by Alan Matthews
Have you ever watched a film or a TV drama which started with an exciting event – a car chase, a shoot-out, someone walking into a dangerous situation – then cut back to “3 days earlier” and proceeded to show you the build up to the event you had just watched? For example, they will go back to the phone call which set the whole train of events in motion.
It’s a very common structure for dramas, and with good reason.
The point is to get you hooked from the start. You’re thrown straight into the action, the suspense, the excitement. Now they’ve grabbed your attention. They’ve also got your interest, you’re thinking, “What led up to this?”
Then they can go back and show you how events unfolded. After the initial thrill, they can calm things down and lead you through the plot. Because, by this stage, you’re ready to invest some time to find out more.
As a speaker or presenter, this is something you can do as well with great effect. It’s a device which can add huge impact to your opening.
Throw your audience straight into the action.
Begin with a great story – and start from the most interesting part.
Or use a gripping example of something you’re going to talk about.
Show a powerful and intriguing visual aid or object and then explain its significance.
Whatever you do, have an opening that goes “Bam!! and forces your audience to pay attention. Then you can calm things down and lead them through the points you want to make.
Don’t start from the beginning.
Don’t tell people your name, who you are, what you’ve done, how happy you are to be there – this isn’t starting from the action scene, this is just tedious “plot” as far as your audience is concerned.
Don’t start by running through what you’re going to talk about and showing a bullet point list of your key points.
There’s an old saying which is often trotted out to speakers – “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them”.
This is a simplistic formula for beginners to help them put together a talk. And, to be honest, it’s often repeated by run-of-the-mill Presentation Skills trainers who don’t really know how to make an impact as a speaker.
It’s not the best advice if you really want to stand out. Because it’s exactly what your audience is expecting. What you want to do is surprise them. Because that is what gets their attention.
So don’t start from the beginning – start with the car chase, not the phone call – grab your audience’s attention and then they’ll be ready to listen.
About the author
Alan Matthews is the author of How To Design And Deliver Great Training and The Successful Presenter’s Handbook, available from Amazon. You can get his free report, “8 Steps To Excellence – the 8 key habits that make top trainers and presenters stand out” from the website at [http://www.alanmatthewstraining.com] You will also find lots of articles and videos to help you become an outstanding trainer or presenter.
