Several factors come into play in the success of a presentation. Let us focus on the red zone of the presentation’s first minute. It is during that time that you will be judged and that your audience will decide to continue to hear you… or look at their emails. Let us look at 7 possible ways to catch an audience attention in that first minute:

1. Surprise:

“18% of our margin is in pre-sale cost”

The master of hooks Your first slide Powerpoint can convey an impressing fact. Like a data, or also an image a little off compared to your firm (an historic image, an historic figure, an animal..).

2. Shock :

“We lose 30% of our customers during the second year”

“If we don’t change, that’s what will happen to us from here to the end of the year”

Level two after the surprise trick, more effective but has to be assessed with precaution following the mood of your audience and the formalism of the meeting.

3. Rhetorical question

” Did you know that the principal reason for which our client choose us is the brand and not the content of our offer itself? ”

“Would you like that our marketing reinvents itself, not annually but every quarter?”

The answer is known, but it will create an interest in every case..

4. Teaser:

” At the end of the following 20 minutes, you will know how our profitability can increase by 3 points in 6 months”

“Did you ask yourself how much it would be possible to… ”

Particularly if you announce a direct benefit for your audience.

5. Reference to news from the world or from your events (like the last presentation):

A classic, instead of making your intro as expected, interject to make a link to what was said earlier. Usable in addition to other pre-planned hangers/hooks …

6. Reconnect to the subject of the event:

“We are today in a business seminar, but what should we wait from a business seminar…”

7. By identifying yourself to your audience:

“I know very well the situation in which you are… Myself..”

We spare you the anecdote (very difficult, only for the most talented …), the quote (can be easily tacky) props (pirate costume, but hard to organize and not suitable for everything … )

Do you use one of these hangers naturally? Think of a quick check before your next presentation! And avoid the main pitfall: “I will explore xxx, then we will see yyy” which laboriously list your agenda…