How to Start a Presentation [+ Examples]

Step one in mastering the artwork of delivering highly effective shows is knowing the best way to begin a presentation correctly.

On this put up, you will uncover methods for crafting a stable presentation opening, designing an impactful opening slide, and delivering a memorable presentation.

Desk of Contents

Why Your Presentation Opening Issues

The opening of your presentation units the tone to your complete session.

Inside the first couple of minutes, most of your viewers will resolve whether or not they discover your experience, expertise, and matter compelling sufficient to warrant their consideration.

Consider it this fashion: Your opening is a preview of your presentation like a trailer is a preview of a film. If the five-minute trailer isn’t participating or impactful, why ought to the viewers trouble sitting by way of the half-hour film?

Your opening shapes the expectations of your viewers and entices them to remain engaged all through the session.

And though you’ll nonetheless have to work to keep up their consideration, getting it proper from the beginning will spare you the problem of re-engaging a disinterested viewers proper from the start of your presentation.

The way to Begin a Presentation

Whereas there is not a one-size-fits-all strategy to beginning a presentation, profitable shows throughout all niches share widespread denominators contributing to their effectiveness.

On this part, you’ll be taught 4 important methods these shows leverage and the best way to incorporate them into your subsequent presentation opening.

1. Lead with an attention-grabbing opener.

Capturing the viewers’s consideration is among the most essential but difficult duties audio system face when beginning a presentation. Listed below are some real-world methods that make this activity a bit simpler.

Incite curiosity.

In Phil Waknell’s TedTalk, titled “The three Magic Components of Wonderful Displays,“ he opens with an fascinating assertion: ”Most individuals who come to talk at Ted are right here as a result of they‘ve succeeded. I’m right here as a result of I have not.”

This opening assertion is highly effective as a result of reasonably than lead together with his “credentials” or “accolades,” because the viewers most definitely expects, he defies that expectation.

He creates a way of intrigue that immediately piques the viewers’s curiosity and compels them to pay nearer consideration.

Infuse humor.

In Tom Thum’s TedTalk titled Beatbox Brilliance, he units a lighthearted tone by stepping on stage carrying outsized sun shades and declaring, “My identify is Tom, and I’ve come right here at present to return clear about what I do for cash.”

As you may anticipate, this humorous strategy not solely elicits laughter but in addition surprises the viewers, who’re intrigued and pleasantly stunned on the tone he units for the presentation.

Ask a query.

Graham Shaw’s presentation titled “Why folks imagine they’ll’t draw – and the best way to show they’ll” begins with, “Hello, I’ve received a query for you – how many individuals right here would say they’ll draw?”

Seeing as this can be a comparatively lighthearted query that’s easy to reply, the viewers responds instantly.

Now, what makes this a strong opening method is that Graham then goes on to say:

“When folks say they’ll’t draw, I feel it is extra to do with beliefs reasonably than expertise and skill. Once you say you possibly can’t draw, that’s simply an phantasm, and at present I’d wish to show that to you.”

By instantly difficult a extensively held perception among the many viewers and promising to debunk it through the presentation, he employs a strong method that retains the viewers absolutely engaged.

This strategy makes the viewers really feel “invested” within the end result of the presentation and curious as as to whether he can again up his declare.

2. Inform your viewers why they need to be listening to you.

Getting your viewers’s consideration is only one a part of the equation. After you have it, you will need to additionally clarify why they need to “preserve” listening to you. Listed below are some methods to do that:

Spotlight related private expertise.

In Phil Waknell’s opening part, he talks about how he’s spent the final ten years serving to convention audio system, enterprise leaders, and entrepreneurs put together and ship highly effective shows.

This instantly indicators to the viewers that he’s somebody price listening to and positions him as a reputable supply of insights based mostly on the wealth of expertise he has gathered.

Spotlight your experience.

Throughout the opening part of Dr. Lara Boyd’s presentation titled “After watching this, your mind is not going to be the identical,” she says, “I’m Dr. Lara Boyd, and I’m a mind researcher right here on the College of British Columbia.”

Sharing her credentials as a mind researcher is essential to gaining her viewers’s belief — particularly contemplating the technicality of her matter.

However even whereas creating shows exterior fields like mind analysis, sharing {qualifications} and credentials in your opening part is usually a highly effective method.

This helps you place your self as a reputable authority and reinforcing your viewers’s confidence in your skill to ship precious data.

Inform your viewers what’s in it for them.

In Mel Robbins’ opening part for her presentation titled “The way to cease screwing your self over,” she ends her introduction by saying:

“I’m right here for you. I’m going to inform you every little thing I do know in lower than 18 minutes about the best way to get what you need.”

Though she began the part by highlighting her experiences and experience, she went additional by explicitly stating the advantages her viewers can anticipate from her presentation.

Doing this can be a nice approach to create a compelling cause to your viewers to speculate their time and a focus and emphasize the worth of the presentation you’re about to ship.

3. Introduce your matter.

In case your matter is comparatively easy to know or your viewers is especially educated, introducing your matter could be as simple as “At the moment, I’m going to be speaking to you about how we’ve constructed a six-figure software program firm in 6 months.”

