Presentation tips

1. The first sentence tells us this is a current, interesting, social issue. 2. The second sentence tells us about research and the current state of affairs regarding this issue. 3. The third sentence justifies the presentation why we should be concerned. 4. The fourth sentence explains the outline of the presentation so we know what to expect.

1. Personal story This can be extremely powerful and memorable. I just wrote about a presentation I attended that opened with a great story, tying the entire presentation together. 2. Joke Be careful with this though. Make sure its topical, appropriate, and actually induces laughter. 3. Video You may want to briefly preface it to create some familiarity between you and your audience, but this can be very powerful when done effectively. 4. Thank your audience Why not start by thanking your (often paying) audience? Its the equivalent of complimenting your date and handing her flowers as soon as you pick her up. Okay, maybe thats a stretch, but everyone likes to feel appreciated. If nothing else, Garr does it! 5. Ask a question/Start a conversation I recently heard a presenter start his presentation by asking how many audience members hate when they are asked a question by the presenter. It was funny and got me thinking. Asking a question can be effective but it can also be annoying when the same question has been asked over and over again, most often at a conference where audience members sit through many presentations per day. At theSES Conference in New York, I cant tell you how many times we were asked how many of us used social media tools. Instead, think of it as starting a conversation. Maybe that begins with a question, but actually engage someone (or a few people) in the audience in a real (albeit short) conversation that ties in with your presentaiton. Ask them a few questions to try and make your point. (Make sure one of those questions is what their name is.)

6. Reader Submission Denis Francois Gravel I would add an other one to your excellent list. You can start with a strong affirmation that surprise or shock the audience. Imagine a speaker starting like this: According to statistics, 8 people in this room will lose their jobs in the next year. I will give you 5 tips to avoid being one of them. Would you listen to what he have to say? 7. Reader Submission Phil Waknell Give them something to look forward to. At the end of this presentation, Im going to make an astonishing announcement, and you will be the first people in the world to hear it, or perhaps When you leave this room, you will have a completely different way of looking at technology. Youll have got the audiences attention just be careful because you need to meet their raised expectations.

1.

10-20-30 Rule This is a slideshow rule offered by Guy Kawasaki. This rule states that a powerpoint slide should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes and have no text less than 30 point font. He says it doesnt matter whether your idea will revolutionize the world, you need to spell out the important nuggets in a few minutes minutes, a couple slides and a several words a slide.

2.

Be Entertaining Speeches should be entertaining and informative. Im not saying you should act like a dancing monkey when giving a serious presentation. But unlike an e-mail or article, people expect some appeal to there emotions. Simply reciting dry facts without any passion or humor will make people less likely to pay attention.

3.

Slow Down Nervous and inexperienced speakers tend to talk way to fast. Consciously slow your speech down and add pauses for emphasis.

4.

Eye Contact Match eye contact with everyone in the room. Ive also heard from salespeople that you shouldnt focus all your attention on the decision maker since secretaries and assistants in the room may hold persuasive sway over their boss.

5.

15 Word Summary Can you summarize your idea in fifteen words? If not, rewrite it and try again. Speaking is an inefficient medium for communicating information, so know what the important fifteen words are so they can be repeated.

6.

20-20 Rule Another suggestion for slideshows. This one says that you should have twenty slides each lasting exactly twenty seconds. The 20-20 Rule forces you to be concise and to keep from boring people.

7.

Dont Read This one is a no brainer, but somehow Powerpoint makes people think they can get away with it. If you dont know your speech without cues, that doesnt just make you more distracting. It shows you dont really understand your message, a huge blow to any confidence the audience has in you.

8.

Speeches are About Stories If your presentation is going to be a longer one, explain your points through short stories, quips and anecdotes. Great speakers know how to use a story to create an emotional connection between ideas for the audience.

9.

Project Your Voice - Nothing is worse than a speaker you cant hear. Even in the high-tech world of microphones and amplifiers, you need to be heard. Projecting your voice doesnt mean yelling, rather standing up straight and letting your voice resonate on the air in your lungs rather than in the throat to produce a clearer sound.

