We all know the proverb 'a good beginning is half'. Therefore, starting a presentation sets the tone for the entire presentation. You can also set your audience's expectations and get everyone excited for your next performance. But sometimes it's how you start your presentation that causes you the most frustration!
The best advice is:
- Keep it simple and easy to follow
- Set the tone carefully
- Try to give something to your audience
This may sound like mission impossible, but a great icebreaker can set the tone for a solid presentation! Here are 7 of our favorite icebreakers you can apply to kick off the presentation by engaging your audience:
- Share expectations
- To tell stories
- Poll your audience
- Live poll, live thinking
- Two true and one false
- Flying Challenge
- Super competitive quiz game
Let's move on to find out how these icebreakers can change the game!
1. Share expectations
Different people have different expectations and background knowledge when they join your presentation. Knowing your reasons is a valuable resource that you can use to adjust your presentation style. When you accommodate people's needs and meet everyone's expectations, you can create a successful presentation for everyone involved.
You can do this by conducting a short question and answer session. When you start your presentation, invite the audience to post the most interesting questions about them. You can use the Q and a slide shown below.
Some questions I am happy to ask:
