Delivering a presentation is very common in the workplace today. Various kinds of presentation may be required for different professionals, for instance, sales pitch, project presentation, client presentation, etc. It is vital to draw your audience’s attention from the beginning. An engaging introduction will certainly help you. Here, Wall Street English will provide some techniques you can use to begin your presentation.
1. Raise questions
You can start with some questions to let your audience think and stimulate their curiosity. Here are some examples for you to raise your questions to inspire the audience’s thoughts.
e.g.
Does anyone know …?
Think for a moment …
What if …?
Imagine if you …
2. Tell a story / joke / anecdote
You may commence with a story or joke to highlight the importance of your topic and link it with the message you would like to bring out, so the audience would feel more connected to your presentation. Here are some ways for you to start telling your story.
e.g.
Before my presentation, let me tell you a story.
I would like to start my presentation with a story.
3. Share surprising facts or statistics
You can shock your audience by throwing out a fun fact or statistics to evoke their emotions.
e.g.
Believe it or not, …
Let me tell you a shocking fact …
A study revealed that …
According to …, …
Try to use the 3 techniques above and do not be afraid of presentations!
