Oral Presentation skills - 5 - BCA - 3

5. Introduction to presentation:

                                   

          Introduction of the presentation is gathering ideas together to separate them from the rest of the information in the world, and it unites those chosen ideas into thesis. The introduction should grab the reader’s or audience’s attention and introduce the main idea through the thesis statement.

          To understand the introduction, a presenter should understand its function in the presentation. An effective introduction serves the main purpose of preparing the audience for what is coming up, and of establishing the purpose of the talk. Introduction should arouse the audience’s interest in our topic.


Effective introduction:


1. Attention getters:

          No matter how effectively a presenter presents his presentation or he has an important topic for the presentation, a presenter can easily lose an audience if a presenter has not used introduction to grab the attention of audience. It is essential for a presenter to start his presentation with introduction. Opening remarks should be related to the topic.

         If a presenter is giving an internal presentation to his colleagues with whom he is familiar, he can begin his presentation with involving some steps, for example first a presenter can talk about the progress which company has achieved and then he can explain the steps which he is going to present in his presentation.
When a presenter is presenting his message to an unfamiliar group, a presenter should start his presentation by grabbing the attention of audience. The attention getter is designed to motivate the audience to listen attentively for the next several minutes. Attention getter should create the curiosity in the minds of audience and convince them that the speech will be interesting and useful.

2. Story or personal experience

        Most people enjoy a good story. So, beginning a presentation with a story or personal experience can make your beginning effective.

3. Question

       Most of questions are designed to arouse curiosity without requiring any answer. Many speakers use this device to begin their presentation. For example if the company has decided to move the office to some new location you have to present a presentation about it, you can ask such questions like,

How many of you have recently moved your house?
How many of you know when our company moved last?

4. Startling (Shocking) statement:

       A presenter can grab the attention of audience by making some shocking statement. People like to focus on what is amazing or unique.

5. Humour

         This is another way to effectively catch the attention of audience, making a point and increasing audience’s liking for you by beginning your presentation with a joke. Humour is the best attention getter, and it helps people to relax and lighten the atmosphere. It allows you to make your next point after becoming more comfortable with your audience.

6. Reference to audience

        A presenter can begin his presentation by mentioning the needs and interests of the audience. It will keep audience attentive about your topic and it shows that you understand them.

7. Reference to the occasion

        If the presenter is presenting his presentation on a particular event or occasion, the audience member will expect to hear you tie the subject of your presentation/topic to that event or occasion. In this case, the institution itself will provide you a good starting point.

8. Thesis statement and preview

        The next element of your introduction is revealing and previewing your topic. It is very important to inform your audience about the topic of your presentation. But a presenter should be very sure to clearly state the topic of the presentation to capture the attention of audience.

9. Audience adaptation

        A presenter always wants to achieve desired outcome of his/her presentation, but this should not happen on the cost of ignoring audience. A presenter should think about being a catalyst to achieve the desired outcome. A presenter should “outcome-centred” on his side and “audience-centred” in his delivery. A presenter should first present his message and then support that message with the relevant facts. The best way to grab the attention of audience is to prove that your message is important as well as interesting. A presenter should relate his/her message with the benefits of the audience.

10. Credibility statement

         If audience will think that a presenter is qualified, they will be attentive during the presentation. Credibility is a matter of being qualified to speak on the specific topic. The credibility statements refer to your broad research on topic.

11. Preview

          Preview the material is one of the most important part of presentation, because it will prepare your audience for whatever you are going to say during the rest of your speech. Previewing helps audience to get the idea that what they are going to listen in the presentation. 

Questions:

1. How a presenter can effectively start the introduction a presentation?
2. explain any six strategies to introduce your presentation effectively.