You’re losing your audience in the first 10 seconds of your presentation.
Because most leaders start their presentations with:
“Hi, my name is…”
Or
“I want to talk to you today about [topic]…”
Your audience is coming from somewhere else.
Thinking about something else.
Easing into your presentations encourages them to check out.
So the first 10 seconds have to engage your audience.
Here are 7 ways to start your presentations.
(with TED Talk examples).
1 Compelling story
TED Talk: Brene Brown’s “The Power of Vulnerability”
Brown uses a humorous, relatable tale to establish her credibility and set up her premise:
How to expand perception.
And she delivers her story as if she were sitting across from you.
2 Thought-provoking question
TED Talk: Simon Sinek’s “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”
Sinek asks a series of questions:
“How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume?
How do you explain when others achieve things that defy assumptions?
Why is Apple innovative?
Why did Martin Luther King led the Civil Rights Movement?
Why did the Wright brothers figure out powered man flight?”
Why, why, why?
Thought-provoking questions invite the audience to wonder with you.
Yes, why is that?
3 Strong image
TED Talk: Luis von Ahn’s “How to make learning as addictive as social media”
He uses a map to educate the audience on where Guatemala is.
(and humor)
“I’m from Guatemala.
This is where Guatemala is.
Also, this is not where they keep the prisoners.
That’s called Guantanamo.”
He uses the image as a bridge between his upbringing and his life’s mission.
4 Visual aid
TED Talk” Bill Gates “The next outbreak? We’re not ready”
Bill Gates starts his talk by dollying out a huge canister.
The visual creates instant interest.
What is that?
5 Video
TED Talk: David Christian’s “The History of Our World in 18 Minutes”
Christian kicks off his talk with a video of scrambling eggs in reverse.
He uses it to show how the universe doesn’t go from mush to complexity.
Instead, it goes from order and structure to lack of structure.
6 Provocative statement
TED Talk: Huma Yusef’s “A new social contract for global climate justice”
“One third of my country, Pakistan, is under water.”
Powerful statement using an easy-to-understand figure.
7 Humor
TED Talk: Ken Robinson’s “Do Schools Kill Creativity”
“I’ve been blown away by the whole thing.
In fact, I’m leaving.”
Humor is memorable.
And very tricky.
Make yourself the joke or you risk turning the audience against you.