how to open presentation speech

This opening statement is powerful because rather than lead with his “credentials” or “accolades,” as the audience most likely expects, he defies that expectation.

He creates a sense of intrigue that instantly piques the audience's curiosity and compels them to pay closer attention.

Infuse humor.

In Tom Thum's TedTalk titled Beatbox Brilliance , he sets a lighthearted tone by stepping on stage wearing oversized sunglasses and declaring, “My name is Tom, and I've come here today to come clean about what I do for money.”

As you might expect, this humorous approach not only elicits laughter but also surprises the audience, who are intrigued and pleasantly surprised at the tone he sets for the presentation.

Ask a question.

Graham Shaw's presentation titled “ Why people believe they can’t draw - and how to prove they can ” begins with, “Hi, I've got a question for you - how many people here would say they can draw?”

Seeing as this is a relatively lighthearted question that’s simple to answer, the audience responds immediately.

Now, what makes this a powerful opening technique is that Graham then goes on to say:

“When people say they can’t draw, I think it's more to do with beliefs rather than talent and ability. When you say you can’t draw, that’s just an illusion, and today I’d like to prove that to you.”

By immediately challenging a widely held belief among the audience and promising to debunk it during the presentation, he employs a powerful technique that keeps the audience fully engaged.

This approach makes the audience feel “invested” in the outcome of the presentation and curious as to whether he can back up his claim.

2. Tell your audience why they should be listening to you.

Getting your audience’s attention is just one part of the equation. Once you have it, you must also explain why they should “keep” listening to you. Here are some ways to do this:

Highlight relevant personal experience.

In Phil Waknell’s opening section, he talks about how he’s spent the last ten years helping conference speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs prepare and deliver powerful presentations .

This immediately signals to the audience that he’s someone worth listening to and positions him as a credible source of insights based on the wealth of experience he has gathered.

Highlight your expertise.

During the opening section of Dr. Lara Boyd’s presentation titled “ After watching this, your brain will not be the same ,” she says, “I’m Dr. Lara Boyd, and I’m a brain researcher here at the University of British Columbia.”

Sharing her credentials as a brain researcher is crucial to gaining her audience's trust — especially considering the technicality of her topic.

But even while creating presentations outside fields like brain research, sharing qualifications and credentials in your opening section can be a powerful technique.

This helps you position yourself as a credible authority and reinforcing your audience's confidence in your ability to deliver valuable information.

Tell your audience what’s in it for them.

In Mel Robbins’ opening section for her presentation titled “ How to stop screwing yourself over ,” she ends her introduction by saying:

“I’m here for you. I’m going to tell you everything I know in less than 18 minutes about how to get what you want.”

Although she started the section by highlighting her experiences and expertise, she went further by explicitly stating the benefits her audience can expect from her presentation.

Doing this is a great way to create a compelling reason for your audience to invest their time and attention and emphasize the value of the presentation you’re about to deliver.

3. Introduce your topic.

If your topic is relatively simple to grasp or your audience is particularly knowledgeable, introducing your topic can be as easy as “Today, I’m going to be talking to you about how we’ve built a six-figure software company in 6 months.”

However, if your topic is more complex or unfamiliar to the audience, you must do a bit more heavy lifting in your opening section.

For example, Sam Bern’s “ My philosophy for a happy life ” presentation discusses how he lives a happy life despite having Progeria disease.

However, because this condition might be unfamiliar to some audience members, he takes some time in his opening section to talk about the illness before delving into the meat of his presentation.

Similarly, if you’re presenting on a complex topic or to an audience that isn’t knowledgeable, it’s essential to consider this when crafting your opening section.

4. Leverage storytelling.

Stories can create immersive experiences that captivate the audience and convey a core message.

For example, in the opening section of Sam Bern's presentation, he tells a story about his struggles while trying to achieve his goal of becoming a drummer in his school marching band, despite living with Progeria disease.

This sets the tone for his entire presentation by conveying an inspiring message of fighting against and succeeding despite the odds.

Another great example is the opening section of Josh Kaufman’s presentation, titled “ The First 20 Hours — how to learn anything ,” where he tells a story about his experience as a time-strapped first-time parent.

This story enhances the presentation as Josh eventually shares that this experience triggered his interest in studying how to become an efficient learner.

Finally, Amy Morins’s presentation “ The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong ” is another excellent example of leveraging storytelling.

Amy starts her presentation with a thought-provoking story about observing a Facebook friend's seemingly perfect life.

She then highlights how such comparisons can lead to negative thought patterns and emphasizes the importance of cultivating mental resilience.

This relatable story not only resonates with her audience but also sets the stage for her message on building inner strength.

All these presentations are great examples that highlight how incorporating story-telling in your openings can be a powerful tool for creating memorable and impactful presentations.

Your presentation slides play a crucial role in determining the impact and effectiveness of your presentation.

In this section, you’ll find examples of 8 powerful opening slides across various use cases that not just support but enhance the presentation openings:

1. “ Blackboard is Getting an Upgrade ”

Although these are very different methods of injecting humor at the start of a presentation, they show how infusing humor can be a powerful tool for adding a touch of personality and creating a more enjoyable presentation for the audience.

4. Keep it short and sweet.

While it's important not to rush through the start of your presentation, keeping your opening concise is equally important. But remember, concise does not mean sacrificing substance; it simply means delivering information efficiently.

Essentially, you want an opening section that allows you to create a solid initial impression without losing the audience's interest.

So, how long should this opening secretion be?

Most successful presentation openings are under three minutes, and many are shorter, often clocking in at under one minute.

5. Embrace authenticity.

Contrary to popular belief, there isn't a specific personality that makes someone a better presenter. In fact, the most impactful presentations have been delivered by individuals with diverse characters.

Take, for instance, the contrasting styles of Tom Thum’s irreverent humor and animated mannerisms and Sam Bern, who adopts a relaxed and conversational approach. Despite their differences, both speakers have garnered millions of views for their talks.

So, rather than emulating or mimicking their presentations, the key takeaway is to embrace authenticity.

Allow your personality to shine through, lean on your strengths, and be human in your delivery.

Mastering the Art of Captivating Presentations

Starting a presentation is a skill that is as much an art as it is a science. Thankfully, it is also a skill that can be learned and honed.

By implementing the strategies in this guide and refining them through experience, you’ll become a master at delivering impactful presentations that command attention and leave a lasting impression.

All from the moment you step onto the stage.

Don't forget to share this post!

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How to Start a Speech — 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!

Want to move audiences? Develop a powerful opening! Here is how to start a speech, including 12 foolproof ways to grab audiences in public speaking.

Let's talk about how to start a speech. When it comes to persuading, inspiring, or influencing an audience, your opening is by far the most important moment in your performance.

So how do you begin a presentation in ways that  will get an audience on your side and start you on the road to speaking memorably?

Learn this skill and 101 tips and tricks for more successful speaking in my Public Speaking Handbook, How to Give a Speech . Also available as an Amazon bestseller!

Let's imagine that you're finally pitching to that audience of decision makers. It's the high-stakes opportunity you've been waiting for, and you've put together a killer presentation. There's just one problem: how do you start the thing off with a bang? Remember, anyone can give an ordinary presentation. It's your job to stand out from the crowd for career success.

Your Opening Sets the Tone of Your Presentation

You probably already know you need to begin with power and purpose. You're just not sure  how  . . . or for that matter, exactly why.

The answer is that, when it comes to influencing listeners in speeches and presentations, two concepts explain why your beginning and ending need to be particularly strong. I'll discuss both concepts here, then provide some powerful tools for your opening gambit: your speech Introduction .

Ready to set your audience on fire?

This article is available as a free PDF .  Click here to download "How to Start a Speech - 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience!" Learn and practice starting out powerfully!

Your Introduction and Conclusion Need to Be Strong

The two concepts concerning why you need to start and end strongly, are  primacy  and  recency . Primacy states that people remember most vividly what they hear at the beginning of a speech. Recency  says those same people will strongly recall what you say at the end. In terms of public speaking, this translates into your introduction and conclusion. And you really do need to start early.   Here's  how to create an opening your audience will remember .

In more practical terms, there are three specific reasons why your introduction needs to be engaging and interesting immediately :

(1) Audiences make judgments about you and your message in the first minute. After that point, you'll be able to change those opinions about as easily as you can change a hamster into a ham sandwich. So here's  how to be strong in the first 60 seconds of your speech .

(2) Your opening sets the entire tone of your presentation (including whether you'll be interesting or not).

(3) This is when you introduce your message and tell the audience why they should listen.

Sound like a tall order? It isn't, if you use the seven key components of successful presentations . Your audience needs to be both fully engaged and predisposed favorably toward you and your message. Neither will happen unless you can  grab   their  attention,  so they're onboard when you spin your verbal magic. Keep reading to learn how that's done. 

Ready to boost your influence with stakeholders? Grab your copy of my book, Speak for Leadership . Learn an executive speech coach's secrets! Get it today here or on Amazon .