Nevertheless, in case your matter is extra advanced or unfamiliar to the viewers, you will need to do a bit extra heavy lifting in your opening part.

For instance, Sam Bern’s “My philosophy for a cheerful life” presentation discusses how he lives a cheerful life regardless of having Progeria illness.

Nevertheless, as a result of this situation is perhaps unfamiliar to some viewers members, he takes a while in his opening part to speak in regards to the sickness earlier than delving into the meat of his presentation.

Equally, for those who’re presenting on a posh matter or to an viewers that isn’t educated, it’s important to contemplate this when crafting your opening part.

4. Leverage storytelling.

Tales can create immersive experiences that captivate the viewers and convey a core message.

For instance, within the opening part of Sam Bern’s presentation, he tells a narrative about his struggles whereas attempting to realize his objective of changing into a drummer in his college marching band, regardless of residing with Progeria illness.

This units the tone for his complete presentation by conveying an inspiring message of preventing towards and succeeding regardless of the percentages.

One other nice instance is the opening part of Josh Kaufman’s presentation, titled “The First 20 Hours — the best way to be taught something,” the place he tells a narrative about his expertise as a time-strapped first-time mum or dad.

This story enhances the presentation as Josh finally shares that this expertise triggered his curiosity in learning the best way to grow to be an environment friendly learner.

Lastly, Amy Morins’s presentation “The Secret of Changing into Mentally Robust” is one other glorious instance of leveraging storytelling.

Amy begins her presentation with a thought-provoking story about observing a Fb good friend’s seemingly good life.

She then highlights how such comparisons can result in unfavorable thought patterns and emphasizes the significance of cultivating psychological resilience.

This relatable story not solely resonates together with her viewers but in addition units the stage for her message on constructing inside energy.

All these shows are nice examples that spotlight how incorporating story-telling in your openings is usually a highly effective software for creating memorable and impactful shows.

Opening Slide Examples

Your presentation slides play a vital function in figuring out the influence and effectiveness of your presentation.

On this part, you’ll discover examples of 8 highly effective opening slides throughout varied use circumstances that not simply assist however improve the presentation openings:

1. “Blackboard is Getting an Improve”

Picture Supply

That is the opening slide of a presentation to tell and educate instructors about vital adjustments to the instructing infrastructure.

What we like: Change could be uncomfortable, particularly when modifying important infrastructure. That is why it’s essential to straight confront why the change is going on proper from the start of the presentation.

Greatest for: Displays that deal with vital adjustments, particularly people who might evoke discomfort and straight influence the viewers.

2. “Exploring ChatGPT for Efficient Instructing and Studying”

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That is the opening slide of a presentation that teaches instructors the best way to use ChatGPT to interact and assist their college students.

What we like: This opening slide successfully units the tone for the presentation by capturing the viewers’s consideration with a compelling hook and impactful picture.

The phrase “ChatGPT is a disruptive, rising expertise,” paired with the placing picture of a evident crimson button, conveys the magnitude and significance of this emergent expertise and piques the viewers’s curiosity from the beginning.

Greatest for: Displays that discover developments or subjects which might be new, cutting-edge, and even controversial.

3. “State of the Cloud 2023—The AI period”

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That is the opening slide of a presentation that explores the influence of the “AI period” and the “cloud financial system” on the financing ecosystem.

What we like: That is one other glorious instance of opening a presentation with an attention-grabbing hook.

“Dwelling within the multiverse” is an unsettling however fascinating concept that instantly captures the viewers’s consideration and units the stage for a thought-provoking presentation.

Greatest for: Displays that introduce new or disruptive concepts to your viewers and require their full consideration and curiosity.

4. “2022 Ladies within the Office”

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That is the opening slide of a briefing on the important thing findings from McKinsey & Firm’s “2022 Ladies within the Office examine.”

What we like: This opening slide is superb as a result of it gives a wealth of supporting knowledge as a substitute of instantly delving into the examine’s findings.

Sharing particulars, such because the variety of individuals and the examine‘s methodology, not solely strengthens the credibility of the analysis — it primes the viewers by addressing the essential query of why they need to care in regards to the examine’s outcomes.

Greatest for: Displays that ship very important findings that require extra context for the viewers to understand their relevance absolutely.

5. “13 belongings you didn’t know you would do with the S Pen.”

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That is the opening slide of a presentation discussing the upgraded performance of the Samsung Galaxy Observe’s stylus — the S Pen.

What we like: Proper from the opening slide, this presentation addresses the core downside it goals to resolve – customers not taking full benefit of the S Pen’s capabilities.

Additionally it is designed to talk on to the person by explicitly calling out the commonest use circumstances within the first sentence, “The S Pen isn’t simply nice writing and sketching.”

Greatest for: Displays that introduce a brand new product/providing or reintroduce a revamped product/providing.

6. “About Indegene”

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That is the opening slide of an introductory presentation by a health-tech firm referred to as Indegene.

