How to Open a Business Presentation

Want to know why executives are checking their phones during your presentation? Here's a secret: You're not giving a presentation. You're leading a high-stakes conversation. I've spent years helping leaders command attention, and here's the framework that works every time: The Golden Window 🕒  Your opening sentence determines success. Forget "Today I'm here to talk about..." Instead, try this: "We've discovered a way to cut customer churn in half while spending 30% less. I need your go-ahead on three changes to make this happen." The Secret Menu Approach 📋  Structure your deck like a great restaurant menu: - Specials up front (key insights) - Prices clearly marked (what you need) - Ingredients available (supporting data) The Sticky Formula 🎯  Every winning executive presentation needs: - One compelling story - One surprising number - One clear ask Billboard vs. Novel 🚗  If someone's driving past your main message at 60mph, would they get it? Think billboard, not novel. Start with this opener: "The one thing you need to know today is [your biggest insight], and here's why it matters to our bottom line..." Watch those phones disappear. 📱↘️ #ExecutivePresence #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #CommunicationSkills #PublicSpeaking 💡 Follow me for more insights on executive communication and leadership presence.

📣 Speakers: Do you struggle with how to open your speech? My 5th grade English teacher taught me how to write an essay: 1. Tell them what you're gonna tell them. 2. Then tell them. 3. And then tell them what you told them. ✅️ At a 20,000 foot view, it's how all great communication is structured. ❌️ But as a speaker, I used to take this advice literally, and accidentally ended up with a rather predictable speech. Consider a speaker who begins a talk on 'peak performance' like this: "Today, I'm going to tell you about the science of peak performance, how to achieve it, and why it matters." Sure, it's clear and direct, which I love. ❌️ But it doesn't invite curiosity! Instead of immediately laying out a roadmap of your speech, at Conquer the Red Dot®️ our speakers find that it's often more effective to begin by identifying a: ✅️ PROBLEM or QUESTION that your audience can relate to, and that your speech will address. This approach accomplishes two things: 🔹️It immediately engages the audience's interest 🔹️ It creates a promise or expectation that will keep them listening. In the words of David Mamet, "The only thing keeping the audience in their seats is wondering what's going to happen next." For example, our client Sneha Mandala was delivering her talk at TEDxReno on peak performance. Here's how she opened: "Go to school. Study hard. Get a job. Work hard. Get a promotion. Work harder. And then you'll be successful, right? I thought so, too." 🔥 It's so much more interesting! The audience immediately understands the problem that this talk will be address - working yourself to pieces in hopes of feeling successful - and starts to wonder what direction or shape the talk will take. Want more like this? Two more misguided openings and what you can try instead in this week's article: #speechwriting #speakingskills #communicationskills

Most people start presentations the wrong way. Whether it’s a pitch, a keynote, or a team meeting, how you open sets the tone for everything. Here’s how to grab attention and keep your audience engaged 👇 Tell them what to expect—right away. People don’t like guessing games. Before you start, set the stage: - What’s this about? - How long will it take? - What key points are we covering? Even in a casual team meeting: “Hey guys, quick update today—should take about 30 minutes. We’re covering X, Y, and Z.” Simple. Clear. No confusion. Open with a story. Facts are forgettable. Stories stick. Your opening doesn’t have to be about the topic—it just has to hook people in. Example: “I just got back from Finland with eight friends. We toured 27 of the greatest saunas in the world in just eight days. Wild experience. But today, we’re talking about something just as intense—[insert topic].” Now they’re locked in. Why this works: ✔️ People love structure. ✔️ Stories make you relatable. ✔️ You control the energy in the room. Most speakers jump straight into slides. Big mistake. Set the tone first. Next time you give a pitch or presentation: 1️⃣ Start by telling them what to expect. 2️⃣ Hook them with a quick story or icebreaker. 3️⃣ Then dive in. It’s simple—but it works every time. What’s the best opening to a presentation you’ve ever heard? Drop it below.

The first few seconds of your presentation set the tone. And you can't get that first-impression back. Whether you're presenting in an interview, a KOL discussion, or an internal meeting, the first few seconds determine whether your audience leans in—or tunes out. Too often, we start presentations start with: “Thank you for being here.” “Today, I want to discuss…” "My name is..." or worse yet- "Can you see my screen?" We already lost attention. Consider these strategies to hook your audience from the start: ✅ Kick-off with a statistic ✅ Lead with a perspective on the future ✅ Start with a thought-provoking question ✅ Begin with a quotation that has impact A compelling opening sets the stage for meaningful engagement. What’s your go-to strategy for starting strong in a presentation? Drop your thoughts below! #virtualpresentation #medicalscienceliaison #pharmacist #mslmastery