{"id":15778,"date":"2023-06-27T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powtoon.com\/blog\/?p=15778"},"modified":"2023-06-26T10:20:38","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T08:20:38","slug":"how-to-start-a-presentation-engaging-techniques-to-hook-your-audience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powtoon.com\/blog\/how-to-start-a-presentation-engaging-techniques-to-hook-your-audience\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start a Presentation: Engaging Techniques to Hook Your Audience"},"content":{"rendered":"Read Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes <\/span><\/span>\n

Delivering a presentation is a task many dread. Whether you\u2019re a student who\u2019s not a fan of assignments that require presenting in front of the class, or an employee who would rather like to work weekends than deliver another team presentation, you\u2019re not alone<\/a> if speaking in front of others isn\u2019t among your favorite activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are various reasons you might not enjoy giving presentations. One may be that you feel it\u2019s challenging to maintain an audience\u2019s attention throughout a speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is understandable. Luckily, if you know how to start a presentation in such a way that you capture an audience\u2019s attention from the start, you\u2019ll find that delivering the rest of the presentation is much easier than you expected. Consider the following tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start With a Video<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A presentation doesn\u2019t need to begin with you talking to your audience. Instead, you could grab their attention by starting a presentation with a dynamic video.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing so allows you to \u201cprime\u201d an audience with impressive visuals and audio content. By starting a presentation this way, you can be confident you already have your audience\u2019s attention by the time you start talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Tip: To ensure a video is as dynamic as possible, consider using animation<\/a> instead of live action.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a Controversial Statement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You need to be careful here! You don\u2019t want to say something too controversial and turn your audience against you right from the start. Nor do you want to make a controversial statement that doesn\u2019t reflect your values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said if you want to learn how to start a presentation in a way that will get everyone listening, saying something controversial (that\u2019s relevant to your presentation\u2019s content!) is a strategy to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, what you say doesn\u2019t need to be too <\/em>controversial. For example, maybe you\u2019re delivering a presentation to potential business investors, and starting a presentation with a statement that conflicts with generally-accepted industry wisdom could get their ears to perk up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Of course, you need to be able to back up your statement with evidence! Consider this when deciding what type of controversial statement you might begin a presentation with.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask a Thought-Provoking Question<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is an alternative to the above method. If you\u2019re uncomfortable saying anything controversial in front of your audience, you can begin your presentation with a question instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to ensure the question you ask is reasonably thought-provoking while also relating to your presentation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, maybe you\u2019re giving a business presentation about the ways artificial intelligence could impact your industry in the years to come. You might begin such a presentation by asking your audience members (who\u2019ve likely been exposed to much anxiety-inducing coverage of AI in the news!) what they think AI could do for their field if it were used solely for beneficial reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This question may be effective because it\u2019s open-ended and is likely the type of question the audience in this scenario would have an opinion on. When preparing for your next presentation, consider what types of questions might serve the same purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider Comedy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Knowing your audience is essential when deciding how to start a presentation. For instance, if you\u2019re delivering a work presentation explaining the fiscal consequences of a recent project, it might not be the ideal time or place for jokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, maybe you\u2019re delivering a more informal presentation to potential customers in which your goal is to illustrate the value of your products and services. If so, you might grab your audience\u2019s attention by starting off with a comedy skit or some jokes to highlight the nature of the problem your company can solve for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell a Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Any marketer knows that generating an emotional connection with an audience is key to their success. Because the link between emotion and memory is so strong if a marketer can reach an audience on an emotional level, the audience members are not only more likely to be engaged\u2014they\u2019re more likely to remember the piece of marketing content they engaged with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This same principle applies to delivering a presentation. If you can do away with boring data and figures at the start, focusing instead on triggering an emotional reaction in your audience, you might have better luck keeping their attention when you transition into the more \u201cboring\u201d content of your presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are various ways you can reach an audience on an emotional level. One is to tell a relevant story that you can tie into your presentation. In marketing, storytelling has been shown to drive high levels of engagement<\/a>. It can serve the same purpose in the context of a presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Say Anything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a very simple tip for how to start a presentation, but it earns a spot here mainly because it\u2019s often surprisingly effective!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People generally expect you to start talking when you stand in front of an audience to deliver a presentation. Consider waiting a few moments before you say anything. Perhaps ironically, your silence will capture the attention of your audience members simply because it\u2019s so unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprise the Audience With a Fact or Data Point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Starting your presentation with facts and figures isn\u2019t always a bad idea. Although this approach can sometimes bore your audience, if you begin a presentation by sharing a fact that surprises them, they\u2019ll likely want to learn more about the topic. This is similar to the effect you may achieve from starting a presentation with a controversial statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep Practicing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Applying these tips for how to start a presentation will help you capture your audience\u2019s attention if you make a point of applying them consistently. Becoming a strong public speaker takes practice! However, with the right strategies, you\u2019ll find that delivering compelling presentations is much less challenging than it may have been up until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Bonus tip: Using the right fonts<\/a> in your presentation slides and videos can be a surprisingly helpful way to generate more interest among an audience.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create Presentation Videos With Ease Using Powtoon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you think starting a presentation with a video would be an effective way to get the attention of your next audience, be aware that Powtoon makes generating quality videos and presentations easy, regardless of your experience level and video production budget. Sign up today<\/a> to get started!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Delivering a presentation is a task many dread. 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