So about 95% of all presentations are boring. And bad. Yours not, of course, but how do you ensure that you captivate your audience from moment one? While watching a Youtube video or a TED Talk, you can click away immediately after a bad opening. Our audience have to sit us out. When we start our presentation sparkling and inspiring, they are captivated immediately handcuffed and more likely to consciously listen to what we have to say. But how do we do that, starting a presentation well? Here are some tips:
1. Shocking figures
Hard facts reflected in statistics may well indicate the importance of your subject. This will let your audience be surprised about the facts that you bring forward, and they will be looking for the solution or vision that you are probably going to offer in your presentation.
2. Make it personal
There is a good reason tabloids and gossip magazines are read well: people love personal stories. True experiences captivate your audience and make them curious about the rest of your story.
3. Interactivity
You want to shake your audience? Start interactive! Ask a question, open a quiz, start a discussion: put them on the spot. In this way, you awake your audience and ensure yourself that they will pay attention to your story.
4. A picture is worth a 1000 words
Start your presentation with a big-screen picture of high quality. Preferably a photo that shocks a little. Your audience will be curious where your PowerPoint presentation is going to, and in addition: people remember visual images much better.
At last, a golden rule: never begin with “Hello my name is … and I am here to present … .” A worse clincher than that does simply not exist!
