Every successful presentation starts with one thing: an attention-getter. This is something that draws the audience in and makes them want to listen to every word you have to say whether you are speaking for 10 minutes or an hour. Watching a speaker is just like reading a book. If the opening doesn’t draw you in, you'll likely put it down and stop reading, much like an audience will tune out the speaker and either nap, text a friend or leave. Here are several ways to pack a punch when you open a speech - see which one works best for you!
- Ask a direct question. Asking a question will make your audience think and once processing, they are engaged. Make them raise their hand or ask for responses from the audience. Incorporating your listeners into your presentation is a powerful tool.
- Share an experience or tell a story. Be genuine in what you say if you choose to go this route. Use your imagination while still being true to your word. A story will help your audience visualize something, which leaves them wanting to hear more. A very effective way to go about this is to start with your experience or story, but don’t give the conclusion away yet. After you provide the meat of your presentation, tie it all back with how your experience or story ends, using the information from your speech to show how the two relate.
- Make a startling statement. Shock your audience. Share a detail or bit of information that they most likely don't know. Provide a fact that requires them to wrap their head around it. Remember, the more they think about what you say, the more engaged they are.
- Provide current news. Injecting relevant news to the start of your speech captures their interest. Providing news is similar to telling a story, just not your own personal story. If speaking to a business group, for example, share something from The Economist or The Wall Street Journal. If speaking to a group of comedians, share something from The Onion or The Daily Show. Relate the news to your topic.
- Use a quotation. This is perhaps one of the more common and effective openings, as long as it directly relates to your core message. Don’t use a quote just for the sake of using a quote. Make it matter.
As solid as the meat of your presentation may be, if you don’t open with a bang, your message may be forgettable. Don't let one single word that you say go to waste. Draw in your audience from the moment you walk out onto the stage or in front of the podium and I guarantee every eye and ear in the audience will be tuned to you.
