Business Plan Presentation

9 most effective ways to start a presentation

If you are a speaker, it is important to focus on the start of your speech. Effective presentation needs a thrilling beginning because many studies show that if you are able to capture audience interest straight away, there is a good chance they will listen to the rest of the presentation. If you failed, the majority of the people will focus on something else, get bored and pretending to listening your topic. You only get one opportunity to make a great first impression, which is important to consider when planning a presentation.

The way you start your speech should grab your audience’s attention, project your confidence and establish your credibility. This article is pointing to diverse methods to start a presentation and keep your audience engaged.

Beginning your presentation

Depending on the nature of the event, the event sponsor or the facilitator may introduce you to the audience or you may have introduced yourself. Most of the presentation would be decided earlier, so people came to the event knowing that there would be a narrator, he/ she is an expert in the particular subject. This should add you with some self-reliance as the audience will want to attend to you. Wait until the majority of the listeners are paying attention before you introduce yourself, wait until the murmurings will go off and launch into your speech. Ensure that you welcome the audience and introduce yourself by stating your name, designation and where you work. Follow this with a brief biography of “what you are”, including what experience you have. This will help draw attention to your credibility it is a great way to demonstrate your qualifications to that particular audience on that particular day.

After presenting “who you are”, announce your presentation title or the concept you are travel around. Then speak your aims for the audience or what you hope they will get out of it. Make it clear there will be a Q&A session, at that time audience can ask questions and clarify their doubts. By specifying about interaction section earlier, you can avoid disruptions that may come when you are on the presentation.

Starting ideas for presentation

It is vital to involve the audience from the opening. Here are strategies for starting a presentation.

1.   Surprise the audience

There are many ways to give surprise your audience, by showing an animated PowerPoint design,  a funny video, start by talking to spectators or showing a particular body movement etc. but ensure your surprise will have desired effect-you want the audience to remain engaged because they like the shock or they found it interesting. And, the surprise must be meet for your presentation drive and your audience otherwise they are sitting with a critical eye till the end.

2.   Evoke the audience to imagine your words or its results

Ask you listeners to imagine something or visualize your concepts. You can use this strategy to arouse 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 are saying.

3.   Commence your presentation either mentioning future or past

Start your presentation mentioning the bright future which may come in the near future. Deliberative rhetoric is when the presenter tries to get the audience to take action by talking a possible future. For example, politicians often use this technique by mentioning the phrase like “I have a dream”. You can also get a similar reaction from the audience by talking about the past. Use lessons from events that were done well, or things that didn’t work. Politicians are using this technique to blame their oppositions when mistakes were made which led to the country experiencing economic recession.

4.   Use others words or a proverb

You can borrow other’s quotes or famous proverbs if you are struggling to create a strong opening sentence. However, the proverb or “others quote” should match with your presentation purpose and the context. You can use PowerPoint slides when you are quoting.

5.   Tell a story or humor, or start from a historical event

You could surprise with a story to project why your topic is substantial. For instance, if the topic is on the benefits of teamwork and cooperation, you could present a story or a study which improved the organizations workflow. If your story is based on a real life event, it will surely engage the audience from the start.

Well-known historical events are good reference points, both to exemplify a point, and get the audience using the imagination. Narrators with more experience and confidence may start a presentation with a joke. The viewers will be amazingly engaged if you make them laugh. But the important thing is, a joke can be misinterpreted and even insult the audience. So, use jokes only after the careful study about your audience.

6.   Share case studies and personal stories

All are like to hear a story; the audiences are even more interested when the story is directly about you, the speaker. They know your experience in the field, so they are eager to hear your personal experience and challenges. People will relate to this as well all experience such challenges and mistakes, the more likely they will remain engaged. You can also use other’s stories of success or failure as case studies.

7.   Start with a PowerPoint

A pre-designed template can offer a strong presentation opening and get people to pay attention before you start speaking. PowerPoint designs create a colorful ambience that will lead to getting involved. If you are looking for amazing presentation PowerPoint, there is no need to design it by yourself; it is available on the sites like slideheap.com or slidebazaar.com.

8.   Ask questions

You can assess the amount of audience engagement by asking instant questions. By this, make sure you how much feel and think they are invested in your presentation. Questions in the speech session upsurge the audience confidence level, it will echo in the Q&A session.

9.   Use stunning statistics

If you start with surprising statistics, that will make the presentation hall to a pin-drop silent. For example, do you know how many Indians are living in Las Vegas? The audience should be stunned when you provide them with the actual answer. Don’t use complicated data or partial data especially in the introduction as you may lose the audience.

The way of starting of a presentation will define its success. So, the presenter should have maximum confidence and knowledge all about the topic to be presented. There are many tips and techniques presenters can use, but some of the most influencing ones that the great presenters have used over the years.

People use PowerPoint presentation to deliver their ideas and messages. Corporate business ventures are fond of PowerPoint designs because it meets their training needs. Whenever you need a suitable template that matches your idea and content, it will available in the PowerPoint galleries like slidebazaar.com, slideheap.com or 56pixels.com etc.