Module 1.3 Improving the Communication Skills: Oral Presentations

4. Effective Openings

Effective Openings

Communication experts are all agreed that the first three minutes of a presentation are the most important. They talk about ‘HOOKS’ – simple techniques for getting the immediate attention of the audience. Here’s how the experts suggest you ‘hook’ your audience:

Give them a PROBLEM to think about: Suppose your advertising budget was cut by 99% tomorrow. How would you go about promoting your product?

Give them some amazing FACT: According to the latest study, by 2050 only one in every four people in Western Europe will be going to work. And two will be old age pensioners.

Give them a STORY or personal anecdote: Have you ever been in the situation where you've had to negotiate with the Japanese? I remember when I was working in Nagoya and everybody had told me the Japanese don't like saying no. So, in meetings I just kept saying yeah to everything. And they hated it. It turned out yeah sounds like no in Japanese!

 Use the frames below to help you prepare effective openings, using a problem, amazing facts, or story technique

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PROBLEM technique

Suppose ……………………..... How would you ………………?

Have you ever wondered why it is that ……………………..? you have? Well, if I could show you …………………. would you be interested?

How many people here this morning / afternoon / evening ……………………….? Well, imagine …………………. Do you think that’s possible?

 

AMAZING FACT technique

Did you know that …………………………?

According to the latest study, ……………….

Statistics show that …………………………

I read somewhere the other day that ……….

 

STORY technique

You know,  ……………………. When I think about ……………. I’m reminded of ……………….

Have you ever been the situation where …………? I remember when ………………. It turned out ……………………