How can you make your presentation opening more memorable?

Don't start with obvious . That is your what you are there for Everyone knows it Can start with a story ,a joke ,some facts or anything catchy leading to WHY People will be only keen to listen if they know the why behind listening to your presentation

One thing I do right away is create some sort of conversation or interaction that will immediately make the audience get engaged and interact with you. You want them to be laughing and making their hands focus on you to put their phones down.

Starting your presentation with a boring - "Good morning everyone! My name is [insert name] and today I am going to talk about [insert topic]" is passe. Attention spans are short. A hook is a great way to get everyone into the presentation mentally too! Some examples that you can try are: 1. QUESTIONS How many of you agree with this? Or did you know...? 2. STATISTICS By 2017, 3.5 billion people, which is half the world population will be on the internet. 3. STORY I was at Starbucks last week and I noticed 4. JAW DROPPING MOMENTS: Bill Gates actually released mosquitoes at the beginning of his TED talk on malaria? Keep it short and relevant to your presentation - that's the most imp thing

Audiences A)may know mor than you as presenter B)have very fragile attention spans So 30 seconds and then “lamps on the audience” They DO something following your invitation/ suggestion Putting the audiences self esteem at the heart of what we do,they “do something” ( voting app/ talk to a neighbour / interact ) that is challenging-but never could embarass or create difficulty The audience can know more than us Impossible ? The story I relate is lecturing at the Booconi University some years back I started with a couple of slides At the back of the room 2 German students busy on phones Then it dawned They were”fact checking” the first slide in Google From that moment for me everything changed Involve as soon as possible

I recommend always starting with an anecdote, preferably about your own experience or something you've witnessed firsthand. That will immediately engage your audience and facilitate an organic connection.

While making company wide presentations, it's always a good idea to make a quick introduction that establishes your credibility as the best person to speak on the topic. For example: Hi! I am [insert name] and I head the sales division of the company. I have grown sales by 18% in the last one year and I am also responsible for bringing in unique partnerships into the company. Today, I am going to present the roadmap to double those profits and how we can create more strategic partnerships in the coming year. This isn't bragging but at the same time establishes credibility getting you the necessary buy-in.

If you are presenting at a scientific conference, a lot of the time, you will have to include your disclosures on a separate slide. - make sure your disclosure includes one most relevant position for the presentation - use this position and this slide to present yourself - stop at this slide with disclosures and shortly state why that position makes you an expert on the topic you are presenting Following this method helped me get people to remember me as the presenter and put my expertise in a clear context.

Establishing your credibility at the beginning of a presentation is key because it sets the foundation for your audience to trust you and be receptive to your message. Why should they listen to you? What makes you an expert on it? It is about building trust and demonstrating to your audience why they should listen to you. It's not just about listing your accomplishments but also about making a connection between your expertise and how it can benefit your audience.

Don't take people through your whole background. Snoozeville! Stick to the relevant stuff and try to use it as part of a relevant story to the audience. Also, add at least one self-deprecating item. I can't stress enough the value of getting an early chuckle.

A great way to start is by being authentic in your successes and failures. This can lead to a great opening hook and create buy-in to the message.

The hook is going to fall flat unless it connects with the thesis of your presentation. No matter which hook you use, ensure that you make a strong connection with the topic of your presentation. Use the power of three to make your thesis more memorable. Dale Carnegie's famous advice that has has stood the test of time goes - "Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you are just told them" Your introduction should cover the first one of the "tell them". Keep it restricted to a 3 pointers. For example, today I am going to talk about the number so far, share we have planned for the current quarter and what this means for the yearly numbers. Make sure this aligns with the rest of your presentation.

Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em. Clear, fast, and simple. Even better if you can tie your hook to it, making the hook even more relevant.

A good guide for medical conferences is the PICO / PICOT question = patient, intervention, comparison, outcome and (sometimes) time. Or: 5W2H (how, when, why, by whom, where, and for how much). Make it short - 1-2 easily understandable sentences. You may add a short statement about “why it is important”.

One of my mantras for presentations is to look at them as conversations - you are talking to your audience, just sharing some info with them. This helps connect with people in a better manner and greatly simplifies our language. Connect this with the hooks we just spoke about. Starting with a simple question as a speaking tool - have you ever noticed that we sometimes miss what's right in front of us? This makes it so conversational, draws everyone in and is easily relatable. Make sure to include people by using "you" and bring in collaborations with "we". This way your presentation is not a just a collection of slides or information, it's a conversation/discussion that you had with the audience.

I firmly believe in the immense power of spontaneity, coupled with a deep understanding of your subject matter and target audience. When you come across as genuine and speak with clarity and authenticity, your audience will be highly engaged. While it's important to prepare and practice, it's equally crucial to let go of scripted presentations and speak from the heart. By doing so, you will undoubtedly achieve great success and captivate your audience during any speaking event or group presentation.

Connecting with your audience is the foundation of a good presentation. You can share facts, numbers, or graphics, but people will lose interest if you don’t build rapport with them. They will stop paying attention. A good presentation is a conversation. You will do more of the speaking, but, in the end, you are delivering a message to an audience. You need to understand your audience (demographics, needs, life experiences, etc.). Once you understand your audience, make sure to make a connection. You can share your story and a story about someone you know. You can ask questions, or you can create engaging activities. Pay attention to non-verbal communication (open arms/hands, eye contact, smile, etc.)

