What are the best ways to start and end your presentation for maximum attention?

When speaking at a conference, the beginning and end of your talk must WOW because that's what the audience remembers. When I trained at the TED Institute in New York City, I learned to start my talk with a story instead of the typical "Hello, I'm Kesha Williams. Welcome to my talk." A story draws the audience in from the beginning from an emotional perspective, and adding stories, examples, and analogies throughout keeps them invested. The end of your talk should always include a call to action that encourages the audience to do something with the newfound knowledge you've just imparted. At a minimum, encourage them to contact you on LinkedIn if they have questions.

First this to understand, which crowd you are addressing to, if its an internal company event presentation, then you can start with dramatic note or story, which can bring immediate connect with audience. while delivering to larger external gathering such as conferences, a quick personal intro is must with some catchy wordings in relevance to the current situation. In the end, summarisation in 2 minutes about what message & pitch you wanted to do, good catchy video withe relevant subject & message cane impactful & long lasting in memories.

Start with something about you. No, not your corporate title, your role, etc. They can look that up themselves. Start with a personal story. Something that is authentic — that draws people in.

I prefer to create a preamble about my presentation and talk with audience first and make them understand what i am going to talk about. Within the presentation, i prefer to have interactive talks connecting real life experience related to the topic and in end again.

Start and end with three things you want them to remember. Make it contextual to your audience. Weave those 3 things into your presentation to remind them.

Most people start a presentation by introducing themselves even if the MC has already done it. Boooorrrring! The first thing to do is to position your audience and ensure they realise they are in the right place to learn something for them How? You do that by asking them a couple of questions which confirms their reason for wanting to listen to your talk? So, ensure the question is positively stated and chunked up high enough, as well as related to the result they get listening to your expertise, to get a hand raise (for first question) and a verbal response for 2nd question Both questions need to be connected Do not use hypothetical questions as the idea is to engage

Starting a presentation is also a great way to capture the audience's attention early on. The challenges are (1) will the audience still be thinking about the question and not fully present to receive the content and (2) if you miss the mark in demonstrating how the question relates to the content or fail to provide an answer(s) to the question asked.

I love to start a presentation with a question about an outstanding statistic that is relevant to what I am going to talk about. It is memorable and something the audience can take with them and quote later on

I like to open with a question that highlights a problem my audience would be motivated to fix. My talk will include facts that help inform decisions to make positive changes. I do use real stories to highlight the extent of a problem and the solution. In my experience members of most audiences appreciate a powerful closing message which includes a quick action, that will make a difference to them. One thing other speakers may find helpful is that I like getting feedback on my talks and I always respond to feedback and act on it.

A good way to start a presentation is with a question to grab the audience's attention and generate interest. Use different types of questions: rhetorical questions to make the audience think; questions related to the topic, such as retention issues; provocative questions to spark discussion; questions that emphasize the importance of the topic, such as changes that improve productivity; questions to draw on the audience's experiences; hypothetical questions to imagine a situation; quiz questions to liven up the beginning; questions to set the context. This allows you to connect with the audience and make your presentation interactive.

To wrap things up with a great call to action, tie it back to what we covered and be clear about what you want people to do. For example, “Grab our free guide on leadership tips” or “Join our workshop—spaces are filling up fast!” Add a sense of urgency with something like “Don’t miss out—act now for exclusive access.” Make it easy with a link or QR code, and emphasize why it’s worth it. Finish with genuine enthusiasm to get people excited about taking the next step.

If you have managed to capture/wow your audience, the best call to action is to tell them where they can get more of your insights and to make it easy to get there. QR codes on your final slide that directly lead to your LinkedIn profile, other online presentations of yours or a website, blogpost or publication of yours are such an easy way. The final slide also often stays on screen for a moment while you thank your audience, the moderator takes back over or you field questions.

I agree that it's a good idea to end with a call to action. After you have summarized your points, you should close with asking attendees to do something. Many people struggle with this part, so ask yourself the question, "what do I want the audience to do with the information I just shared?" I also agree that it's important for the call to action appeal to logic, values, or emotions.

Ending your presentation needs to be super simple- otherwise you’ll commit the cardinal sin of confusing your audience. A confused audience will never buy what you are “selling”. So make it simple! We rarely remember all the details in a presentation. We present: it’s not for facts, but for feeling. Theres a reason that your presentation isn’t an email. Presentations are about emotion and memory. Sum up in your ending how you want the audience to feel. I call this this “out of the door” rule. When they close zoom, or walk out the door… focus on one thing that needs to change for them. It’s usually one of three things: How they: 1) Think 2) Feel 3) Do The ending is an invite to take action in one of these areas.

The whole point of talking to an audience is to create a transformation in their lives so by giving them just one thing to go away and do, it will help them to reinforce the learning and if that generates more business for you then even better!!

I think it’s important to recap your key concepts and try and keep this to three points. You don’t want to leave your audience overwhelmed by the information and their obligation to act, rather leave them with the feeling that you have given them a clear and tangible focus ??