What we like: This presentation by Indegene hits the mark proper from the opening slide. It skillfully makes use of the “what,” “why,” and “how” inquiries to succinctly convey the corporate’s identification, choices, and target market, all inside a single panel.

It then makes use of the opposite panel to determine credibility by highlighting the corporate’s spectacular buyer base.

Greatest for: Displays that require “promoting” your product or firm to the viewers. Some examples embody gross sales conferences and investor pitches.

7. “Way forward for Commerce 2021”

Picture Supply

That is the opening slide for a presentation on the fourth version of the Dubai Multi Commodity Centre’s flagship report, “The Way forward for Commerce.”

What we like: Not like McKinsey’s briefing presentation, this opening slide uniquely establishes credibility by counting on the popularity of the presenting group, DMCC, and the intensive analysis performed over the previous 4 years.

This various technique of building credibility is helpful when report findings aren’t derived from externally collected knowledge, similar to surveys, however as a substitute depend on the group’s experience in understanding and analyzing developments.

Greatest for: Displays that ship findings based mostly on “professional evaluation.”

8. “ChatGPT”

Picture Supply

That is the opening slide of a presentation explaining what ChatGPT is and the way writers can use it.

What we like: This opening slide makes use of an easy strategy that instantly addresses the viewers‘s questions proper from the presentation’s begin.

This strategy is efficient as a result of the first goal of the presentation is to coach the viewers about an rising and unfamiliar expertise — synthetic intelligence chatbots.

Addressing this objective straight from the opening slide is an effective way to seize the viewers’s consideration and set the tone for a precious and informative session.

Greatest for: Instructional shows that introduce new or unfamiliar ideas or concepts.

Greatest Practices for Beginning a Presentation

Now that you simply perceive the best way to construction your presentation opening, it is time to cowl some greatest practices that will help you ship these openings successfully.

On this part, you’ll be taught 5 methods for creating a really impactful introduction.

1. Embrace the facility of silence.

Keep away from succumbing to the strain to fill each second with phrases. As a substitute, enable your viewers time to digest and course of the knowledge you ship.

Though dashing by way of your opening part could also be tempting, keep in mind that that is the place you set the tone to your complete presentation, so you will need to undertaking confidence and management over your supply.

2. Have interaction with the viewers.

You should join and interact along with your viewers from the begin to ship a strong presentation.

Utilizing the stage to your benefit is an effective way to do that. Proper from the second you step on stage, you wish to ensure you’re shifting round and, extra importantly, bodily going through totally different sections of the viewers.

This is a superb technique for shortly creating an inclusive atmosphere the place everybody feels concerned.

Making eye contact is one other nice approach to interact along with your viewers at first of your presentation.

Doing this helps create a connection that feels “private” and communicates that you simply worth every particular person’s presence within the room.

Lastly, acknowledging and responding to viewers cues and suggestions is a superb technique to encourage attentiveness and engagement.

An excellent tip is to actively solicit viewers participation by asking a query at first of your presentation.

3. Don’t be afraid to make use of humor.

Humor is a straightforward but efficient technique to instantly seize your viewers’s consideration — particularly in the event that they’ve already sat by way of a number of shows.

For instance, at first of Tom’s presentation, he playfully says, “I’m very stoked to be right here at present representing my kinfolk and all people who haven’t managed to make a profession out of an innate skill for inhuman noise-making.”

One other (much less dramatic) instance could be seen in Pablos Holman’s intro part, the place he provides humor by sharing humorous pc screenshots whereas discussing hacking right into a fellow resort visitor’s pc.

Though these are very totally different strategies of injecting humor at first of a presentation, they present how infusing humor is usually a highly effective software for including a contact of character and making a extra pleasurable presentation for the viewers.

4. Maintain it brief and candy.

Whereas it is essential to not rush by way of the beginning of your presentation, maintaining your opening concise is equally essential. However keep in mind, concise doesn’t imply sacrificing substance; it merely means delivering data effectively.

Basically, you need a gap part that lets you create a stable preliminary impression with out shedding the viewers’s curiosity.

So, how lengthy ought to this opening secretion be?

Most profitable presentation openings are below three minutes, and lots of are shorter, typically clocking in at below one minute.

5. Embrace authenticity.

Opposite to common perception, there is not a selected character that makes somebody a greater presenter. In truth, probably the most impactful shows have been delivered by people with numerous characters.

Take, as an illustration, the contrasting types of Tom Thum’s irreverent humor and animated mannerisms and Sam Bern, who adopts a relaxed and conversational strategy. Regardless of their variations, each audio system have garnered thousands and thousands of views for his or her talks.

So, reasonably than emulating or mimicking their shows, the important thing takeaway is to embrace authenticity.

Enable your character to shine by way of, lean in your strengths, and be human in your supply.

Mastering the Artwork of Fascinating Displays

Beginning a presentation is a ability that’s as a lot an artwork as it’s a science. Fortunately, it’s also a ability that may be discovered and honed.

By implementing the methods on this information and refining them by way of expertise, you’ll grow to be a grasp at delivering impactful shows that command consideration and depart an enduring impression.

All from the second you step onto the stage.