speech presentation script

12+ Opening Speech Examples for Presentations & Quick Tips

Last updated on June 7th, 2024

These days, most of the audience prefers an informal approach in presentations, but at the same time, it must sound professional. When people prepare for any type of presentation, they often face this dilemma: how to start a presentation? What should be the opening speech? How much time should we take for the introduction part?

The first three minutes of your presentations are crucial to get to your audience with an engaging message and make the overall presentation effective. With the proper opening speech for your presentation, you can hook your audience, win the audience’s attention and get them audience interested in what you have to say. Check out some speech introduction examples to get familiar with this topic. Undoubtedly, if the beginning of your presentation is solid and exciting, the chances of success of your presentation increase. Opening your persuasive speech entirely depends upon your style and choice because when you are giving a presentation, you are required to be yourself and avoid putting artistic elements. So, choose something with which you are entirely comfortable.

If you are looking on how to start a speech then this article can help you to get some ideas. Here is a list of opening speech examples that you can use to prepare your presentations with a persuasive speech that convinces the audience. Find useful starting lines of speech, phrases and strategies to make your presentation a success:

1. Opening Speech with Greetings

This is the very basic, common and important step in which you need to greet your audience by wish them good morning/afternoon or evening (as per the time of session in which you are giving presentation). How to start a speech? Check out some of the examples below including a simple but effective speech introduction greeting example.

Example of Opening Greetings

Hello, everyone. I’d like, first of all, to thank the organizers of this meeting for inviting me here today.

Another example of opening Greeting speech.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am honored to have the opportunity to address such a distinguished audience.

2. Open the Speech by Giving Compliment & Show Gratitude towards your Audience

Secondly, just after wishing greeting to your audience give them compliment and choose some words which show that you are delighted to see them there.

Example: 

It’s great to see you all, Thank you for coming here today.

3. Give your introduction: Introduce Yourself

How you introduce yourself during a presentation is important. There are many ways to introduce yourself. Here we will see some examples on how to introduce yourself in a presentation. First of all, give your introduction start from telling your name. You can show some casual attitude by telling your short name or nick name, and then tell the audience more about your background and what you do.

For example, a good way to start introducing yourself could be:

My name is Louis Taylor, friends call me Lee sometimes.

Then introduce yourself professionally and give quite information about what you do and why are here today. For Example:

I am a software engineer by profession and working in ABC Corp. Today, I am here to provide you some exciting information about new technology, which is going to be very beneficial for you in future.

Another example of self-introduction speech:

For those of you who don’t know me already, my name is Louis Taylor, and I’m responsible for the software department at ABC Corp.

Using a self-introduction template and slide in your presentation, you can support your speech while presenting the information about you in the projection. You can also visit self introduction speech examples to find out some examples on how to introduce yourself and download self-introduction templates for PowerPoint & Google Slides.

4. Opening with the Topic of the Speech

Next is the part where you introduce the topic of your presentation or speech. Here are some examples of good opening speech for presentations examples on a specific topic.

What I’d like to present to you today is…

Or here is a simplified example of a good introduction for presentation in which we try to get the audience’s attention over the screen where you are presenting the content of your PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation.

As you can see on the screen, our topic today is…

5. Signpost

Put all your information in front of them and then put your proposal and its related information and key point by which you can implement and utilize that idea effectively. Now let collect these points to make a summary and concise illustration. Here is an example of presentation starting speech that you can use:

“Good afternoon every one, it’s great to see you all here, thank you for coming. My name is Louis Taylor, friends call me Lee sometimes. I am a software engineer by profession and working with ABC Ltd. Today we are here to know about new software so that we can take most of it. Firstly, we will look how it work, next we will discuss where can we use it, then we will learn what are its advantages and finally we will discuss what precautions are required to kept in mind while implementing it.”