Start by telling them what you're going to tell them, then end by telling them what you told them. This not only helps with attention but also retention.

It is simple, telling them what you're going to tell them, actually tell them, and then end by telling them what you told them. It is how journalists work and has a way of reinforcing the learning. Remember people learn in three ways - so let them see a picture, hear the summary and if possible have a handout

Agree on the use of QR codes and the ability for people to interact with you "in the moment". Be sure that you provide a few minutes for folks to do this during your session, otherwise it will be difficult to expect them to come back and offer up feedback later on.

With technology, it doesn't take much to create a feedback survey attendees can complete on their phones at the conclusion of your presentation. You should also have a few printed copies available for those who might not be tech-savvy with QR codes. Keep the survey short with questions that will benefit you in modifying or curating future content, but also include a free form area or box for personalized responses. Reiterate to attendees that completing the survey will only take 2-3 minutes of their time and try to build in that time at the end. Chances are high they'll forget once they leave the room.

I try to schedule time afterwards - even if only for 'hallway chats', to listen to my attendees. People yearn to be heard, to know that _their_ stories __also__ matter and mean something. While a survey is a basic step, sharing your ears with the people who just spent time listening to you is simple respect. I always learn from my audience. Communicating the worth of that learning also makes a great start to a presentation: "this talk is possible because of people from the _last_ talk who shared several key perspectives/insights."

Love a QR code - either for more information, to trustpilot, google reviews or Linked in testimonial. Never been easier to interact with the audience

There normally is never enough time to deepdive so for those of participants who are insterested to hear more, provide with links, dates and additional ways to get more detailed information, for example, your contacts, information about upcoming seminars, extra books, webinars, etc.

Professionals really love #dadjokes and silly memorable phrases. When I present and talk about technology & workforce in manufacturing, the subject matter can be very technical & dry. But by catching people off guard with a memorable phrase, it can really help get your point across! The one that people always remember from my current deck is when I compare recruiting at Wendy's to recruiting for manufacturers. Both entry level jobs are paying the same, and both are offering benefits and vacation days. And Wendy's is even offering free meals! "Manufacturers, are you offering free meals? Not usually! ...." Here's the hit: YOU ARE COMPETING with a FREE CHEESEBURGER! Every audience connects with this viscerally every time!

A memorable phrase at the start of your speech grabs attention immediately, giving your audience something catchy and impactful to latch onto. It sets the tone and makes your message more relatable and easy to remember. By using a well-crafted phrase, you distill your core idea into a few words, giving listeners a mental anchor that helps them follow your speech. Closing with the same or a complementary phrase reinforces your message, creating a full-circle moment that ties everything together. This repetition increases the likelihood of your key point staying with the audience long after your speech ends, making it more impactful and engaging.

Maybe - don't be silly about this. It can sound like a gimmick. However, if there is a clear touchpoint; make it a phrase, and repeat it. In my statistics lectures, I often repeated the phrase: "How do we communicate these results to our stakeholders?" In talks to coworkers about 'institutional effectiveness', I repeat: "What is the decision you need to make; what do you need to make your decision for our students?"

I use alliteration or an acronym when coming up with the key points so they are easy to repeat and remember. For example, in my presentation on being a better listener, I teach and repeat, "Listen, learn, and then lead." This is an excellent quote by General Stanley McChrystal.

It is important to open a presentation with an ice-breaker, especially if the audience is not entirely familiar. This helps people ease up and they are likely to be more receptive to what follows. While there are several categories of ice-breakers to choose from, the choice needs to be made keeping in mind the sensibilities of the audience and the nature of the presentation. Some commonly used ice-breakers are: - A quip on a general and relatable subject (weather or traffic?) - A unique and witty observation about member(s) of the audience - A funny anecdote or remark on a topic related (even distantly works) to that of the presentation - A quirky introduction or greeting

Since 2017 every workshop or presentation that I’ve given I start with a totally complimentary worksheet I created after attending so many pointless presentations. It challenges the attendees to start listening with intention. I ask them their intention for being in the room. I share my intention. And then, I challenge them to ensure an ROI for their time spent and/or fee paid, by implementing at least 1 takeaway within 24 hours. If a talk/presentation doesn’t add value to you or align with your intention give yourself permission to leave. Time is too valuable to waste!

I get my audience active and not just sitting when they are learning. Active listening helps people to be more engaged and remember more. Even if it is simply asking the person next to them a question - getting them to have an interactive experience makes the presentation more effective, engaging, and just plain fun.

One thing people often forget to mention is humor. Nothing connects people more than shared laughter. Emotional connection matters for sure, but lightening up your audience is key for them to walk away thinking your more like them than not. You can do everything right but a dry presentation will have people snoring. Now, you don’t have to be the class clown or over-the-top but an anecdote or simply poking fun at your own misgivings allows the audience to connect with you in a way much like a friend would. I always find speakers to be more relatable when we’re on a 1-to-1 level.