The first few sentences of a presentation decide whether your audience follows you or mentally goes through their inbox. At the start, attention is higher than it will ever be again. Waste that moment on greetings, the agenda and company history, and you’ll be fighting for it for the rest of the presentation.
The good news: you can plan a strong opening. Here are nine ideas that have proven themselves in pitches, keynotes and meetings, plus a simple formula for finding the right one.
Why the opening matters so much
At the start, your audience is unconsciously asking three questions: Does this concern me? Is it worth listening? Does the person up there know what they’re talking about? Your opening has to answer these questions before the first technical slide.
That’s why a good opening has three jobs:
- Grab attention: a sentence, an image or a question that pulls people out of their routine.
- Show relevance: why the topic matters to exactly this audience, today.
- Set the direction: where the presentation is heading and what will be different at the end.
Only once these three jobs are done is it time for the agenda, numbers and details.
9 ideas for opening your presentation
1. The question that affects everyone
A question activates. Your audience immediately starts looking for their own answer. What matters is that the question is genuine and not just ticked off rhetorically.
Example for a sales presentation: “How many hours a week does your team spend on tasks that software could actually handle?”
2. The surprising number
A single, well-chosen number has more impact than ten numbers in a table. It has to be accurate, have a source and mean something to your audience.
Example: a number from your own industry that shows how big the problem is that you’re about to solve. Big on a slide, nothing else.
3. The short story
People listen to stories long before they listen to arguments. A situation with a specific person, a problem and a moment of decision is enough. Two or three sentences will do.
Example for the pitch of a platform for farmers: “A farmer needs a used tractor by Friday. He has three options, and each of them costs him a whole day.” After that, everyone in the room knows what it’s about.
4. The image that says more than words
A strong image on an empty slide, and a pause. The audience looks, wonders and wants to know what it’s about. Prezi is especially good for this: you start on a detail of an image and zoom out until the bigger picture appears.
5. The bold statement
A statement that provokes disagreement creates tension. But you then have to deliver on it.
Example: “Your presentation doesn’t lose the contract on slide 30. It loses it in the first 30 seconds.”
6. The quote that connects
A quote works when it surprises and leads straight to your message. Worn-out sayings from famous people do the opposite. Often a sentence from a client, a colleague or feedback you’ve actually received works better.
7. A glimpse into the future
Show what your audience’s world looks like once the problem is solved. Or what happens if it stays unsolved. Either way, you create a goal the whole presentation works towards.
Example: “Imagine it’s December and your sales team hit its annual target back in October. What was different?”
8. The problem everyone knows
Describe a situation your audience knows from their own day-to-day, so specifically that someone nods. People who recognize themselves listen.
Example: “Wednesday, 6 p.m. The presentation is tomorrow at 9, and PowerPoint is greeting you with a friendly ‘Click to add title’.”
9. The promise
Say right at the start what your audience will take away at the end. Specific and verifiable, not “exciting insights”.
Example: “In the next 15 minutes, I’ll show you three places where your presentations lose attention today, and how to fix them.”
Common mistakes in the opening
Most weak openings fail in the same ways:
- Starting with the agenda. The agenda doesn’t answer any of the audience’s three questions.
- Starting with yourself. Your CV and company history only become interesting once it’s clear why the topic matters.
- Apologizing. “I didn’t have much time to prepare” or “I’m not a great speaker” lowers the expectations you’re trying to build.
- Explaining the tech. “Can everyone see this at the back?” belongs before the presentation, not in it.
- Reading it out. If you read your first sentence off the slide or your notes, you lose eye contact exactly when it matters most.
How to find the right opening
The best opening is the one that leads to your key message. That’s why at MCPREZI we never plan it first, but only once the key message is in place. A simple formula helps:
- Put your key message into one sentence. What should your audience think, feel or do afterwards? More on this in the article on the key message of a presentation.
- Ask yourself what’s on your audience’s mind right now. What problem, question or concern are they bringing into the room?
- Build the bridge. The opening meets your audience where they are and leads them to your key message.
- Test it out loud. Say your opening out loud three times. If it doesn’t feel natural, it isn’t right for you.
An opening doesn’t have to be original at all costs. It has to suit you, the occasion and the audience. In a board presentation, a clear sentence with the most important number is often stronger than any performance. At a keynote, there’s room for more showmanship.
The opening in Prezi and PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, that usually means the first slide after the title carries the opening. An image, a number or a question, big and on its own. The agenda comes later, or not at all.
In Prezi, you can link the opening to the structure. A proven sequence: you start close to a detail that sparks curiosity, then zoom out into the overview. That way, the opening becomes the orientation without needing an agenda. Our Prezi examples show what that looks like.
Conclusion
The opening is the part of your presentation you have the most control over and that has the most impact. Plan it deliberately, once your key message is in place. Keep greetings, the agenda and your CV out of the first few sentences. And rehearse it until you can deliver it without notes. Then you’ll have your audience’s attention from the very start.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best way to start a presentation?
With a sentence that grabs attention straight away and relates to your audience: a question, a surprising number, a short story or a clear statement. Greetings and introductions come afterwards, or they're already covered by whoever introduces you.
What should I say in the first sentence of my presentation?
Something that concerns your audience and makes them curious. A good test: would someone in the room put their phone down to hear what comes next? Sentences like “Let me briefly introduce myself” or “Today I'm going to talk about …” almost never pass that test.
How long should the opening of a presentation be?
Short. For a 20-minute presentation, 30 seconds to two minutes is usually enough. The opening should grab attention and lead into the topic, not become the topic.
Should the agenda come at the start of a presentation?
Not as the first slide. Some orientation makes sense, but only once you have your audience's attention. In Prezi, the overview on the canvas does this job along the way.
Can I start a presentation with a joke?
Only if it suits you, the topic and the audience, and you're sure it'll work. A joke that falls flat costs more attention than it gains. A surprising observation or a short story is usually the safer choice.