Using Creativity in Business Presentations

Achieving the objective of a 'grabbing' opening takes thought, a bit of imagination, and yes, a little creativity. The good news is that since you know your topic well and you're psyched up for the big game (it's an audience of decision-makers, remember?), you should be well positioned to succeed.

Primacy won't have much of a chance to operate, though, if you use what I call the 'Today, I'm going to talk about . . .' opening. This is boring! Be on the lookout instead for something that will pique the interest of your listeners, and perhaps surprise them. And here's something else you absolutely need to know: 20 ways to connect with an audience for lasting influence .

A few minutes of focused thinking should be all you need to know how to come up with an effective opening. And remember to avoid that I call introducing your introduction. That sounds like this: 'Let me start out with a story . . .', or, 'I heard a very funny joke the other day . . . ' Or even the inexplicable 'Before I begin . . . ' since you've already begun!

Just  tell  us the story, the joke, or the in-the-know reference that will delight your listeners. But if you signal your effect beforehand, you water down its potency and its power to surprise.

So how can you be completely focused and on your game?

12 Powerful Ways to Start a Speech or Presentation

As a springboard to launching your presentation with verve and originality, here are a dozen rhetorical devices you can use. Each of them is an effective 'speech hook that you can use to start any speech or presentation:

• Startling statement
• Personal anecdote or experience
• Expert opinion
• Sound effect
• Physical object or demonstration
• Testimony or success story

You could literally think of dozens more from your own experience or that of your audience. Remember, the best grabbers engage an audience immediately, both intellectually and emotionally. Interestingly, these same devices can be used to conclude in a way that keeps your audience thinking about what you said. It's all part of my six rules for effective public speaking .

Coming up with an exciting grabber and clincher involves some work on your part. But the rewards if you're successful more than justify the effort.

Famous Speech Openings  

How about a few examples? Here are four great openings that illustrate some of the grabbers listed above:

Jesus , Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." — Startling statement.

Bill Clinton , 1993 speech in Memphis to ministers (after having heard himself introduced as "Bishop Clinton"): "You know, in the last ten months, I've been called a lot of things, but nobody's called me a bishop yet. When I was about nine years old, my beloved and now departed grandmother, who was a very wise woman, looked at me and she said, 'You know, I believe you could be a preacher if you were just a little better boy.'" — Humor

Jane Fonda in her TED Talk "Life's Third Act":  "There have been many revolutions over the last century, but perhaps none as significant as the longevity revolution. We are living on average today 34 years longer than our great-grandparents did. Think about that: that's an entire second adult lifetime that's been added to our lifespan." — Statistic.

Steve Jobs , 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford University: "Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it, no big deal—just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another eighteen months or so before I really quit. So why'd I drop out? It started before I was born." — Story, with a seamless transition into his speech. 

Like historical mysteries? — Discover my Dr. William Scarlet Mystery Series!

A haunted young artist. A trail of bodies. What is terrorizing London? Scotland Yard surgeon and psychic Dr. William Scarlet pursues a serial killer in Red Season ! Also on  Amazon .

You should follow me on Twitter  here .

Gary Genard   is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers  live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching   and corporate group training worldwide. He was named for nine consecutive years as  One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals , and also named as  One of America's Top 5 Speech Coaches .  He is the author of the Amazon Best-Sellers  How to Give a Speech  and  Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence . His book,  Fearless Speaking ,  was named in 2019 as  "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time."   He is also the author of the  Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries .   Contact Gary here.  

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7 Dynamic Ways to Start a Presentation [With Examples]

Of course, we’ve all been there as a speaker. First, we design a powerful presentation. Then, we nervously walk out onto a stage or into the front of the room. The audience stares with skepticism written all over their faces. This stoic crowd has no patience for speakers who waste their time. And their demeanor is showing that fact right now. In a timid voice, we start with a simple, “Good morning.” We get no response from the audience — no warm welcome at all. As a result, our nervousness increases dramatically.

The good news is that your speech doesn’t have to start this way. Your first words will create first impressions.

So, in this session, I’m going to give you the best way to start a successful presentation so you can win over the audience members. Below are a few of my favorite ways to start a speech that will help you capture the attention of your audience and get even the most stoic crowd to want more from you.

Here is the list of effective presentation openers.

7 Dynamic Ways to Start Your Next Presentation.

• Give Your Presentation Summary and Conclusion First.
• Start the Presentation with a Compelling Story.
• Use a Startling Statistic to Start a Presentation.
• A Funny or Motivational Quote or One-Liner.
• Start with an Opinion Asking Question.
• Make a Powerful or Shocking Statement to Start a Speech.
• Arouse Curiosity with a Hook.
• A Bonus Way to Start a Presentation Is to Add Showmanship.

How to Start a Presentation and Help Your Audience Remember Your Content.

(1) give a summary and conclusion at the beginning of a presentation..

As a speaker, you have a lot going against you. The biggest challenge is that most of the people who are in your audience would really rather be somewhere else. So starting with the conclusion gives them a reason to tune in and pay attention to the content.

TV shows and movies do this a lot. The first scene in Titanic is 90-year-old Rose wheeling onto the salvage ship. Immediately, she asked the Captain to see her painting. “Wasn’t I a dish?”

We all know the story of Titanic, but by starting 70 years into the future, we already know that somehow, Rose was going to survive the tragedy. We pay attention because we want to see how she did it.

You probably also recall Netflix series that show a quick introduction and then a flashback to an earlier time.

You can create the same effect in your presentation introduction by making your title a conclusion that you want the audience to draw. Then, lay out each main point that will help them come to that conclusion.

For instance, “My topic today is Five Ways to Get Your Executives to Increase Your Department Budget, and the items we will cover are…” Of course, this technique works best when your title is a result that your audience really wants.

This is an easy way to start a presentation. You can use a single PowerPoint presentation slide as a visual aid to capture the audience’s attention right away! (FYI, you can also use this technique at the end of a presentation.)

More details about this are in Start with a Great Title .

(2) Start the Presentation with a Compelling Story

I taught a private presentation class for Mitsubishi once. And I could tell walking into the room that this was going to be a tough crowd. The culture of the predominately Japanese company is fairly quiet and conservative. Most often, when I introduce myself to class members, people are warm and friendly. Since I’m a guest in their office, most try to make me feel at home.

By the way, the Mitsubishi organizer did this here as well. However, as the participants came into the room, each walked in without saying a word. Each sat down, opened their laptops, and quietly began typing on their keyboards.

I did my best to try to get them to open up. But very few of them were laughing at my jokes or smiling at me as I asked them questions. (Tough crowd.)

So, when I started the class, I knew I needed something that would help the group relate to me. I decided to go into a fairly detailed version of an experience where I totally bombed a speech. I added a lot of self-deprecating humor to the story. Afterward, the mood in the room lightened quite a bit. It was an easy way to get the audience to feel more at ease and become more relatable to them.

Stories are easy additions to any speech. For instance, if you are giving a project report, you can start with a memorable event that occurred on the project since the last meeting. Or, if you are giving a financial report where profit is up, just give a great example of something that caused profit to increase.

(3) Or You Could Use a Startling Statistic to Start a Presentation.

By doing a little research, you can often find a good (and or startling) statistic that can capture attention quickly. You can also create a good introduction by phrasing the statistic as a provocative statement.

For instance, let’s say you are giving a financial presentation where revenue for your company was up 2.5% last quarter. You might look up the statistics for your industry as a whole in the same quarter. Then, you can start your speech with that data. “The electronics industry as a whole was up 3.4% last quarter. However, our company underperformed the industry with only a 2.5% increase in revenue.”

The easiest way to find statistics about your topic is to just do a Google search [Your Topic} followed by the word “statistic”.

Here Are a Few Examples of Using Google to Get Shocking Statistics.

I’ll give some examples. I just did a Google search for “Popular Ted Talks” and came up with an article about the Top 25 Most Shared Ted Talk videos . I just pasted the names of the talks into Google with the word “statistic” added and this is what I came up with.

• Does School Kill Creativity? According to the Adobe® State of Create global benchmark study , 8 in 10 people feel that unlocking creativity is critical to economic growth and more than half of those surveyed feel that creativity is being stifled by their education systems.
• Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are – We receive 82% of information from what we see, 11% from what we hear, and only 7% by all the other senses combined. ( The Body Language Info-graphic .)
• How Great Leaders Inspire Action – 84% of organizations anticipate a shortfall in leaders within the next five years. ( 13 Shocking Leadership Development Statistics .)

So, it is really easy to create compelling statistics to get your audience to think differently about your topic just as you begin to speak.

Bonus Tip: Combine More than One of these Intros for Even More Impact.

You can combine the last two tips for even more impact. Place a statistic along with a story of how you found the statistic at the beginning of your presentation. This is a great way to start your presentation. “I remember watching Jerry Seinfeld do a stand-up bit. He mentioned that the fear of public speaking was the number one fear in America. Then he looked down the list and saw that the fear of death was number five. So, you are five times more likely to rather be in the casket than up giving the eulogy at a funeral.”

The key to each of these first tips is that they increase the retention of information for your audience.

For instance, using the Summary technique, you give your audience an introduction with your presentation topic and key points. Then as you go through each point, they hear each one again. Finally, you summarize the points one more time at the end of your presentation. The audience is now more likely to remember your important points. because of this subtle repetition.

A good story will also increase retention. Stories have a way of creating visual images in the mind of the audience that is more memorable than just facts alone. A startling statistic gets the audience to think, “Is that really true?” so they pay attention more.

Quick Presentation Starters to Capture Attention

(4) a funny or motivational quote or one-liner..

“There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” — Mark Twain

A powerful quote is an effective way to make a positive first impression. It also adds a little humor. You can find quotes like this for your presentations as well. Just like with statistics, you can Google your topic with the word “quotes” to get ideas.

• Does School Kill Creativity? – “Creativity is the greatest expression of liberty.” — Bryant H. McGill
• Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are. – “Language is a more recent technology. Your body language, your eyes, your energy will come through to your audience before you even start speaking.” — Peter Guber
• How Great Leaders Inspire Action. – “A leader is the one, who knows the way, goes the way and show the way” — John Maxwell

Bonus Tip: Reference a quote, and then add your own take to the quote.

Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” But have you ever thought to realize that every single invention ever created by man was once just an idea born from someone’s need?

(5) Start with an Opinion Asking Question.

“In a perfect world, if your team was able to present their ideas to your customers more effectively, what would they be doing that they are not doing now?”

This technique is more challenging for a presenter. You have to be able to take whatever your audience gives you and design a killer presentation on the fly. However, if you have done good research before the meeting, you shouldn’t be surprised by the answers you get.

Keep in mind that only the best presenters use this technique. So, when you add open-ended questions to your speech, you will increase your stature as a speaker as well.

By the way, the question should be open-ended, meaning that the audience is giving you their opinions. Rhetorical questions and show of hands questions can backfire. Your audience may think you are trying to manipulate them. So, the important thing to remember is to ask a question that asks for the opinion of the audience members. That way, as they answer, everyone can be correct..

(6) Make a Powerful or Shocking Statement to Start a Speech.

I will then follow this statement with a list of different tips that people try that don’t work really well. (Things like picturing your audience naked.)

The funny thing is that many of the people in the room will question the truthfulness of the statement the first time I say it. It is a bold claim. They don’t confront me, though. However, when I look around the room, I can see the distrust on their faces.

However, as I begin to list the crazy tips one by one, they begin to realize the truthfulness of the statement. Internally, the checklist sounds like this…

• To reduce nervousness, you should pretend your audience is naked. (Man, he’s right. I tried that. It doesn’t work.)
• You should memorize your speech word-for-word. Actually, if you lose your place when reciting the speech, you just get more nervous. (That one is true too.)
• You should practice in front of a mirror or record yourself speaking. Actually, you are your own worst critic. You will nitpick every little thing that you do wrong. (Yup, I’ve done that one too. Wow, maybe he’s right. Those things don’t work at all.)

Another shocking statement I use is to foreshadow a future behavior in the speech. When I lead team activities, I often have them play a game to divide into teams. So, I might start the presentation with, “In less than 15 minutes, some of you chivalrous men who opened a door for a young lady when she came into the room will actually be chicken-winging that woman to take something from her.” Of course, when something like that actually happens, everyone erupts in laughter.

(7) Arouse Curiosity with a Hook.

Talk radio, television news, and reality TV shows do this brilliantly.

I remember years ago watching season one of Survivor. The season winner was an eccentric guy named Richard Hatch, who was a good fisherman, so he fed the group. However, he also did things to keep the other contestants a little off their game. At the start of one of the episodes, Richard was walking along the beach buck-naked with his bottom blurred out by the producers.

I remember doing a double-take when the image came on the screen. (There are some things that you just can’t unsee.) I didn’t particularly ever want to see Hatch’s bare bum ever again. However, I had an eager want to find how the heck this happened.

Talk radio guys do this by saying, “At the bottom of the hour, we’re going to…” The technique is like a cliffhanger. Everyone wants to know how the story will end. Will Ross marry Emily, or will Rachel stop the wedding? Will Jon Snow die of his stab wounds? Ken Jennings has won 74 times in a row on Jeopardy. When will he get beaten? What is going to happen now that DEA agent Hank realizes his brother-in-law broke bad? And finally, who shot J.R.?

How to Easily Add a Hook into the Start of Your Presentation.

This is a fun technique to use when you start a presentation. And there are many different ways to do this, depending on the purpose of your presentation.

For instance, you could tell your compelling story, as I suggested earlier. However, don’t tell the ending. Stop right as you get to the climax. Then tell the ending in your conclusion. (More details about this in How to End a Speech .)

Or, the hook can be a cliffhanger or foreshadowing of something later in the presentation. “As we did this research, we uncovered a single habit that, once we change it, will generate an extra quarter of a million dollars for our company. And I will share that secret with you in my final point.”

I actually do this on my podcast as well. I might start the episode by saying something like, “In the last ten minutes of this episode, I’m going to share with you my best, overall, foolproof presentation opener.”

(Which, by the way, is right now…)

A Bonus Way to Start a Presentation Is to Add Showmanship. (Bonus… Not a Foolproof Way.)

For instance, one time, just after July 4th, my kids had some leftover fireworks. I also had some decorative mailing tubes left over from a failed marketing campaign.

The next morning, I was to speak at a business breakfast. I got to the hotel meeting room before anyone else and filled a trash can with water. Then, I left the can under the presentation table at the front of the room. I stuck one of the sparklers into the top of the mailing tube and waited until my time to speak. The emcee called my name, and I waited at the back of the room. She called my name one more time, and I waited just a bit longer. When she called my name the third time, I lit the sparkler and went rushing to the front of the room.

Of course, the visual aid looked like I was holding a stick of cartoon dynamite. I pulled the trash can from under the table and threw the prop into the can where it sizzled and smoked. The whole audience was looking around like, “What the heck?” I paused and then said, “Do you want to put some sizzle into your presentations?”

Okay, it was cheesy. It was over the top. But it got the whole audience laughing. Everyone in the room remembered who I was and what I did for a living.

A few less over-the-top ways of adding showmanship into your presentation might be…

• Use Boards Instead of Slides . Everyone expects a slideshow, but if you have a compelling board or poster that is in the front of the room when you start, you can create some curiosity about your topic.
• You Could Also Get the Audience to Participate in a Demonstration . I had a saleperson from the Riddell helmet company tell us about a football helmet face-mask that could detach with a simple pencil-like tool. He had a couple of men try to pull the face-mask off the helmet and when they failed, he used the tool to remove the mask with one hand. It was a vivid demonstration.
• Or Just Add a Funny Video . When I teach leadership classes, I often play segments from old Saturday Night Live skits that have the characters doing the exact opposite of what I’m teaching. For instance, I might start a session about avoiding criticism in the workplace with an episode of “Debbie Downer”.

Whatever method that you choose to start your presentation make sure to spend time on developing your content. You don’t want to spend a ton of time creating the perfect opener and then lose the audience with a lackluster presentation afterward.

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Starting a presentation in english: methods and examples.

• By Jake Pool

If you’re going to make it in the professional world, most likely you’ll have to give a presentation in English at some point. No reason to get nervous!

Most of the work involved lies in the introduction. You may or may not need an English presentation PPT file, your topic, audience, or time limit may vary, but a strong opening is a must no matter what! Everything that follows can build from the opening outline you present to your audience.

Let’s look at some guidelines for starting a presentation in English. If you can master this part, you’ll never have to worry about the rest!

Opening in a Presentation in English

While it’s important to have your entire presentation organized and outlined, planning and organization are especially important in the introduction. This is what will guide you through a clear and concise beginning. Let’s look at how to start a presentation with well-organized thoughts .

Introduction Outline

• Introduce yourself and welcome everyone.
• State the purpose of your presentation
• Give a short overview of the presentation

As we say, it’s as easy as 1-2-3. (No need for a more detailed English presentation script!) Let’s examine the first step.

1. Introduce Yourself & Welcome Everyone

The self-introduction is your opportunity to make a good first impression. Be sure to open with a warm welcome and use language that is familiar and natural. Based on your audience, there are a few different expressions you can use to start your presentation.

If you’re presenting to coworkers who may already know you:

• Hello, [name] here. I would like to thank you all for your time. As you may know, I [describe what you do/your job title] I look forward to discussing [topic] today.
• Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone. Thank you for being here. For those who don’t know me, my name is [name], and for those who know me, hello again.

If you’re presenting to people you’ve never met:

• Hello everyone, it’s nice to meet you all. My name is [name] and I am the [job/title].
• Hello. Welcome to [event]. My name is [name] and I am the [job/title]. I’m glad you’re all here.

