How To Start A

Presentation Tips And

Tricks 22 Powerful
Strategies
21JUL2016 Justin Croxton Presentations
Learning how to start a presentation is just as important as knowing how to finish it. It is
the beginning of the conversation that can make or break it in capturing your audiences
attention. We forget that there are many ways to start a presentation that will engage
the hearts and minds of the people you want to convey your message to.
AtCustomShow, we value the importance of design and slide management, and we
also understand that the delivery can be just as important as the slides you may use.
We wanted to list 22 power tips and tricks that anyone from marketers and sales
people to the common man can use to nail the beginning of their next presentation.

Start Your Presentation By Getting Peoples

Attention
Getting your audiences attention from the beginning is the most important thing one
can do in starting a presentation. Yes, you want to introduce yourself and complete the
formalities as quickly as possible, but without grabbing their attention, youve already
lost them. Remembering the importance of capturing the attention of who youre
speaking to will set you up for the many other strategies we convey.

Welcome Them With A Thank You

Another important formality is welcoming your audience with a thank you. It shows both
sincerity and appreciation and additionally establishes the sense of community with your
audience. A great example of this is welcoming them coupled with a thank you for the
opportunity to speak, pitch or share.

Memorize Your First Opening Line

In general it is not a good idea to memorize your entire speech. It is however a good
idea to memorize the beginning 4 10 sentences. This is critical because it allows you
to feel confident and ride the wave of confidence as you continue your presentation.
Even marketers and sales people can benefit from this approach with slides they use to
further buttress their messaging. Most people think the best presenters wing it. While
this is true, they typically practice and memorize the beginning and ending of their talks.
This is a professional practice you should always leverage to your advantage.

State The Purpose Of Your Presentation

Generally your audience will know your purpose or why youre there but you want to be
sure make it clear to them. For example, as a sales person you may be pitching to win
a marketing and leasing assignment of a building in New York. As you begin to pitch
the owners management team, theyll know youre there to talk about how you can help
market and lease their building. But another approach can be changing the purpose to
Im here discuss our teams capabilities but more importantly discuss strategies you
can implement and why they would be effective. Thinking about the purpose gives you
that northern star to point throughout your presentation and theyll constantly revert
back to it.

State how you want to deal with questions

Always remember to let the audience know how you will handle questions. If you are in
a marketing or sales presentation, I would not bring this up. Simply give them the free
will to ask questions when they best see fit.

SilenceNothing More
We are all uncomfortable when there is silence. Yet incorporating silence into your
presentation can be a valuable tool causing the audience to be attentive to what you are
going to say next. We got this one from Scott who wrote a great post on 5 ways to open
a presentation.

Tell A Joke
As a followup to silence or as a standalone, tell a joke to elicit laughter form the
audience. Even for marketing and sales representatives, this can be a way to lighten
the room and become more connected with the audience. Dont overdo this as it can
steer people away from your purpose, but proper usage of this technique can be
effective in starting any presentation.

Start Your Presentation In Future Or Past

Many directors use this approach in their storytelling. They will start a scene in the far
past or in the future and then always connect it back to the main story. This is a power
tool to arouse the attention of the viewer, or in the presentations case, your audience.
There are many great examples of this. One approach that marketers can use is
displaying market activity from the past yet showing how your strategies can impact that
performance.

Quote Someone
Quoting someone is a great way to start any presentation. Just be sure to make it
relevant to the purpose of your speech and presentation. If you are using slides, adding
a picture of the person you are quoting to add more texture and breadth to your
presentation.
Open Up With Being Vulnerable
We know that great speakers can be tough as nails, but those who open up about their
lives or their story builds a deeper relationship with their audience. When you start your
presentation showcasing your ability to be vulnerable,you are giving yourself more
chances to maintain the attention and interest of your audience.

Tell Your Audience A Story

This is as basic is it gets, but story telling is the best way to connect with an audience.
You can start a start at the beginning of your presentation and then connect it to the
purpose of why youre there. Many great presenters use this technique and it remains
one of the most critical pieces to becoming an effective presenter. Nick Morgan wrote
an interesting post on this in Forbes.

Point To Their Problem

If you are pitching for business, this is a great strategy. You dont want to come across
as negative but thinking about problems that the company may not have thought of can
be even more effective than simply stating what they already know. Some of the best
marketers and salespeople (including Steve Jobs) employs this philosophy regularly.

Point To Their Opportunity

The flipside is showcasing what opportunities they face. Show them the many benefit
they could achieve by following your lead or the action you want them to take. This
sense of optimism can perk up the audience and get them engaged pretty quickly.

Ask Questions (Direct or Rhetorical)

To start a presentation you can begin with direct questions to the audience. Its a great
way to wake up their senses, get them engaged and get you more connected with them.
Jon Marshal did a good job with this point in this post.

