killer presentation introduction

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

• Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
• Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
• Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
• Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
• Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

Lessons from TED

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

Partner Center

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Marketing How To Start a Presentation: 15 Ways to Set the Stage

How To Start a Presentation: 15 Ways to Set the Stage

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 25, 2023

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – it’s your opportunity to make a lasting impression and captivate your audience. 

A strong presentation start acts as a beacon, cutting through the noise and instantly capturing the attention of your listeners. With so much content vying for their focus, a captivating opening ensures that your message stands out and resonates with your audience.

Whether you’re a startup business owner pitching a brilliant idea, a seasoned presenter delivering a persuasive talk or an expert sharing your experience, the start of your presentation can make all the difference. But don’t fret — I’ve got you covered with 15 electrifying ways to kickstart your presentation. 

The presentation introduction examples in this article cover everything from self-introduction to how to start a group presentation, building anticipation that leaves the audience eager to delve into the depths of your topic.

Click to jump ahead:

How to start a presentation introduction

15 ways to start a presentation and captivate your audience, common mistakes to avoid in the opening of a presentation, faqs on how to start a presentation, captivate the audience from the get-go.

Presentations can be scary, I know. But even if stage fright hits, you can always fall back on a simple strategy.

Just take a deep breath, introduce yourself and briefly explain the topic of your presentation.

To grab attention at the start, try this opening line: Hello everyone. I am so glad you could join me today. I’m very excited about today’s topic. I’m [Your Name] and I’ll be talking about [Presentation Topic]. Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by [Challenge related to your topic]. Many of us might have faced challenges with [Challenge related to your topic]. Today, we’ll explore some strategies that’ll help us [Solution that you’re presenting].

Regardless of your mode of presentation , crafting an engaging introduction sets the stage for a memorable presentation.

Let’s dive into some key tips for how to start a presentation speech to help you nail the art of starting with a bang:

Understand your audience

The key to an engaging introduction is to know your audience inside out and give your audience what they want. Tailor your opening to resonate with their specific interests, needs and expectations. Consider what will captivate them and how you can make your presentation relevant to their lives or work.

Use a compelling hook

Grab the audience’s attention from the get-go with a compelling hook. Whether it’s a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact or a gripping story, a powerful opening will immediately pique their curiosity and keep them invested in what you have to say.

State your purpose

Be crystal clear about your subject matter and the purpose of your presentation. In just a few sentences, communicate the main objectives and the value your audience will gain from listening to you. Let them know upfront what to expect and they’ll be more likely to stay engaged throughout.

Introduce yourself and your team

Give a self introduction about who you are such as your job title to establish credibility and rapport with the audience.

Some creative ways to introduce yourself in a presentation would be by sharing a brief and engaging personal story that connects to your topic or the theme of your presentation. This approach instantly makes you relatable and captures the audience’s attention.

Now, let’s talk about — how to introduce team members in a presentation. Before introducing each team member, briefly explain their role or contribution to the project or presentation. This gives the audience an understanding of their relevance and expertise.

Group presentations are also a breeze with the help of Venngage. Our in-editor collaboration tools allow you to edit presentations side by side in real-time. That way, you can seamlessly hare your design with the team for input and make sure everyone is on track. 

Maintain enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is contagious! Keep the energy levels up throughout your introduction, conveying a positive and upbeat tone. A vibrant and welcoming atmosphere sets the stage for an exciting presentation and keeps the audience eager to hear more.

Before you think about how to present a topic, think about how to design impactful slides that can leave a lasting impression on the audience. Here are 120+ presentation ideas , design tips, and examples to help you create an awesome slide deck for your next presentation.

Captivating your audience from the get-go is the key to a successful presentation. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or a novice taking the stage for the first time, the opening of your presentation sets the tone for the entire talk. 

So, let’s get ready to dive into the 15 most creative ways to start a presentation. I promise you these presentation introduction ideas will captivate your audience, leaving them hanging on your every word.

Grab-attention immediately

Ask a thought-provoking question.

Get the audience’s wheels turning by throwing them a thought-provoking question right out of the gate. Make them ponder, wonder and engage their critical thinking muscles from the very start.

Share a surprising statistic or fact

Brace yourself for some wide eyes and dropped jaws! Open your presentation with a jaw-dropping statistic or a mind-blowing fact that’s directly related to your topic. Nothing captures attention like a good ol’ dose of shock and awe.

State a bold statement or challenge

Ready to shake things up? Kick off with a bold and daring statement that sets the stage for your presentation’s epic journey. Boldness has a way of making ears perk up and eyes widen in anticipation!

Engage with a poll or interactive activity

Turn the audience from passive listeners to active participants by kicking off with a fun poll or interactive activity. Get them on their feet, or rather — their fingertips, right from the start!

Venngage’s user-friendly drag-and-drop editor allows you to easily transform your slides into an interactive presentation . Create clickable buttons or navigation elements within your presentation to guide your audience to different sections or external resources. 

Enhance engagement by incorporating videos or audio clips directly into your presentation. Venngage supports video and audio embedding, which can add depth to your content.

Begin with an opening phrase that captures attention

Use opening phrases that can help you create a strong connection with your audience and make them eager to hear more about what you have to say. Remember to be confident, enthusiastic and authentic in your delivery to maximize the impact of your presentation.

Here are some effective presentation starting words and phrases that can help you grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for a captivating presentation:

• “Imagine…”
• “Picture this…”
• “Did you know that…”
• “Have you ever wondered…”
• “In this presentation, we’ll explore…”
• “Let’s dive right in and discover…”
• “I’m excited to share with you…”
• “I have a confession to make…”
• “I want to start by telling you a story…”
• “Before we begin, let’s consider…”
• “Have you ever faced the challenge of…”
• “We all know that…”
• “This is a topic close to my heart because…”
• “Over the next [minutes/hours], we’ll cover…”
• “I invite you to journey with me through…”

Build connection and credibility

Begin with a personal connection .

Share a real-life experience or a special connection to the topic at hand. This simple act of opening up creates an instant bond with the audience, turning them into your biggest cheerleaders.

Having the team share their personal experiences is also a good group presentation introduction approach. Team members can share their own stories that are related to the topic to create an emotional connection with your audience. 

Tell a relevant story

Start your presentation with a riveting story that hooks your audience and relates to your main message. Stories have a magical way of captivating hearts and minds. Organize your slides in a clear and sequential manner and use visuals that complement your narrative and evoke emotions to engage the audience.

With Venngage, you have access to a vast library of high-quality and captivating stock photography, offering thousands of options to enrich your presentations. The best part? It’s entirely free! Elevate your visual storytelling with stunning images that complement your content, captivate your audience and add a professional touch to your presentation. 

Use a powerful quote

Sometimes, all you need is some wise words to work wonders. Begin with a powerful quote from a legendary figure that perfectly fits your presentation’s theme — a dose of inspiration sets the stage for an epic journey.

Build anticipation

Provide a brief outline.

Here’s a good introduction for presentation example if you’re giving a speech at a conference. For longer presentations or conferences with multiple speakers especially, providing an outline helps the audience stay focused on the key takeaways. That way, you can better manage your time and ensure that you cover all the key points without rushing or running out of time.

Pose a problem and offer a solution

A great idea on how to start a business presentation is to start by presenting a problem and offering a well-thought-out solution. By addressing their pain points and showcasing your solution, you’ll capture their interest and set the stage for a compelling and successful presentation.

Back up your solution with data, research, or case studies that demonstrate its effectiveness. This can also be a good reporting introduction example that adds credibility to your proposal.

Preparing a pitch deck can be a daunting task but fret not. This guide on the 30+ best pitch deck tips and examples has everything you need to bring on new business partners and win new client contracts. Alternatively, you can also get started by customizing one of our professional pitch deck templates for free. 

Incite curiosity in the audience

Utilize visuals or props.

Capture your audience’s gaze by whipping out captivating visuals or props that add an exciting touch to your subject. A well-placed prop or a stunning visual can make your presentation pop like a fireworks show!

That said, you maybe wondering — how can I make my presentation more attractive.  A well-designed presentation background instantly captures the audience’s attention and creates a positive first impression. Here are 15 presentation background examples to keep the audience awake to help you get inspired. 

Use humor or wit

Sprinkle some humor and wit to spice things up. Cracking a clever joke or throwing in a witty remark can break the ice and create a positively charged atmosphere. If you’re cracking your head on how to start a group presentation, humor is a great way to start a presentation speech. 

Get your team members involved in the fun to create a collaborative and enjoyable experience for everyone. Laughter is the perfect way to break the ice and set a positive tone for your presentation!

Invoke emotion

Get those heartstrings tugging! Start with a heartfelt story or example that stirs up emotions and connects with your audience on a personal level. Emotion is the secret sauce to a memorable presentation.

Aside from getting creative with your introduction, a well-crafted and creative presentation can boost your confidence as a presenter. Browse our catalog of creative presentation templates and get started right away!

Use a dramatic pause

A great group presentation example is to start with a powerful moment of silence, like a magician about to reveal their greatest trick. After introducing your team, allow a brief moment of silence. Hold the pause for a few seconds, making it feel deliberate and purposeful. This builds anticipation and curiosity among the audience.

Pique their interest

Share a fun fact or anecdote.

Time for a little fun and games! Kick-off with a lighthearted or fascinating fact that’ll make the audience go, “Wow, really? Tell me more!” A sprinkle of amusement sets the stage for an entertaining ride.

While an introduction for a presentation sets the tone for your speech, a good slide complements your spoken words, helping the audience better understand and remember your message. Check out these 12 best presentation software for 2023 that can aid your next presentation. 

The opening moments of a presentation can make or break your entire talk. It’s your chance to grab your audience’s attention, set the tone, and lay the foundation for a successful presentation. However, there are some common pitfalls that speakers often fall into when starting their presentations. 

Starting with Apologies

It might be tempting to start with a preemptive apology, especially if you’re feeling nervous or unsure about your presentation. However, beginning with unnecessary apologies or self-deprecating remarks sets a negative tone right from the start. Instead of exuding confidence and credibility, you’re unintentionally undermining yourself and your message. 

Reading from Slides

One of the most common blunders in the opening of a PowerPoint presentation is reading directly from your slides or script. While it’s crucial to have a well-structured outline, reciting word-for-word can lead to disengagement and boredom among your audience. Maintain eye contact and connect with your listeners as you speak. Your slides should complement your words, not replace them.

Overwhelming with Information

In the excitement to impress, some presenters bombard their audience with too much information right at the beginning.

Instead of overloading the audience with a sea of data, statistics or technical details that can quickly lead to confusion and disinterest, visualize your data with the help of Venngage. Choose an infographic template that best suits the type of data you want to visualize. Venngage offers a variety of pre-designed templates for charts, graphs, infographics and more.

Ignoring the Audience

It’s easy to get caught up in the content and forget about the people in front of you. Don’t overlook the importance of acknowledging the audience and building a connection with them. Greet them warmly, make eye contact and maintain body language to show genuine interest in their presence. Engage the audience early on by asking a show of hands question or encourage audience participation. 

Lack of Clarity

Your audience should know exactly what to expect from your presentation. Starting with a vague or unclear opening leaves them guessing about the purpose and direction of your talk. Clearly communicate the topic and objectives of your presentation right from the beginning. This sets the stage for a focused and coherent message that resonates with your audience.

