The #1 Mistake to Avoid in Your Presentation Open

In day-to-day interactions, we typically begin with an introduction.

“Hi, I’m Gerry–with a G…”

But in presentations, the introduction is not where you want to begin.

The Audience Isn’t There For You

The people who come to your presentation usually arrive for one of two reasons:

1. Someone told them they had to show up
2. They think they will get something valuable out of the presentation

That’s it.

Unless it’s your mom sitting there in the front row, or maybe a really good friend, they didn’t show up to root you on and help you have a better day. They showed up for them, not for you.

Why Starting with an Introduction Backfires

You only have a small window to capture the audience’s attention and interest.

If you waste that window on a lifeless introduction slide that’s all about you, the audience will likely tune you out before you get around to talking about them.

That’s the danger of beginning your presentation with an introduction slide.

Introduction Slides Have a Place

Introduction slides serve a function. They help frame up your presentation and give it context and let people know they’ve come to the right room.

But they shouldn’t serve that function right off the top of your presentation.

This blog post has been re-published by kind permission of Gerry Sandusky – View the original post .