Start With Video

Video remains a powerful mechanism to begin a presentation. In an industry
roundup we did at CustomShow, we asked presentation experts for their thoughts on
video. They all agreed that it is an important prop but should be used sparingly. Keep in
mind you want to use video to further your message, not overtake your message.

Shock The Audience

There can be a plethora of ways to shock the audience. You can show a funny video
that showcases or furthers your purpose, state something that is contradictory to most
people, make fun of something.the sky is the limit. Remember to be smart about how
you choose to shock your audience as it could backfire if what you do is offensive to the
majority.

Statistics & Data

Showcasing data and statistics to prove a point remains a a critical strategy not just at
the beginning but also throughout. Use research and data only to further your points.
Statistics can be boring but if there is some compelling information that can help further
the conversation, statistics and data can be a powerful tool, whether used at the very
beginning or end of any presentation.

Use These Words: Imagine, Think of, Close Your

Eyes
Another powerful mechanism used by many speakers is getting the audience to imagine
or think of something. This technique can be useful in starting off a presentation.

Use The Power Of What If

What if you knew how start any presentation and capture your audience? What if your
audience could really be connected to your message and the words you say? The
power of what if gives people the sense of how things can be if they follow your lead or
your message. Again, that is why understanding your purpose and stating it gives
people something to point to.
 Show of Hands Poll The Room
Just as if were asking the audience a question, we also want to get them engaged with
a show of hands question. This is another technique many presenters use to create
context and commonality.

Project And Speak From The Gut

Now were back to formalities that can help maintain and capture the audience. If the
audience cannot hear you, you will lost them. Speaking from the gut (not in a low
pitched voice/from your throat) will add more volume and breadth to your speaking from
the very beginning. While this is oftentimes overlooked, its one of the most important
techniques speakers can use.

Eye To Eye Contact With Audience Members

For those who tend to get nervous in larger audiences, picking different people in the
audience to speak to can ease those nerves. Start this at the beginning of your
presentation speaking to them directly. Pick different people to speak to in the room
and everyone will think you are talking directly to them.

We would love to hear from you what other techniques have you employed over the
years? There are many tips and tricks presenters can use, but these some of the most
powerful ones that the very best presenters have used over the years.

If youre looking for more design tips and tricks check out our partner SalesGraphics.

5 Powerful Ways to Open a Presentation

Scott Schwertly
July 22, 2013
inShare73

 We've all been there before: staring at

the glow of your blank computer screen with no idea on how to open or start your
talk. For starters, you should never be staring at PowerPoint with no clear
objective (that's a conversation for another day), but let's be honest, we've all
struggled with the best ways to open a presentation.

It's time to get unstuck. Here are 5 powerful ways to open a presentation:

1. Use Silence

Most people won't be able to pull this off very easily, but if you are feeling like a
rockstar during your next presentation, opt for silence. Say a few words then be
quiet. Say a few more words then be quiet. It's a quick and easy way to own the
room. Just make sure you can hold your composure.

2. Point to the Future or Past

I have two simple statements for you:

-Prospective (looking to the future): "30 Years from now, your job won't exist."

-Retrospective (looking to the past): "In 1970, Japan owned 9% of the market.
Today, they own 37%."
The reality is that looking into the future or past always sparks engagement since
thats where our hearts live.

3. Quote Someone

The easiest way to open a talk is simply to quote someone. Think about that last
presenter you heard when they opened their talk with a quote from Albert
Einstein or Napoleon. A quote equals instant credibility.

4. Share Something Extraordinary

I don't know about you, but I love Snapple. Even more so, I love their bottle caps
since they always share fun facts or extraordinary insight into ordinary things. Is
my life going to be improved because I know how many times a bee's wings flaps
in a second? No. Is it crazy interesting? Yes.

5. Tell a Story

Here's the amazing thing about stories: If your presentation is based solely on
facts and stats then your audience is going to react in one of two ways: 1) agree
or 2) disagree. However, if you tell a story, your audience will participate with you.
Still not sold? Stories have been known to increase audience retention by up to
26%.

So, what are you waiting for? Experiment. Try something new. Step outside your
comfort zone. You'll see some amazing results by trying any one of these
techniques.

Read More: 5 Powerful Ways to Close a Presentation

Scott Schwertly is the author of How to Be a Presentation God and CEO

of Ethos3, a Nashville, TN-based presentation boutique providing professional
presentation design and training for national and international clients, ranging
from Fortune 500 companies to branded individuals like Guy Kawasaki.

Vocabulary and Phrases for Making Presentations in

English
Here's a step-by-step guide for making presentations in English. You'll find the phrases
you need for each step of your presentation.

Overviews
After you give your opening statement, give a brief overview of your presentation. Say
what your presentation is about, how long you will take and how you are going to handle
questions.

For example, a presentation to sales staff could start like this:

"Welcome / "Hello everyone."

(Opening statement)
"As you all know, this company is losing its market share. But we are being asked to
increase sales by 20 25%. How can we possibly increase sales in a shrinking
market?"

(Overview)
"Today I am going to talk to you about how we can do this. My presentation will be in
three parts. Firstly I am going to look at the market and the background. Then I am
going to talk to you about our new products and how they fit in. Finally, I'm going to
examine some selling strategies that will help us increase our sales by 20%. The
presentation will probably take around 20 minutes. There will be time for questions at
the end of my talk."

Useful language for overviews

"My presentation is in three parts."

"My presentation is divided into three main sections."
"Firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally"
"I'm going to
take a look at
talk about
examine
tell you something about the background
give you some facts and figures
fill you in on the history of
concentrate on
limit myself to the question of

"Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions."

"There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation."
"I'd be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation."

The main body of the presentation

During your presentation, its a good idea to occasionally remind your audience why
your presentation and ideas are important or relevant.

"As I said at the beginning"

"This, of course, will help you (to achieve the 20% increase)."
"As you remember, we are concerned with"
"This ties in with my original statement"
"This relates directly to the question I put to you before"

Keeping your audience with you

Remember that what you are saying is new to your audience. You are clear about the
structure of your talk, but let your audience know when you are moving on to a new
point. You can do this by saying something like "right", or "OK". You can also use some
of the following expressions:

"I'd now like to move on to"

"I'd like to turn to"
"That's all I have to say about"
"Now I'd like to look at"
"This leads me to my next point"

If you are using index cards, putting the link on the cards will help you remember to
keep the audience with you. In addition, by glancing at your index cards you will be
pausing this will also help your audience to realise that you are moving on to
something new.

Phrases for introducing visuals

It's important to introduce your visual to the audience. You can use the following
phrases:
"This graph shows you"
"Take a look at this"
"If you look at this, you will see"
"I'd like you to look at this"
"This chart illustrates the figures"
"This graph gives you a break down of"

Give your audience enough time to absorb the information on the visual. Pause to allow
them to look at the information and then explain why the visual is important:

"As you can see"

"This clearly shows "
"From this, we can understand how / why"
"This area of the chart is interesting"

Summarising
At the end of your presentation, you should summarise your talk and remind the
audience of what you have told them:

"That brings me to the end of my presentation. I've talked about"

"Well, that's about it for now. We've covered"
"So, that was our marketing strategy. In brief, we"
"To summarise, I"

Relate the end of your presentation to your opening statement:

"So I hope that you're a little clearer on how we can achieve sales growth of 20%."
"To return to the original question, we can achieve"
"So just to round the talk off, I want to go back to the beginning when I asked you"
"I hope that my presentation today will help you with what I said at the beginning"

Handling questions
Thank the audience for their attention and invite questions.

"Thank you for listening and now if there are any questions, I would be pleased to
answer them."
"That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for your attention. I'd be glad
to answer any questions you might have."

Its useful to re-word the question, as you can check that you have understood the
question and you can give yourself some time to think of an answer. By asking the
question again you also make sure that other people in the audience understand the
question.

"Thank you. So you would like further clarification on our strategy?"

"That's an interesting question. How are we going to get voluntary redundancy?"
"Thank you for asking. What is our plan for next year?"

After you have answered your question, check that the person who asked you is happy
with the answer.

"Does this answer your question?"

"Do you follow what I am saying?"
"I hope this explains the situation for you."
"I hope this was what you wanted to hear!"

If you don't know the answer to a question, say you don't know. It's better to admit to not
knowing something than to guess and maybe get it wrong. You can say something like:

"That's an interesting question. I don't actually know off the top of my head, but I'll try to
get back to you later with an answer."
"I'm afraid I'm unable to answer that at the moment. Perhaps I can get back to you
later."
"Good question. I really don't know! What do you think?"
"That's a very good question. However, we don't have any figures on that, so I can't give
you an accurate answer."
"Unfortunately, I'm not the best person to answer that."

What to say if things go wrong during your presentation

You think you've lost your audience? Rephrase what you have said:

"Let me just say that in another way."

"Perhaps I can rephrase that."
"Put another way, this means"
"What I mean to say is"

Can't remember the word?

If it's a difficult word for you one that you often forget, or one that you have difficulty
pronouncing you should write it on your index card. Pause briefly, look down at your
index card and say the word.
Using your voice when making presentations
Don't speak in a flat monotone this will bore your audience. By varying your speed
and tone, you will be able to keep your audience's attention. Practise emphasising key
words and pause in the right places usually in between ideas in a sentence. For
example "The first strategy involves getting to know our market (pause) and finding out
what they want. (pause) Customer surveys (pause) as well as staff training (pause) will
help us do this."

Don't forget if you speak too fast you will lose your audience!