Presentation Template for Writing Your Opening Use - - PDF document

Presentation​ ​Template​ ​for​ ​Writing​ ​Your​ ​Opening

Use​ ​these​ ​four​ ​structures​ ​to​ ​brainstorm​ ​and​ ​craft​ ​your​ ​presentation​ ​opening.

1.​ ​The​ ​Surprise

Shocking​ ​statistics​ ​always​ ​work​ ​well​ ​in​ ​presentations.​ ​Instead​ ​of​ ​using​ ​an​ ​impressive​ ​chart​ ​or​ ​graph to​ ​show​ ​the​ ​information,​ ​deliver​ ​a​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​it​ ​at​ ​the​ ​beginning.​ ​Good​ ​content​ ​is​ ​always​ ​worth repeating​ ​and​ ​reiterating​ ​in​ ​presentations.​ ​So,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​number​ ​that​ ​will​ ​blow​ ​people​ ​away,​ ​take advantage​ ​of​ ​it​ ​at​ ​the​ ​start​ ​of​ ​your​ ​presentation. Example:​ ​59.​ ​That’s​ ​how​ ​many​ ​years​ ​you​ ​have​ ​to​ ​live​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​living​ ​in​ ​Togo,​ ​Africa.​ ​In​ ​a​ ​country​ ​of​ ​7 million​ ​people,​ ​the​ ​life​ ​expectancy​ ​rate​ ​fell​ ​to​ ​59​ ​in​ ​2015.​ ​Compare​ ​that​ ​to​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States,​ ​where​ ​people are​ ​expected​ ​to​ ​live​ ​to​ ​77​ ​years​ ​old.​ ​That’s​ ​20​ ​more​ ​years​ ​of​ ​life​ ​that​ ​the​ ​people​ ​of​ ​Togo​ ​don’t​ ​have. ​ ​Source:​ ​The​ ​World​ ​Health​ ​Organization​ ​(WHO)

Now​ ​you​ ​try:

Pull​ ​out​ ​the​ ​most​ ​surprising​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​information​ ​from​ ​your​ ​presentation.​ ​It​ ​doesn’t​ ​have​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a number.​ ​Think​ ​about​ ​what​ ​interests​ ​you​ ​the​ ​most​ ​about​ ​your​ ​presentation​ ​and​ ​build​ ​your​ ​opening

• ff​ ​that.

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2.​ ​The​ ​Question

Get​ ​instant​ ​engagement​ ​with​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​through​ ​a​ ​question.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​like​ ​an​ ​introduction​ ​to​ ​the problem​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​solve.​ ​Whether​ ​you​ ​ask​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​to​ ​raise​ ​their​ ​hands,​ ​share​ ​an experience,​ ​or​ ​just​ ​think​ ​about​ ​it,​ ​you​ ​are​ ​getting​ ​them​ ​engaged.​ ​After​ ​opening​ ​your​ ​presentation with​ ​the​ ​question,​ ​remember​ ​to​ ​circle​ ​back​ ​to​ ​it​ ​when​ ​you​ ​set​ ​up​ ​the​ ​problem​ ​or​ ​explain​ ​the solutions. Example:​ ​By​ ​show​ ​of​ ​hands,​ ​how​ ​many​ ​times​ ​have​ ​you​ ​forgotten​ ​where​ ​you​ ​parked​ ​your​ ​car?​ ​You​ ​know that​ ​feeling,​ ​when​ ​you​ ​walk​ ​out​ ​the​ ​mall​ ​and​ ​cannot​ ​remember​ ​the​ ​aisle​ ​number​ ​or​ ​distance​ ​from​ ​where you​ ​parked.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​there,​ ​along​ ​with​ ​millions​ ​of​ ​others​ ​who​ ​are​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​a​ ​solution​ ​for​ ​finding​ ​their lost​ ​car.

Now​ ​you​ ​try:

Think​ ​of​ ​the​ ​problem​ ​or​ ​solution​ ​you​ ​are​ ​presenting.​ ​Now​ ​turn​ ​it​ ​into​ ​a​ ​question.​ ​Make​ ​sure​ ​it’s relatable​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​response​ ​from​ ​the​ ​public.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​question​ ​is​ ​too​ ​complex,​ ​think​ ​down​ ​to what​ ​the​ ​root​ ​of​ ​the​ ​problem​ ​is​ ​and​ ​frame​ ​it​ ​that​ ​way. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.​ ​The​ ​Discovery

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​presenting​ ​new​ ​research​ ​or​ ​products,​ ​begin​ ​your​ ​presentation​ ​with​ ​that​ ​discovery.​ ​You don’t​ ​have​ ​to​ ​give​ ​out​ ​all​ ​the​ ​details​ ​right​ ​away,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​can​ ​begin​ ​with​ ​the​ ​inspiration​ ​or​ ​motivation that​ ​got​ ​you​ ​where​ ​you​ ​are​ ​now.​ ​This​ ​presentation​ ​opening​ ​drives​ ​home​ ​the​ ​innovation​ ​and

• riginality​ ​of​ ​your​ ​work.