10. Dont Plan Gestures - Any gestures you use need to be an extension of your message and any emotions that message conveys. Planned gestures look false because they dont match your other involuntary body cues. You are better off keeping your hands to your side. 11. Thats a Good Question You can use statements like, thats a really good question, or Im glad you asked me that, to buy yourself a few moments to organize your response. Will the other people in the audience know you are using these filler sentences to reorder your thoughts? Probably not. And even if they do, it still makes the presentation more smooth than ums and ahs littering your answer. 12. Breathe In Not Out Feeling the urge to use presentation killers like um, ah, or you know? Replace those with a pause taking a short breath in. The pause may seem a bit awkward, but the audience will barely notice it. 13. Come Early, Really Early Dont fumble with powerpoint or hooking up a projector when people are waiting for you to speak. Come early, scope out the room, run through your slideshow and make sure there wont be any glitches. Preparation can do a lot to remove your speaking anxiety. 14. Get Practice Join Toastmasters and practice your speaking skills regularly in front of an audience. Not only is it a fun time, but it will make you more competent and confident when you need to approach the podium. 15. Dont Apologize Apologies are only useful if youve done something wrong. Dont use them to excuse incompetence or humble yourself in front of an audience. Dont apologize for your nervousness or a lack of preparation time. Most audience members cant detect your anxiety, so dont draw attention to it. 16. Do Apologize if Youre Wrong One caveat to the above rule is that you should apologize if you are late or shown to be incorrect. You want to seem confident, but dont be a jerk about it. 17. Put Yourself in the Audience - When writing a speech, see it from the audiences perspective. What might they not understand? What might seem boring? Use WIIFM (Whats In It For Me) to guide you. 18. Have Fun - Sounds impossible? With a little practice you can inject your passion for a subject into your presentations. Enthusiasm is contagious.

You need to grasp your audience's attention within the first 30 seconds of your speech or presentation. If you don't grab them in that short space of time, you could lose them. The people you are speaking to could simply look at you, but be thinking of the next coffee break, the shopping they need to do or that attractive person sitting in front of them. Without gaining the immediate attention of the audience the moment you start to speak, you could effectively be talking to yourself. Something like a gunshot, fireworks or a troupe of naked dancers should grab the audience attention, sure enough. But your problem is you have to follow them - and that may well be an anti-climax for the audience. Dramatic starts to presentations and speeches can often backfire. People remember the

sudden drama, but often cannot recall what the speaker actually said. What you need are openings to your speech that make the audience want to listen to the rest of what you have to say. In other words, the stunning start to the speech or presentation has to be something you say, rather than a dramatic device. There are several options you can choose from, but audience research shows that the most preferable attention-grabbing opening you can make is an anecdote; tell a personal story, preferably funny. Most business presenters try to be serious, or set the agenda right at the start. Time and time again, audiences report that this is the sure way to lose their attention. Yet, time and time again audiences say that personal anecdotes are a great way to start a business presentation - even serious ones. If an anecdote isn't appropriate, there are other options. Starting with a question, or a series of linked questions, is a favourite loved by audiences. Similarly, a quotation by a famous person is also a good opener to a talk or presentation. Other possibilities include a statistic or a controversial statement about the audience or the subject area. An appropriate poem is also a good start. Things to avoid to open your presentation or speech include jokes, role plays or anything where you are trying to be 'clever'. The audience may be offended and therefore will distance themselves from you, lessening your impact. And even if you get a good producer for a major conference speech, try to avoid their convincing cries that you should make some kind of dramatic entrance. It's great for the show's production team - but not for the audience. No matter what the size of the audience, you can use the suggestions here. Whether you speak to a small group or several thousand, anecdotes, questions, quotations, statistics and controversial statements will always work.

TEASE em: 5 Ways to Start Your Speech

by Peter Jeff Oct 7th, 2009

Ban the banalities that bog down most speech openings. Defer the customary nice-to-be-here platitudes. Direct your audience more into fawning than yawning over your speech opening. How? Start your speech better by diving in! Instead of gingerly dipping your toes into the proverbial speaking pool, open with a splash! Pattern your platform performance after the TEASE opening which Saturday Night Live has made famous for more than 25 years.