Simplicity makes it easier for the audience to understand and retain the information presented. Check out our gallery of simple presentation templates to keep your opening concise and relevant. 

Skipping the Hook

The opening of your presentation is the perfect opportunity to hook your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. However, some presenters overlook this crucial aspect and dive straight into the content without any intrigue. Craft an attention-grabbing hook that sparks curiosity, poses a thought-provoking question or shares an interesting fact. A compelling opening is like the key that unlocks your audience’s receptivity to the rest of your presentation.

Now that you’ve got the gist of how to introduce a presentation, further brush up your speech with these tips on how to make a persuasive presentation and how to improve your presentation skills to create an engaging presentation . 

How can I overcome nervousness at the beginning of a presentation?

To overcome nervousness at the beginning of a presentation, take deep breaths, practice beforehand, and focus on connecting with your audience rather than worrying about yourself.

How long should the opening of a presentation be?

The opening of a presentation should typically be brief, lasting around 1 to 3 minutes, to grab the audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the talk.

Should I memorize my presentation’s opening lines?

While it’s helpful to know your opening lines, it’s better to understand the key points and flow naturally to maintain authenticity and flexibility during the presentation.

Should I use slides during the opening of my presentation?

Using slides sparingly during the opening can enhance the message, but avoid overwhelming the audience with too much information early on.

How do I transition smoothly from the opening to the main content of my presentation?

Transition smoothly from the opening to the main content by providing a clear and concise outline of what’s to come, signaling the shift and maintaining a logical flow between topics.

Just as a captivating opening draws your audience in, creating a well-crafted presentation closing has the power to leave a lasting impression. Wrap up in style with these 10 ways to end a presentation .

Presenting virtually? Check out these tips on how to ace your next online presentation . 

Captivating your audience from the very beginning is crucial for a successful presentation. The first few moments of your talk can set the tone and determine whether your audience remains engaged throughout or loses interest. 

Start with a compelling opening that grabs their attention. You can use a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic or a powerful quote to pique their curiosity. Alternatively, storytelling can be a potent tool to draw them into your narrative. It’s essential to establish a personal connection early on, whether by sharing a relatable experience or expressing empathy towards their needs and interests.

Lastly, be mindful of your body language and vocal delivery. A confident and engaging speaker can captivate an audience, so make eye contact, use appropriate gestures and vary your tone to convey passion and sincerity.

In conclusion, captivating your audience from the very beginning requires thoughtful preparation, engaging content and a confident delivery. With Venngage’s customizable templates, you can adapt your presentation to suit the preferences and interests of your specific audience, ensuring maximum engagement. Go on and get started today!

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

How to Give a Killer Presentation – Lessons from TED

On the Harvard Business Review website presenters can find a true gem:  Lessons from Chris Anderson , curator of the TED conference series. While it was originally published in the magazine in 2013, I find this timeless insight for anybody who wants to improve presentation skills.

Chris starts out with a story to demonstrate that  giving a good talk is highly coachable.

He recalls meeting Richard Turere, a 12-year old Masai boy, who came up with a solution to one of the biggest challenges livestock farmers in Kenya face: protecting their animals from lions and other wild animals. He devised a system of lights that created a sense of movement that scared off lions at night. The lights worked as imagined by Richard and soon villagers in other part of Kenya started installing Richard’s “lion lights”.

This is the kind of inspiring story that is perfect for a  TED Talk . The only problem: Richard seemed not an ideal candidate to give a presentation to a large audience used to listening to polished speakers like Bill Gates and Al Gore. Richard was painfully shy and when he tried to explain his invention, the sentences came out incoherently. Despite of this, Chris invited Richard to tell his story at at the 2013 TED conference.

In the months prior to his presentation, the team at TED coached Richard to frame his story – to find the right place to begin, and to develop the story into a killer presentation.

Chris Anderson writes in the HBR article, “When he finally gave his talk at TED, in Long Beach, you could tell he was nervous, but that only made him more engaging — people were hanging on his every word. The confidence was there, and every time Richard smiled, the audience melted. When he finished, the response was instantaneous: a sustained standing ovation.”

So how does the TED team coach their presenters to frame, practice, and deliver their stories? The process to create a killer presentation starts six to nine months before the event. That’s right!

A real killer presentation requires lots of planning, devising, rehearsing, and lots of fine tuning along the way.  The actual task of transforming a presentation from muddled to mesmerizing is a matter of hours…spread over a longer period of time.

How to Give a Killer Presentation Anywhere – Not Only at TED

Frame your story.

We all have good stories to tell. The most vital part of making your story compelling is to conceptualize it and put it in a frame that people want to hear.

Think about taking your audience on a journey. As with any journey, how you start it and where you finish it is vital to the entire experience.  The most engaging speakers quickly introduce the topic, explain why they care so deeply about it, and convince the audience members that they should as well.

Don’t cram everything you know into your presentation. Instead, use a few specific examples to highlight your ideas. Your presentation won’t be rated by how broad it is, but rather by how deep you can involve your listener into a few well explained details about the problem you are solving.

Plan Your Delivery

There are three main ways to give a talk. You can read it off a script or teleprompter. You can develop a set of bullet points that map out what you’re going to cover in each section. Or you can memorize your talk to deliver it word for word as you have practiced it.

Of course, the last method is the most time consuming during your preparation. It will require hours of rehearsing. Memorizing your talk, however, is also the most effective once you are in front of your audience. It is the one the TED team recommends to their presenters for a good reason: many of their best and most popular talks have been memorized word for word.

What if you don’t have the time or the presentation is not as significant as a TED Talk with 1,400 people in the audience and millions behind their computer screens? Go with bullet points on flash cards. As long as you know what you want to say to each point and transition well from section to section, you’ll be fine.

Another point Chris makes in the HBR article is to sound natural. Present your information and story in a conversational tone. Don’t orate, don’t lecture. Be as natural as if you would talk to a group of your friends.

Develop Stage Presence

Just the thought of standing in front of an audience can be extremely frightening. To take off some of this edge, always remember that your words, story, and substance is much more important to the audience than the way you stand or if you are visibly nervous.

Richard seems quite nervous in his presentation about the “lion lights”, but people in the audience didn’t care at all about that. In fact,  he built better rapport because the audience members could identify with this nervousness.  Furthermore, they sensed that he is confident talking about his experience and story. That’s one of the reasons his talk was receiving such a positive feedback.

One of the biggest mistakes the TED team sees in early rehearsals is that people move their bodies too much. They sway from side to side or shift their weight from one leg to the other. They coach their presenters to keep their lower bodies motionless, which can dramatically improve stage presence. Although there are some presenters that are able to walk around the stage during their presentation (the late Steve Jobs was very natural doing it), the majority of presenters is better off standing still and relying on hand gestures and facial expressions.

The one aspect that will do most for your successful presentation is eye contact.   Pick a few audience members and imagine them as friends you haven’t seen in a while.  Make solid eye contact with them while you update them on your work.

Plan the Multimedia

You probably have heard the advice about PowerPoint (or similar presentation software): Keep it Simple!   Don’t use your presentation deck as a crutch, as a substitute for notes. And never, ever read from your slides.  It will only make the audience think that they could do that themselves in the comfort of their home or office. Instead, use powerful images that visualize the key points of your presentation.

In Richard’s presentation about his “lion lights” there are no text slides. They are not needed. There are, however, many photographs that engage the audience to take a short journey into Richard’s world.

Putting it Together

The TED team starts helping their presenters at least six months in advance so that they’ll have plenty of time to practice. They want people’s talks in final form one month prior to the event. Why? The more practice the presenters can put in during the final weeks, the more compelling the presentation will be.

The most important thing to keep in mind though is that  presentations rise and fall on the quality of ideas, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker.  It’s about substance, not speaking style or multimedia pyrotechnics. If you have something to say, you can build a great talk.

Remember, there is no one good way to give a killer presentation. The most memorable talks offer something fresh, engaging, and relevant.

Read the full article on the Harvard Business Review website.

Get instant access to my newsletter where I share my best presentation tips.

100% Privacy. No Spam.

More Presentation Tips

10 Key Takeaways from a Shark Tank Success Story

Learn from Haley McClain Hill’s Shark Tank success story what it takes to prepare for Shark Tank — and secure a deal!

Enter the Spotlight with PowerPoint Cameo

PowerPoint Cameo is a hidden gem, a powerful feature that allows you to seamlessly integrate your live video feed into your presentation slides.

ChatGPT Voice – A Translator in Your Pocket

For anyone who has ever wished for a universal translator à la ‘Star Trek’ – our sci-fi dreams are coming closer to reality, thanks to ChatGPT Voice.

Latest PitchZone Episode

Related posts.

Create Beautiful PowerPoint Slides with ChatGPT and VBA

Here’s a quick tip to boost your productivity by letting ChatGPT and VBA do the heavy lifting when creating PowerPoint slide decks.

Where to Start when Creating an Investor Pitch

Creating an investor pitch can be quite a challenge. So it’s tempting to use a pitch deck template. But there is a better way…

Copyright 2024 © All rights Reserved.

Privacy policy.

How to Give a Killer Presentation: 18 Top Tips

People attend presentations to learn and gain useful insight. But way too often, we see the audience yawn, scroll on their phones or check their watch, wishing that the time would go faster.

Is it that the content of the presentation isn’t interesting enough, or that the speaker doesn’t know how to engage the audience?

Whatever the reason, delivering an engaging presentation is an art that takes some time to master.

Based on my own experience from the stage, and from observing other speakers at industry-leading conferences, I’ve collected these 18 top tips. May they help you give a presentation that will wow your audience:

• Plan your storyline
• Use the rule of three
• Simplify your slides
• Include numbers
• Use the power of visuals
• Practice relentlessly
• Greet the audience in their local language
• Break the ice at the start
• Engage your audience with live polls
• Move around the stage and make gestures
• Smile and make eye contact
• Consider using props
• Go among the audience
• Give rewards for participation
• Prompt a discussion in the audience
• Build in time for Q&A
• Crowdsource questions from the audience
• Gather feedback

1. Plan your storyline

A powerful story can make your whole presentation. Take TED talks, for instance. They’re all based on captivating stories that support the main argument or line of thought of each speech.

Give your presentation a concept. Use a classic narrative structure, from a gripping outset to an impressive end. A presentation designer Nancy Duarte advises presenters to spend twice as much time on framing the storyline than creating the actual slides.

Also, don’t forget to add emotional details and power words. These will make your audience feel much more connected to you. People will eventually forget your slides and your presentation, but they will not forget how you made them feel.

2. Use the rule of three

People can usually remember only three main points from presentations, so take advantage of this psychological phenomenon.

While creating your storyline, think of three key messages that you want your audience to walk out of the room with. To make these three key points stick, you need to make them short, memorable and attention-grabbing.

On the other hand, if your presentation revolves around one main argument, make use of the Aristotelian “triptych” method: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.” In a nutshell, you should properly introduce the point you will be making, then make your point, and then wrap up with summarizing the main point.

3. Simplify your slides

No matter how rich in content your slides are, if they’re too crowded, nobody is going to read them. Too much text on slides actually takes your audience’s attention away from your presentation, which hinders the learning process.

Make your slides as simple as possible and try to present only one idea per slide. Sometimes, one powerful sentence, a number, or even one word, can say more than a slide full of bullet points.

4. Include numbers

When used sensibly, numbers can strengthen your point and back up your arguments. To make data easy for your audience to digest, you need to make it specific, relevant and contextual.

When Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod , he did not emphasize its 5GB storage and 185g weight. Instead, he repeatedly said that it could hold 1,000 songs and physically manifested that he could fit it into his pocket. This number was easy for the audience to remember, and called even more attention to its tiny size.

5. Use the power of visuals

Videos or images not only engage the audience but also help to evoke emotions that are otherwise super difficult for speakers to elicit by themselves.

Make sure that the visuals you use support the main point of your presentation, or demonstrate what you’re talking about. This works very well in the creative industry, where visual aids are often necessary to complement the main content.

However, if you’re going to use video, be cautious. A too lengthy or unengaging video may put people to sleep rather than keep them attentive.

6. Practice relentlessly

Attending a presentation where the speaker keeps looking down at his notes is painful so don’t underestimate this point. For instance, Winston Churchill rehearsed for hours, even days, to deliver a 10-minute long speech.

Memorize your presentation flow by heart if need be. Do it to the extent that you won’t need the notes.

During your rehearsals, use a video camera to record yourself in order to see where you stutter, where you seem nervous and how you work with your body language. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to give you feedback.

Tim Ferris , the author of The 4-Hour Workweek, follows a Spartan’s preparation for his public speeches. He splits his presentation into several segments and he goes through each one of them up to ten times.

7. Greet your audience in their local language

As a speaker, you often find yourself addressing an international audience, whether it is at a big conference or an internal company meeting joined by remote teams.

Greeting international participants in their local language gives a nice personal touch to the offset of your presentation. It helps you create a connection and the feeling of intimacy with the people sitting before you.

I always memorize how to say “Hello” and “How are you?” in the local language, and use them as soon as I come onstage. You can even take it a step further and adjust your presentation ad hoc to the audience, by making local references.

For example, Google’s Digital Marketing Evangelist, Avinash Kaushik , started his talk at the Marketing festival by showing pictures from his tour around the hosting city of Brno, Czech Republic. Moreover, he used the Czech websites that the audience was closely familiar with, instead of international ones, to get his point across.

8. Break the ice at the start

Hook your audience right off the bat. Using an effective icebreaker will help you set the stage and energize your attendees.

Here’s an inspiration for you: At the 2018 World Education Congress (WEC) , I asked people to close their eyes and think of a presentation session that had recently impressed them. After 30 seconds, I invited them to share their dream session with their neighbor and describe it using one word, before submitting it to a Slido word cloud poll.

Next, I asked them to picture the usual experience of attending a presentation and describe it again, using a single word. Seeing the differences in the two consequent word cloud polls was very thought-provoking and sparked up a discussion among the attendees.

Other than using technology, you can liven up your audience with a classic show of hands or other brisk icebreaking activities , such as rock, paper, scissors or live barometer.

Related story: The Complete List of 200 Icebreaker Questions and Tips On How to Use Them

9. Engage your audience with live polls

Once you win your audience over, keep up the pace by creating enough interaction points throughout your presentation.

Live polling is your best bet here. When smartly used, live polls will keep your attendees engaged during the whole length of your presentation. They also help you to effectively collect your audience’s insights, which you can then showcase on screen. This multiplies the learning element of your presentation.

In general, I follow the human attention span and use a poll every 8-10 minutes, which is 5-6 polls for a 60-minute talk, maximum.

To give you an example, during the latest webinar I led, I asked the participants a simple rating poll: “How would you rate interaction in the classroom today?”

The results set a good ground for the main argument I was going to make about insufficient interactivity in education, and really helped me make my point.

On top of that, this strategy allows me to break the long content deliveries into more digestible chunks, regain the audience’s attention, and ignite conversations based on the results.

The last point is particularly important. Live polls make sense only when you facilitate their use. So make sure to always follow up on the results, share your thoughts on them, or get the audience to share why they voted the way they did.

Related story: The Complete Guide: How to Use and Facilitate Slido Polls in Your Presentation

10. Move around the stage and make gestures

If you stand rigidly in one spot or behind a speaker’s stand, you will only appear unconfident and nervous. Think of yourself as an actor on stage, and your presentation as your performance. Use open, big gestures, point in the direction of the audience, or slowly walk about the stage. 

At this year’s Festival of Marketing , Mark Ritson – who was opening the event – reminded me of the importance of using body language. He kept pacing the stage in a natural way and was gesturing throughout the entire length of his speech. It was definitely one of the most engaging sessions I’ve attended this year.

11. Smile and make eye contact

The way you communicate with your audience through your facial expressions makes a huge difference. So don’t look down at your notes, don’t look at your slides, but keep your eyes set on your audience.

Lisa Wentz, a public speaking expert, advises to pick 3 people in the audience that you like, each one at a different corner of the auditorium, and make eye contact with them throughout your presentation. However, avoid staring at one person for too long. Use the selected people only as navigation points that will help you scan the room.

12. Consider using props

Demonstrating the point with the use of props is a powerful way to help the attendees visualize what is being described verbally. Showing a prop at the right moment can help you catch your audience’s attention and enforce your story.

Neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor brought a real human brain on stage during her emotional TED talk to explain what had happened to her when she had a stroke. She touched the audience with this demonstration and left them in complete awe.

13. Go among the audience

Asking people questions may feel impersonal if you stand onstage. On top of that, large auditoriums often make it difficult to create intimacy with your audience.

Draw inspiration from rock singers here and “jump” off the stage. Going among the audience will help you build a stronger bond with them and your presentation will feel more personal.

This approach is invaluable if you hope to collect impromptu answers after you have asked your question. Move slowly around the room, and when someone shuffles or raises a hand, approach them with a mic and elicit an answer.

When another hand shoots up, move to that corner of the room, and so on. The point here is to be as close to your audience as possible.

If possible, check the room advance to get used to the space arrangements. This will help you move around more naturally and with more confidence.

14. Give rewards for participation

Despite all your efforts, the audience might need a bit of a nudge. Giving out small rewards can bring another interactive element to your presentation. You can go with the event merchandise or small treats, like chocolates and candy.

For example, at the Eventex conference , one of the speakers, Victor Neyndorff , encouraged people to share their thoughts by handing out chocolate from the Netherlands, his home country.

To give you another idea, at the Jam London conference , the organizers decided to give away books to those attendees who were the most active in asking questions via Slido. This really helped incentivize the audience to participate and improved the dialogue in the room.

15. Prompt a discussion in the audience

You can give audience engagement another spin by giving your attendees an activity that they can participate in.

For example, you can present a statement for the participants to discuss, or give them a task to solve in groups. Where appropriate, walk around the room, join the conversations, and encourage people to talk to each other.

At the Conventa Crossover conference in Slovenia, moderator Jan-Jaap In der Maur put people in small groups and asked them to share the technological trends that they believed will have the biggest impact on the industry in the near future.

Then he collected a few comments from the floor to open a discussion with the whole room.

Simple. Engaging. Useful.

If facilitated properly, activities like these can work equally well with an audience of 20 people as they can with 2,000.

Related story: 5 Essential Pieces of The Audience Engagement Puzzle

16. Build in time for the Q&A

Even if you incorporate interactive elements to your presentation, your audience will surely have additional questions.

For that reason, don’t be scared to allocate as much as 10-20 minutes to the Q&A, depending on the length of your presentation slot.

After I finish my talk, instead of asking, “Are there any questions?” (which typically leads to silence), I like to ask, “What are your questions?”, or say, “Now, let’s get to your questions.” In case I don’t get an instant reaction from the audience, I get off the stage and walk among the audience to encourage the discussion.

In rare moments when no questions come up, I kick off the Q&A by saying: “What people usually ask me is…” and then give an answer. In 9/10 times, the discussion catches on.

17. Crowdsource questions from the audience

Lack of audience questions doesn’t necessarily mean that your audience doesn’t have questions. They may just be uncomfortable with speaking up in public.

Live Q&A tools like Slido allow you to effortlessly crowdsource questions from your audience throughout your presentation via an app. 

Compared to passing the mic amongst the people in the audience, you will give everyone an equal chance to ask questions, regardless of their level of shyness.

If you’re using a Q&A app, it’s important that you introduce and facilitate it properly. I often say something like: “Take a minute and think about what you’ve just heard. Come up with a question that you have, and submit it to Slido.” It works every single time.

Then, just take a look at the screen, or a confidence monitor, and address the questions that have the most upvotes.

If you display the crowdsourced questions on the screen, read each question out loud when addressing it. It will help your audience – even the ones sitting at the back – to know which question you are answering. 

Extra tip: Sometimes, you get way more questions from your audience than you can answer during your time-limited Q&A slot. Don’t leave them hanging in the air. Here you’ll find 5 tips on what to do with unanswered questions after your Q&A .

18. Gather feedback

Feedback is priceless for improving your presentation skills. There’s never enough of it. You can collect feedback easily via Slido feedback survey . Combine rating polls for quick assessment and open text polls to give your participants space for more in-depth comments.

Your feedback survey could look something like this:

• How would you rate this presentation? (rating poll)
• What is your main takeaway from this session? (open text poll)
• What would you improve? (open text poll)

To boost the response rate, make sure that you ask your attendees to fill out the survey while they’re still in the room.

With the tips I’ve listed above, you’ll be able to turn your presentation or lecture from a one-way content broadcast into an exciting conversation between you and your attendees.

Engage your attendees with Slido live Q&A and polls.

Try Slido now

Get just a single email per month with our best articles.

Presentations

5 ways to use slido in google slides.

In this article, you’ll find examples of poll questions and quizzes that you can create with Slido and use in...

7 Interactive Poll Ideas for Your Next PowerPoint Presentation

Looking for new ways to make your PowerPoint presentation more interactive? Try live polls. With polls, you can collect non-verbal...

How to Give an Interactive PowerPoint Presentation in 2023

Presenting online is tough, yes. You can’t really connect with your audience. You often don’t even know whether those mute...

Brought to you by:

How to Give a Killer Presentation

By: Chris Anderson

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED's curator, shares five keys to great presentations: Frame…

• Length: 3676 word count
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2013
• Discipline: General Management
• Product #: R1306K-PDF-ENG

What's included:

• Educator Copy

$4.50 per student

degree granting course

$7.95 per student

non-degree granting course

Get access to this material, plus much more with a free Educator Account:

• Access to world-famous HBS cases
• Up to 60% off materials for your students
• Resources for teaching online
• Tips and reviews from other Educators

Already registered? Sign in

• Student Registration
• Non-Academic Registration
• Included Materials

Lessons from TED

Jun 1, 2013

Discipline:

General Management

Harvard Business Review Digital Article

R1306K-PDF-ENG

3676 word count

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience, including personalizing content. Learn More . By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .

How to Introduce Yourself in a Presentation: Guide to a Killer Opener

Hrideep barot.

• Body Language & Delivery , Speech Writing

Not sure how to introduce yourself in a presentation? Hang on till the end of this article.

Giving a presentation can be unnerving. And introducing yourself can be nerve-wracking.

But, without a fitting introduction, you would just be hitting the dart in a dark room.

The usual “Good Morning! I’m Neil, and I work as a Designer at…” is boring and doesn’t cut the ice anymore.

So, how to Introduce yourself in a presentation or start with a killer opener?

Introducing yourself in a presentation is pitching yourself to the audience so they stick around for the rest of your talk. Include your background, your unique trait, and who you are while sticking to the context in the first 30-60 seconds of your introduction.

