Lead with an anecdote
No joke. Starting your presentation with an anecdote can increase your audience’s overall comprehension and interest.
A joint study by the Delft University of Technology and Nijmegen University in the Netherlands examined three types of techniques for opening a presentation/speech:Â An anecdote relevant to the topic, an anecdote not relevant to the topic, plowing right into the body of the speech/presentation.
Here’s what she discovered:Â Anecdotes increase the audience’s level of comprehension and interest while making the presenter more credible. Anecdotes capture interest and makes your audience more attentive. There is a little gained by using a relevant anecdote over a non-relevant one. Both work well in captivating the audience, although a relevant anecdote may result in a slight gain in overall comprehension.