6. Creating an Emotional Connection in Your Opening Speech

An effective opening speech is not just about presenting information or stating facts; it’s about forging an emotional connection with your audience. Building this connection can make your presentation more engaging, relatable, and memorable. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

Storytelling: One of the most powerful ways to establish an emotional connection is through storytelling. Sharing a personal anecdote or a relevant story can evoke emotions and draw your audience into your presentation. Make sure your story aligns with the overall theme of your presentation and adds value to your message.

Example of speech opening:

“Good morning, everyone. When I was a little boy, I used to watch my grandfather work tirelessly on his old typewriter. The clacking of the keys was a lullaby that lulled me into dreams of creating something impactful. Today, I am here to talk about the evolution of technology and its effect on communication, from typewriters of old to the smartphones of today.”

Relatability: Find common ground with your audience. This could be based on shared experiences, values, or aspirations. Doing so helps to humanize you, making it easier for your audience to relate to your message.

“Like many of you, I too struggle with maintaining a work-life balance in this fast-paced digital world. Today, I’ll share some strategies I’ve discovered that have significantly improved my quality of life.”

Utilizing Emotions: Use emotions like humor, surprise, curiosity, or inspiration to engage your audience. Different emotions can be used depending on the tone and purpose of your presentation.

“Did you know that the average person spends two weeks of their life waiting for traffic lights to change? That certainly puts our daily commute in a new light, doesn’t it?”

Remember, authenticity is crucial in building an emotional connection. Be yourself, share your experiences, and speak from the heart. This helps to gain your audience’s trust and keeps them engaged throughout your presentation.

7. Harnessing the Power of Visual Aids in Your Opening Speech

Visual aids are a potent tool in any presentation, particularly in your opening speech. They can grab your audience’s attention with a visually appealing cover slide, support your message, and make a lasting impression. Here are some ways you can utilize visual aids in your opening speech.

Images: An image is worth a thousand words, they say, and it’s true. An impactful or relevant image can pique the curiosity of your audience and set the tone for your presentation. Ensure the image aligns with your topic and contributes to your overall message.

“As you can see on the screen, this is an image of a barren desert. It may surprise you to learn that this was once a thriving forest. Today, I’ll be talking about climate change and its irreversible effects.”

Short Videos: A short video can be a great way to engage your audience. This could be a brief clip that illustrates your topic, a short animation, or even a quick introductory video about you or your organization.

Example of a presentation opening statement:

“Before we start, let’s watch this brief video about the incredible journey of a raindrop.”

Infographics and Charts: If you are sharing statistical data or complex information, infographic slides or charts can simplify and clarify your message. They are visually engaging and can help your audience understand and remember the information.

“Take a look at this chart. It shows the exponential increase in cybercrime over the last five years, a topic that we will delve into further today.”

Slides: A well-designed slide can provide a visual structure for your opening speech. It should be clean, easy to read, and should not distract from your speech. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text or complex graphics.

“According to the infographic on the screen, we can see the three core areas we’ll be focusing on in today’s presentation.”

Remember, the goal of using visual slides is to enhance your message, not overshadow it. They should complement your speech and provide visual interest for your audience. Always test your visual aids beforehand to ensure they work properly during your presentation.

8. Engaging Your Audience with Rhetorical Questions

A rhetorical question is a powerful tool you can use in your opening speech to provoke thought and engage your audience. By posing a question that doesn’t require an answer, you can pique your audience’s interest, make them think, and steer their focus towards your presentation’s key points. Here’s how to use rhetorical questions effectively in your opening speech:

Spark Curiosity: Use a rhetorical question to spark curiosity about your topic. This question should be thought-provoking and relevant to your presentation.

“Have you ever stopped to wonder how much of your life is influenced by social media?”

Highlight Key Issues: A rhetorical question can help highlight the key issues or problems that your presentation aims to address. This will help your audience understand the importance of your topic.

“What would happen if our natural resources were to run out tomorrow?”

Encourage Reflection: Encourage your audience to reflect on their personal experiences or beliefs. This will make your presentation more relatable and engaging.

“How many of us truly understand the value of our mental health?”