There are certainly more ways to make an introduction. However, it’s generally best to follow this format:

• Start with a polite welcome and state your name.
• Follow with your job title and/or the reason you’re qualified to speak on the topic being discussed.

2. State the Purpose of Your Presentation

Now that your audience knows who you are and your qualifications, you can state the purpose of your presentation. This is where you clarify to your audience what you’ll be talking about.

So, ask yourself, “ What do I want my audience to get from this presentation? ”

• Do you want your audience to be informed?
• Do you need something from your audience?
• Do you want them to purchase a product?
• Do you want them to do something for the community or your company?

With your goal in mind, you can create the next couple of lines of your presentation. Below are some examples of how to start.

• Let me share with you…
• I’d like to introduce you to [product or service]
• Today I want to discuss…
• I want to breakdown for you [topic]
• Let’s discuss…
• Today I will present the results of my research on [topic]
• By the end of this presentation, you’ll understand [topic]
• My goal is to explain…
• As you know, we’ll be talking about…

When talking about the purpose of your presentation, stick to your goals. You purpose statement should be only one to three sentences. That way, you can give your audience a clear sense of purpose that sets them up for the rest of the presentation.

3. A Short Overview of the Presentation

The final step in starting your presentation is to give a short outline of what you’ll be presenting. People like a map of what to expect from a presentation.

It helps them organize their thoughts and gives a sense of order. Also, it lets the audience know why they’re listening to you. This is what you’ll use to grab their attention, and help them stay focused throughout the presentation.

Here are some examples of how you can outline your presentation:

• Today, I’m going to cover… Then we’ll talk about… Lastly, I’ll close on…
• We’re going to be covering some key information you need to know, including…
• My aim with this presentation is to get you to… To do that we’ll be talking about…
• I’ve divided my presentation into [number] sections… [List the sections]
• Over the next [length of your presentation] I’m going to discuss…

That’s it! It’s as simple as 1-2-3. If you have a fear of public speaking or are not confident about presenting to a group of people, follow these three steps. It’s a simple structure that can get you off to a good start. With that in mind, there are other ways to bring your introduction to the next level too! Read on for bonus tips on how to really engage your audience, beyond the basics.

For a Strong Presentation in English, Engage your Audience

Presentations aren’t everyone’s strongest ability, and that’s OK. If you’re newer to presenting in English, the steps above are the basics to getting started. Once you’re more comfortable with presenting, though, you can go a step further with some extra tricks that can really wow your audience.

Mastering the skill of engaging an audience will take experience. Fortunately, there are many famous speakers out there you can model for capturing attention. Also, there are some common techniques that English-speakers use to gain an audience’s attention.

*How and when you use these techniques in your introduction is at your discretion, as long as you cover the 3 steps of the introduction outline that we discussed earlier.*

Do or say something shocking.

The purpose of shocking your audience is to immediately engage them. You can make a loud noise and somehow relate the noise to your presentation. Or, you can say, “ Did you know that… ” and follow with a shocking story or statistic. Either way, the objective is to create surprise to draw their attention.

Tell a story

Telling a story related to your presentation is a great way to get the audience listening to you.

You can start by saying, “ On my way to [location] the other day… ” or “ On my way here, I was reminded of… ” and then follow with a story. A good story can make your presentation memorable.

Ask your audience to take part

Sometimes a good introduction that captures attention will involve asking for help from the audience. You can ask the audience to play a quick game or solve a puzzle that’s related to your presentation. Also, you could engage the audience with a group exercise. This is a great way to get people involved in your presentation.

There are many more ways to engage the audience, so get creative and see what you can think up! Here are some resources that will help you get started.

Also, if you want to get better at public speaking (and help your English speaking too!), a great organization to know about is the Toastmasters . The organization is dedicated to helping you be a better speaker, and there are many local groups in America. They offer free lessons and events to help you master your English speaking, and also offer additional help to paying members.

The Takeaway

A presentation in English? No problem, as long as your introduction sets you up for success . Admittedly, this can be easier said than done. Native speakers and non-native speakers alike sometimes struggle with getting a good start on their English presentation. But the advice above can help you get the confidence you need to lay a good foundation for your next speech !

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How to Start and End a Presentation: 10 Practical Tips to Grab Attention and Make an Impact

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By Al Boicheva

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3 years ago

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No matter how well-crafted and planned the body of your presentation, its impact depends on its opening and ending.  On one hand, you have 30 seconds to grab your audience’s attention so people would be interested in hearing what you have to say. On the other, your ending is what your audience will be left with and will shape how they feel about your presentation and how they’ll remember it. This might be like a lot of pressure but the truth is, it’s easier than it sounds. This is why, in this article, we will help you achieve this and more with 10 practical tips on how to start and end a presentation effectively .

Article overview: The Opening: 5 Tips To Get Your Audience Invested  1. The Hook 2. Transition 3. Personal Story 4. Build Tension with Silence 5. Use Startling Statistics The Ending: 5 Tips To Make an Impact 1. The Rule of Three 2. Come Full Circle 3. Food for Thought Question Ending 4. Inspire with Personal Involvement 5. Make Your Audience Laugh

5 Practical Tips on How to Start a Presentation

Imagine you spent weeks preparing an amazing presentation with lots of valuable insight that you just can’t wait to share with your audience. Unfortunately, only a few minutes in, you notice that most of your viewers are on their phones scrolling and barely paying any attention to what you have to say. What happened?

Presenters and speakers often start with a long introduction. They introduce themselves, share how excited they are, thank the audience for attending, explain what they’re going to speak about in a minute, why the topic is important, etc. This might take only one or two minutes, however, when it comes to presentation,  two minutes without telling anything interesting might result in losing your audience. In fact, you only have 30 seconds to grab your audience’s attention .

This is why, no matter the topic and goal of your presentation, you must always captivate your audience’s attention first. Leave the introductions and summaries for later .

In this section, we’ll talk about ways to hook your audience in the first 30 seconds and get them invested in what you have to say in your presentation.

1. The Hook

Anything unpredictable that catches you off-guard, will get your attention.

This tactic, masterfully named as a metaphor for attracting fish with a juicy worm on a hook, refers to a few-second short story, metaphor, shocking fact, statistics, analogy, controversial statement, or anything unconventional and unexpected that will capture your viewer’s imagination. We’ll have a look at three examples for hooks.

1.1 Bold Claim

“Here’s all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid.” This opening line by stand-up comedy legend George Carlin is a great example of a hook in the form of a bold claim. If you’re confident enough with your presentation and you have a bold claim up to your sleeve, don’t save it for the end. Instead, shoot that bullet confidently the second you start your presentation. It will immediately catch your audience off-guard and you will have it paying attention to your every word after that.

Here are some examples for bold claim starters in presentations and public speaking.

• “What you’re doing right now at this very moment is killing you.” ( Nilofer Merchant )
• “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat.” ( Jamie Oliver )
• “I’m going to try to increase the lifespan of every single person in this room by seven and a half minutes. Literally, you will live seven and a half minutes longer than you would have otherwise just because you watched this talk.” ( Jane McGonagall )
• “I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room. However, it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar.” ( Pamela Meyer )

1.2 Imagine

One of the greatest ways to get attention and start strong is through storytelling. People love stories and are always interested in hearing one. In fact, many presentations may revolve around a story or just use small anecdotes to enhance their message. With this being said, amongst the best methods to create a compelling story is to get your audience involved. To do so, make them imagine themselves in the shoes of the main character. This attention-grabber invites your viewers to create a mental image and get emotionally invested.

Here are examples of speeches starting with the Imagine play:

• “I want you, guys, to imagine that you’re a soldier, running through the battlefield. Now, you’re shot in the leg with a bullet that severs your femoral artery. This bleed is extremely traumatic and can kill you in less than 3 minutes. Unfortunately, by the time a medic actually gets to you, what the medic has on his or her belt can take 5 minutes or more with the application of pressure to stop that type of bleed.” ( Joe Landolina )
• “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3000 feet. Imagine a plane full of smoke, imagine an engine going clack-clack-clack-clack-clack. Well, I had a unique seat that day.”( Ric Elias )

1.3. Humourous Twists

Great stories have unexpected plot twists. The best stories, however, have a funny plot twist. Depending on your topic, you can start by telling your story, get your audience in the mood for a serious talk, and then contradict all expectations with a hilarious spin.

• “I need to make a confession at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know. But here I feel kind of obliged to reveal. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school.” ( Daniel Pink )

2. Transition

Your next step would be to make an organic transition between your hook and the main point of your presentation. You can do this seamlessly or by linking directly with “I tell you this, because”, “This brings us to…”. Mohammed Qahtani, for example, does this transition so smoothly, that you’ll never even catch it.

First, as a hook, he chooses to use a prop. He literally goes on stage and lights a cigarette, capitalizing on unpredictability, originality, bold statement, humor, and immediately uses the second hook in the form of a provocative question, asking the audience “You think smoking kills?”. The third thing he does is strike with shocking data that he immediately admits to being fake. He already has the audience on the tip of his fingers. Having accomplished that, Mohammed Qahtani is ready to finally move to the body of the presentation and reveal his actual message.