Learning fromSaturday Night Live to Start Your Speech

The opening of Saturday Night Live is much anticipated and always engaging. Consider the formula they use: 1. First, a cold open. Theres no warm up. No toes in the water. They just jump in with the opening skit (usually one of the most memorable of the night). 2. Then, following the catchy Live from New York, its Saturday night!, the host introduces herself and the musical guest, and sets the agenda for the show. Can you apply this formula to start your speech? First, TEASE your audience from the second you open your mouth. And open their eyes to something new, different, and even entertaining. Pique their interest. Immerse your

audience into the action from the opening second with a verbal splash of cold water. With a powerful 30- to 60-second opening, your audience will be engaged to stay tuned for more. Then, you can then formally introduce yourself, and give your audience an overview of your speech. Its important they know up front why your speech is important to them. Lets examine those first thirty to sixty seconds. Whats a TEASE?

What is a TEASE Speech Opening?

Immerse your audience into the action from the opening second with a verbal splash of cold water. -- Peter Jeff
TEASE is an acronym for five ways to gain and retain your audiences attention: Testimonial Evidence Anecdote Statement Example

Example: How to Start a Speech About Speaking

Lets say you wanted to design, develop, and deliver a speech on the importance of public speaking. Here are five TEASE techniques you might use: 1. Testimonial Cite the behavior of a celebrity and/or quote an influential person the audience will know of or respect. 2. Evidence On the impact of public speaking in your career success. 3. Anecdote Of someone benefiting directly from their public speaking expertise. 4. Statement On the significance of public speaking to the quality of life. 5. Example Of a person whose career really took off because of public speaking. Lets look at examples of each of these TEASE techniques for a great speech opening.

1. Start Your Speech With a Testimonial

Cite the behavior of a celebrity and/or quote an influential person the audience will know of or respect. If all my possessions were taken away from me with one exception, I would choose the power of speech. For by it, I would regain all the rest of my possessions. Thats what former Senator and Secretary of State Daniel Webster once observed of the significance of effective public speaking. Likewise, Pericles, the Greek orator, also understood the significance of public speaking when he said: The person who can think and does not know how to express what he thinks is at a level of him who cannot think.

2. Start Your Speech With Evidence

Present statistics or other data on the importance of public speaking. The University of Michigan conducted a survey of 1,290 business school alumni who were recently promoted. They were asked what specific subject area prepared them the most for their business success. More than 70 percent cited effective communications as the top business skill ahead of financial and business acumen!

3. Start Your Speech With an Anecdote

Tell a story of someone directly affected by the benefits of public speaking. Isabelle lived alone for the first six years of her life. Very alone in her silent world. She lived only with her reclusive mother who also could not speak. She was a deaf mute. Isabelle was so isolated from other people she had no chance to learn or practice speaking. When authorities finally rescued her from her silent and isolated world, she seemed ineducable. But after being around people who could speak, Isabelle broke out of her silent world. In one week, she vocalized sounds. In two months, she spoke in full sentences. In 16 months she learned 2,000 words. And in 56 months her IQ tripled, in part due to the power of being around people who could speak.

4. Start Your Speech With a Statement

Make a bold observation on the importance of public speaking.

Public speaking is the sine qua non* of leadership. Without it, you cannot lead. With it, you can lead nations, raise armies, inspire victories and blow fresh courage into the hearts of men as Adlai Stevenson eulogized Sir Winston Churchill. [* Ed. sine qua non: Latin for "essential element".]

5. Start Your Speech With an Example

Cite a person whose career really took off because of public speaking. After graduating from college with degrees in chemistry and microbiology, Wilma Subra figured shed spend more time with a microscope than a microphone. But that was before she found out how many families were being exposed to high levels of chemicals and other toxins as part of her field work for a company in Louisiana. Her employer did not want to release the polluting information. So Wilma decided to start her own company, conducting environmental tests and reporting her results to government authorities and the media. Wilma soon found herself in a variety of public speaking platforms. Her work directly cleaned up dozens of toxic sites across the country and saved thousands of lives in more than 800 communities over the last 20 years. Wilma credits her public speaking ability for much of her environmental campaign success. She says public speaking is the best way to engage people and get them involved.

