Say NO to a Slow Start

Too many times we're caught up in meeting-gathering-mode and talk about the weather, the weekend, or other slow-moving topics. Once the real material gets started, we're already on this slow-moving train that takes a while before the relevant content gains momentum.

Once it's time for the real material, make a conscious effort to start strong. You should always have an attention-grabbing opening (yes, even in a virtual setting). One effective way to do this is with an open-ended question for the audience to respond to, such as “Have you ever found yourself in a situation like…?” or “Can anyone give me an example when…?” Many speakers have an audience respond to a question in unison, as a group response can be full of energy if you have the right delivery and the right audience (e.g., size, demographics). For example, “When I say ____, you say _____.” In these cases, the speaker is breaking the invisible wall that sometimes gets built between speaker and audience. The key is to engage the audience so that they feel like a part of the presentation. The success of the presentation grows exponentially when the audience gets into it from the very beginning, whether mentally or physically or by having the speaker grab their attention.

Once you have their attention, you must maintain audience engagement to keep the momentum as the presentation progresses. There are several ways to ensure that your audience remains committed to your message through their own involvement. Depending on the type of presentation, you may want to provide key points or facts highlighted on a handout for people to absorb and take away. Another way is to provide a fill-in-the-blank answer sheet for your participants to complete during the presentation to reinforce the message. People learn in many ways; however, the more engagement you get early on in a presentation, the greater the chance of information retention.