3. Personal Story

Another storytelling technique besides making people from your audience imagine themselves in a particular situation, is to start with your own personal story. One that is relevant to the topic of your presentation. Your personal involvement and experience give you credibility in the eyes of the viewers, and, as we mentioned, everyone loves to hear an interesting story. This is because stories are relatable, easy to identify with communicating honesty, openness, and connection.

4. Build Tension with Silence

Interestingly enough, saying nothing is also a very powerful option. In fact, standing in front of an audience and confidently keeping silent is as powerful as making a bold statement. Silence will definitely build tension and pique your audience’s curiosity about what you have to say. Be careful, however, as this technique requires knowing your timing.

5. Use Startling Statistics

Sometimes you just can’t think of a story, a joke, or a specific statement that is bold enough. And that’s okay. As a last resort, but also a pretty effective one, you can always rely on curious shocking statistics, related to your topic, to instantly gain people’s attention. Take your time researching curious statistics that will emphasize the seriousness of your topic or as a tool to start over the top.

To sum it up, your presentation opening follows 5 steps:

• Hook: You immediately strike your audience instantly with something interesting and unconventional they wouldn’t expect.
• Transition: You link your hook to your main point.
• Introduction: Once you already have your audience’s attention, you can finally make a very brief introduction with something relevant to your topic.
• Preview: Give your audience a brief preview of what you’re going to talk about.
• Benefits: Tell your audience how will they benefit from listening to your presentation. (ex. “By the end, you will already know how to…”)

Keep in mind, that your opening, consisting of these 5 steps, should be brief and ideally not exceed 2 minutes . If you manage to make a great hook, transition, introduction, review and list the benefits in 2 minutes, you already have your audience’s full attention and they will be listening to your every word throughout the body of your presentation.

5 Practical Tips on How to End a Presentation

Let’s consider this situation. You start watching a movie that instantly opens with a jaw-dropping suspenseful scene that raises questions and makes you want to unravel the mystery. This scene will certainly make your stay through the movie. You are very invested, you love the story, the build-up keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end when the reveal is so underwhelming, you feel disappointed. The ending doesn’t fit the intensity of the story and feels incomplete and rushed. How does this relate to your presentation?

Having a great start for your presentation is what will keep your audience interested in what you have to say. However, the end is what your audience will be left with and will shape how they feel about your presentation and how they’ll remember it.  In short, if you fail your opening, you will still be able to catch up with your presentation and capitalize with a great closing line. But an underwhelming conclusion can kill the velocity of a good presentation and ruin the overall experience.

Let’s look at some practical tips and examples by great presenters to get inspired and never let that happen.

1. The Rule of Three

This powerful technique in speech writing refers to the collection of three words, phrases, sentences, or lines. In photography, there’s a similar rule, known as the Rule of Thirds, that serves to divide an image into three. In writing, the Rule of Three combines a collection of thoughts into three entities with combined brevity and rhythm to create a pattern.

Information presented in a group of three sticks in our heads better than in other groups. This is why this principle presents your ideas in more enjoyable and memorable ways for your audience.  It also serves to divide up a speech or emphasize a certain message. Let’s see a couple of examples where the rule is applied in different forms.

Examples of the Rule of three in Speeches

• “ I came, I saw, I conquered .” (Veni, Vidi, Vici. ) by Julius Caesar in a letter to the Roman Senate
• “…this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people , shall not perish from the earth.” from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
• “ It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. lt means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.” from Steve Job’s Stanford Commencement Speech

In Veni Vidi Vici, the rule serves to divide the concept of Caesar’s victory into three parts to prolong the conclusion in order to give it more power. The “came” and “ saw” parts are technically obvious and unnecessary in terms of context. However, they serve to build up the conclusion of conquering, creating a story, rhythm, and, ultimately, a memorable and powerful line. A single “I conquered” wouldn’t impress the Senate that much, let alone become such a legendary phrase preserved in history.

Lincoln’s famous speech ending shows an excellent practice of the Rule of Three in the form of repetition to emphasize the new role of the Government.  “That Government of the people shaw not perish from the earth.” would still be a good line, however, the repetition makes it way more powerful and memorable.

And last, Steve Job uses the Rule of Three in the form of repetition to accomplish building up the conclusion and emphasizing what “it means”.  This repetition gives rhythm and helps the audience to be more receptive, stay focused, and follow the speaker to the final conclusion.

You can also use the Rule of Three to close your presentation by giving your audience two negatives and ending with a positive . Typical structures would be “This is not… this is not… but it is”; “You wouldn’t… you wouldn’t… but you would..”, etc.

For example, you can conclude a speech about self-growth with something similar to “Your future isn’t a matter of chance, it isn’t a matter of circumstances, it’s a matter of choice.”

2. Come Full Circle

In short, this means capitalizing  on your message by ending your presentation the exact way you started it . If done right, this is a powerful tool to make an impact. Usually, you begin your presentation with a statement that piques your audience’s curiosity. You use it to set the topic and start building on it. You take your audience on a journey, you make them start at one point, follow them through the entire journey, and make them end at the same point. By repeating the opening line as an ending, now the message makes more sense, it’s way more personal and makes a satisfying logical conclusion .

A good example of this comes from Yubing Zang in her speech “Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone.” The speaker opens her TED talk with that same line to take you on a journey. You experience her story, you learn how fear is the biggest thief of dreams while comfort is a drug that keeps you from following them. After that strong message, she finishes with that same phrase. In the end, this phrase isn’t just an abstract quote, now it makes more sense and feels more real and personal.

You can also use the full circle method to start and finish your presentation with the same question. As an opening line, your question will make your audience think. It will compel them to listen to your presentation and learn the answers. As an ending, however, this same question will become rhetorical .

And speaking of questions…

3. Food for Thought Question Ending

The easiest way to end a speech on a good note is to leave your audience with a question. The kind of open-ended question that will inspire your audience to reflect on . Such questions can be so inviting, they will give your audience something exciting to think about and even think of throughout the day.

Examples of open-ended questions, depending on your topic, could sound like this.

• What if it doesn’t work out that way?
• What does this look like for you?
• If you could do it over again, what would you do differently?

Unlike close-ended questions that the viewers can answer immediately on the spot and forget about your speech later, interesting open-ended questions that give them food for thought will inevitably surface on occasion.

For example, Lera Boroditski closes her topic on “How Language Shapes the Way We Think” with ” And that gives you the opportunity to ask: why do I think the way that I do? How could I think differently? And also, what thoughts do I wish to create?”

In order for your open-ended question to become food for thought, make sure your presentation raises it organically . It should sound like a relevant and logical conclusion to what you’ve built during your speech. Otherwise, the question would be forced and would seem like coming from nowhere. The best way to think of such an open-ended question is to reflect on what is the question you wished to answer during your presentation but couldn’t. Something that doesn’t have a solution yet.

• Why do people fear losing things that they do not even have yet?
• Why do we strive for perfection if it is not attainable?
• How much control do you have over your life?
• When will we reach a point where terraforming Mars will be our only chance at human survival? How can you influence this deadline?

This will give a great puzzle for your audience to solve and something to remember your presentation with, for a long time.

4. Inspire with Personal Involvement

If you have a story to share, don’t hesitate to inspire your audience with it during your own presentations.

This method is most powerful when we share a personal story or experience . Our vulnerability and personal touch are what will help you inspire your audience without sounding insincere or forcing them a piece of advice out of nowhere. The key here is to have credibility and personal involvement . It might come from your degree, accomplishments, or from your life’s story. Also, make sure the story is relatable and encourages empathy from your audience.

Steve Jobs gave a commencement speech at Stanford University sharing his personal experiences in order to inspire change in his audience’s mindset. He uses his authority and credibility to shape the spirit of leadership and entrepreneurship in young people. He aims to inspire people that they should learn to color outside the lines instead of following the patterns and structure of society. And he serves as a great example with his own life story and accomplishments .

Which makes the ending memorable and impactful: “ Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. ”

In conclusion, the entire speech builds up to this conclusion making it powerful as the personal involvement and experience make it sincere and inspirational.

5. Make Your Audience Laugh

If your topic allows it, one of the best ways to make your presentation memorable and a great experience for your audience is to end with a joke. Just make sure to craft a joke that relates to the main point of your presentation.

As an example for this tip, we chose the TED talk of webcartoonist Randall Munroe where he answers simple what-if questions using math, physics, logic, and -you guessed it- humor.

He ends by sharing an allegedly personal experience about receiving an email from a reader with a single subject line “Urgent”. “And this was the entire email: If people had wheels and could fly, how would we differentiate them from airplanes? Urgent. And I think that there are some questions math just cannot answer. ”

Final Words

In conclusion, the start and end of your presentation are crucial to its success. No matter the topic and goal of your presentation, you must always captivate your audience’s attention first, leaving the introductions and summaries for later. Having a great start for your presentation is what will keep your audience interested in what you have to say. However, the end is what your audience will be left with and will shape how they feel about your presentation and how they’ll remember it.  We hope we managed to inspire your inner public speaker to rock your presentation like a pro.