Your Assignment to Start Your Next Speech

TEASE em to please em. Think Testimonial, Example, Anecdote, Statement, and Evidence for the next speech you write. And dive in!

Better Beginnings: how to start a presentation, book, article...

You are in a dimly lit room. You are alone on a stage before an audience of 1,000. 10 minutes into your presentation, your hands no longer shake or sweat. This is going well, you think. But just then you notice a vaguely familiar sound--tap, tap, clickety-clack-which in one horrifying moment you recognize--it's your audience. IMing, checking email, live blogging("wifi sucks at this hotel and OMFG this is the most boring speaker ever") What went wrong? How did you lose them in the first 10 minutes? How can you get their attention? Nobody knows more about the importance of beginnings than novelists and screenwriters, but too often we think their advice doesn't apply to us. After all, we give technical presentations. Lectures. Sermons. We coverprofessional topics, not fiction. Not entertainment. Oh really? Regardless of your topic, the only way they'll read or listen to it is if you get them hooked from the beginning. And like your mother always said, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." (Or as one writer put it, "You can't be in the room with the reader to say, 'trust me...it gets better.') So, we took some tips on making a good beginning from those whose work depends on it.

1) Do NOT start at the beginning! Advice for first-time novelists is often, "Take the first chapter and throw it away. Chances are, chapter 2 is where it just starts to get interesting, so start THERE." Start where the action begins! What happens if you remove the first 10 minutes of your presentations? What happens if you remove the first chapter? Or the first page, paragraph, whatever? Yes, this means dropping the user straight in to the fray without all the necessary context, but if the start is compelling enough, they won't care, at least not yet. They'll stick with you long enough to let the context emerge, just in time, as the "story" goes along. One of my biggest mistakes in books and talks is overestimating the amount of context the listener/reader really needs in advance.

2) Show, Don't Tell If you have to TELL your audience that they should care, you're screwed. The motivation for why they should care should be an inherent part of the story, scenarios, examples, graphics, etc.

3) For the love of god, DO NOT start with history! If I read just ONE more book about the web that starts with a history of the internet, I will have to take hostages. Seriously. Do any of us really need to know about DARPA and CERN and...? Do most web designers and programmers really care? No, and No. And it's not just web design books that suffer from this worst-thing-to-put-in-chapter-one syndrome. WHY DO AUTHORS KEEP PUTTING THE HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK?? If you feel driven or morally obligated to include the history of whatever, fine, but don't put it at the front. Stick it in an appendix or on a web page, where it'll do the least damage. (To be fair, there are plenty of topics where

the history is interesting and useful, but rarely is the historical overview the grabby getthem-hooked thing you need up front.) If you do have context that matters--including history (although I'd fight like a mother tiger to convince you it wasn't needed)--let it emerge duringthe talk or book, not before, when they're the least motivated to hear it. Think about all the things you've pursued where the history became interesting to you only AFTER you developed a strong interest in and knowledge of the subject.

4) DO NOT start with prereqs Decide what is absolutely, positively, crucial and then... stick it in an appendix. If you write for an audience that you assume probably has those prereqs, then why ruin the first chapter for them? Why slow them down? Chances are, they won't just skip chapter 1 and start at chapter 2. Chances are, they'll just skip the whole book.

5) MYTH: you must establish credibility up front How many talks do you see where the speaker has multiple bullet points and slides just on their background? I did it once because I thought it would help people understand the context of my talk, and it did NOT go over well because: A) Nobody cares B) Bullet points do not equal credibility C) Nobody cares D) You already HAVE credibility going in... you don't have to earn it, you just have to make sure you don't lose it. E) Nobody cares But I also see this in books, where it feels like the author is trying to prove to you how smart he is. A better approach might be to prove to the reader how smart HE is, by not dumbing it down. And by demonstrating to the reader/listener that he's capable of

"getting" this really tough thing. I have no illusions about this--the reader/listener cares about himself waaaaaaay more than he cares about me. Trying to establish credibility is backwards. Don't try to get the reader to respect YOU... the reader wants to know that you respect HIM! Demonstrate that respect by caring about his time. By caring about thequality of time. Your audience should know right up front that you're grateful for the time they're giving you, and you show that by being entertaining, engaging, compelling, interesting, or at least useful. You demonstrate it by assuming they're smart. By recognizing what they already bring to the discussion. By not insulting their intelligence. By being prepared.

