“I’ve given you plenty of ways not to start your presentation. What’s a better approach? Well, think of how a journalist writes a news story. Good journalists put their most compelling material in the first paragraph, known as the lead. This is the sentence or paragraph that grabs the readers or viewers, enticing them to want more. An effective lead is often surprising—even counterintuitive. It makes the reader think, What’s this about? I want to know more.”