In the meantime, you could also check some more insights on related topics, gather inspiration, or simply grab a freebie?

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Al Boicheva

Al is an illustrator at GraphicMama with out-of-the-box thinking and a passion for anything creative. In her free time, you will see her drooling over tattoo art, Manga, and horror movies.

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15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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How to Start a Speech or Presentation: 8 Examples

January 13, 2023

How to start a speech or begin a presentation with impact? What are the best ways to start a speech? What’s the best introduction for a presentation?

Think how you typically start a business presentation, speech or talk. do you begin with any of these lines.

– Hi, my name is … and I’m here to talk about… – Before I start, I want to introduce myself… – Thank you all for coming, I’m really pleased to be here…

None of these are famous speech opening lines. In fact, if you start your presentation like this, you are wasting the most important part of your presentation.

Why because audiences judge you within seconds . they quickly decide whether or not to listen.that’s why it’s so important to hook your audience at the start of your speech – immediately. .

How do you begin a speech or presentation? When presenting, the first few seconds of your talk are the most important.

You can win, or lose, your audience within 10 seconds. Learn how to start a persuasive speech powerfully. That also means learning how to write a speech . Structuring an opening that grabs attention and sets the scene means the audience will be with you all the way.

And as a business leader, great communication skills are vitally important . In addition, psychologists have shown us a phenomenon known as the primacy effect . Your audience is more likely to remember the first bits of information they hear. Working with a speech writer/ public speaking coach can help you make the impact you want when you begin a speech.

How to start a speech or presentation – 8 ideas

Let’s review each of these presentations starts and look at examples of how to begin a speech.

1. Tell a story to start your presentation or speech

Is there a short relevant anecdote that you could open with? If you can, use a local or topical angle. Your audience will then know that you have tailored your talk for them. This will help to keep things fresh for you, particularly if you are delivering the same talk or presentation several times.

Or perhaps you could keep your audience in suspense with this one simple trick:

• Start a story at the beginning of  your speech or presentation.
• Go into the main part of your talk
• Go back to and conclude your story near the end of your presentation .

Watch this technique in action:  See how designer Danit Peleg starts a speech with a story that sets the scene.

Learn how we can help – schedule a free consultation now

2. Ask a question when you start a speech

You could start your presentation with a question – a rhetorical question to make the audience think, or it could involve asking the audience to respond , usually by raising their hands if something applies to them.

Alternatively, you could set out the question that your presentation will address.   Work with your coach to find the best technique for you. Read our article on using powerful language in your talks.

Watch this technique in action: Here’s how 17 year-old Raymond Wang – winner of the 2015 Intel Science and Engineering Fair top prize – uses the question technique to start his TED talk.

3. Describe a scenario to start your presentation

This technique blends the first two approaches. You set a scene and then prompt the audience to imagine what they would do or think in those circumstances.  Scenarios are an effective way of demonstrating the relevance of abstract topics to the lives of the audience.

To use this technique:

• Give an everyday example.
• Get the audience to consider their own viewpoint
• Then set out to change or challenge it.

Watch this technique in action:  See UPS’s Human Resource Manager, Regina Hartley, begin her presentation by setting out a scenario.

4. Do something unexpected when you start a speech

Will your audience have certain expectations about you or your talk, before you begin?

In this case, start with something unexpected – or even shocking – to make them reconsider their preconceived ideas.  The way you do this needs to be relevant to avoid being gimmicky. When done well, it can be memorable, potentially humorous and even remarkable – with audience members sharing and reliving their reactions afterwards. Perhaps your presentation skills coach can help find a way for your talk to stand out?

Watch this technique in action: Our final example is Mohammed Qahtani, the winner of the 2015 Toastmasters Championship. Watch how he starts his thought provoking speech on the power of words.

Of course, most people who speak well will have worked with a coach at some point.  If you need help choosing a great public speaking coach , read our guide to choosing a public speaking coach

5. Grab attention to start a presentation in business

First impressions matter. Before you start speaking, your audience will be on your side.  They want to hear what you have to say and are interested in your views. You job is to meet their expectations .  You can do this by seizing their interest from the beginning. If you are talking to a group about a new idea coming from your division, make sure what you say up front will be interesting to the audience .

For example “By adopting this new process, your division can save 6 hours per day” will be much more effective than “Today I’m going to tell you about a new process we have been trying in our division” . If you can show from the beginning how your audience can benefit from listening further, then your opening will work.

6. Create anticipation when you start a talk

The point of the start of your business presentation is to create interest for the next thing you are going to say.  Being slightly enigmatic is often a good approach.

For example, opening with a question such as “Do you want to know how you can save money and lose weight?   I’ll show you how.” Will automatically get people on the edge of their chairs listening for the answer to your question.

7. Set the scene when you start your presentation

You want to get to the point in your first line .  Don’t be vague and imprecise; be clear and full of impact. Think of stating a news headline: your opening should be short and precise.  It should summarise the story and leave you wanting to know more.

So, to summarise, if you can grab attention, set the scene and create anticipation, then your opening is going to help you start your presentation with impact.

8. Why You Must Start Your Presentation Strong

Whether you’re pitching a new idea, presenting quarterly results, or leading a training session, how you begin your presentation sets the tone. Grabbing your audience’s attention from the start is not just desirable – it’s essential. Why?

• First Impressions Matter : Your audience forms opinions about you and your message within the first few seconds of your presentation. By starting strong, you demonstrate confidence, credibility, and preparedness, instantly engaging your audience and establishing trust.
• You Captur e Attention : We all suffer from information overload, to grabbing attention is tough. A strong start piques curiosity and creates anticipation, compelling your audience to lean in and participate in your presentation. Whatever technique you use, your opening should command attention.
• You Set Expectations : A strong beginning sets expectations for what’s to come. It provides a roadmap for your presentation, outlining the key points and objectives you intend to cover. This clarity helps orient your audience, allowing them to follow along more effectively and stay engaged throughout the presentation.
• You Build Momentum : Like a locomotive gathering steam, a strong start propels your presentation forward. It creates energy, drawing your audience into the narrative and building anticipation for what lies ahead. This momentum carries through the rest of your presentation, sustaining engagement and making it more memorable.
• You Maximi se Impact : Studies have shown that audiences recall information better when it’s presented at the beginning and end of a presentation. By starting strong, you maximise the impact of your message. Key points are more likely to stick with your audience long after the presentation concludes. This increases the likelihood of your audience taking action or making decisions based on your presentation.
• You Different iate Yourself : Standing out from the competition is essential. A strong opening helps you differentiate yourself by showcasing your unique perspective, insights, or approach. Whether it’s through storytelling, humour, or a bold statement, find a way to make your presentation memorable and distinct.

Do you need help building world-class presentation and speaking skills?

We’ve been coaching business leaders for 15 years to create and deliver powerful talks and presentations. and we can help you too., call louise on + 44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected], find out more and discuss presentation training for your upcoming speech or presentation.  , transform your presentation skills with tailored coaching.

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How to Start a Presentation and Engage your Audience

June 27, 2018 - Dom Barnard

Why should you focus on the start of your speech? Because many studies show that if you can capture someone’s interest straight away, there’s a good chance they’ll listen to the rest of the presentation. If you don’t, the majority of listeners will focus on something else.

This article discusses different ways to start a presentation and keep your audience engaged, as well as example videos you can watch which illustrate these points.

Beginning your presentation

Depending on the event, a facilitator may introduce you to the audience or you may have to introduce yourself.

People came to the event knowing that there would be speaker or they may have even known that you specifically would be speaking. This should fill you with some confidence as the audience will want to listen to you.

Wait until the majority of the audience are paying attention before you introduce yourself and launch into your speech.

Watch examples of both a strong and weak introduction

When watching this video, compare how the speakers:

• Engage with the audience
• Use eye contact
• Use body language
• Use hesitation words
• Move on stage

Ensure that you welcome the audience and introduce yourself by stating your name, your job title and where you work. Follow this with a brief biography, including what experience you have – this will help draw attention to your ethos (credibility) because it’s the best way to demonstrate your credentials to that particular audience on that particular day.

Afterwards:

• Introduce your presentation title/the question you’re exploring.
• Your aims for the audience/what you hope they’ll get out of it.
• Make it clear to the audience when they should ask questions – some speakers set aside  specific sections for Q&A  and others prefer the audience to ask questions when they come to mind. By clarifying this during your introduction you will avoid potential disruptions.

Presentation opening ideas

It’s vital to engage the audience from the start. Here are techniques for beginning a presentation:

1. Shock the audience

There are many ways to shock your audience, for example, you can show a funny video, use a prop, start by talking to audience members, ridicule something etc.