Imagine you are giving a presentation: Start A: Good morning. Today, I'm going to talk about work-life balance. It's really important so let's get started. Start B: If you could choose today to be a Monday or a Friday? What would you choose? [pause, look at the audience] I think we have a winner. Start B asks for participation, uses humor, and builds rapport... You have gained your audience's attention, they are ready to listen to what you have to say next.

I always try to start on a lighter note, but ofcourse it depends on the theme of your presentation. Starting with something and connects with everyone present is deifnately one way. Something like the traffic to the venue or the weather or something that is hot news. Whatever it is, it has to be something that everyone is aware of.

The way you set the tone and expectations of a presentation varies based on your personal communication style. If humor does not come naturally to you, use a different style. There is no one-size-fits-all, you need to feel like your presentation is truly you. You may be an analytical communicator and love using shocking statistics, or instead an emotional communicator and love using personal anecdotes. Whatever your style is, own it, and make it yours.

Tone for a presentation can be set in 2 ways - 1. What you say (content) 2. How you say it (voice) While the thesis explains what you'll cover in the time you have - a summary of your points. This helps the audience understand if this is just informational or thought provoking. The voice - if you ask me - is the key to bringing in the right tone to your content. When you say - I am happy to be here and thank you all for coming - the happiness and the gratitude has to sound genuine! The intro has to appeal to the emotions of the audience. Whether it's a serious strategy meet - Let's analyse what we did and so far - or excitement of launching something new - I am thrilled to announce.... - it's the emotions that get people invested.

Setting the tone and expectations for a talk is essential not just for the audience but for the presenter. I start by telling the audience what we will cover and then what they should learn from my presentation. For example, “If I do a good job today, at the end of this presentation, you will be able to recognize how the Department of Justice is using the Civil Cyber Fraud Initiative to prosecute companies and how you can reduce the risk of prosecution for your business. Does that sound fair?” I usually get an audible “yes” or “okay.” This keeps me honest as a speaker. I’ve set the expectation of what the audience will learn, and I’ve asked the audience to keep track of how well I’ve done my job.

The tone is mainly set by the event and audience. ??You do not want to laugh if it is a somber event; but you can present solidarity and warmth. ??You have better not be a funny joker if it is a serious academic event ??But posing as the Severe Teacher won’t do well if the audience is very young. Above all, do not be MONO-tonic. Show some variability in voice intension, walk if there is space, use pointers, gestures and body language.

Transitions are like traffic lights helping your audience know we are moving on. Let's see it with a couple of examples: *Now that we have established why this is important, let's dive into the core of it. *Bearing all this in mind, it's time to explore the practical steps that will drive our progress forward. Transition sentences like these will help your audience understand the structure of your presentation and ensure a smooth flow from the introduction to the body of your talk.

Transitions are heavily under-rated. These are important markers that tell your listeners where you are in your presentation. They'd lose track without this. ?? During your prep, make sure the structure is clear For example, you can say, I will first recap the project so far, move on to the road forward and end with suggestions to meet the deadline. ?? Use headline statements to mark the transitions Announce moving on from one point to the other with the right voice modulation so that the audience can hear it. Stick to the structure in your thesis. ?? They are a great tool to break the monotony of your speech. Your voice has to go up when you say - Moving on to my next point! Adds vocal variety and bring people's attention back.

Here's a trick...ever notice how some comedians use the punchline of one joke or story to tee up the next one? "Speaking of ___, can you believe..." In general, if you want to get better at speaking and presenting, study the greats of comedy.

Most importantly, restate the goal you started with at the beginning. What are the most important takeaways you want everyone to know? Please don't assume everyone knows.

Here are a few tips to make better presentations: - Work on your structure before the ppts. Ppts are just supporting aids. - Practice your intro a few times to ensure that your voice and content are powerful enough to keep people engaged - Don't shy away from trying out new speaking tools in low stake, internal meetings. Especially for beginning of presentations. Only then you'll be able to expand your speaking toolbox. - Even in virtual presentations, remember to mind your body language. Your camera should be at the eye level and hand gestures within the frame so that you cna make it as real to listeners as is virtually possible.

If you are giving a presentation in another language other than your native language, try a fun exercise in the target language to warm up before you present. I recommend reciting tongue twisters (in private before presentation) to my clients and it works like a charm to relax them and get them ready to present in a foreign language. Also, I highly urge you to practice outloud a few times before your big day.

Less is more if you are using PowerPoint slides or a similar format. I spend more time looking for images that convey my point rather than words. I also like simple backdrops - black slides with white text and image overlay

You should consider writing out your introduction. You don’t have to memorize it. But writing your introduction will allow you to see if you are clear about structure, if your hook is too long, or if you have the right tone with your audience. You should also practice the opening of your presentation multiple times. If your audience buys into your talk at the beginning, they will be more invested during your presentation.

It was one five-to-ten minute presentation after another, in a room that barely necessitated a microphone — but for the hard of hearing. One-after-another a speaker would move from audience to podium presenting across related but diverse topics. The woes of repetitive styles was felt and intermission was some time out. As I was called for my contributions to the discussion, a relief fell over me as I approached the podium and saw this microphone was wireless. Talk about a quick change in vibe, attention getter, and establishment of trust. The room got along nicely from there out. I wish had the wisdom to take a moment to thank and summarize bits from the presentations before mine — drawing the audience further in. #BodyLanguage