Question: What is the best way to open a presentation?
I am doing a session at a conference. How do you make a compelling or fun opening to get people’s attention? – Kerry
I tried several different approaches for my own presentations. Most executives value visuals and graphs more than words. I’d recommend that you determine what you want to convey and translate those thoughts into meaningful visuals and graphs. Also, you need to have data to substantiate your claims. This is especially important if you are asking for more budget and headcount.
So if you are building your new deck and wondering how to start off a presentation, check out these 3 suggestions in this episode of B2B Marketing and More.
- Articulate very clearly what you want to talk about
- Start with a story or an observation related to your topic
- Start with an alarming statistical data or a quote
Really, there is no right or wrong way to approach your opening, the most important thing is to BE you! Start from that first. Share with audiences what you think and how it is beneficial and useful. Respect their time and make their time worth it by speaking from your heart as if you are having a conversation.
Oh, and remember to smile. This is something I should do myself.
Good luck Kerry. Let me know how your presentation goes.
To expand your knowledge about how to start a presentation, and improve your collaboration with other teams, check out other podcast episodes, blog posts, and video.
Podcast episodes
How to Cultivate and Expand Your Strategic Thinking
Messaging Framework: Product-Specific Template
How to Unify Your Brand and Messaging with Sales
Blog post
How to Deliver a Virtual Presentation to Management Successfully
Working on Your Closing Presentation? 3 Elements to Make It Stand Out!
Video
Create and Deliver Impressive Presentations to Senior Managers
About Pam Didner
Pam Didner is a B2B AI strategist, fractional CMO, and 5x author who helps marketing and sales teams get AI-ready, aligned, and focused on revenue. With 20+ years in the corporate world – across accounting, supply chain, marketing, and sales enablement – she knows how big organizations actually work, and how to move them. She does that through fractional CMO engagements, keynote speaking, workshop training, private coaching, and hands-on consulting. Contact her or find her on LinkedIn. She also leads Microsoft Copilot training programs for enterprise marketing and sales teams.