Your introduction should be effective and have an interesting hook. You’ve got to nail your introduction in one shot.

A make or break moment indeed.

But, fret not! We’ve outlined what to say before starting a presentation to help get your next presentation right.

Occasions Where you Might Have to Introduce Yourself in a Presentation

Here is what to say to start a presentation on some of the occasions where you would have to introduce yourself before the presentation.

Though the principle focus will be about yourself, tweaking your intro to the context and the place is essential.

The self-introduction should be compelling enough to woo your audience to sit for the next couple of minutes.

1.How to Introduce Yourself in a Business Environment

Introducing yourself in your workplace can be rather common. But, it’s during business meetings and conferences where you need to stand out.

Every time you meet senior managers, introducing yourself with your name and job title doesn’t grab eyeballs anymore.

However, taking the first step matters. Here are certain scenarios where you might be called upon to introduce yourself in your workplace.

How to Introduce Yourself in an Interview Presentation

The “Tell me about yourself” in interviews is intimidating. If you’ve found alibi’s to every presentation in your school and college, it doesn’t work here anymore.

Prepare a short introduction about yourself and be interview-ready. Anytime someone hits you up with that question, you need to be able to answer it with the snap of a finger.

Here is an example of a self-intro during an interview.

“As a skilled designer, with two years of freelance experience, I’ve worked for clients with diverse needs. I’ve also designed brochures, magazines, logo , and packaging materials for my friend’s company. I’m confident that I can leverage my skills and bring in the best for your brand.

How to Introduce Yourself and Your Team in a presentation

Business meetings can be boring. But there are times where you might have to introduce yourself to a new co-worker or a senior leader.

As a team leader yourself, you might have to introduce yourself and your team to present on the performance of the company the previous month.

Presentation introduction ideas if you’re a marketing executive can be,

An increased conversion of 130%, that’s what our marketing team achieved last quarter making our campaign a massive success. The soldiers who made this possible are Ryan, who made sure the User Experience on our website was flawless. Sean who ensured seamless technical functioning, and Abby who is responsible for all the copies on our major assets. I’m John, who heads the marketing team and we want to take you through all the activities we actioned, the metrics we achieved, and the lessons we learned from our recent efforts.

In case you are giving a group presentation , you can check out this video to see how you can introduce different members of your group for seamless transitioning:

How to Introduce Yourself in a Conference Presentation

In a conference presentation, you’re expected to be a little formal. While you can adhere to that school of thought, don’t forget to story tell. That’s what hooks an audience! Here is an example of how to introduce yourself in a business conference:

“Today, I’m going to share a story of how someone with zero marketing skills and training made it to the top by creating massive revenue streams through online campaigns and paid advertising in just 6 months. If you’re passionate about digital marketing, this is for you. Stay tuned till the end for better insights.

If you’re presenting at a business conference, take a look at these 11 tips for presenting at a conference by Brian Campbell.

How to Introduce Yourself in a Business Pitch Presentation

Now, this is for entrepreneurs who are starting out. If you need investors to fund your start-up, you need to have a solid pitch.

 Let’s say, your product is AI-driven that alerts drivers who doze off while driving.

Talk about the benefits of it in a single sentence and highlight the downsides of dozing off while driving with stats and figures.

Check out this Crucial Public Speaking Tips for Startup Founders written by us that’ll help you nail your pitch.

Also, have a look at this video below. In this, Josh Light introduces himself in just two simple sentences and moves on to talk about his start-up. It is simple yet effective.

How to Introduce Yourself in Client Presentation

If you’re a freelancer, talking to clients can be a daunting task.

Let’s say you’re an engineer turned copywriter. That’s an interesting combo out there, and if you put it out in a way you write your copy, it would benefit you to a whole another level.

“I’m an experienced travel copywriter and I’ve written ad copies, sales pages, newsletters, landing pages for some of the top travel brands. I have over 5 years of expertise in this niche. One of my landing page copy at XYZ converted 50% of eyeballs into leads thus scaling up revenue drastically and I’m here to do the same if you see me fit after this call.”

2 . How to Introduce Yourself in a Presentation as a Student

Are you that kid/student who always shied away from giving presentations? Did you always come up with excuses and ended up giving barely one or two presentations your whole school life?

Yes? Well, it’s time to come out of your cocoon as it won’t work out that way in college or at work.

Whether it’s a small project presentation or giving a speech in your English class, here is how you can introduce yourself as a student.

How to Introduce Yourself in a Seminar Presentation

We’ve all been there. Hundreds of projects and assignments, be it school or college.

And that’s where you have to introduce yourself before jumping into your project. No matter how good your project, a solid introduction can put you ahead of the game.

“ As a tech enthusiast myself, I was intrigued by blockchain technology for a long time and today I have my project built using that very technology. I’m so excited to share with you all the working of this model and its benefits. Let’s jump right in.

It’s pretty easy and to-the-point. You need to be self-confident while saying those two lines and try to avoid fillers.

3. How to Introduce Yourself as a Trainer

As a trainer or teacher, your audience may be high-school students, undergrads, or even professionals.

Depending on the setting and the audience, you can craft your intro effectively and be of interest to the listeners.

How to Introduce Yourself to Students

As a teacher in a new school or college, introducing yourself is obligatory.

You can go about it this way if you’re a Moral Science teacher or Counselor:

“Hi everyone! I’m Alexandra. Call me Alex for short. We are going to have loads of fun for the next couple of months as I will be handling your Moral Science classes from today. If you are stuck in a dilemma or facing challenges, you can talk to me personally anytime and I’ll help you find a way out.

How to Introduce Yourself in a Workshop

Workshops are where you learn about a subject.  What if you’re the one who is conducting the workshop or needs to fill in for your friend for a couple of minutes, you need to introduce yourself.

 If you’re an Economics Graduate who is conducting a Calligraphy workshop, your presentation starting words can be something like,

  “Back when I was a kid, I used to scribble down letters I saw on posters and fell in love with the notion of lettering and calligraphy. I wanted to get into design, but I thought it was a fleeting moment and took Economics. Little did I know how much it meant to me. I finally figured what to do in life, and here I’m helping and teaching you to do what you love after years of learning and unlearning.”

How to Introduce Yourself in Training Sessions

Whether you’re a corporate trainer or getting into training students after years of experience, introducing yourself never gets old.

You can emphasize your past experiences in the form of a story or start with how it was when you worked with one of the top clients in the industry.

Below is an example to give you a precise picture.

“How excited are you to get your first gig? I’ve been a freelance writer for over a decade now. And freelancing is one of the best jobs as it gives you financial freedom and lets you work from the comforts of your couch or at your favorite café. So, I’m here to teach you to do the exact same thing and help you find your passion.”

5 . How to Introduce Yourself in a Video Presentation

Virtual presentations are a thing right now. If you’re a camera conscious person, you might have a hard time giving a presentation.

Dressing well and looking at the camera and not the screen can help present better. And always, look into the camera and not the screen when it comes to virtual presentations.

No matter how tensed you are, do not reflect it on your face. Have a bottle of water beside you to buy time and calm your nerves.

Here are two possible situations where you might have to introduce yourself virtually. 

How to Introduce Yourself in Webinars

Webinars are ever-increasing and if your introduction is not crisp and strong enough, building an online presence can be challenging.

Here is how you can introduce yourself in a webinar:

“ Hi, guys and welcome to this long-awaited session. How excited are you all? I know I am! We’re live and will be having John in a while. I’m so thrilled to see hundreds of you all attending this webinar live. It’s going to be a great session. I’m Patrick and the head of Marketing at XYZ. We started this webinar series two months ago and received phenomenal feedback from you all. And that’s why we’re back again with another one. Thank you and welcome again! Hope you find this session valuable.”

How to Introduce Yourself in a Virtual Presentation

Now, this is for freshers whose onboarding is going virtual. Whether it’s training sessions, virtual presentations, or virtual meetings, you are asked to introduce yourself to every manager and executive multiple times in a day.

Hey everyone! I’ve always loved meeting new people and though this is virtual now, just so thrilled to see you all on screen. If you see a new face popping on your screen during meetings and conferences, that’s me, John the new joinee. Can’t wait to meet you all in-person. Excited to jump-start my career here.

You can also check out this video we made to know certain ninja hacks to engage a virtual audience:

Related Article: All You Need To Know About Presenting Remotely

How to Structure an Intro – How to Start and End

• Add a Compelling Hook

You can begin your speech with a fact or a question to pique curiosity of your audience.

• A Brief Overview about Yourself

In those initial few seconds, greet the audience and talk about your strength or any unique trait in a word or two.

You can mention your achievements or contributions before talking about your background.

• A Quick history or Timeline of your Career/Education

In any context, a brief background or history about yourself should be talked about to let your audience know a little more about you.

It helps them gain trust and reliability.

• Smooth transition to the main topic

You shouldn’t abruptly move to the heart of your speech post introduction. There should be a subtle transition to make it effective.

Here is a presentation introduction example,

“Would you believe if I told you that you could reach 15k+ people on LinkedIn in just 30 days? No? Stick around for the next 7 minutes as I’m going to teach you all about it so you can get started as a rookie with zero connections.” Hi everyone! I’m XYZ – a Linked Growth Hacker. I’ve been helping businesses grow and build a strong personal brand for five years now. If you’re wondering how to generate leads on LinkedIn, take note of the pointers I’ll be sharing with you today.”

Magic ingredients to Introduce Yourself in a Presentation

You’ve got to nail your introduction no matter where you give the presentation.

You need to learn the art of introducing yourself because that’s the one thing you’ll be asked everywhere when you meet new people.

Introducing yourself is like marketing yourself. A stellar introduction can make a difference.

Here are some surefire ways to stand out in a crowd with your introduction.

With practice, your self-introduction will improve over time if you follow these tips. 

1 . Brevity is Key

We all know this by now. No matter how many years of experience you have or how much you’ve contributed to the team, your introduction should be short yet powerful.

With an impressive introduction about yourself, your audience will be keen on listening to you more. 

2 . Talk about Your Contribution

Instead of starting with your name and your job title, craft a story about the time you have to strive hard to achieve a goal be it personal or professional.

Speak about your contribution subtly without coming off as someone narcissistic. Unfold the little moments and share them with the audience.

Ensure it is related to your speech. Don’t go off course.  

3 . Understand Where You Are

The place where you present matters though it is about you. You need to research about the people, the place and craft an introduction aligning with it.

Keep it relatable. Get the audience to be on track with you. Keep your message clear and introduce it in a way it is memorable. 

4. Be as Real as Possible

Since you are introducing yourself, be as real as possible.

No, you don’t have to be extremely personal, but you can keep it minimal and include a common ground so that the audience can resonate with you.

5. A Smooth Transition is Essential

Transitioning from your intro to the main speech needs to be done right to keep the flow going.

Craft an intro and shift to the main topic without a pause after the introduction.

6. Create a Hook

Creating a hook is essential no matter the setting you’re introducing yourself in.

You need to grab the attention of the audience with your first sentence. You can quickly introduce yourself in a few sentences without taking much time.

Begin with a question or an interesting fact to hook the listeners every time you introduce yourself.

Want some inspiration? Here is a very practical video we have made on different opening lines from some of the most powerful speeches. Hopefully, it will get your creative juices flowing for what your hook should be:

Level up your public speaking in 15 minutes!

Get the exclusive Masterclass video delivered to your inbox to see immediate speaking results.

The Masterclass video is on its way to your inbox.

Concluding Thoughts

Introducing yourself in a presentation can be stressful. You won’t get it right on your first. Nope. Not on your third attempt.

Heck! Not even on your sixth introduction too.

But, here’s the thing.

You need to keep sailing and believe in yourself. That’s what can make you better.

If you want to evolve as an individual, learning how to introduce yourself can immensely contribute to your professional and personal growth.

Push your boundaries and cross your personal threshold. You will get there one day. And introducing yourself will no longer be a daunting task.

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

7 Keys to Emcee Like a Pro: Unlock Your Hosting Potential

8 Ways to Rise Above the Noise to Communicate Better

How to Negotiate: The Art of Getting What You Want

• [email protected]
• +91 98203 57888

Get our latest tips and tricks in your inbox always

Copyright © 2023 Frantically Speaking All rights reserved

Kindly drop your contact details so that we can arrange call back

Select Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria AmericanSamoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Rwanda Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Wallis and Futuna Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe land Islands Antarctica Bolivia, Plurinational State of Brunei Darussalam Cocos (Keeling) Islands Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cote d'Ivoire Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Guernsey Holy See (Vatican City State) Hong Kong Iran, Islamic Republic of Isle of Man Jersey Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Lao People's Democratic Republic Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Mozambique Palestinian Territory, Occupied Pitcairn Réunion Russia Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sao Tome and Principe Somalia Svalbard and Jan Mayen Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tanzania, United Republic of Timor-Leste Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S.

Ace the Presentation

Designing a Killer Presentation in 8 Steps

Planning and performing a presentation that meets expectations and involves the public requires a lot of care. The details involved in holding a talk will be super important to ensure her success and approval from those who participated.

Therefore, we have prepared a post with a few crucial steps that you should follow to organize a quality talk; these are simple and easy steps to put into practice that will ensure the success of your presentation. Enjoy!

What is a Presentation?

A presentation is a form of communication that aims to show the content of a given topic before an audience. Unlike many other methods, such as writing or audiovisual, the presentation offers information to an audience in the form of speeches, although multimedia tools often accompany it.

1. The relevant content;

2. Attractive design; 

How to Design a Presentation?

There are 4 Key things to a well designed presentation: always keep in mind the message, get to know the audience, plan for a delivery that will share the message in the best way possible, so that the audience buys the idea, and spend time making the simplest yet clear and interesting to look at slides.

• Define the purpose of the presentation

Knowing the goal you want to achieve is the first step in organizing a presentation; the more targeted this goal is, the greater the chances of successful delivery. Remember that it is the goal that will be the basis of all planning, from the definition of the target audience to the presentation of content.

Think about the topic you want to address and study the best way to do it. Will a more in-depth approach be offered, with more recent and specific information? Or is it a new theme or responsive to the public that deserves a lighter approach?

Also, when setting the goal of your talk, don’t forget to take into account the “wins” or “added value” you intend to offer to attendees. For example, will they improve the quality of life, or will they earn more money with the content presented? It is by planning these “wins” that will motivate the public to engage during the presentation and remember you long after you’re done.

• Define your target audience

With the goal in mind, it’s time to define the profile of the participants. Who will be your listener? Check your audience’s gender, age, level of education, interests, and preferences.

These are the different characteristics that will also help you define your talk’s presentation: topics that will be covered, tone of language, and technical level of content.

By having the target audience defined, you will understand how your listener speaks and know the best way to talk to them. What good is unique content if participants don’t see what you want to go through?

• and Meet them!

So, first of all, do the exercise to answer the following questions:

• What problems and needs does my persona have about the subject?
• What are your worldview and your expectations on the subject?
• How valuable is my presentation to them?
• What solution can I offer through my presentation?

Be careful with the language

From the moment you have the definition of an expected audience, it is easier to pay attention to the ideal language for these listeners. For example, it’s very different to give a motivational talk about entrepreneurship to young people and a group of senior entrepreneurs.

Each of these audiences requires not only different language tones but also different forms of approach.

For example, using a meme can yield interest, engagement, and a more significant impact on a group of young people. At the same time, this strategy may not work with a more formal group from another generation.

• Think of the resources needed

Don’t just consider audiovisual resources when organizing a presentation. It is clear that audio and video equipment is paramount to the display, but a speech goes far beyond that. Evaluate whether you’ll be offering notebooks and pens, for example, or a coffee break for attendees.

• Outline the content and order of the presentation

This is the moment when you will punctuate the content of each part of the presentation: a) introduction, b) development, and c) conclusion. If you’re going to use slides, it’s time to score the content of each screen. With the topics of your presentation script set, it’s time to assemble it.

Also, it might be interesting to put a phrase in each to define its content on the use of slides. In this sense, it is necessary to go beyond simple Bullet points.

It is necessary to point out the theme of that slide and talk deeply about the content. Don’t worry about the number of words or information yet.

As you revise the text and control the time, the excesses will naturally be cut.

• Make storytelling your ally.

In practice, it is up to you to find a narrative that can convey the message you want to convey, the one you set your goals on, remember? You can create a character, tell a personal story , fight a battle or even appeal to the drama depending on who you’re presenting to and where you’re going with it. Use your imagination but remember the story has to be related to the content!

We have a great article that goes more in depth about how to master the art of storytelling and how to use it during your presentation, to get higher engagement and feedback from the audience.

• Read your presentation out loud.

Part of the job of building a good presentation script is rehearsing it. What is the point of having everything well structured but without checking if it works during the presentation? 

Reading aloud is a great way to make your speech sound more and more natural. The loud voice also allows you to notice at which points your speech is hesitant.

Do this as many times as necessary. Repeat, analyze, and point out your mistakes and hits; the training will make you more confident and sharpen your presentation script more and more.

• Be aware of the time you will spend

This tip ensures that your presentation is not cut before you reach the goals that guided all your work; remember the content you outlined? This is the time when you will need to cut through the excesses. 

With the readings out loud, you’ll get a better sense of the time you’re taking to complete the ideas. The goal is to be able to fit it into the time available for your speech.

There’s a good chance that getting too excited about the speech, or nervous, can lead to failure in managing time during your presentation. Let all your rehearsals give you a good sense of how much each slide might take, and stick to that.

Presenting your Content to the Audience

Once your presentation is prepared with all the previous points in mind, it is time to face another situation: presenting your content before an audience.

• Speak with clarity and objectivity

Internalize this mantra from anyone who needs to convey an idea: clarity and objectivity are the best ways to get your message across. People who speak too fast or who are prolific end up losing the interest of the public.

 Your message gets lost in the middle of these details, and the talk ends up not reaching your goals.

Remember to speak slowly, even to give your audience time to process all the information, formulate doubts and understand the subject well. Also, train your diction to correctly pronounce words, especially technical terms and in a foreign language.

Don’t stand on one side of the stage or room while performing. This is the recipe for a tedious talk; instead, try to move around constantly as you speak. This sharpens the audience’s attention and stimulates them to maintain greater interest in what you are discussing.

• Set your gaze with the public

Speaking of interest, another exciting strategy to keep public engagement with you is the good old eye-to-eye. Don’t just choose one person to do this during the talk; try to make eye contact with all audience members.

• See them as equals to lessen nervousness.

It can be challenging to present to a more experienced or hierarchically superior audience, such as bosses and investors. These experiences are challenging in themselves, but what you can do to ease the nervousness is treat them as equals.

Remember that giving lectures is part of the routine of any successful person, regardless of the area. It is crucial to treat these people naturally and to forget the credentials in each one’s curriculum.

• Know how to deal with unforeseen events

Unforeseen things happen! From projectors that stop working to interruptions and unexpected questions. None of this is a reason for you to despair or forgets your presentation script.

Instead, learn to deal with the unforeseen naturally, as if they were opportunities for you to gain experience and professional maturity. Depending on the audience, play with the situation and try to recover the direction of the presentation.

• Reveal your personality

Are you outgoing, funny, quiet, or more technical? Go ahead, be yourself! Don’t let your nerves make you hide your true personality.

• Avoid reading

If you are accustomed to reading what is in the presentation, try to avoid this practice as much as possible so as not to lose contact with your audience and seem unsure about what it says.

This is why we recommend the use of highlighted images and keywords in the design of your presentation. Presentations are complementary tools, but you dominate the theme!

• Focus on the important

Sometimes we start talking and end up missing the course of history, right? It can’t happen in a presentation. If you want the public to remember your message, keep the gist of the matter.

Crucial Tips to Keep in Mind on the Before, During, and at the Day of the Presentation 

• but not for long so as not to overload it;
• Ask someone to listen to your speech before you go on stage;
• Try to arrive early, and this will help you feel confident with space;
• When you’re in front of the audience, and you’re still nervous, take a deep breath;
• Instead, focus on features like slides that have helped you stay firm in your message, you’ll see how, after a few minutes, you’re building confidence;
• Don’t be afraid to take a few seconds to think before you make the next point during your speech.

Designing a presentation requires time and perspective; when you figure out what message you want to share with the audience, exploring resources that are engaging according to the group you are presenting is crucial.

Check out some recommendations for additional learning below:

8 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO ACE ANY JOB INTERVIEW

The happiness when receiving a call marking the job interview gives rise to endless anxiety. After all, it’s only a few minutes to prove your worth, impress the recruiter and seize the opportunity. However, to do well at the job interview, you need to think about what you will say, how you will present yourself,…

TOP 7 Core Interpersonal Skills in Leadership

At any time, a leader is seen as one who guides one or more people to fulfill something stipulated; today, however, we understand that this journey comprises the achievement of results and the evolution, in some way, of all who participate in the process. Leaders are people with high power to inspire those around them,…

An Easy Guide to All 15 Types of Speech

Reference and Further Reading

9 Tips for Creating Great Slide Presentations. AcethePresentation.

How to Design a Presentation. 10 Essential Tips. Venngage.

How to make a presentation. Lucidpress.

Similar Posts

RHETORIC: Definition, Types of Rhetoric, 38 Rhetorical Devices and Examples

What Is Rhetoric?  Rhetoric is the art of persuading through argumentative discourse, whether in speaking or writing, using figures of speech and rhetorical devices.  Although rhetoric started in the judicial setting as a technique of defense in courts, and although it’s mostly academically discussed now and often made famous through formal, humanitarian, or political discourses,…

The Reason Why you Sweat When Presenting

Performing presentations are experiences that we need to have during our whole life, from primary school to work-life. We will have different subjects we need to study by ourselves or in a group, and sometimes anxiety can be uncontrollable.  In this article, we will let you know some of the reasons why people sweat when…

The Ultimate Guide to Public Speaking

Knowing how to communicate effectively is fundamental for both our personal and professional lives. Speaking in Public is challenging for many people, as some are timid and insecure, or simply require more experience in speaking in front of others. In this article, you will learn about the basics of public speaking, common speaking challenges that…

7 WAYS TO WIN AT FORENSIC SPEECH COMPETITIONS

WHAT IS A FORENSIC SPEECH? Forensic speech otherwise known as forensics is all about competitive public speaking and debate. The National Forensic League (NFL) in the USA organize these speech competitions with the aim of training. high school and college students to become excellent communicators. Public speaking and debate competitions have been held amongst high…

15 TED TALKS TO INSPIRE CAREER GROWTH

Are you looking for the job of your dreams, or do you want to get projects and plans off the ground? It is not news to anyone that it is possible to find several sources that help in the direction of these goals on the internet. Many TED talks are a good source of inspiration…

Smooth Transition in a Speech – 69 Transition Statements

There are times when you listen to a speech and you wonder, how does the speaker relate these two things, or if he jumped topics and you felt completely lost. Knowing how to make a smooth transition in a speech will help you as a speaker to keep your audience engaged and on topic. Any…

• Virtual + Live Programs
• TCL Program
• Member Benefits
• Resource Library
• Event Calendar
• 27 Competencies

How to Give a Killer Presentation

By Harvard Business Review

Lessons from TED by Chris Anderson, June 2013

9 Killer Speech Openers to Start a Talk or Presentation.​

Danny Riley 8 min read

What you’ll learn:

• The importance of a “killer” speech opening.
• 9 powerful speech openers and how to use them.
• Examples from great speakers you can learn from.

