Last weekend, I had a rare moment of peace and quiet – where I could turn to my Pinterest account and hunt for my next experiment. As I scrolled through my homepage, I began to notice a trend in the recipes I pinned to my Food board. Every single one included a word like “healthy” or “quinoa” or a phrase like “healthier alternative.” Ultimately, the posts that caught my eye were those that aligned with my interests. When we evaluate presentations, the opening serves a similar function. A presentation opening must not only capture the attention of audiences, but it should also ignite engagement.
Here are a few science-backed methods to utilize when creating a successful presentation opening:
1. Focus on strengths
Let’s shift the conversation away from your audience for one moment. Taking a look inwardly, assess the hobbies you have picked up over the years. What is a common theme among each of your hobbies? Most likely, a fairly prevalent similarity in every disparate activity is the fact that they all accentuate a strength of yours. According to positive psychology, emphasizing strengths is oftentimes a more productive endeavor. In the context of a presentation, this entails starting your talk by addressing strengths in the industry, strengths of the company or organization you are pitching an idea to, and so on and so forth. Instead of leading with the issues, problems, and weaknesses, flip the script. Concentrate your messaging on a positive tone to enhance buy-in to your opinions and arguments.
2. Take a break
Presenters – especially those confronting complex and contentious topics – have an interesting line to walk. They need to deliver their bold opinion or idea, while also generating an environment conducive to open mindedness for their audiences. In these situations, harnessing the influence of unconscious processing could work wonders. Recent research has concluded that in the midst of the decision-making process, ceasing all thought about the matter for a short amount of time leads to a conclusion on better decisions. When the decision maker is distracted, however, his or her brain continues to process information related to the decision (a.k.a. unconscious processing). The visual and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain remained active. To incorporate this strategy in your presentations, introduce your concept or opinion from the get go. Then, follow the reveal up with a distractor task or activity. Doing so will relieve tension, as well as ensure that your audience is still pondering your main message.
3. Establish the relationships
One of the easiest ways to spark engagement through your presentation opening is to demonstrate the layers of relationships in the room. There’s the relationship between presenter and audience, but there is also the relationship between audience and audience. Pay attention to both in order to spark engagement and reel people into your presentation. Achieve this by displaying an understanding of the audience’s need or needs. In addition, provide opportunities for audience members to communicate with each other through activities and discussions.
Related Posts:
Your Go-To Presentation Outline [Template]
How Presenters Can Cultivate Open Intelligence