Example:​​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​something​ ​new​ ​that​ ​seems​ ​so​ ​obvious​ ​now.​ ​Clients​ ​respond​ ​better​ ​when​ ​you​ ​give​ ​them

• ptions.​ ​I​ ​know​ ​it​ ​sounds​ ​obvious,​ ​but​ ​for​ ​the​ ​last​ ​5​ ​years​ ​I​ ​ran​ ​my​ ​business​ ​giving​ ​my​ ​clients​ ​only​ ​one

process​ ​to​ ​work​ ​from.​ ​It​ ​wasn’t​ ​until​ ​last​ ​year​ ​when​ ​a​ ​client​ ​asked​ ​to​ ​change​ ​the​ ​process​ ​to​ ​meet​ ​their schedule​ ​that​ ​the​ ​light​ ​bulb​ ​went​ ​off.​ ​Why​ ​don’t​ ​I​ ​always​ ​offer​ ​all​ ​my​ ​clients​ ​the​ ​same​ ​flexible​ ​process?​ ​In the​ ​last​ ​year,​ ​my​ ​business​ ​has​ ​doubled​ ​in​ ​profits​ ​and​ ​my​ ​customers​ ​are​ ​happier​ ​with​ ​the​ ​new​ ​options.

Now​ ​you​ ​try:

What​ ​was​ ​your​ ​“ah-ha”​ ​moment?​ ​What​ ​the​ ​singular​ ​event​ ​that​ ​changed​ ​the​ ​way​ ​you​ ​do​ ​business? Use​ ​that​ ​as​ ​your​ ​presentation​ ​opening. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.The​ ​Story

Last​ ​but​ ​not​ ​least,​ ​there’s​ ​the​ ​story​ ​presentation​ ​opening.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​popular​ ​one​ ​because​ ​we​ ​all​ ​love​ ​a great​ ​story.​ ​The​ ​opportunities​ ​are​ ​endless​ ​for​ ​the​ ​types​ ​of​ ​stories​ ​you​ ​can​ ​tell.​ ​A​ ​personal​ ​story,​ ​a funny​ ​story,​ ​a​ ​customer​ ​story,​ ​a​ ​company​ ​backstory,​ ​the​ ​list​ ​goes​ ​on.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​an​ ​impactful​ ​way​ ​to

• pen​ ​your​ ​presentation​ ​and​ ​relate​ ​to​ ​your​ ​audience.

Example:​ ​Let’s​ ​go​ ​back​ ​to​ ​1977.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​May.​ ​School​ ​just​ ​let​ ​out.​ ​And​ ​a​ ​new​ ​film​ ​was​ ​about​ ​to​ ​open​ ​in theaters.​ ​At​ ​the​ ​time,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​just​ ​called​ ​Star​ ​Wars.​ ​Today​ ​it’s​ ​known​ ​as​ ​Star​ ​Wars:​ ​Episode​ ​IV​ ​-​ ​A​ ​New​ ​Hope.​ ​I was​ ​only​ ​10​ ​years​ ​old,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​yet​ ​to​ ​walk​ ​out​ ​a​ ​movie​ ​experience​ ​that​ ​left​ ​me​ ​so​ ​excited,​ ​so​ ​hopeful,​ ​so​ ​full​ ​of energy.​ ​That​ ​10-year​ ​old​ ​me​ ​had​ ​no​ ​idea​ ​that​ ​I​ ​would​ ​go​ ​on​ ​to​ ​pursue​ ​a​ ​career​ ​in​ ​screenwriting​ ​that​ ​would take​ ​me​ ​to​ ​Hollywood.

Now​ ​you​ ​try:

What’s​ ​your​ ​favorite​ ​story?​ ​Doesn’t​ ​matter​ ​if​ ​it’s​ ​personal​ ​or​ ​from​ ​a​ ​book.​ ​Think​ ​of​ ​a​ ​story​ ​that​ ​you love​ ​to​ ​tell.​ ​Is​ ​there​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​include​ ​it​ ​in​ ​your​ ​presentation​ ​opening?​ ​Think​ ​of​ ​the​ ​similarities between​ ​your​ ​presentation​ ​and​ ​your​ ​favorite​ ​story.​ ​Find​ ​the​ ​one​ ​or​ ​two​ ​things​ ​they​ ​have​ ​in​ ​common to​ ​frame​ ​and​ ​tie​ ​together​ ​your​ ​presentation​ ​opening. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________