HOW TO START A PRESENTATION: 10 POWERFUL WAYS TO CAPTURE ATTENTION WITH EXAMPLES

The first few seconds of a presentation can feel brutal. Your heart’s racing, the room is silent and every eye is on you – waiting.

The good news? Starting strong isn’t about talent or personality, it’s about strategy.

At Body Talk, our team of world-class trainers with backgrounds in national media, film and stage specialise in helping people own this moment.

In this guide, you’ll learn 10 powerful ways to open a presentation, each with simple examples you can use right away.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: HOW TO START A PRESENTATION WITH IMPACT

The first few seconds of your presentation shape everything that follows.

If you capture attention early, the rest becomes easier. If you don’t, you’ll spend the entire talk trying to win people back.

Here’s what matters most.

• Start with intention, not habit. Skip the default name–job title–agenda formula. Open with something that creates curiosity and relevance.
• Use a hook. A story, question, statistic, bold statement, quote or visual gives your audience a reason to lean in.
• Make it about them. The strongest presentation openings answer the unspoken question: Why should I care?
• Create tension or possibility. Highlight a problem, challenge an assumption or paint a compelling future.
• Claim the room before you speak. Your posture, breath and presence communicate before your words do.
• Avoid common mistakes. Don’t apologise. Don’t overload with detail. Don’t read from slides. Lead with clarity and confidence.

If you’re wondering how to start a presentation effectively, the answer isn’t personality. It’s structure.

A powerful opening does three things:

1. Captures attention
2. Signals value
3. Builds connection

When you combine strategy with strong nonverbal communication and a confident mindset, you don’t just begin a presentation. You take ownership of the room.

Why how you start a presentation matters?

How you start your presentation matters because it’s the moment your audience decides whether to pay attention or quietly switch off.

In those first few seconds, people are subconsciously asking themselves: Is this relevant to me? Do I need to listen? Is this going to be interesting?

If the answer feels like “no”, it’s very hard to win them back.

The trap most presenters fall into is that they open with their name, job title and the agenda for the day. That sounds like a logical way to start, but it can cause people to start tuning out.

A strong opening does something very different. It creates curiosity and shows your audience, straight away, why this matters to them. Start with that, and the rest of your presentation suddenly gets much easier.

How to start a presentation effectively?

To start a presentation effectively, you need an opening that gives your audience a clear reason to listen.

Below are ten techniques that do exactly that – from starting with a story, to using a surprising statistic or powerful quote that instantly pulls people in.

1. Start with a story

Imagine this. You walk into a room expecting a routine update. You’re half-thinking about your inbox, half-debating what you want for lunch. Then the presenter begins:

“Last year, I made a decision that almost cost our team £250,000…”

Now you’re listening, not because of slides or statistics – but because a story opened a loop your brain now wants to close.

You can choose to use a personal story when you want authenticity and trust: a moment that shaped you, challenged you or taught you something worth sharing.

Or you can choose an audience story, a short scenario from their world, which signals immediately: “This is about you. This will help you.”

Interested in finding out exactly how business storytelling works? Head to our blog on storytelling in presentations.

2. Ask a question

A thought-provoking question switches your audience on. The moment you ask it, their brains start searching for an answer.

Four different types of questions you can use to start your presentation are:

• Rhetorical questions – to challenge assumptions and introduce a bold idea.
  • “What if everything we believe about productivity is wrong?”
• Reflective questions – to make the topic personal and relatable.
  • “When was the last time you felt truly listened to at work?”
• Problem-focused questions – to highlight a shared challenge you’re about to solve.
  • “What’s the one obstacle stopping your team from performing at its best?”
• Future-facing questions – to help the audience imagine what could be possible.
  • “What could our results look like in a year if we changed our approach today?”

You can see this approach in action with our founder, Richard Newman. In his TEDx Talk, he opens with the follow question: “What is human connection, and why does it matter to us so much?”

Then he brings it closer to the audience’s own experience: “When you speak, do you feel heard? Do you feel seen?”

These questions encourage people to reflect and engage – setting up a presentation that feels personal and meaningful from the very first moment.

3. Share a statistic

When the data disrupts what people expect, it creates an instant spike in attention. A surprising statistic makes your audience think, “Really? How?” That curiosity pulls them straight into your message.

