"The beginning is the most important part of the work," Plato said many centuries ago. The ability to surprise and capture the interest of the public is essential because, otherwise, regardless of whether the message to be conveyed is important, it will reach only a few people since you have not been able to motivate the majority. easy thing, sometimes it takes years of practice and perseverance. Even organizing a presentation down to the smallest detail is difficult, but luckily we can have an ace up our sleeve if we choose correctly how to start the presentation, if we structure those first 60 seconds well.If you waste this precious time to apologize, tell a funny anecdote or point out some technical details, you are missing out on a golden opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism, make a good first impression and, by the way, fascinate your audience.
1. Start with an interesting story. Jokes are a trivial resource but good stories always manage to capture us by bringing to light our most childish side and stimulating our attention. It does not matter if it is about managers, teachers or workers, good stories seduce everyone, for this reason we continue to read novels and watch films.
Of course, no story is good. The ideal would be a story with personal tints, in this way you will show the audience that you trust them and will make them passionate about the subject. It is also possible to choose another person's story, but as long as it includes profound teaching. However, do not overdo it because otherwise it will be boring, the story should not last more than two minutes on average.
2. Ask a rhetorical and provocative question. The questions immediately engage the audience, encourage them to reflect and focus on the presentation. If it's an unexpected question and a bit provocative, that's even better. Remember that you shouldn't expect an answer from the audience, the question will only convince them and grab their attention. Do not limit yourself to a simple question whose answer only requires a yes or a no, but go further and, if possible, touch the boundaries of ethics. This is a trick that always works.
3. Use an alarming statistic. Everyone, some more and some less, likes statistics, and even social science professionals do not escape their influence. The statistics quickly summarize a trend and allow us to focus on the issue at hand. Of course, you don't have to pick the numbers that everyone knows but do your research and start your presentation with something that surprises or even shocks your audience. Generating some degree of alarm and distress is a surefire way to get attention. However, don't use too much data, select only the most important ones.
4. Choose a photograph. Surely you have heard that "a picture is worth a thousand words" and this is often the case. The information that comes to us from the visual apparatus has a much stronger and more memorable impact. When choosing a photo, make sure it arouses emotions, or at least curiosity. The photo must serve to create the right atmosphere. Of course, don't choose a painting that is too obvious because you will get the opposite effect, use something irreverent that stimulates reflection.
5. Use an original visual track. Visual cues help spark curiosity and keep attention towards your message. For example, in the movie “Up in the Air”, George Clooney used a backpack as a visual cue to start the conference. Either way, you can resort to anything that has to do with your message, something that is visible and original, an object that no one expects to see there.
