Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
SlideShare a Scribd company logo

How to start your presentation speech with a question

•
•
Akash Karia
Akash Karia

The document discusses how to start a presentation or speech with a you-focused question to engage the audience. It provides examples from a world championship speech that asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and suggests asking questions that address challenges or problems the audience faces, such as financial struggles, and hinting at solutions. Questions should be provocative but the speaker must judge appropriateness depending on the company culture to avoid hurting egos.

1 of 6
Download to read offline
How to start your presentation speech with a question
how to start your presentation or speech with a YOU FOCUSED QUESTION Hi, my name is Akash and I’m a presentation skills coach and author of “Public Speaking Secrets of the Champions”. In this presentation, I am going to teach you how to start your presentation or speech with a you-focused question. Akash Karia http://www.CommunicationSkillsTips.com
In her 2010 World Championship of Public Speaking speech, Lisa Panarello starts her speech with a You-focused question to capture audience attention. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” This is a question that everyone has heard at some point in their life, so the question immediately connects with listeners. So, how can you apply this to your presentations? How do you find questions which will connect with your audience? When you’re sharing your expertise, think about what challenge or problem your audience members are facing. For example, if you’ve been called upon to share money-management tips, the problem your audience members might be facing is that they might be struggling financially. So you might start off with questions that address the problem and indirectly promise to solve it:
“Why is it that some people always struggle financially, whereas others achieve financial freedom? How can we ensure that we achieve financial freedom so that we can live debt-free, worry-free and stress-free?” The above question pinpoints your audience’s problem and hints at a solution to the problem. Bingo, they’re hooked! Here’s another example. Let’s say you’ve been called upon to give a presentation to upper management analyzing what your company can do to increase its market share. You might start with the following questions: “Why is it that our biggest competitor stole 15% of our market share? What can we do to prevent this happening again? What can we do to not only take back, but also increase our market share?”
The above question is a provocative question and it will immediately hook your audience into your presentation. Small warning though: the above question might not be appropriate for all business presentations. Let me explain. When you’re giving a corporate presentation, you also have to make sure you’re not hurting your superior’s egos. In some companies, such as Google, you’re encouraged to challenge decisions and the status quo, so the above question would be appropriate. However, in other companies, the boss’s fragile ego might prevent you from talking about why the competition has done so well and you haven’t. When giving corporate presentation, feel free to use you-focused questions to start the presentation, but exercise your own judgment about which questions are appropriate.
How to start your presentation speech with a question

More Related Content

How to start your presentation speech with a question

  • 2. how to start your presentation or speech with a YOU FOCUSED QUESTION Hi, my name is Akash and I’m a presentation skills coach and author of “Public Speaking Secrets of the Champions”. In this presentation, I am going to teach you how to start your presentation or speech with a you-focused question. Akash Karia http://www.CommunicationSkillsTips.com
  • 3. In her 2010 World Championship of Public Speaking speech, Lisa Panarello starts her speech with a You-focused question to capture audience attention. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” This is a question that everyone has heard at some point in their life, so the question immediately connects with listeners. So, how can you apply this to your presentations? How do you find questions which will connect with your audience? When you’re sharing your expertise, think about what challenge or problem your audience members are facing. For example, if you’ve been called upon to share money-management tips, the problem your audience members might be facing is that they might be struggling financially. So you might start off with questions that address the problem and indirectly promise to solve it:
  • 4. “Why is it that some people always struggle financially, whereas others achieve financial freedom? How can we ensure that we achieve financial freedom so that we can live debt-free, worry-free and stress-free?” The above question pinpoints your audience’s problem and hints at a solution to the problem. Bingo, they’re hooked! Here’s another example. Let’s say you’ve been called upon to give a presentation to upper management analyzing what your company can do to increase its market share. You might start with the following questions: “Why is it that our biggest competitor stole 15% of our market share? What can we do to prevent this happening again? What can we do to not only take back, but also increase our market share?”
  • 5. The above question is a provocative question and it will immediately hook your audience into your presentation. Small warning though: the above question might not be appropriate for all business presentations. Let me explain. When you’re giving a corporate presentation, you also have to make sure you’re not hurting your superior’s egos. In some companies, such as Google, you’re encouraged to challenge decisions and the status quo, so the above question would be appropriate. However, in other companies, the boss’s fragile ego might prevent you from talking about why the competition has done so well and you haven’t. When giving corporate presentation, feel free to use you-focused questions to start the presentation, but exercise your own judgment about which questions are appropriate.