But ensure that your shock will have the desired effect – you want the audience to remain engaged because they liked the surprise or they found it interesting and not because you’ve upset them so they’re looking for faults in your argument. Again, the shock must be suitable for your presentation’s purpose and your audience.

Jamie Oliver opens his TED Talk with a starting statistic: “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat.”

2. Ask the audience to “imagine” or think “what if”?

Asking your audience to imagine something or think ‘what if’ gets them to visualise and use their imagination. You can use this technique to evoke certain emotions which are usually the feelings you experience over the same thing.

Emotions are a great way of ensuring that people will continue listening as they are now involved in what you’re saying.

3. Start your presentation in the future or the past

Symbouleutikon/deliberative rhetoric is when the speaker tries to get the audience to take action by talking about a possible future. Politicians often use this technique and a well-known example is Martin Luther’s “I have a dream” speech.

You can also produce a similar reaction from the audience by talking about the past – using lessons from things that were done well, or things that didn’t work. For example, you might remind the audience of when the country was economically thriving or when mistakes were made which led to the country experiencing economic turmoil.

4. Quote someone or a proverb

If you’re struggling to create a strong opening sentence consider quoting someone. However, you must be careful as you can risk sounding cliché and the quote must be meaningful and  relevant to the audience  and the purpose of your presentation.

If you’re using slides show a photo instead of text when you’re quoting. This will help the audience:

• Understand the quote
• Remember the quote
• Engage their imagination for a greater impact

5. Tell a story or joke, or reference a historical event

You could start with a story to highlight why your topic is significant. For example, if the topic is on the benefits of pets on physical and psychological health, you could present a story or a study about an individual whose quality of life significantly improved after being given a dog. The audience is more likely to respond better to and remember this story than a list of facts.

Well-known historical events are good reference points, both to illustrate a point, and to get the audience using their imagination.

More experienced and confident public speakers may start a presentation with a joke. The audience will be incredibly engaged if you make them laugh but caution must be exercised when using humour because a joke can be misinterpreted and even offend the audience. Only use jokes if you’re confident with this technique and it has been successful in the past.

6. Share personal stories

As aforementioned, the  audience enjoy hearing stories  and they’re even more interested when the story is directly about you, the speaker, because they get to see the human side of you.

Consider telling a story about a mistake you made or when life wasn’t going that well – if relevant to your presentation’s aim. People will relate to this as we all have experienced mistakes and failures. The more the audience relates to you, the more likely they will remain engaged.

These stories can also be told in a humorous way if it makes you feel more comfortable and because you’re disclosing a personal story there is less chance of misinterpretation compared to telling a joke.

Watch this great presentation from Conor Neill on how to start a speech and engage your audience. Permission given to reuse this work – read more about Conor Neill and his services on his website:  conorneill.com

7. Point to their problem or opportunity

Putting your finger on your audience’s pain point is another way of gaining their attention because you’re triggering an emotional reaction again. For example, you might ask “Have you found it difficult to stick to a healthy diet?” The audience will now want to remain engaged because they want to know the solution and the opportunities that you’re offering.

8. Start with a video

A pre-prepared video can provide a strong presentation opening and get people to pay attention before you start speaking. Some speakers show a video as the audience are arriving and getting settled – they may begin by reflecting on the video.

• You can use the  Canva online editor  to create your video

9. Ask the audience questions

You can conduct polls using your audience or ask questions to make your audience think and feel invested in your presentation. There are three different types of questions:

Direct questions require an answer: “What would you do in this situation?” These are mentally stimulating for the audience. You can pass a microphone around and let the audience come to your desired solution.

Rhetorical questions  do not require answers, they are often used to emphasises an idea or point: “Is the Pope catholic?

Loaded questions contain an unjustified assumption made to prompt the audience into providing a particular answer which you can then correct to support your point: You may ask “Why does your wonderful company have such a low incidence of mental health problems?” The audience will generally answer that they’re happy. After receiving the answers you could then say “Actually it’s because people are still unwilling and too embarrassed to seek help for mental health issues at work etc.”

10. Statistics

You could begin by sharing a  surprising statistic  which you can personalise to the audience for a larger impact, for example, you could say “In this room, over 70% of us are going to…” or “Look to the person on your left…”

You can also combine a statistic with a leading question, for example “What percentage of the population do you think…?” The audience should be shocked when you provide them with the actual answer.

Make sure you don’t go overboard with statistics or use complicated data especially in the introduction as you may lose the audience.

These techniques don’t only apply for introductions – they can also be used throughout your presentation to engage and persuade your audience. Try different techniques to find out what works best for you and practice as much as possible. With a powerful opening prepared you’ll feel far less nervous during the rest of your presentation.

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How to Start a Presentation: 13 Strategies to Hook Your Audience

Public Speaking  .  8 Min. Read . By: Devon Brown

W hen it comes to giving a speech, whether you’re a public speaker or trying to pitch an idea to a boardroom, the hardest part tends to be the start of it.

So much hangs on your ability to start your speech and grab the listener’s attention immediately. If you take a few minutes to really get to the good stuff, the audience is already drifting off and thinking about other things. It really does impact your entire speech for better or worse.

If you’re struggling to come up with an effective and powerful introduction for your speech, I have 13 tips on how to start a presentation that is going to get you over that initial hurdle and grab your audience’s attention immediately.

1: Introduce Yourself In A Way That Lets Them Know “W.I.I.F.M.”

W.I.I.F.M. stands for “What’s In It For Me?” This is, more often than not, the primary thought on your audiences mind. 

They don’t care where you’re from…

They don’t care how many years you were in school…

They don’t care how many awards you’ve won.

OK, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. After all, social proof is important. But the point I’m making is that the primary thing anyone in an audience cares about how you being in front of them is going to benefit THEM . 

I’m not saying that the audience is mean or shallow, I’m simply acknowledging human nature. And if we understand that what they really want to know is how you being on stage will improve their life, then that’s an opportunity to introduce yourself in a way that lets them know what’s in it for them.

So, when you’re opening your speech, as opposed to saying….

“My name is so and so and I achieved (insert big result here) in only 3 years”…

Instead say…

“My name is so and so and I achieved (insert big result here) in only 3 years, and I’m going to show you the shortcut to making it happen for yourself in less time than I did!”

See how that works?

We took your intro and we made it about what THEY’RE going to get out of it!

2: Use Ice Breakers Early On

You know that you’re nervous before giving a speech. I don’t blame you! You’re about to talk to a large crowd. However, your audience might be a little anxious, as well. They don’t know you, and they don’t know what to expect.

A great way to get comfortable with each other more quickly is to start with an Ice Breaker.

Some example Icebreakers could include:

• Having a funny picture as your first slide
• Telling them a crazy story that just happened
• Telling them an industry related (appropriate) joke. You can literally just google this 
• Telling them a self-deprecating joke
• Having them high-five each other
• Admitting that you're nervous
• Talk about the weather (especially if it's abnormal)
• Giving them a small present just for showing up 
• Having them turn to their neighbor and say "I'm excited to hear (your name here)"
• Asking a few "raise your hand if" questions
• Breaking some news. For example, maybe you just got married or had a child.

I think you get the idea.

The point is that ice breakers are a great way to overcome nerves and start a speech.

3: Make a Relevant Quote

This opening to a speech is so frequently used that it’s almost cliché. However, there’s a reason for that. It works!

Take some time to think about the end goal of your speech.

What are you trying to convince people of? 

Are you trying to sell the latest advancement in technology? If so, maybe start with a quote about the future and how bright it can be.

Or maybe your speech is about helping people get back on their feet. If this is the case, a quote about overcoming adversity is a good start.

Find a quote that resonates with that theme and goal and open your speech with a bang.

 4: Leverage Statistics

For most speeches, opening with a statistic can be very impactful.

Let’s say you’re trying to pitch an idea for a revolutionary new communication device. You might open with a statistic covering the number of emergency calls that don’t reach law enforcement fast enough. Something that naturally latches onto the audience’s emotions and shows that the topic is something they need to listen to.

5: Question the Audience

A good conversation is much more than just rambling in the audience's general direction. It's a back-and-forth effort.

You can help pull the audience in by

simply asking them a question.

You can help pull the audience in by simply asking them a question. Using my previous example for statistics, maybe you’d opt to ask the audience how many times they had to call the police in the last year, and then you could go into how many people did the same thing without the call going through.

This engages the audience and makes your presentation more than just a speech. It’s a conversation; even though it’s impractical to engage everyone one-on-one.

6: Open with a Story

Story is one of the most powerful tools a speaker can use. And if you’re giving a particularly emotional presentations, it can work wonders.

The best event emcees open the conversation with a personal anecdote or a story about a first-hand experience. The best wedding toasts tell stories of the bride or groom. The beast motivational speakers consistently use story to drive home a point.

Well… story does a few things. 

First, it humanizes you or your topic. When you use story, you're more than just some person presenting an idea.

