People love stories, and they're a natural part of how we communicate in day-to-day life. By telling a story within your speech, you will spark the audience's imagination. This can be a powerful tool for increased attention, as it will encourage them to take a more active role in interpreting your words. Stories also add relevancy and grounding to your speech, as they enable the listener to understand how the topic of you speech relates to the real world. In addition, telling a personal story can create feelings of empathy or respect from an audience, causing them to take your words more seriously.
Rhetoric can grab an audience's attention quite effectively, as it enables you to clearly emphasize when a particular point or meaning is being expressed. While this can take several forms, popular forms of rhetoric within speeches include alliteration (whereby several words beginning with the same sound are grouped together), repetition (whereby the same word or sentence is repeated several times for emphasis), and analogy (whereby a the subject is compared to a different element to express an emotive point -- for example "This company has now passed through the thunderstorm of last year's economy.")
Although it may seem a simple solution, it's worth considering the power of humor in grabbing the attention of an audience. Not only can a well-placed joke build a positive feeling of goodwill between you and your listeners, but it also can revive interest and make your speech seem more relevant and personally applicable. If your audience members feel that they share a sense of humor with you, they may also become more open to your ideas and suggestions within the body of your speech. This is due to the nature of social reciprocity, whereby people feel more responsive listening to ideas from someone they subconsciously feel similar to.
When used appropriately, quotations can successfully introduce the themes or topic of your speech in a thought-provoking and occasionally dramatic style. Quotations have the power to channel famous speakers and influential figures from history and place their arguments into a new context. Take care to steer clear of hyperbole or cliche when possible, by avoiding quotations that are commonly cited. Always reference the person who originally said the quotation to avoid possible accusations of plagiarism.