If you think you can use the first 45 seconds with an audience to “warm up,” think again! Use your opening to immediately engage your audience, so they realize from your first words, “Wow! This is going to be good!”
In an era of tough competition, presentations that persuade, educate, motivate, and inspire give you a competitive edge. Good presentation skills are no longer simply nice to have; they can mean career life or death.
Enjoy this replay of my recent web event, How to Steal the Show Every Time You Speak:
That company had recently bought a competitor, and 40% of the sales professionals had nothing to do with the decision.
The opening speaker, who is the company’s president, was challenged with getting everyone to know they are working for the right company, at the right time, that the company’s strategy is sound, and that they can have a great career with us. He is an engineer, a brilliant leader, and rather shy. He is not a bad speaker; for this meeting, however, he knows he needs to become the corporate Rock Star.”
Here are the ROCK Star Principles that our shy engineer used and that you can also use to become a ROCK Star communicator in the business world.
Rock Star Principle 1: R = Rehearse
Rock Star Principle 2: O = Opening
The first 30 to 60 seconds of your speech set the tone. They help build anticipation.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. What a pleasure to be here.” Sounds polite, but it is predictable, boring, and will not inspire action or commitment. It is not ROCK Star quality. Rock Star performers will tell you, “We open with our second best song and close with our best.” These performers may have conversation with the audience to thank them for attending or for years of support but not at the opening!
You may be thinking, “I have 45 minutes for my speech. That’s plenty of time to warm up and connect.” Wrong. Your audience is full of stimulation junkies with short attention spans. Come out punching and grab the audience’s attention. Make them think, “Wow! This is going to be good!”
An audience will forgive you anything except being boring. Being too predictable is boring.
Start with a story, dramatic statement, question, or an inspiring thought. Our software president walked out and said, “Welcome to a brand new company!” He then described what had happened that made this the best move ever.
To be a rock star presenter, always start with a strong opening. This is part two of a four-part series. Catch up on part one, which explains why and how to rehearse. Part three will help you communicate your core message. Part four covers closing your presentation in a way that supports your core message.
If you want to become a great speaker easily, conveniently, and quickly, FrippVT can help. Enjoy three free chapters on Stories, Openings, and Sales: http://frippvt.com
“I wanted a super bowl-quality coach, and I was lucky to be introduced to Patricia Fripp. Her help in coaching and scripting was world class. With Patricia Fripp on your team, you can go places.”
– Don Yaeger, Long-Time Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated magazine, Award-Winning Keynote Speaker, New York Times Best-Selling Author
Executive Speech Coach and Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker Patricia Fripp works with individuals and companies who realize that powerful, persuasive presentation skills give them a competitive