Great speech openers hook your audience.

“ Well begun is half done” – Mary Poppins.

A killer speech opener will make the difference between a presentation that makes you soar or your audience snore .

I’ve researched the whole web to find nine killer speech openers to make your audience lean in and listen rather than tune out and daydream.

You’ll see how masters of the craft have used them, and how you can too.

Number seven takes hutzpah to pull off. Ready for the whole list of killer speech openers?

The Shock Opener

One of the best ways to open your speech with a buzz is to startle or shock them.

You can shock an audience in many ways, but they all rest on the major senses of VAKS:

• Kinesthetic (touch) 

We don’t want your audience tasting your talk, but it should leave a good taste in their mouths.

Changing Minds suggests asking if the audience is awake after appearing from a flashbang and a cloud of smoke, and this might work for you if you’re a magician or playing some kind of character for your speech like a genie.

Suppose you aren’t going for the magic angle. 

In that case, you can shock them on a psychological level instead, as Conor Neill recommends, and tell your audience a surprising fact or statistic that makes them question their thinking or beliefs.

“Did you know that half the water on earth is older than the sun?”

Questions like these will shake an audience awake and turn on their critical thinking nervous-system.

Don’t take my word for it; you can see an incredible demonstration of the shock opener in Mohammed Qahtani’s speech, The Power of Words .

Qahtani opens by taking out a cigarette and placing it into his mouth before trying to light it. The audience is so shocked that they gasp and tell him to stop.

Remember, if your audience is shocked, they are listening.

Your audience doesn’t always have to be jolted to attention with a shock opener, though you can use a more subtle approach to grab their focus. 

Ready to speak with confidence ? Explore our training options...

The story opener.

You can set the tone of your speech instantly with a story .

In Hollywood, filmmakers and directors use an ‘establishing shot’ to set the tone and theme of the entire film.

When creating your speech, think of a short story that sums up your talk.

Maybe you tell half the story to begin with, and then the other half at the end. 

The important thing is your tale must be relatable . If your audience can’t imagine themselves in the story, they won’t be engaged.

We all experience very similar things in life: 

• We all went to school and had a teacher we loved
• We all have parents who loved us or made mistakes in our upbringing
• We all had a first crush.

We are all cut from the same cloth, so it’s good to be reminded that others are going through what we face or think as we do.

Bryan Stevenson does a stellar job of recounting his mischievous grandmother in his TED talk, We need to talk about an injustice .

The best thing is, you can combine a story-opener with any other speech opener in this list.

It’s truly versatile.

One of my favourite speech openers is next, though.

The Intrigue Opener

I love this speech opener.

What better way to hook your audience than to intrigue them with mystery or a juicy secret?

Take a look at Daniel Pink’s TED Talk The puzzle of motivation . After he begins, Pink, looking like a guilty man sent to the gallows tells his audience:

“I need to confess something, at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something I regret. Something I’m not particularly proud of”.

Wow. How intriguing, right?

You have to admit; you want to know what he’s about to confess.

Choose every sentence, every word, and every mark of punctuation to increase the tantalisation temperature.

Whether it’s a secret or confession, the Intrigue Opener piques just enough curiosity in your audience to keep them from checking Whatsapp.

As humans, we need closure. 

We do not like open loops. 

That’s why it is both enthralling and aggravating when someone plays on our need to be sure.

Just as we cannot stand an open loop, we are instantly engaged when someone gives us a puzzle to solve.

You’ll notice the best speeches, books, tv shows, and films do not spoon feed you all of the information.

I’ve always liked the way Malcolm Gladwell writes his non-fiction books because they contain puzzles that you solve as a reader.

This puzzle needs to be related to the speech or presentation you’re delivering, of course. It cannot be a random puzzle and will ideally be impossible or extremely difficult to solve at first.

After the speech begins and the puzzle is revealed, you should slowly drop hints on how to solve the mystery.

Up next, speech openers that use a physical object to create curiosity in the audience’s mind.

The Prop Opener

One of the most potent ways you will captivate your audience is to use a powerful prop in your opening address.

What better way to capture an audience’s imagination than to show them a mysterious or beautiful object?

If you’ve never seen the Prop Opener done well, then take a look at one of the greatest speeches of all time:

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s, See Something .

Danajaya enters with a simple rose in his breast pocket, takes it out, gazes at it nostalgically, smells it and then begins to speak.

This same prop appears again right at the end of his speech to end his talk with a flourish.

There are many different props you can use.

JJ Abrams used a Mystery Box to absorb the audience’s attention and used the box as a metaphor for his entire career.

If you think the prop opener is just for TED Talks and Toastmasters Final Speeches, remember that most company product launch centre around one or more props.

Steve Jobs revealed his new products in ever-innovative ways.

Still, while the last two speeches I’ve mentioned opened with physical items, most of Jobs’s presentations built intrigue through the sight of the product.

So remember, you can use an object, or tease your audience with the absence of a prop, but make that prop integral to your talk.

You don’t always have to use a prop, of course. 

A more minimalist approach to opening your speech uses the best audience reaction a speaker can receive: laughter.

The Funny Opener

Using laughter to win over your audience is the golden ticket to immediate rapport with your audience.

Jack Schafer, PhD at Psychology Today, said that People Will Like You If You Make Them Laugh , which seems obvious, but at least you know we have scientists on the case. 

He also mentions that constructing humour requires and projects a high level of intelligence .

Of course, laughter is subjective, but it is also infectious, and if you get enough members of your audience to titter, it will spread across the whole group.

If you want to see just how quickly you can win an audience over with humour, take a look at Ken Robinson’s subtle but delightful ability to raise a chuckle in his speech Do Schools Kill Creativity? 

Ken’s ability to speak conversationally to an audience of thousands is genuinely remarkable.

If you break down his humour, it is easy to see how you could include similar content in your presentations. 

Whether you can pull it off as well as Ken is another story.

Not everyone feels like they can be a comedian, though; I get that. 

Well, that’s alright because there are other ways to open your talk that play on other strong emotions.

You can inspire your audience too.

The Inspirational Opener

One of my favourite ways to help beginner speakers to open their presentation is with a quote.

A quote acts like a story in that it sets the tone and theme of your speech, but it takes much less effort and even less skill.

An effective quote is usually only one line long and supported by the credibility of the original author who uttered those words.

Watch the way Clint Smith opens his TED Talk  The Danger of Silence .

Using Martin Luther King’s voice to start his speech gives Clint what psychologists call the transference effect .

Just by citing someone else, especially someone admired and famous, you redirect the emotions an audience have towards that person onto yourself.

One caveat to using quotes, though:

Fact check them . I cringe whenever I see someone incorrectly quoting someone.

Have you ever heard the quote by Albert Einstein:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results”?

A great quote, isn’t it?

But Albert Einstein never said those words .

A quick check on Reuters will help you add more credibility to your inspirational opener.

Finally, try to use a quote few people have ever heard. Inspiring words have been filling the archives of history for millennia, so seek out something that has been left dusty on the shelf rather than the same recycled iterations.

Next, let’s look at a type of bold speech opener that take real hutzpah to land well.

The Perspective Shift Opener

A powerful speech opener that will take confidence is the perspective shift opener.

This opener will lead the audience in one direction before changing direction and setting a new pace for the speech.

Cameron Russel does a fantastic job of controlling the frame in her TED Talk Looks aren’t everything. Believe me; I’m a model.

Russel takes to the stage dressed in a skimpy dress and begins to tell the audience about her career, but then does a rapid wardrobe change on stage in front of the entire audience. 

This change of dress sets a new tone, feel, and direction for the speech.

If you can change the audience’s perspective or frame of reality, you are in the driving seat.

One of the best things you can hope for as a speaker is moving hearts and changing minds. 

If you aren’t a confident speaker, start small.

Vanessa Van Edwards suggests never mentioning how nervous you are. 

It’s distracting and makes the audience pick up on all the subtle nervous energy and cues you give off. Control the frame instead and act cool and confident: they will buy into it.

Another great way to hold frame control over an audience is by using the power of silence .

The Silence Opener

Silence is a valuable commodity in today’s noisy and distracting digital world.

Creating silence at the beginning of your talk can profoundly affect your audience and their focus.

Did you ever have a teacher at school who used silence effectively?

When my English classmates were noisy, our teacher Mr Rylance would hold up his hand in silence. 

Slowly we would settle down and focus on his raised hand. 

A few would giggle, but that would peter out until we all wrapt in a hypnotic stillness.

If you want to see an example of how to use silence, then look at Neal Glitterman’s speech The Power of Silence .

You can see how much gravity silence can have , especially as a speech opener.

The final killer opener I want to introduce you to is the big promise opener.

The Big Promise Opener

I believe that all speeches and presentations should contain a big promise as it tells your audience why they should keep on listening.

Ideally, your big promise will be your speech title or phrase that pays which is a recurring foundational phrase you will use throughout your presentation.

A big promise is your way of making a deal with the audience : you listen to me, and you’ll get something in return.

Creating a big promise at the beginning of your speech is like adding a teaser trailer to the beginning of a TV show. It suggests a reason you should stick around.

When Arthur Benjamin introduces his talk Faster than a calculator by announcing:

 “I am a human calculator!”

You know that proof is on the way.

Remember the essential rule of the Big Promise Opener: make it big and keep your promise.

WOW your audience with these killer speech openers.

I hope you feel that I kept my promise of sharing nine killer speech openers to start a presentation.

Did you notice any other speech openers at the beginning of this article?

Don’t forget; these openers can be mixed and matched.

You can include a number of these speech openers in the same presentation to create more impact.

Let me know which of these killer openers was your favourite, and let me know if you have any more you’d like to share.

– Danny Riley

Join 350+ leaders getting my weekly tips on confidence and charisma... 👇

Navigation:.

Home About Success Stories Contact Privacy Policy

Work with Ed:

1-to-1 Coaching 1-Day Masterclass Team Training

Follow/Connect:

Get started:, copyright © 2023 project charisma ltd. all rights reserved..

How to Start Your Presentation: 4 Step Formula for a Killer Intro

Video source: lighthouse communications.

Have a presentation coming up? Want to hook you audience from the start? Here is a step by step formula to create interest in your topic, connect to your audience, and establish credibility.

Want to live on the Edge?

About the author.

Screen Name

The Edge for Scholars

We post stuff you shouldn't miss.

