Many speakers spend hours searching for the perfect opening to their next speech or presentation. They flip through page after page of joke books and various "Great Quotations" compilations.
Problem is, jokes can bomb and quotes can bore. In most business situations, unless the speaker is a skilled joke or story-teller, the risks involved in opening a presentation by going for a laugh or that never-heard-before quote are rarely worth it. That’s why skilled presenters set themselves apart from the rest by getting to the point quickly, using as few words as possible, and being themselves.
Get to the Point
Top presenters know that long stories or anecdotes at the beginning of a presentation can be deadly - especially in today’s time-crunched business environment. By the end of the story, the listener may be bored, confused, or angry that time is being wasted with un-funny stories or quotes. If a story or quote can be related quickly and linked directly to the topic of the presentation, fine. Otherwise, get to the point. For example:
- Instead of: “Today’s topic reminds of a story that really illustrates what we’re going to talk about today. It seems a man was lost in the wilderness and a bear…”
- Get to the point: “Good morning. It will be my pleasure for the next 30 minutes or so to cover the following four points…”
Use as Few Words as Possible
A punch is effective because it’s short and hard-hitting. The opening to a speech or presentation should pack that same power. Get rid of the “flab” and go for the “grab.” Examples:
- Flab: "Today I would like to outline the implementation process of our company's highly successful approach to various quality problems we were experiencing in our customer service department, which we found we could extrapolate to a variety of other problems.
- Grab: Today I'm going to show you a highly successful problem-solving method we developed in the customer service department but can work for any problem you might be up against.”
There’s another element that distinguishes the “grab” from the “flab”: a reason for the listener to keep listening. If the audience doesn’t quickly perceive a benefit to listening (as in “What’s in it for me?”), they will tune out just as quickly.
Be Yourself
Audiences can detect a phony a mile away. The best way to connect with an audience is to come across as one of them. This means:
- No false modesty. Speakers who begin with such statements as “I’m sure there are many others more qualified than I to speak on this subject,” or “I was surprised to be invited to make this presentation. Speakers who use these kinds of qualifiers lose credibility—and quickly get dis-qualified in the minds of the listeners.
- Put the thesaurus back on the shelf. Speakers who connect best with audiences are those who use common, conversational words. Fancy words don’t impress; they distract and alienate.
- Maintain eye contact.Eye contact is critical to building trust and rapport. This is especially important at the opening of a speech or presentation, for it is during those first few minutes that the listeners firm their first- and lasting- impressions.
See also:
Preparation Tips for Successful Presentations
Using Humor in Speeches and Presentations
How to Overcome Nervousness Before a Speech
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