Set the Tone: You can also use a rhetorical question to set the tone of your presentation, whether it’s serious, humorous, or contemplative.

“Is there anyone here who doesn’t love pizza?”

Remember, rhetorical questions are meant to stimulate thought, not to put anyone on the spot. Make sure your questions are relevant to your topic and are appropriate for your audience. With the right questions, you can grab your audience’s attention, keep them engaged, and guide their thinking throughout your presentation.

9. Leveraging Statistical Data in Your Opening Speech

Using statistical data in your opening speech is a powerful way to capture the audience’s attention and lend credibility to your message. Surprising or impactful statistics related to your presentation’s topic can instantly make your audience sit up and take notice. Here’s how you can incorporate statistical data effectively in your opening speech:

Relevant and Interesting Data: Choose statistics that are directly relevant to your topic and are likely to pique your audience’s interest. This data should enhance your message and provide valuable context for your presentation.

“Do you know that according to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting over 264 million people?”

Simplify Complex Data: If you’re presenting complex or dense data, make sure to simplify it for your audience. Use percentages, comparisons, or visual aids like infographics or charts to make the data easily understandable.

“Look at this chart. It represents the staggering 80% increase in cybercrime incidents over the past five years.”

Credible Sources: Always ensure your data comes from credible and reputable sources. This not only adds legitimacy to your presentation, but it also boosts your credibility as a speaker.

“According to a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Science, air pollution contributes to 1 in 8 deaths worldwide.”

Shocking or Surprising Data: If you have statistics that are surprising or counter-intuitive, they can be an excellent way to grab your audience’s attention and spark curiosity about your presentation.

“Can you believe that, according to the United Nations, we waste approximately 1.3 billion tons of food every year, while one in nine people worldwide go hungry?”

Using statistical data in your opening speech can help to highlight the significance of your topic, draw your audience in, and lay a solid foundation for the rest of your presentation. Remember to present your data in a clear, accessible way, and always cite your sources to maintain credibility.

10. Creating a Powerful Hook with Anecdotes and Quotations

Anecdotes and quotations can be a powerful tool in your opening speech, serving as hooks that draw your audience into your presentation. They can provide a human element to your topic, connect with your audience on an emotional level, and add depth to your message. Here’s how you can effectively incorporate anecdotes and quotations in your opening speech:

Relevant Anecdotes: Sharing a relevant anecdote, whether personal or related to your topic, can make your presentation more relatable and engaging. Your anecdote should be brief, interesting, and serve to illustrate a point related to your topic.

“When I was a teenager, my family’s home was destroyed by a fire. That experience ignited in me a passion for safety measures and awareness, which brings us to today’s topic: fire safety in residential areas.”

Inspiring Quotations: A well-chosen quote can add depth and perspective to your topic. It can inspire, provoke thought, or set the tone for your presentation. Presenting it with a visually appealing quote slide increases the chances to make a lasting impression. Make sure the quote is relevant to your topic and from a credible source.

“Albert Einstein once said, ‘The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.’ This leads us into our discussion today on the importance of mindset in personal development.”

Humorous Anecdotes or Quotations: Depending on the formality of the setting and the topic of your presentation, a funny anecdote or quote can help to relax the audience, making them more receptive to your message.

“Mark Twain once said, ‘I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.’ As a fellow writer, I can relate to this sentiment, which brings us to our topic today: the art of concise writing.”

Remember, your anecdote or quote should serve to enhance your message, not distract from it. It should be interesting, relevant, and appropriately timed. With the right anecdote or quote, you can create a powerful hook that engages your audience from the outset.

11. Integrating Storytelling in your Opening Speech

Storytelling is a compelling method to make your opening speech memorable and engaging. A well-told story can create a strong emotional connection with your audience, making your presentation more impactful. Here’s how to effectively weave storytelling into your opening speech:

Choosing the Right Story: The story you tell should be relevant to your topic and capable of illustrating the point you’re trying to make. It could be a personal experience, a case study, or a historical event.

