For many people, the hardest part of a presentation is the very beginning.
We’re nervous. We step up to the mic or look into the camera and suddenly it’s time to be “on.” There’s strange pressure suddenly to do or be something more than we usually are.
On top of this potential stress, we often sabotage ourselves with opening lines that don’t serve us. Introductions that bore us or don’t really reflect our personalities are an impediment to getting to the content we’re excited about.
So what should we do?
Break your own ice. Throw away the typical opening thank-yous and the long ramp-up to your main point. What do you really care about it in your talk? What does your audience really want to hear?
Say that first!
