❶ Open with impact

Make a powerful first impression. You have 5 seconds to get attention of your audience and 30 seconds to develop curiosity and interest. Hook the audience, introduce your topic, demonstrate your credibility, connect with people, establish rapport, and set the mood in your opening words. They must be attention getting, imaginative and stimulating, both mentally and emotionally.

❷ Arouse curiosity

or even shock your audience by asking a skillful opening question or introducing interesting facts. Tailor your message to your audience. Understand expectations, goals, and assumptions (EGA) of the people you are addressing.

❸ Empathize with your audience

Establish common ground with your audience at the beginning of your presentation. Show that you know their problems and hopes, and are going to present something highly valuable for them.

❹ Present your → great solution

or take-home message in a catchy, compelling, thought provoking and easy to remember way. Be clear about what you want to achieve.

❺ Emphasize the benefits to the audience

Don’t talk about your subject, talk to people. People buy benefits, not your subject. Emphasize what they will gain by listening to you.

❻ Stay focused on your main objective

Build a roadmap into your presentation to make it easier for your audience to follow it. Channel your energy.

❼ Be charismatic

Create personal impact: be inspired, radiate and channel energy. generate authority and exude an aura of confidence. Be an entertaining presenter and engage the “child” part of your audience. Be witty. Add some humor to your talk. Humor is a very effective attention-getting technique when used naturally and appropriately. Humor keeps the audience alert and awake, and also increases long-term retention of information.

❽ Engage your audience

Be engaged yourself if you want to engage others. Tell a story that interests your audience and is aligned with your objectives and key points. Ask coaching questions. Pause your presentation for a short while and start a quick discussion. Gauge non-verbal communication: listen to emotions, read your listeners’ body language and other subliminal messages, and adapt accordingly.

❾ Make it memorable

Employ and follow a structure – people recall structured information much better. Do something unexpected. Use impressive associations. Vary your voice, visuals, and evidence. Present emotionally and arouse the emotions of your audience – people will → never forget how you made them feel.

❿ Close with impact

Summarize the main points, focus on what you want your audience to think, feel, and do. Create something memorable for the audience to take away with them. Make it brief, catchy and to the point. Remind your audience of → the benefits of taking action. Say and show the most important things you want your audience to remember at the very end of your presentation.