“Years ago, I worked on a project that, at the outset, seemed destined for success. But due to a lack of clear communication within the team, the project failed. Today, we will be discussing the importance of effective communication within teams.”

Creating Suspense: Build suspense in your story to hold your audience’s attention. You can do this by posing a problem or a conflict at the beginning of your story, which gets resolved by the end of your presentation.

“One day, as I was walking through a remote village in Africa, I came across a scene that profoundly changed my perspective. But before I reveal what it was, let’s discuss the issue of clean drinking water in underdeveloped countries.”

Showing, Not Telling: Make your story more vivid and engaging by showing, not telling. Use descriptive language and paint a picture with your words to make your audience feel like they’re part of the story.

“As the sun rose over the bustling city of Tokyo, I found myself in a small sushi shop tucked away in a quiet alley, experiencing what would become a pivotal moment in my culinary journey.”

Relatable Characters: If your story involves characters, make them relatable. Your audience should be able to see themselves in your characters, or at least understand their motivations and challenges.

“Meet Sarah, a single mother of two, working two jobs just to make ends meet. Her struggle is the reason we’re here today, to discuss the issue of minimum wage in our country.”

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can bring your presentation to life. A well-told story can captivate your audience, making your message more memorable and impactful. Be sure to select a story that aligns with your overall message and is appropriate for your audience.

12. Incorporating Interactive Elements in Your Opening Speech

Involving your audience from the get-go can make your presentation more engaging and memorable. By integrating interactive elements into your opening speech, you can foster a sense of participation and connection among your listeners. Here’s how you can do it:

Audience Polling: Modern presentation software often includes real-time polling features. You can ask your audience a question related to your topic and display the results instantly.

“To start, I’d like to ask you all a question. (Show poll on screen) How many of you think that Artificial Intelligence will significantly change our lives in the next ten years?”

Questions for Thought: Pose a thought-provoking question to your audience at the beginning of your speech. It can stimulate curiosity and get your listeners thinking about your topic.

“Before we delve into today’s topic, I want you to ponder this: what would you do if you had only 24 hours left to live? Keep that in mind as we discuss the importance of time management.”

Physical Engagement: Depending on the formality and size of your audience, you can incorporate physical engagement. This can range from a simple show of hands to engaging activities.

“By a show of hands, how many of you have ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of information available on the internet? That’s what we’ll be discussing today: information overload in the digital age.”

Interactive Quizzes: Quizzes can be a fun and interactive way to engage your audience and test their knowledge on your topic. It can also serve as a hook to introduce your topic. You can use a free Quiz PowerPoint template to ease the job of creating a quiz for your presentation.

“I have a quick quiz for you all (show quiz on screen). Let’s see who can guess the most common fear among adults. The answer will lead us into our topic of discussion today: overcoming fear.”

Remember, the goal of incorporating interactive elements is to engage your audience, so it should be relevant and add value to your presentation. Tailor your interactive elements to suit the needs and preferences of your audience, and you’ll have a winning opening speech.

What are the Objectives of Preparing a Good Introduction and Opening Speech?

As we mentioned earlier, the first minutes of your presentation are crucial to hook the audience and let them pay attention to the message you want to convey. This will depend on the type of presentation (if it is persuasive presentation, informative presentation or a presentation for entertaining the audience), but in general terms, when presenting we need to:

• Capture the audience’s attention
• Present information, opinions, ideas to the audience.
• Present important details about a specific topic.
• Sell an idea.
• Make the information memorable so it can persist over the time.
• Get your audience to take action, a Call to Action. E.g. purchase a product, enroll to something, fundraise, etc.

Real-Life Examples of Effective Opening Speeches

Barack Obama started his speech in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner saying: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

In same cases, humour can be a great companion for your speech. If you can use humour in a positive way, then getting a laugh in the first seconds of a presentation can get your audience hooked. It is a great way to open your speech.