May 10, 2018

Join the conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Modernizing Clinical Trial Design & Analysis to Improve Efficiency & Flexibility

Present Less Better: Part 3

Present Less Better: Part 2

How to Create Killer Presentation Slides (Key Components and Tips)

Last updated on April 16th, 2024

Powerful slide presentations are visually appealing, not visually distracting. They effectively convey a specific message to a certain group of people for various purposes. However, not everyone knows about the crucial components of a killer presentation that can impact the listeners’ minds.

Slide shows are easy to produce, update, and present if you know how to grab the attention of your audience . Creating powerful presentations is one of the skills that will let you differentiate from many professionals, business leaders, public speakers as well and students. That is why you must be aware of specific components of engaging presentations with tips to present in front of any listener. So, how to make a good slideshow presentation? In this article, we present tips that will let you make killer presentations that stand out from the crowd.

Why putting in the effort to create killer presentations?

In the modern age of technological revolution, digital means of communication have prevailed in almost every type of industry. If you want to deliver an idea, a message, a business proposal, or an argument, slide decks are one of the most effective tools to achieve these objectives.

1. Presentations are powerful sales tools

PowerPoint presentations are effective sales tools as they are used for selling ideas, products, and services in almost all types of industries and for a variety of business models, B2B sales, B2C, social selling, etc. A speaker or presenter may have his own method of delivering a message but the visual appeal of the sales deck proves to be very helpful in resonating with the minds, thoughts, and ideas of the listeners.

By using sales presentations or sales decks, a salesman can inform his prospective clients by informing them of the potential benefits of his products or services. He can then convince them by identifying their problems and offering his product or service as a solution. In the end, with the aid of a structured sales presentation that includes compelling graphics, diagrams, infographics, and visual slides, he can persuade his listeners to purchase his product or service. A salesman with a top-notch slide presentation can convert his listeners into customers.

2. Presentations are important in public speaking

Being a good orator or public speaker is not enough to leave a long-lasting impact on your audience during your public speaking activities. You will need the assistance of other techniques and tools as well to become a powerful public speaker . That is why presentations are very useful in the public speaking process as they facilitate the speaker in conveying his message through the visual aid.

According to analysts, a piece of visual information gets perceived and understood 60,000 times faster than textual information . So, the recipe to deliver a top-notch public speech is to have a well-organized and audience-focused speech along with organized and structured visuals and graphics in the form of a presentation.

You don’t have to be a graphic designer or Adobe Photoshop expert to create and design a killer presentation for your next event or activity. You can take advantage of free templates and presentation slides provided by sites like FPPT, where you can download thousands of premade PowerPoint Templates for any topic. In this way, you can focus more on your presentation delivery part than on slide designing and preparation stages.

3. Presentations are essential for promoting brands

To outshine your competition in the ever-vibrant markets, you need to be aware of modern and appealing business tactics and techniques to grab the attention of prospective buyers and prospects.

When business leaders and professionals attend various seminars, exhibitions, or virtual video conferences, slide decks become much more effective tools to promote your services, products, and ultimately brands.

Presentations can be regarded as the language of business communication processes. Therefore, mastering the art of making and delivering efficient slide decks has become more relevant and necessary in the modern business landscape. Putting all the effort into making a killer presentation will help you to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

So, how to give a killer presentation? In the next chapters we will explain how to prepare a great presentation and give it to the audience.

What are the Key Components of a Killer PowerPoint Presentation?

In order to develop and present powerful PowerPoint presentations, you need to be aware of a structured approach to organizing your data and information in the form of slides. Here are some actionable key components of a killer presentation that can help you in achieving your desired goals and help you make your presentation look better.

1. Cover Slide 

A cover slide is used to set the tone of the whole presentation topic. Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to create your slides cohesively by offering some basic preset themes and color variations. However, to grab the attention of your listeners, you will need to have a more professionally designed slide presentation. Our website comes in handy in offering a variety of presentation cover PPT slides and designs for almost any kind of presentation topic that you may have. For example, if you want to deliver a presentation on the topic of market trends, you can have a look at the Free Market Trend Analysis PowerPoint Template , to have an idea of how the cover slide will look in this case. You can customize your presentation cover page and slides as per the guidelines of your company’s brand identity or you can choose your own visually appealing graphics to seem more interesting.

2. Agenda or Table of Contents Slide

After designing and setting your cover slide, it is time to provide an overview to your audience about the topic and purpose of your presentation. This is generally done with the help of agenda slides in your presentation.

For example, if you deliver a presentation about a potential product to prospective buyers, you can mention the following upcoming slides in your agenda slide in a numbered manner.

• Who are you?
• What is the problem being faced by users?
• How can you (your company or business) solve this problem?
• Why choose your solution?
• Drawbacks of using other products and the benefits of using your product?
• Questions and Answers Session

Typically, each point in the agenda slide will correspond to a specific slide in your presentation. 

In some interactive presentations, designers can place a link so clicking on each of the agenda items will navigate to the desired section and then get back to the agenda. If you want to consider a ToC instead of Agenda, you can learn more on how to create a Table of Contents for your PowerPoint presentation .

3. Storytelling Approach as a Crucial Component

No matter what type of topic is going to be presented, you should always remember that you are delivering the presentations to fellow human beings who have certain desires, feelings, and emotions. In order to leave a profound impact on your audience, your message should resonate with the feelings, and emotions of listeners. That is why, by using a storytelling approach , you can master the art of persuasion.

You need to tell the idea and story behind your product or service and relate it to the needs, wants, and desires of the prospects. The goal is to make your listeners realize that you are exactly a match for their problems and worries. You need to be aware of your buyer personas to become a more effective presenter.

4. Explaining the Problem under Discussion

You need to be aware of the background of your audience to understand their needs, desires, and problems. At this stage, you must mention the problem under discussion in your slide to demonstrate that you have a clear knowledge of the issues being faced by the target customers. Typically you will use a Problem Slide here.

Explain how the problem affects your customers, other businesses, and, if applicable, the whole world. In this way, you can maintain a solid position on the stage as the listeners will be more attentive to you when you discuss their pain points.

5. Offering Your Solution 

Now, when the problem being faced by the users has been thoroughly discussed, it’s time to introduce your product, service, or idea as a solution. You have grabbed the attention of your audience until now and listeners are now eager to learn about a possible solution for their worries. This is done with the help of Solution slides.

You need to be creative at this stage while explaining multiple solutions for the issues being faced by the users. You can use PowerPoint shapes to give a visual touch to your textual information. You can also use relevant charts (bar charts, pie charts, line charts, etc.), graphs, tables, infographics , images, gifs, and videos to make your slides more interesting. You can also use metaphors and analogies to represent ideas and explain the solution.

6. Persuasion with Data and Proof

After presenting your solution, it is time to persuade your listeners to take an interest in your offer. If you have developed some reports, you can present their conclusions to potential clients. You can show the data in the form of charts or graphs as they combine both textual and visual elements for better understanding.

You can also mention statistics (key stats) about why your product, service, or idea is better than other industry players. By providing concrete sets of data, you can make the decision-making process of your potential audience much easier. Typically you’d use the key statistics slide to present this information, unless you want to compare metrics vs. other competitors or products. In this case, you will use comparison slides.

7. Call to Action Slide (or CTA slide)

After presenting your proofs and statistics, it is high time to persuade your listeners to respond to your specific call to action. You need to make them aware of all the options that they have and how they can choose a suitable option as per their requirements and budgetary needs.

The goal is to give a clear call to action to your audience. Do not make anything ambiguous or confusing. Your ideas, solutions, and ultimate CTA must be concise, to the point, and compelling in nature.

Sometimes, this call to action is no more than a Thank you slide with the Contact Information, a last slide with a QR Code to drive the audience to visit your website or call you, or just a summary slide with the important information you want the audience to save in their minds.

8. Questions and Answers 

In order to continue the dialogue between you and your listeners, you can add a Questions and Answers slide in your presentation. In this way, the audience will have the opportunity to ask any further questions that they may have about your ideas, arguments, offers, or solutions. The goal of having a Q&A session or using Q&A slides in your presentation is to make the communication between the speaker and the audience effective to meet the desired objectives of the overall presentation.

9. Reviewing Your Slide Presentation

At this stage, you should review your entire presentation from the beginning to the end to identify any potential grammatical mistakes and errors in your slides. Make sure that all of your slides are coherent and cohesive with respect to each other and present the topic in a seamless flow. 

Ensure all animations, transitions, and visual elements are working and set properly. You can show your presentation to some other professional as well to ask for his opinion. Test the running of the slides in the presentation mode by playing a PowerPoint slideshow and make sure that all points in your slides make sense and seem appealing. Playing the slide show is especially useful if you are applying animations and transitions, or if you want to see how the presentation flows from the first slide to the last slide.

3 Tips for Delivering Powerful Presentations by Defining a Killer Structure

To outshine as a persuasive presenter, here are three useful tips for structuring and delivering your presentations. Here are three effective tips on how to give a killer presentation:

1. Don’t Rely on Pre-set Elements in Your Slides

Every presentation topic has specific customized needs. To fulfill these needs and requirements, the presenter must keep in mind the actual theme of the presentation, the flow of the upcoming topics, and ultimately the desired call to action. 

Even when you use premade templates , you can customize specific points, visual slides, fonts, animations, and transitions in your slides. Your PowerPoint Presentation’s theme must complement your needs. Decide whether using bullet points for your topics is a good idea or not. Bullet points are important but they are not always appropriate for all topics. Professional designers may argue that bullet points are boring, and not recommend using them but instead use one of the possible alternatives to traditional bullet points , like block lists, sections or even icons.

If there is no need for animations or transitions in specific slides, don’t use them. Make sure your presentation is not underwhelming for listeners.

2. Be Aware of the Presentation Tools and Equipment

A presenter must be aware of the usage of the tools and equipment necessary for delivering presentations. You should test all the tools before the actual presentation like the projector, HDMI or VGA Adapter, Presentation Remote, Wireless Keyboard, Microphone, Speakers, Smartpen, and presentation devices like Laptops or PCs. 

If any malfunctioning or mishap happens during your actual presentation, you may lose the interest, and attention of your audience and ultimately the purpose of your presentation. That is why, it is necessary to be aware of all possibilities related to your presentation equipment and you must have some backup solution in case any unwanted activity happens.

The format of your presentation is also important. While you can play any .pptx or .ppt file in PowerPoint, when you present in a different environment, it would be recommended to save it in a different format (e.g. a PDF presentation ) or host the presentation online.

3. Using Premade Presentation Templates

A smart presentation designer always saves time and focuses on the areas that actually matter for the effectiveness of his presentation delivery mechanism. You don’t need to hire a professional designer for your presentation development or design the slides from scratch all by yourself. 

You can save your valued time and resources by downloading professional PowerPoint templates like those offered by SlideModel or the free templates provided by Free PowerPoint Templates totally free of cost. Now, you can focus more on the rehearsal of your presentation than on developing your desired professional pitch deck. Developing and delivering killer  presentations was never this convenient before.

Final Words

Presentations are used for a variety of purposes in the business world like selling your products and services, public speaking in seminars and video conferences, and promoting your brands and businesses in exhibitions. Therefore, it is very important for business leaders and professionals to learn about the potential elements of powerful presentations that can win the attention of any audience and how each level can contribute to delivering a presentation, depending on the type of presentation to be created.

