7 Simple And Yet Effective Ways To Start Your Presentation With A Bang
The more speeches I deliver, the more I am convinced that starting strong helps you win 80% of the battle on stage.
Face the fact, the first 30 seconds is always the scariest. You are the most nervous and your audience is the most skeptical. So if you fumble right from the start, very often it will douse your confidence and the confidence of your audience. More often than not, your presentation will only get from bad to worse.
However, if you start strong, your audience will be impressed. They will respond to you positively. You will feel more comfortable and confident. And naturally, you do better.
I have written extensively on how to start strong. If I recall, I listed 7. Click on the link below to find out what these strategies are. Don’t worry, they are simple to apply and yet very effective –> Seven Sure-Fire Ways to Kick-Start Your Presentation
Here’s a quick recap.
1. Open with a humorous/emotional story that leads to your key message
2. Ask a question that gets us thinking
3. Do a demonstration that leads to your message
4. Shock ‘em with facts and numbers
5. Start off with a cartoon or video, funny is optional
6. Pause…
7. Do something different (or crazy)!
And it gets better. I have added new notes based on some of the recent experiences I had with speakers and clients. They reinforce what I have written some time back. If you have new ideas on how to start a presentation, be sure to send them to me via email (eric@ericfeng.com)
Fire away!
P.S: Here’s another tip for you - buy the hard copy of The FAQ Book on Public Speaking on Amazon (and study it)! For those of you from States, you will be delighted to know that you will only pay $19 USD because of the pre-order discount. Here’s the link - get the book before the price gets raised.
For my fellow Singaporeans, the hard copy will be out in Popular, Borders and Kino mid Dec. Will inform you of the special discounts when the date nears. Talk soon.t in Popular, Borders and Kino mid Dec. Will inform you of the special discounts when the date nears. Talk soon.