Final Thoughts

Try to make habit of starting your presentation this way, it will sound great. You may come across several more opening speech examples for presentation but, once you implement this you yourself will realize that this is the best one. Alternatively you can learn more on quotes for presentations & speech topics  to use during your presentation in PowerPoint, learn how to close your presentation , or find other relevant speech introduction greeting examples.

49 comments on “ 12+ Opening Speech Examples for Presentations & Quick Tips ”

thank you very much

Hi Kavishki, we hope the article was useful for you. Will be great to learn more about how you have used the speech examples. If you need more speech ideas, I’d recommend you free Persuasive Speech topics .

hi,good morning all of you.i’m shadi.now i’m going to do a panel discussion.we want some informations from you we believe all will support us.

Hi Kavishki, good morning. Can please provide more information about the Panel Discussion needs and if it involves a PowerPoint presentation? We’d be happy to be of help!

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Thank you for the information about the introduction during pesentation.Truely,i really need to study lot about how to start my presentation so that the audience are interesting to hear what i want to talk about and do not feel bored.

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Thanks for the useful information. Can I ask how can I improve my self-confidence so as not to be embarrassed when presenting? Any idea? Thank you.

thank you..i’ll try to use those information for my presentation so i’ll be the best presenter in my class

this information very nice and useful to me.i get many new thing and tips after i read this article.this information can help me to make a good and better presentation later.thank you for useful information and meaningful for me

first of all, thank you for the help. there are a lot of great idea for me to use for my next presentation

Hi please i would like you to help me write an introduction for a speech about myself to my teacher

It’s help my presentation

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please i really love your speech but can you please throw more light on the introduction

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How to Write a Presentation Speech: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn to craft an engaging presentation speech with our step-by-step guide on audience engagement, content structure, and effective delivery.

Step 1: Understand Your Audience

Step 2: define your purpose, step 3: research thoroughly, step 4: create an outline.

• Introduction : Introduce yourself, your topic, and your main thesis or the purpose of your speech.
• Body : Divide the body into several sections, each dedicated to a specific main point. Use bullet points to list out supporting details, such as data, anecdotes, and references.
• Conclusion : Summarize the main points and restate the importance of your topic. End with a strong call to action or a memorable closing thought.

Step 5: Write and Revise

Step 6: practice makes perfect, step 7: use visual aids wisely, step 8: prepare for q&a, create ppt using ai.

Just Enter Topic, Youtube URL, PDF, or Text to get a beautiful PPT in seconds. Use the bulb for AI suggestions.

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Ayan Ahmad Fareedi

writer at MagicSlides

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• Interactive Presentation

Presentation Script | Ultimate Guide To Engage Your Audience in 2024

Jane Ng • 05 April, 2024 • 8 min read

How can you organize a PowerPoint presentation so it engages the audience? this is a hot topic! Are you looking for a script presentation example? Every memorable presentation starts with a single blank page and a writer's determination to create something extraordinary. If you've ever found yourself staring at that intimidating blank canvas, unsure how to transform your ideas into a captivating script, fear not. 

In this blog post, we'll guide you on how to write an impeccable presentation script that will mesmerize your audience. Moreover, we'll provide you with practical tips and real-life examples that help you kickstart your journey toward crafting a compelling presentation script.

Learn how to write a presentation script with AhaSlides, today!

Table of Contents

Why a well-written presentation script matters, how to write a presentation script, expert tips for writing an engaging presentation script.

• Presentation Script Example 
• Key Takeaways

Overview - Presentation Script

• Presentation description
• Title ideas

Start in seconds.

Get free templates for your next interactive presentation. Sign up for free and take what you want from the template library!

A well-written presentation script is the backbone of your delivery, ensuring structure, engaging your audience, boosting your confidence, and providing adaptability.

• An excellent presentation script brings structure and clarity to your message.
• It keeps your audience engaged and helps them understand your ideas. 
• It also ensures consistency and repeatability, especially when presenting multiple times. 
• A good script for presentation provides adaptability and preparedness, enabling you to adjust and handle unexpected situations. 

