“The beginning is the most important part of the work,” said Plato a few centuries ago. The ability to amaze and capture the audience attention is essential because otherwise, no matter how important your message is, it will reach only a few simply because you have not managed to motivate them enough.
Being a good speaker is complicated. It is not enough to lose the fear of public speaking, sometimes it requires years of practice. Organizing a presentation down to the smallest details is also difficult, but fortunately, we can have an ace up our sleeve if we choose how to start the presentation properly, if we structure those first 60 seconds well.
If you spend that time apologizing, cracking a joke or pointing out technical details, you will have lost a golden opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism, make a good first impression and, in the process, captivate your audience.
Tricks to capture the public’s attention from the first moment
1. Start with an interesting story
Jokes are a very overused device, but good stories always hook us, bring out our childish side and make us pay attention. It doesn’t matter if it’s about executives, teachers or workers, we are all seduced by stories, that’s why we continue reading novels and watching films.
Of course, not just any story will work. Ideally, it should be a tale with personal overtones, so you show your audience that you trust them and that you are passionate about the topic. You can also choose someone else’s story, but only if it contains some lesson. However, don’t go overboard, because you’ll end up boring. The story should not last more than 2 minutes, on average.
2. Ask a rhetorical and provocative question
Questions immediately engage the audience, encouraging them to think and concentrate on the presentation. If it is an unexpected question, with a hint of provocation, even better. Remember that it is not about getting the audience to answer you, you just have to persuade them and capture their attention. Don’t limit yourself to a simple question with a yes or no answer, go further and, if possible, skirt the edges of ethics. This is a trick that always works.
3. Bet on an alarming statistic
We all like statistics, to a greater or lesser extent, even social science professionals cannot escape their influence. Statistics quickly summarize a trend and allow us to focus on the topic to be addressed. Of course, don’t choose the figures that everyone knows, do a little research and start the presentation with a figure that is surprising or even alarming. Generating a certain degree of alarm and uneasiness is a sure strategy to attract attention. However, don’t overwhelm them with figures, select only the most important ones.
4. Choose a photo
You’ve probably heard that “a picture is worth a thousand words” and that’s often the case. The information that comes to us from the visual system has a very strong impact and is memorable. Before choosing, take into account the psychology of photos and make sure that it awakens emotions or at least arouses curiosity. The photo should serve to create the right mood. Of course, don’t choose an obvious image because you’ll get the opposite effect, go for something more irreverent or make the audience think.
5. Use an original visual cue
Visual cues help spark curiosity and keep people focused on your message. For example, in George Clooney’s movie “Up in the Air,” he used a backpack as a visual cue to start his lectures. However, you can use anything related to your message, something that is visible and original, an object that no one would expect to see in that place.
Source:
Price, D. (2012) Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results . New York: Amacom.
