you have an important message for them, then they really doNEEDto listen to you.  If your message is not that important or life-changing, then don't worry about applying these principles.  However, if you will diligently follow these four simple rules and then deliver on your promises during the message, you will always have a crowd and always make a difference in people’s lives.

Here is the 4 Step "RINO" Method for the Introduction.

R  Stands for Rapport

Your audience will not listen to you unless they connect with you as a person.  You must establish rapport with them in the first few minutes for this to happen.  There has to be a human connection.  If you are a Pastor, professor, or teacher and speak to the same group each week, then you have an advantage in this area.  Your audience already knows you.  You have talked with them during the week.  You may have already spoken to them or even greeted them before the meeting began.  However, even if you do speak to the same group week after week, you still have visitors and people you do not know well who still have to be persuaded that they can have an honest relationship with you.

If you are a visiting speaker, then this is more crucial and you should take more time to think it through.  The person who is introducing you can actually help you establish rapport by telling the audience a few facts that will help them to know something about you.  If this person knows you well, then they could tell a personal story that will help the audience connect.

How do you establish rapport?  There are plenty of ways.  You simply have to show them you are human and understand them and care for them.  Some speakers like to begin with a story about what happened to them during the week.  Mentioning your wife or children also shows your humanity.  Using self-deprecating humor is a powerful way to establish rapport and let your group know that you don't take yourself too seriously.  Passion is also a way to establish a connection.  Let your audience know how much you care about them and really want them to understand what you are saying.  Even though rapport does not have to actually be the first portion of the introduction, it should never be left out.  You must show them that you know where they are and have been touched by the same problems they have.

I  Stands for Interest

Let's face it, you may have the most important message in the galaxy, but if it is not interesting, no one will listen to you.  You must capture the interest of your hearers and grab their attention.  Stories, jokes, rhetorical questions, object lessons and visual aids are great ways of making them watch and listen.People tend to watch a speaker when he has something in his hand.Read the headlines of your local paper and the first few lines and see what those writers do to capture attention.  Sometimes you can establish rapport and create interest at the same time with a great story or personal revelation.

N  Stands for Need

Immediately after you spark their interest, you should raise the need that you will be dealing with in your message.  This need is what makes the audience want to keep listening.  It may be a problem that needs to be solved, a question that needs to be answered, an emotional need that must be overcome, etc.  For example, if the sermon is about “faith.”  Your audience may need to overcome their doubts, or learn how they can follow through in obedience when they are afraid, or see the incredible benefits that they can receive, or be warned of the horrible consequences of not believing.

This is an excellent place to begin making application during the sermon, or at least a good place to begin teasing about the application.  "Today, we will be giving you three techniques you can use anytime you feel a panic attack closing in on you."   Raise issues you will be discussing during the message.   Here are a few guidelines about raising the need.

First, make sure that the need that is raised is legitimate.  Don’t make it up just to get attention.  Do not say “the sky is falling” if it is not.

Second, make sure that the need you raise is one that will be felt by a large portion of the audience.  (In other words, saying that you are dealing with three reasons why you need to buy your maintain your solar energy panels would probably not be a strongly felt need by the most people in your audience.)

Third, make sure that you deliver on what you promise.  If the need that you raise is how to overcome worry, then you must give a plan to do so in your message.

O  Stands for Orientation

A good communicator makes good transitions.  The transition between the introduction of the message and the body of the message, is one of the most crucial transitions.  It must help the audience easily see, hear, or feel the connection between the start of the message and the actual meat of the message.  Like a compass, you must orient your listeners to either the main idea of your message, the first point of your message, or the scriptural authority for the message.  Some of the most common ways to do this are to state or restate the main idea, preview the main points, reading the primary passage, describe the setting, or an explanation of the relevance of the passage.  A few well crafted words or sentences will do the job.

You can simply state the main idea of the message, or introduce the passage you are about to read.  "Today we are talking about overcoming fear.  It is a problem we all deal with.  That is why I am so glad that Jesus taught his disciples how to face this in Matthew chapter 6.  You will never believe what He told them.  Listen as we read it together."

Summary

Rapport makes your audience willing to listen.
Interest makes your audience want to listen.
Need makes your audience have to listen.
Orientation shows your audience how to listen.

Hopefully the“RINO”acrostic will make it easier for you to remember and apply.

Establish rapport, create interest, elevate the specific need, and properly orient your audience to the message.   Charge like a RINO and dare you audience to ignore your message.  Why not give it a try this week.