In addition, for many presenters, nerves and Glossophobia can be significant hurdles to overcome. A well-written script provides a sense of security and confidence. Like a safety net, it ensures that you have your key points and supporting details at your fingertips. This boosts your confidence and reduces anxiety, allowing you to deliver a more polished presentation.

So, how to make a script for a presentation?

Before writing a presentation script, you need to know your audience's background, interests, and knowledge level. Then clearly define the purpose of your presentation. Having a clear objective will help you stay focused while writing your script.

1/ Outline The Structure

Start with an attention-grabbing introduction, followed by the main points you want to convey, and conclude with a strong summary or call to action.

For example:

• Introduction - The introduction script for presentations should be a welcome and personal connection to the topic. 
• Main Points - Benefits of "topic"
• Transitions - Use phrases like "Now let's move on to," or "Next, we'll discuss." 
• Conclusion - Recap key points and call to action.

You can consider using bullet points or headings to organize your ideas within each section.

2/ Craft A Powerful Opening

Crafting a strong opening statement is crucial to capturing your audience's attention and setting the tone for your entire presentation. Here are some key elements to consider when creating an impactful opening statement:

• Hook the Audience: Start with a captivating hook that immediately grabs the audience's attention
• Establish Relevance: Communicate the relevance and importance of your topic to the audience. Highlight how it relates to their lives, challenges, or aspirations.
• Create an Emotional Connection: Appeal to your audience's emotions and create a sense of resonance or empathy. Connect with their desires, challenges, or aspirations to make a personal connection.

3/ Develop Key Points

When developing the key points in your presentation script, it's essential to provide supporting information, examples, or evidence that reinforces your message. Here's how you can expand on each main point:

Supporting Information:

• Present facts, data, or expert opinions that support your main point.
• Use credible sources to strengthen your arguments and provide context.
• Use evidence to back up your claims and increase credibility.

Logical Order or Narrative Flow

• Organize your main points in a logical order to facilitate understanding.
• Consider using a narrative flow to create a compelling storyline that connects your main points.

4/ Incorporate Visual Aids

Incorporating visual aids strategically into your presentation can significantly enhance understanding, engagement, and retention of information.

• Example: If you're discussing the features of a new product, display images or a short video demonstrating its functionality as you describe each feature.

5/ Include Transitions and Signposts

Including transitions and signposts helps guide your audience through your ideas and ensures they can easily follow your train of thought.

You can use concise and engaging language to introduce the upcoming subject matter.

• Example: "Next, we'll explore the latest..."

Or you can use questions to transition between sections or engage the audience's attention.

• Example: "But how can we tackle this challenge? The answer lies in..."

6/ Summarize and Conclude

• Recap your main points to reinforce key messages concisely.
• End with a memorable conclusion that leaves a lasting impact or a call to action for your audience.

7/ Seek Feedback and Revise

• Share your script with a trusted colleague, friend, or mentor for constructive feedback.
• Once you have made revisions based on feedback, practice delivering your revised script.
• Refine and fine-tune your script as needed through practice sessions and additional feedback.

Involve The Audience

Boost audience participation and engagement by leveraging interactive features such as Q&A session , live polls, quizzes and small activities through AhaSlides . By utilizing these interactive elements, you can transform your presentation into a dynamic and engaging experience for your audience.

You also can ask your audience for feedback by rating scale or Likert scale !

Use Conversational Language

Write your script in a conversational tone to make it more approachable and relatable. Avoid jargon and complex terminology that might alienate your audience.

Know Your Key Takeaways

• Identify the main messages or key takeaways you want your audience to remember.
• Craft your script around these key points to ensure they are emphasized throughout the presentation.

Address Potential Questions or Concerns

By proactively addressing potential questions or concerns within your presentation script, you demonstrate thoroughness, credibility, and a genuine commitment to addressing your audience's needs. 

This approach helps foster trust and ensures that your presentation provides clear and comprehensive information, leaving your audience feeling satisfied and informed.