IDEAS FOR BEGINNINGS A few tricks of the novelists, screenwriters, and world's best teachers. Use one or more of the following to open with an impact: Begin with a question. A question the listener wants to have answered It doesn't have to be a literal question, just something they want to find out. In a good movie or novel, you find yourself thinking, "Who is this guy? Why is he in this situation? Will he get out of it? What's this secret thing they keep referring to?" Make them curious. Curiosity is seduction. I'm astonished by how often we suck the life out of technical topics, when they could be fascinating. Find the passion. If YOU don't care about the answer, why should they?

Be provocative Challenge a belief. Even if they instantly disagree, they'll stick with it long enough to find out where you got that crazy idea. Start with your most dramatic and/or unpopular assertion.

Evoke empathy

Start with a story about real people, or about a fictional character they can identify with.

Do something surprising... VERY surprising They'll want to stick around to see what strange thing you do next.

Start with something funny Forget the advice to "open with a joke", unless you happen to be one of those rare funny people. But you don't have to start with a joke to get them laughing early. Sometimes a picture, story, or just a quote can get them to stick around because you entertained them... at least for a moment.

Promise there will be conflict We would rarely read a novel or see a movie if not for the promise of conflict. Tension and suspense are compelling. How will this turn out? How will you ever scale that thing? How can you build this system in this ridiculous amount of time using only duct tape and a tin of Altoids?

Start with a dramatic key event or turning point

Mystery, suspense, intrigue How many bad books and movies have you stuck with just because you had to find out who did it? Look at your topic and find a way to set up a little mystery. ANYTHING worth talking or writing about has potential for mystery (which leads to curiosity).

Deliver an emotional experience

Your job is to touch their emotions in some way. Not a "I laughed I cried I was moved" thing, but remember: people pay attention to that which theyfeel. Look at your first set of slides and your first few pages and ask yourself, "what feeling does this evoke?" Raise your hand if you've been to way too many talks and read way too many books where nobody asked that question.

"Always grab the reader by the throat in the first paragraph, send your thumbs into his windpipe in the second, and hold him against the wall until the tagline." -- Paul O'Neil That's the goal, but only the truly talented can actually do that. Me? I'll settle for getting the reader to give me just one more moment. Then another. Then another. And I value deeply (and feel lucky for) each moment y'all are willing to give me.

Starting a Presentation
In modern English, Presentations tend to be much less formal than they were even twenty years ago. Most audience these days prefer a relatively informal approach. However, there is a certain structure to the opening of a Presentation that you should observe. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Get people's attention Welcome them Introduce yourself State the purpose of your presentation State how you want to deal with questions

Get people's attention

If I could have everybody's attention. If we can start. Perhaps we should begin? Let's get started.

Welcome them

Welcome to Microsoft. Thank you for coming today.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of Intel, I'd like to welcome you.

Introduce yourself

My name's Jane Shaw. I'm responsible for travel arrangements. For those of you who don't know me, my name's Tom Stotter. As you know, I'm in charge of public relations. I'm the new Marketing Manager.

State the purpose of your presentation

This morning I'd like to present our new processor. Today I'd like to discuss our failures in the Japanese market and suggest a new approach. This afternoon, I'd like to report on my study into the German market. What I want to do this morning is to talk to you about our new mobile telephone system. What I want to do is to tell you about our successes and failures in introducing new working patterns. What I want to do is to show you how we've made our first successful steps in the potentially huge Chinese market.

State how you want to deal with questions.

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them as we go along. Feel free to ask any questions. Perhaps we can leave any questions you have until the end? There will be plenty of time for questions at the end.

Of course, these are only suggestions and other language is possible. Even within this limited group of phrases, just choose a few you feel comfortable with and learn and use those.