Have Them at Hello!
Why Not Start Your Presentation Like a Movie?
You Had Me at Hello
Don't you just love that unforgettable scene from the film, Jerry McGuire? The character, played by Tom Cruise, returns home to his wife, played by Renee Zellwegger, and tells her, "You complete me." To which, she famously replies, "You had me at hello." (Yes, we in the audience then swoon.) When you watch that scene, who wouldn't want to fall in love? It's utterly captivating.
The best movies, as well as books and other written material, grab the audience – but especially so in the opening frames. Invariably, there are evocative images, scene-setting music, intriguing characters, and more that grab our attention immediately. For example, director, Steven Spielberg, doesn't appear on the screen with a bland introduction of what we in the audience are about to see. No, in Saving Private Ryan, he drops us in the middle of a war zone on the beaches of Normandy and doesn't let up for the movie's duration. For the next three hours you don't think about getting popcorn or the comfort of your seat. You don't talk. You are memorized.
If we agree that Spielberg is a master storyteller, why wouldn't we use some of the same devices when presenting ourselves and our ideas? Why not break an audience's filters and immediately absorb them in our presentation?
There are numerous ways to grab attention. The approach will depend on the audience, presenter's style, and purpose for the presentation. Here are just a few basic options to consider when kicking off your presentation:
Provoke curiosity by writing a word on a white board, then sit among the audience as they ponder its relevance
Pull up a chair and speak in a whisper; in short order, you'll be able to hear a pin drop.
Pose a question. Then another.
Play a video.
Engage them to sing backup as you drum and sing out "The Life Insurance Rap." (Granted, not for everyone, but it consistently worked for Steve when lecturing for the PA Bankers Association.)
Tell a story.
Read a poem.
And on it can go ...
Jump right into your presentation. Instill energy. But please don't tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em. Playwrights don't announce the action to follow (some Shakespeare plays notwithstanding). Nor is a formal introduction present in short stories, novels, films, or great speeches. Predictability is boring. Remember that your audience will forgive you almost anything but boring.