Presentation Script Example

Here's an example of a presentation script about "The Power of Effective Communication": 

Key Takeaways 

In conclusion, crafting a well-written presentation script is essential for delivering a successful and impactful presentation. By following the steps and tips outlined in this guide, you can create a script that engages your audience, communicates your message effectively, and leaves a lasting impression.

Remember, incorporating interactive elements can significantly enhance audience engagement and make your presentation more memorable. AhaSlides, with our wide range of templates and interactive features like questions, polls , and activities, provides a powerful platform to involve your audience actively and create an interactive and dynamic presentation experience.

How do you write a script for a presentation?

Here are steps on how to write an effective presentation script: Outline the structure, including an attention-grabbing introduction, main points, and a strong conclusion.  Craft a powerful opening that hooks the audience, establishes relevance, and creates an emotional connection.  Develop key points with supporting information and logical order.  Incorporate visual aids strategically to enhance understanding.  Use transitions and signposts to guide your audience.  Summarize and conclude with impact .  Seek feedback, revise, and practice for a polished presentation.

How do you start a presentation script example?

Here's an example of how you can start a presentation script: - "Good morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for being here today. My name is_____, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak with you about_______. Over the next _______, we will explore [briefly mention key points or objectives of the presentation]." The opening lines should aim to grab the audience's attention, establish your credibility, and introduce the topic you will be discussing. 

Is it okay to read a script for a presentation?

While it's generally recommended to avoid reading directly from a script, there are situations where it can be beneficial. For formal or complex presentations like academic or technical talks, a well-crafted script ensures accuracy and keeps you on track.  However, in most cases, a conversational style with notes or prompts is preferred. This allows flexibility, spontaneity, and better audience engagement. 

A writer who wants to create practical and valuable content for the audience

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Presentation Skills

• Introduction
• Storytelling
• Presentation Outlines

Writing a Presentation Script

• Tools for Creating Presentations
• Creating Interactive Presentations
• Designing Presentation Slides
• Finding & Citing Media
• Citing Your Sources on Slides
• Preparing & Testing Technology
• Recording Your Presentation
• Handling Audience Questions
• Presentation Anxiety
• Group Presentations
• Online Presentations
• Feedback Form
• AI Survey for Students
• Co-Curricular Recognition Form
• Faculty Resources

Once you've decided on your presentation structure or outline, your next step is to write a script.

A presentation script include details about your key talking points , cues for visual aids such as slides or props, and a structured outline to guide your session.

In this section, we'll explore how you can script and practice your presentation to help you organize your ideas, create a logical flow in your argument, and avoid unnecessary details.

Learn how your favourite professors structure their course content and use these tips to create an engaging presentation!

How to Write an Engaging Script for a Presentation-based Online Course

After creating your outline, write out how you would explain your information to a person sitting right in front of you. Resist the urge to rewrite at this step! You can edit later.

Make sure your pacing is consistent so you're not lingering on a single slide for too long. Be concise! Consider how your bullet points might be broken up into slides, and try to keep the same number of sentences or paragraphs per slide.

One of the most challenging parts of writing a script is sounding natural—we can sometimes become too formal with our language, which can make us sound flat and inauthentic. Make sure to add some of your personality to your script, and use language that sounds more like you.

Add some cues to your script to help you remember how you want to deliver certain parts of your presentation. For example, you might write out certain words in italics to remind yourself to emphasize certain words.

Presentation Script Basics

Click on the boxes below to learn some quick tips you can consider when writing your next presentation script:

1. Outline the structure

Start with an attention-grabbing introduction, followed by the main points you want to share, and conclude with a strong summary or a call to action.

For example:

Your introduction should be a welcome, personal connection to your topic.

Your main points are the key parts of your message or argument. You'll use facts, figures, stories, examples, etc. to illustrate your main points and build a compelling presentation.

Transitions are the phrases and sentences you'll use to help your audience know when you're moving between your different main points. You might use phrases like, "Now, let's move on to…" or "Next, we'll discuss…".