A killer slide presentation starts with a solid cover and agenda slides but it also ends with a solid last slide. It involves a storytelling approach to highlighting the pain points of the potential users and offering a solution. It includes slides that contain visually appealing statistical data and information to convince prospective listeners to respond to a specific call to action (CTA). It concludes with a Questions and Answers session in which all of the ambiguities of the listeners are cleared in an effective manner.

By keeping in mind all the above-mentioned tips and key elements related to presentations, any business professional can achieve his desired presentation goals in an actionable and measurable manner.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign up to our newsletter

We will send you our curated collections to your email weekly. No spam, promise!

5 Secret Ingredients Uncovered For Delivering Killer Presentations

Table of Contents

Delivering Killer Presentations

Introduction.

In this fantastic article, I’m going to teach you how to conquer the fear of public speaking in order to give outstanding presentations. This post will also teach you how to captivate the public in the first 5 minutes of your presentation. First, let’s see what speaking means.

Please enable JavaScript

What is public speaking?

Public speaking is simply an art of speaking in front of an audience. But speaking alone in front of a large group of people does not make your a great public speaker. Your goal should not be limited to inform your audience or to publicly express your thoughts, but to change emotions, actions and attitudes and let your listeners be moved and affected by words. How it can be DONE. Here’s how you’re gonna do it.

You probably already know that delivering captivating presentations is crucial to progressing your career, but do you realize that research suggests most people will stop listening to your presentation within the first 10 minutes if they’re not sure there’s anything in it for them? The problem is that most people are unfamiliar with the abilities they need to hook up, present greatly and overcome their fears. What am I going to do? Hi Jim. How’s it going? I’m flipping out about this big presentation I have to give it tomorrow.

Okay, have you then written and practised your opener three times? No. Not? But Why not? I ‘m scared and not even sure how to continue. I ‘m scared. Trust me, it is almost with everyone, and it isn’t fun. According to national surveys and study reports, the fear of public speaking or ‘glossophobia’ ranks among the top dreads. As Jerry Seinfeld put it, “at a funeral, the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.”

Now, I will give you my unbelievable 5-step formula to deliver a killer presentation opener every time, so to help you out.

Give a Confident Introduction

When people start their presentation, one of the major mistakes is to display nervousness. Here’s the key: it’s not because you’re anxious, but if you’re showing it. You will first stand STILL. First of all. Don’t move. Don’t pace, and keep your hands on your sides. This is the quietest and confident place on the planet and answers the number one need for your audience that is to feel safe.

Now you can introduce yourself and say, “Hi, my name is Xyz.” When you do this, put your inflexion down at the end to showcase confidence. Instead of, “Hi, my name is Xyz?” Say: “Hi, my name is Xyz.” See the difference?

You need a short elevator speech to figure this out. It looks like this: “You know how some people have this problem? Well, I ‘m offering this solution.” The solution you ‘re offering is how you’re helping people. For me, it was: “You know how some people fear public speaking and have a hard time getting their message across in a presentation? Well, I ‘m helping them overcome their fear of public speaking and deliver amazing presentations.” What’s your credential statement? You ‘re going to be amazed at the effect this has on your audiences.

Deliver Your Hook

It is not that easy to keep your captivated and hooked. It really needs a trick. My hook in this presentation could be anything like this: I’m going to show you how to captivate your audience within the first 5 minutes of your presentation.” When you are doing this, you have to get your listeners to “feel” something. How do you get them to feel somewhat You’ve got three simple options. You can get them to feel happier, more successful, or freer. Look at my line. I said, “I’m going to show you how to captivate your audience within the first 5 minutes of your presentation.” This will serve as an attention grabber. Attention grabber is an unusual statement, a question, a gesture, a story, a prop, or a long pause that is intended to start the presentation on a strong note, to “grab” the audience’s attention and to help the speaker build confidence in the very beginning of the speech.

When you really captivate your audience within the first five minutes of your presentation, you’ll feel amazingly happier because they’re listening to you, you’ll feel more successful because you look like an expert, and you’ll feel relaxed and more freedom because you spend less time worrying about your presentation the night before. This is a simple practice for you. For your presentation, write down the words “I’m going to show you…” then fill in the rest with something that going to create more happiness, success, or freedom for your audience. Here’s the rule.

You can’t tell them what they would get unless you tell them WHY they’d like it. Your hook must be something that will get them to BELIEVE that they want what you’ll give them. Take a moment now and write WHY your presentation would make your audience happier, more productive or more comfortable in their lives.

Introduce Your Agenda

I advise that you use PowerPoint for this step, and the slide should look like this. The main purpose of this step is to showcase your audience the takeaways to your presentation — the things they ‘re going to “take away” and use tomorrow after listening to your presentation. Don’t read the slide, please. They are adults, man. They can read it. Instead, just give them a moment to read it themselves, and put your agenda in place by summarising what you’re going to do. You do this by mentioning the number of takeaways you are going to give them, and by paraphrasing the goal of your presentation. Here’s what it looks like: “I’m going to show you five steps to get a killer opener.” What would that look like for you?

Give a Credible Statement

You can do this step by providing your audience with appropriate or convincing data to support your argument. Remember at the start of this article how did I do that? I said, “You probably already realize that delivering excellent presentations is crucial to progressing your career, but do you realize that research suggests most people will stop listening to your presentation within the first 10 minutes if they’re not sure there’s anything in it for them?” If you do that within the first 2 minutes of your presentation, your audience begins to trust you. Your listeners start thinking, without bragging, “oooh this guy knows what he’s talking about” Done.

Have something to say Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Discover more from Smart English Notes

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Search Menu
• Volume 2024, Issue 4, April 2024 (In Progress)
• Volume 2024, Issue 3, March 2024
• Case of the Year
• MSF Case Reports
• Audiovestibular medicine
• Cardiology and cardiovascular systems
• Critical care medicine
• Dermatology
• Emergency medicine
• Endocrinology and metabolism
• Gastroenterology and hepatology
• Geriatrics and gerontology
• Haematology
• Infectious diseases and tropical medicine
• Medical ophthalmology
• Medical disorders in pregnancy
• Paediatrics
• Palliative medicine
• Pharmacology and pharmacy
• Radiology, nuclear medicine, and medical imaging
• Respiratory disorders
• Rheumatology
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Sports medicine
• Substance abuse
• Author Guidelines
• Submission Site
• Open Access
• Editorial Board
• Advertising and Corporate Services
• Journals Career Network
• Self-Archiving Policy
• Journals on Oxford Academic
• Books on Oxford Academic

Article Contents

• INTRODUCTION
• CASE PRESENTATION
• CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
• < Previous

Primary small lymphocytic lymphoma of the breast: a rare presentation of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Matthew Passeggiata, Geovanna Badaro, Hui Un Kim, Landry Umbu, Penelope Mashburn, Manju Nath, Primary small lymphocytic lymphoma of the breast: a rare presentation of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Oxford Medical Case Reports , Volume 2024, Issue 4, April 2024, omae028, https://doi.org/10.1093/omcr/omae028

• Permissions Icon Permissions

Primary Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma of the breast is a rare presentation of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In this report, we present the case of primary small lymphocytic lymphoma of the breast in a 65-year-old female who presented with an abnormal breast ultrasound significant for a nodule of the right breast consistent with BI-RADS 4, indicating follow-up with ultrasound-guided biopsy for further diagnostic evaluation. The patient had no prior history of extramammary lymphoma or widespread disease. A sample of the breast mass was obtained via ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy and the pathology report revealed low-grade B-cell Lymphoma. After discussion with medical oncology and the explanation of risks, benefits and alternatives to surgery, a lumpectomy was performed, and the final pathology report of the mass revealed primary low-grade B-cell lymphocytic lymphoma of the breast. On follow up, the PET scan was unremarkable and showed no evidence of abnormal glucose metabolism or adenopathy.

Email alerts

Citing articles via, affiliations.

• Online ISSN 2053-8855
• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

AI + Machine Learning , Announcements , Azure AI Content Safety , Azure AI Studio , Azure OpenAI Service , Partners

Introducing GPT-4o: OpenAI’s new flagship multimodal model now in preview on Azure

By Eric Boyd Corporate Vice President, Azure AI Platform, Microsoft

Posted on May 13, 2024 2 min read

• Tag: Copilot
• Tag: Generative AI

Microsoft is thrilled to announce the launch of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s new flagship model on Azure AI. This groundbreaking multimodal model integrates text, vision, and audio capabilities, setting a new standard for generative and conversational AI experiences. GPT-4o is available now in Azure OpenAI Service, to try in preview , with support for text and image.

Azure OpenAI Service

A step forward in generative AI for Azure OpenAI Service

GPT-4o offers a shift in how AI models interact with multimodal inputs. By seamlessly combining text, images, and audio, GPT-4o provides a richer, more engaging user experience.

Launch highlights: Immediate access and what you can expect

Azure OpenAI Service customers can explore GPT-4o’s extensive capabilities through a preview playground in Azure OpenAI Studio starting today in two regions in the US. This initial release focuses on text and vision inputs to provide a glimpse into the model’s potential, paving the way for further capabilities like audio and video.

Efficiency and cost-effectiveness

GPT-4o is engineered for speed and efficiency. Its advanced ability to handle complex queries with minimal resources can translate into cost savings and performance.

Potential use cases to explore with GPT-4o

The introduction of GPT-4o opens numerous possibilities for businesses in various sectors: 

• Enhanced customer service : By integrating diverse data inputs, GPT-4o enables more dynamic and comprehensive customer support interactions.
• Advanced analytics : Leverage GPT-4o’s capability to process and analyze different types of data to enhance decision-making and uncover deeper insights.
• Content innovation : Use GPT-4o’s generative capabilities to create engaging and diverse content formats, catering to a broad range of consumer preferences.

Exciting future developments: GPT-4o at Microsoft Build 2024 

We are eager to share more about GPT-4o and other Azure AI updates at Microsoft Build 2024 , to help developers further unlock the power of generative AI.

Get started with Azure OpenAI Service

Begin your journey with GPT-4o and Azure OpenAI Service by taking the following steps:

• Try out GPT-4o in Azure OpenAI Service Chat Playground (in preview).
• If you are not a current Azure OpenAI Service customer, apply for access by completing this form .
• Learn more about  Azure OpenAI Service  and the  latest enhancements.  
• Understand responsible AI tooling available in Azure with Azure AI Content Safety .
• Review the OpenAI blog on GPT-4o.

Let us know what you think of Azure and what you would like to see in the future.

Provide feedback

Build your cloud computing and Azure skills with free courses by Microsoft Learn.

Explore Azure learning

Related posts

AI + Machine Learning , Azure AI Studio , Customer stories

3 ways Microsoft Azure AI Studio helps accelerate the AI development journey     chevron_right

AI + Machine Learning , Analyst Reports , Azure AI , Azure AI Content Safety , Azure AI Search , Azure AI Services , Azure AI Studio , Azure OpenAI Service , Partners

Microsoft is a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Cloud AI Developer Services   chevron_right

AI + Machine Learning , Azure AI , Azure AI Content Safety , Azure Cognitive Search , Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) , Azure OpenAI Service , Customer stories

AI-powered dialogues: Global telecommunications with Azure OpenAI Service   chevron_right

AI + Machine Learning , Azure AI , Azure AI Content Safety , Azure OpenAI Service , Customer stories

Generative AI and the path to personalized medicine with Microsoft Azure   chevron_right