Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations (Voices That Matter)

by Garr Reynolds

The opening The world’s greatest presentation trainers, such as Granville Toogood (The Articulate Executive) and Jerry Weissman (Presenting to Win), all agree that the presenter has between 30 and 60 seconds to grab the attention of the audience. To do this, start with nothing on the screen but your company logo, your name, and your title. Then, begin with something dramatic and memorable that will have the audience want to follow along with you for the rest of the presentation. This opening can be a personal anecdote, an unusual number, a historic progression, a counterintuitive fact, whatever is appropriate. Virtually anything that will start the presentation with a bang and set the mood for the remainder of the pitch is desirable.