In your conclusion, you'll recap your key points and share a call to action for your audience (i.e., what do you want your audience to do with the information you've shared with them).

2. Craft a powerful opening

Crafting a strong opening is crucial to capturing your audience's attention and setting the tone for your presentation.

Here are some key elements to consider when you're crafting your opening statement:

A good hook introduces your subject matter and engages your audience while also setting the tone of your session. Hooks are sharp and quick to grab attention —they could be a surprising statistic, a thought-provoking question, and even a short personal story. This is your chance to get creative!

Communicate the relevance and importance of your topic to your audience. Highlight how it relates to their lives, challenges, or goals.

Appeal to your audience's emotions and allow them to resonate or empathize with your ideas. For example, you could share a personal story about you or someone you know who's personally affected by your topic before sharing facts and statistics about the topic.

3. Develop key points

When you're developing the key points in your presentation script, it's essential to provide supporting information, examples, or evidence that reinforces your message.

A few ways you could expand on each main point include:

Supporting information

• Present facts, data, or expert opinions that support your main point.
• Use credible sources (e.g., journal articles) to strengthen your arguments and provide context.
• Use evidence from studies to back up your claims and increase credibility.

Logical order or Narrative flow

• Organize your main points in a logical order to make it easier for your audience to follow your argument.
• Consider using a narrative flow to create a compelling storyline that connects your main points. For example, if you were talking about healthcare access issues, you might create a character experiencing several of these issues and show your audience how it can impact someone's life (especially if your audience has never experienced the issue you're describing).

4. Incorporate visual aids

Incorporating visual aids strategically in your presentation can significantly enhance your audience's understanding, engagement, and retention of information.

• For example, if you're presenting to the class about a new product idea, you could display images or a short video demonstrating the product's functionality as you describe each feature.

5. Include transitions and signposts

Including clear transitions and signposts helps your audience with following your ideas and message.

You could use concise and engaging language to introduce the upcoming content.

• For example, "Next, we'll explore the latest…".

You could also use questions to transition between sections or engage the audience's attention.

• For example, "But how can we tackle this challenge? The answer lies in…".

6. Summarize and conclude

Take the time to recap your main points to reinforce your message concisely. Try to summarize each of your key points in a single bullet point in a list.

You could also end your presentation with a memorable story or quote that leaves a lasting impression with your audience, or a clear call to action for your audience (e.g., asking your audience to visit your portfolio website, your new product's website, to learn more about an organization you worked with to plan your presentation, etc.)

7. Seek feedback and revise

Practice your presentation with a trusted colleague, friend, or family member to get constructive feedback. It's helpful to present your content to someone who has no knowledge of the topic so they can point out any areas where you might need to give more context.

You could also book a free tutoring session at Sheridan's Tutoring Centre to get feedback on your script and slides. You can book an appointment through the TutorOcean portal.

Once you've made your edits and revisions based on this feedback, practice your presentation again. You could do this on your own to make sure you feel comfortable and confident with the material.

Bonus points—you could try recording yourself while you're presenting and watch it back to help identify any other changes you want to make!

Presentation Script Examples

We've covered what you want to include in your presentation script—but how should you write out that script?

Watch the video below as an example of a short presentation you might see in your class.

Below the video, you'll find three examples of scripts the creator might use to organize their ideas:

• A script layout in a Microsoft Word document; 
• A formatted table in Microsoft Excel and
• In the Notes section of a Microsoft PowerPoint slide deck

• Script Layout [Microsoft Word doc] Includes slide content, cues for rehearsed gestures or body language, video editing notes, and more.
• Formatted Table [Microsoft Excel] Table divided into three key areas: Presentation section or slide, planned material for spoken and visual content, and timing estimates.
• Notes Section [Microsoft PowerPoint] Add speaking notes and transitions to the Notes section in PowerPoint so you can refer to them during your presentation.
• Last Updated: Sep 12, 2024 3:49 PM
• URL: https://sheridancollege.libguides.com/presentationskills

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