But first, let\u2019s talk about why having a good introduction is such a crucial part of any presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"how-to-start-a-presentation-cover\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/how-to-start-a-presentation.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhy does having a good introduction to a presentation matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve ever had to prepare an address, you probably understand the importance of having an impactful introduction to a presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the body<\/strong> of a speech contains most of the information you want to share with the audience and the conclusion<\/strong> allows you to invite the audience to take action \u2014 the introduction is how you get them to listen to you<\/strong> in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, a presentation is a motivated sequence<\/strong> \u2014 a method of persuasion<\/a> with 5 distinct steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though this framework was developed in the 1930s, it\u2019s still a useful tool for people who want to improve their presenting skills.<\/p>\n\n\n Improve collaboration and cut down on emails by moving your team communication to Pumble.<\/p>\n\n For more insight into the importance of starting a presentation with a bang, we turned to professional speakers and communication experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We put the question to Mark Beal<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Communication, at Rutgers University School of Communication and Information. Here\u2019s what he had to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is critically important to engage your audience immediately at the start of a presentation in a high-energy manner, or you could lose them to their mobile phone or laptop and you may never get them back.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Speaker, author, communication skills trainer, and editorial producer at CNN, Nadia Bilchik<\/a>, added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe beginning of your presentation is your prime real estate. It\u2019s when your audience decides if you are worth paying attention to or not.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n So, in addition to capturing the audience\u2019s attention<\/strong>, your introduction also needs to establish your authority<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having said that, let\u2019s talk about the specific steps you need to take before you begin presenting to make your presentation opening as memorable as it can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we tell you how to start a presentation speech, let\u2019s take a moment to consider the best preparation practices<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Naturally, preparing the introductory lines for your presentation should take place well before the speech itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even so, many novice speakers are still unaware of the different factors that should influence and inform their decisions in this regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, we have managed to boil the results of our extensive research down to the following 3 tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having said that, let\u2019s see what each of those tips entails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich<\/em><\/a>, puts it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExperience has taught me that the next best thing to being truly great is to emulate the great, by feeling and action, as nearly as possible.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n With that in mind, the best thing you can do before drafting your speech is observe the way others have made theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case, you\u2019ll want to focus on the way professional speakers introduce themselves and the subjects of their presentations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of this exercise is to determine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Somewhere in the middle of those categories is where you\u2019ll find the opening lines of your presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For their part, the experts we have contacted seem to agree with this tip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nadia Bilchik said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have been speaking and training speaking skills for three decades and I still do a tremendous amount of research and customize each and every presentation. If I am speaking […] about the hybrid workplace, I will Google [the] latest statistics. I will also go onto YouTube to see what other speakers and thought leaders are saying about the subject.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n And Mark Beal mirrored her thoughts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am consistently studying presentations in a quest to be a student who is always learning, evolving, transforming, and innovating my approach to presenting. I closely watch all types of presentations, from TEDx Talks to my former students who return to guest lecture in my university courses.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n According to the other authors of Communicating at Work<\/em><\/a>, an introduction has 5 distinct objectives<\/strong>. It should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With those goals in mind, Nadia Bilchik would even say that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s always best to have someone else introduce you and confirm your credibility.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n That puts the onus of explaining why you deserve to be there on the host of the meeting and allows you to skip that part of the introduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, these 5 objectives are not a checklist you have<\/em> to follow at all costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the circumstances surrounding your presentation, some of them will matter more than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of, there\u2019s one last thing to keep in mind when crafting your presentation opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The audience you end up presenting to will affect everything from the way you organize your presentation<\/strong> to your style of delivery<\/strong> \u2014 and even the supporting materials<\/strong> you use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your presentation\u2019s opening lines are no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, the content and style of your introduction will depend on the size of the group you\u2019re speaking to and its demographic breakdown<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, perhaps the most important audience attribute you\u2019ll have to keep in mind is its willingness to listen and engage with your message<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Business Communication: Process & Product<\/em><\/a>, authors Mary Guffey and Dana Loewy have identified 4 types of audiences<\/strong> based on that factor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, Guffey and Loewy have also provided some guidance for dealing with each of those kinds of audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/A-visual-representation-of-a-motivated-sequence.jpg\")
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\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\n\n\nWhat do professional speakers have to say about the importance of opening a presentation effectively?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"mark-beal\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mark-beal.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"nadia](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/nadia-bilchik.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow to prepare the best opening for a presentation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Tip #1: Watch other speakers\u2019 openers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nTip #2: Understand the goals of an introduction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nTip #3: Know your audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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