Create Impactful Presentations with Strong Openings and Endings
Make your Message Memorable
One of the common techniques that most great presenters use to make the most impact and make their message memorable and really stick is to start and end with what they call a BANG like starting or ending with a short, amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person or an anecdote that matches or illustrates what you are talking about, this is an immediate ice breaker that creates rapport with your audience.
Professional communicators in general use a bang, we all experience that everyday in tv and radio shows, magazine articles, newspapers or documentaries so do the same, start with your own bang find a famous quote or a good relevant story to start off your presentation with and capture the attention of you audience, choose something that suits your personality and subject, it will demonstrate to your audience that you value their attention and you respect them enough to make your presentation relevant, interesting and professional.
Some Bang Ideas
Regular Bang – Start off by an attention grabbing punch line like, this presentation will change your life, can save 1 million dollars …etc.
Hypothetical bang – start off with a hypothetical question or situation ” Imagine that …”
Parable Bang – start or end with a succinct story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons related to your subject.
Common memory Bang – call on a common memory ” Do you all remember when ….”
Mystery Bang – Give your audience clues to add some excitement and get them to think to reach a specific point that’s related to your subject.
Use the Audience Bang – Ask one of your audience to assist you by saying, demonstrating or doing something
Theatrical Bang – Use a gimmick/accessory, Make a provocative statement, Use surprise visual/sketch, Tell a humorous story (no jokes!)
Ending with a Bang
Planning how to end your presentation well can help you in making your message stick longer and have far more impact on your audience specially if your presentation has a call to action and you want your audience to either do something after they leave or do something differently. use a message that dramatically sums up your main points or use a visual or verbal link to your opening bang or do an unexpected action. And remember opening and ending with a bang can make your presentation different and memorable, it’s a chance for you to be creative and show that to your audience and be sure that they will appreciate your effort in making the presentation professional and relevant.
For more presentation skills, check out our “Presenting With Impact” instant download training package.
