According to a study completed by Janis Williams and Alexander Todorov, it only takes one tenth of a second for someone to make their initial judgement about a person. That means that you have less than a second to make a first impression that will last. With so little time you better be sure that you make a good impression rather than a bad one.
Recently I was presenting twice a day to an audience of all ages. As I prepared for the week away, I spent a disproportionate amount of time preparing for my first presentation of the week. Coincidentally this presentation was the easiest but required the bulk of my preparation. Why? Because this was my one shot at a first impression. I knew that if I did not nail this opening presentation the next 13 presentations would have a far lesser value to my audience.
Creating a great presentation can be difficult but if you follow these 4 tips, your audience will love you.
Smile.
I cannot tell you have many times I forget to do this. Smiling not only portrays you as friendly to your audience but it is scientifically proven to help you release anxiety and relax your body. Sometimes I will go so far as to force myself to smile for the 90 seconds leading up to my presentation to guarantee that I am relaxed and comfortable before walking on stage.
Open with humor.
Humor is a great tool to making a great first impression. It lets the audience know that you don’t take yourself too seriously and helps you to break the ice. Humor is also a universal language so no matter the age, gender, or ethnicity of your audience you can draw them in and gain their joy.
Share a personal story.
Stories give your audience insight into who you are as a human. They also break the barrier between speaker and audience helping to move from speaking “at” your audience to speaking “with” your audience. Ensure this story is engaging, vulnerable, and connects your audience directly to you.
Have a clear opening point.
I cannot tell you how many presenters I have seen get up on stage and the first thing they do is stumble over their opening. Not only does this undermine your presentation but it communicates to your audience a lack of preparation. One thing is for sure, if you do not nail your opener you can kiss any good first impression goodbye.
During this stint of presentations I was reminded just how important first impressions are because as quickly as they are formed they take an enormous amount of time to overcome. Don’t risk losing your audience before you ever get started because you took the easy route and didn’t focus on nailing the first impression.
If you are interested in honing your presentation delivery skills, check out our new Presentation Mentor online course.
