What's the Best Way to Start a Presentation?

A few years back, I conducted Palm training sessions for various business groups. I always opened with a joke -- a corny one, admittedly, but it always got a laugh and helped set the tone for the entire presentation. One time, at a particularly early session, I was tired and didn't feel like telling the joke, so I launched straight into the presentation -- and man, what a difference. I could tell immediately that the audience was less receptive to what I was saying and less accommodating of me as a speaker. Consequently, I was off my game, and the presentation suffered.

Of course, one could argue that no force on Earth will liven up a group of mortgage lenders. (Kidding!) But more likely, book author Eric Feng is right when he says it's critical to "start presentations strong," meaning you should open with a humorous joke or story, a question that gets the group thinking, or another of his 7 sure-fire ways to kick-start a presentation:

• Do a demonstration that leads to your message
• Shock 'em with facts and numbers
• Start off with a cartoon or video, funny is optional
• Pause--
• Do something different (or crazy)!