How to Start a Presentation: 3 Tips for Starting a Presentation

The beginning of your presentation is perhaps an essential part. Follow these presentation tips to make a strong first impression and kick off an effective presentation.

1. 1. Start with an introduction. Before you dive into the meat of your presentation or even your creative hook, say, “Good morning/afternoon/evening” and share your name, title, and other pertinent information. Give people the chance to get to know you before you jump in so they have a sense of who you are.
2. 2. Lead with a personal story. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or performing a business presentation, a personal anecdote can humanize your narrative, make you more relatable, and grip your audience. The story you tell should tie into the themes or data of your presentation.
3. 3. Begin with a bold statement. Great presentations can start with a bold statement that may provoke, amuse, or surprise the audience. You may rely on a shocking statistic or a provocative question as your opening line.
4. 4. Quote someone. A moving or thought-provoking quote from a celebrity or historical figure could be a strong way to get your audience thinking. It is also a way to connect your thesis to a well-known statement or idea.
5. 5. Employ rhetorical questions. Ask a short series of rhetorical questions, which may invite the audience to imagine a new scenario or see if they can guess a statistic that may be pertinent to the points of your argument. Questions can help to keep your audience engaged.

The best presenters will start each presentation slide with unique content to sustain audience engagement. Consider the following tips:

1. 1. Use what-ifs. If you are trying to sell a product or propose a new system to increase efficiency or lower cost, you may use what-if statements that pose potential scenarios that imagine improved circumstances.
2. 2. Employ graphs. Words aren’t the only strong communication tools at your disposal; graphs can also be mighty devices to get a point across or quickly showcase data. Use a variety of graphs—pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs—so your audience doesn’t get bored of seeing the same presentation of statistics repeated over and over.
3. 3. Ask for a show of hands. Before you go to the next slide, you may introduce a new point or ask a question that relies on audience engagement. Pose a question and ask for a show of hands of those who have heard of the name or topic you are to discuss, or to display who has done a certain activity.
4. 4. Know how to break up your presentation. Instead of hitting the next slide button, you may forecast that something interesting is coming by saying, “This will be further exemplified in the next slide,” or “My favorite finding is coming up.” You can also move around so you are not just standing behind a podium, which will help refresh your audience’s attention. Keep your movements to a minimum—moving too frequently can become distracting.

The content of your opening line is key, but so is how you deliver it. Consider these tips for how to start your presentation:

1. 1. Practice public speaking. Public speaking skills can make for a more compelling presentation. If you cannot command a space or speak loudly enough, your audience won’t be able to hear your hard work. Ask your office if it offers public speaking professional development, or seek out a class.
2. 2. Use eye contact. Look up now and then from your notes and use eye contact so your listeners feel engaged and seen. If your nose is buried in your notes, you won’t be able to maintain audience attention.
3. 3. Tell the main points from the start. A powerful presentation can be full of interesting insights, but it also helps to let the audience know what the major beats are at the start. Strong openings start with naming the key points so the audience has a clear sense of trajectory.

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