Next, and more importantly, story takes your listener on a journey. This “hooks” your audience and compels them to listen and be attentive.

Bottom line, story rocks!

7: Appeal to Their Pain Points

This is a strategy often used in marketing. Every product or idea is typically designed with a particular problem in mind. Few things are just pulled out of thin air for the sole purpose of existing. The problem is called a “pain point”. This is what is causing problems in your target audience’s life. If you open by explaining the problem you’re trying to solve, you connect the audience to the conversation and show them that you know what they’re going through. This is the perfect way to present whatever it is you’re pushing as the solution.

8: Ask the Audience to Paint a Mental Picture

This is another popular tip on how to start a presentation that borders on cliché but is extremely effective . You open your presentation by asking the audience to think about something. For example, imagine you’re trying to revolutionize how cities are laid out to accommodate better public transportation and walking paths. You might ask the audience to imagine being able to casually hop on an electric scooter at any point in their journey, not have to deal with cars and get to their destination twice as fast. When you ask your audience to paint a mental picture, they’re engaging more parts of their brain. This, in turn, makes them more open, receptive, and attentive.

9: Open with Silence

This is one that is frequently leveraged by teachers. When students are rowdy, not paying attention, or otherwise not prepared to participate, the teacher will stand silently and make eye contact . The students expect the teacher to talk, get curious, and pay attention. You can use the same exact to ensure all eyes are on you at the start of the presentation. You draw all the attention to yourself, and you don’t have to worry about anyone not paying attention. However, it can backfire . You’re not trying to get the attention of rowdy kids. You’re trying to make an impact on people who willingly came to listen to you. So don’t go overboard with this one.

10: Use Visuals

With proper planning and material acquisition, you can open your presentation with a bang just by presenting a stunning visual that highlights the topic . This grabs the audience’s attention, gives you an easy way to start talking by explaining it, and it conveys a lot of information non-verbally.

11: Demonstrate

Of course, few things engage an audience more than actually showing them how something works. You can open your presentation with a demonstration if the presentation is related to a product or something similar that has a real-world counterpart you can show off.

This is harder to do with some topics, though.

12: Tell the Story that Led You Here

When you get up on that stage, you have a whole lifetime of experiences and choices that got you to that point. In some situations, telling that story to explain why you’re so passionate about the topic at hand is powerful.

For example, there are public speakers who are former convicts. Many of their speeches open with the story of their life, the hard times that came from certain decisions, how they turned it all around, and what made them want to start giving speeches.

It’s not appropriate all the time, but it can be powerful when it is a good option!

13: Use a Video Introduction

Finally, in a world with increasingly short attention spans, opening with a video can be a great option. As long as the information depicted in the video is relevant, high-intensity, and enthusiastic, this can be a great way to instantly grab the audience’s attention, convey a lot of information, and give you an easy bridge to start speaking. 

If you found these tips on how to start a presentation useful, make sure to check out the world’s most complete public speaking course and become the best public speaker in virtually any room you walk into.

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If you want to know how to be the best public speaker in virtually any room you walk into, check out the world's most complete  public speaking course below.

Read Next:  How To Overcome The Fear Of Public Speaking– Ultimate Guide

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Devon Brown  (“Duh-Von” not “Dev-in”) is a speaker, author, entrepreneur, former hip-hop dancer, and World's #1 Event Emcee. Once described as a sort-of ‘MC Hammer meets Tony Robbins’; his style is 50% education, 50% entertainment, and 100% must-experience. Be sure to connect with Devon on social media.

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How to start a speech in 8 powerful ways

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Meghan Ryan November 01, 2019

Even after spending hours preparing and practicing your presentation speech, the first few moments on stage are what truly sets the tone of your presentation . When it’s time to deliver your speech, you only have a few seconds to establish command of the room and build rapport. Learn how to start a speech and make a great impression on your audience using these 8 powerful tips.

If you’re interested in learning how to start a virtual presentation, watch a 5-minute video on 5 highly effective public speaking techniques:

1. Start your presentation speech with a strong emotion

Strong emotions can capture the attention of your audience and set up an interesting discussion. Use strong words such as “hate,” “love,” and “worst.” For example, when delivering a speech on teamwork, start by saying this: “What I love about emperor penguins is that they know how to take a hit for the team. They show a ferocious, ambitious, and territorial attitude in the worst weather conditions by taking their turn to fight the elements for their team.” 

Your goal is to get a reaction from your audience at the start of your speech. This will help them focus on your message.

2. Refer to current or historical events

Tying your message to current or historical events can help you start a presentation speech in an immediately relatable way. Try drawing parallels between well-known events and your content. This will familiarize the audience with your topic without extra preamble. Use relevant images and videos in your presentation, and take advantage of Prezi’s zoom animations to help your audience visualize the way they’re connected. However, be mindful when choosing a current event to reference. Beyond making sure it’s relevant to your content, you should generally avoid polarizing subjects such as politics. 

3. Start with a shocking statistic

Quantifying your content with a stark statistic can help you establish immediate credibility and make your message feel more real. For this to be effective, though, you need to choose a number that’s actually impressive. Saying that a campaign drove 10% retention may not sound great by itself. However, if you state that it’s a 100% improvement over last year’s efforts, this context will accentuate your message.

To really drive the point home, use data visuals or visual metaphors to illustrate the stats. With Prezi Design , you can create captivating slides, infographics, and more to accompany your presentation. Plus, the easy-to-use templates will help you visualize any data-rich content the right way.

4. Use an anecdote

One of the most effective ways to capture your audience’s attention is by starting your presentation with a story, personal anecdote, or case study. While your story can be about an event (see #2 above), personal stories are better at humanizing your message and making your audience more invested in what you have to say. 

Before you include a story, first think about the goal of your speech. What emotion do you want to elicit from your audience? Find the appropriate anecdote to share, and then work on delivering it with the right pacing and tone. Storytelling can be one of the best ways to inform and inspire others, so learn how to incorporate compelling storytelling to make your message more memorable. 

5. Involve your audience

A great way to get the attention of your audience is to involve them right away. One method is to speak with, not to, your audience. Asking questions at the beginning of your speech creates audience participation right from the start. They’ll feel like they’re part of the presentation, and you’ll also better understand your audience in turn. For example, during a media training speech, ask people to think of their biggest fear when being interviewed on camera or on the mic, then ask one or two individuals in the audience to share. Motivating people to share personal stories or experiences with others creates a sense of community. As a result, your speech resonates with the feeling of togetherness and leaves everyone feeling more connected to you and your message.

The best presentations are interactive and conversational as if you’re chatting over a cup of coffee. As you speak, change the tone, speed, and pitch of your voice. Prezi’s open, conversational presentation format allows you to quickly maneuver between topics depending on the feedback from your audience and the flow of the conversation.

Another way to involve your audience is to ask for a show of hands. This is a great way to show everyone how their answers compare to their peers. For example, for a training workshop, you could start by asking, “How many of you love public speaking?” You’ll most likely see very few raised hands, which can be a good kicking-off point for the rest of your content. 

6. Introduce a problem

Figuring out how to start a speech doesn’t have to be complex – even something as simple as introducing the problem you want to solve can be effective. Choose a problem that most of your audience shares to really capture their attention. For example, you could start by saying, “x percent of Baby Boomers don’t have sufficient retirement money put aside to sustain them for the rest of their lives. We need to address this problem and take action to make sure that everyone who retires can continue living comfortably.” 

By introducing the problem first, your audience will have a clear understanding of what your speech is going to be about. Also, this will incite curiosity to find out what is your take on the issue or if you have a solution that can help solve it.

7. Use your body language 

Your body language plays an important role in entertaining and captivating your audience. Don’t just stand behind the podium or stare at the screen. Show off your passion by commanding the stage and moving around with confident body language . You can even start your speech by walking into the audience. The same applies to online presentations. Don’t hide behind slides when presenting important statistics or eye-catching visuals. In a few easy clicks, incorporate Prezi Video into your Zoom calls and take your content with you on screen. By simply removing the barrier between you and your listeners, you can get them more involved and invested in what you have to say.

8. Start with a “what if” scenario

Imagination helps us visualize different situations. It also allows us to explore our own thoughts and opinions. Starting your speech off with a “what if” scenario quickly brings the audience into your story world, and makes it easier for them to visualize and connect with your message.

For example, if you want to discuss career choices, try starting your presentation speech off by saying, “what if money didn’t matter?” You can follow up by asking a more direct question, such as, “what kind of a job would you like to have?”

“What if” scenarios and other questions that evoke imagination are great openings that make it clear what your speech is going to be about. However, make sure that these scenarios are tailored for your audience and are not too specific.

If you’re interested in learning more about public speaking and different techniques that can help you build confidence on stage, check out Jessica Chen’s tips on public speaking:

When preparing for your next presentation speech, be sure to apply these 8 tips on how to start a speech in a powerful and confident way. Then, incorporate that into your content by using Prezi to design , build , and deliver a more compelling presentation. 

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