This technique becomes even more powerful when you combine it with another tip we’ve already covered: storytelling. Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests we are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it’s wrapped in a story.

Let’s use that very statistic as an example.

Imagine you’re teaching a class of twenty-three children. You share a fact with all of them, but only one child remembers it the next day. Now wrap that same fact inside a simple story. Suddenly, instead of one child remembering, almost the whole class does. That’s the difference Bruner was talking about.

4. Use a thought-provoking quote

A well-chosen quote can lift the energy in the room and give your message instant weight, but only if it serves the point you’re making.

When you use a quote, connect it to your point straight away. For a presentation on idea generation, you might open with:

Albert Einstein said: “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

From here, you lead directly into your message:

“Einstein knew the value of logic. But he also knew that logic alone keeps us on familiar paths. Today, we’re going to explore how to move beyond the obvious answers and tap into the kind of creativity that takes us further than we expect.”

5. Begin with a bold statement

Bold openings work because they introduce tension or contrast: you’re drawing a clear line between what people think they know and what you’re about to reveal.

To use this technique well, make your statement simple, confident and direct. You can create impact through contrast (“Most people believe X… but the truth is Y”), through challenge (“What we’re doing today isn’t working”), or through imagination (“Imagine life without…”).

Here’s a simple example:

“Imagine life without interruptions.”

You can follow it like this:

“No notifications from your phone. No shifting priorities. Most of us have never experienced a day like that – yet it’s exactly the kind of space where our best thinking happens. Today, we’re going to explore how to create more of those moments, even in a demanding work environment.”

6. Use a captivating visual or prop

Starting a presentation with a visual or prop gives your audience something tangible to focus on – a clear, immediate point of interest. Instead of relying solely on your words, you’re offering them a picture, an object or an action that anchors their attention from the very beginning.

A visual aid – even something like a simple image – helps your audience see what you’re talking about. It turns an idea into something concrete, making the point feel closer and easier to grasp.

A prop adds another layer. The moment you pick something up, hold it or place it in view, you create motion, and motion draws the eye. It’s a natural, human response.

Make sure your visual or prop is genuinely relevant to your point. It should increase understanding or serve a clear purpose, even if that purpose is emotional connection.

7. Establish common ground

When you start by establishing common ground, it signals to your audience that you understand them. This shared foundation creates a sense of connection that makes people far more open to what comes next.

A great example of this comes from Barack Obama in 2004. He started his speech by saying:

“Tonight is a particular honour for me, because let’s face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.”

He went on to talk about his family: a father who grew up herding goats, a grandfather who worked as a cook but held bigger dreams for his son. His father earned a scholarship to study in America, and that decision shaped everything that followed.

It was relatable in two ways: through background – the story of a family striving for more – and through the emotional resonance his audience felt about the promise of America. By grounding his message in shared values and shared possibility, he built connection instantly.

8. State the value early

One of the fastest ways to earn your audience’s attention is to tell them, clearly and confidently, what’s in it for them. People listen more closely when they know the outcome you’re leading them toward.

Frame the value in a way that speaks directly to their needs. Make it practical, relevant and specific enough that they immediately understand why the next few minutes matter.

Here’s a simple example of a value-first opening line:

“In the next ten minutes, you’ll learn three techniques that will help you communicate your ideas more clearly and save you hours of rework every week.”

9. Involve your audience from the start

Getting your audience involved right away is one of the quickest ways to lift energy and engagement. When people participate, even in a small way, they stop being passive listeners and start becoming active contributors.

You can do this in simple, low-pressure ways: a quick poll, a hands-up moment, a short prompt or a brief thought exercise.

At Body Talk, we often take this a step further by getting people on their feet. It’s more than interaction, it’s a way to help them feel the learning. Movement changes the energy in the room and makes the lesson land in a more physical, memorable way.

10. Consider the problem your presentation solves

People are naturally drawn to problems that affect them, their team or their organisation. And when the presenter is direct and open about what isn’t working, it builds credibility. You’re not avoiding reality, you’re leading the room toward a solution.

Here’s a business-focused example:

“Right now, we’re losing opportunities – not because of our product, not because of our people, but because our processes can’t keep up with our growth. Today, I want to look at what’s causing that and the practical steps we can take to make our work feel smoother and more manageable.”

By posing a problem this way, you bring the audience with you. Not by heightening pressure, but by showing understanding and offering a path forward.

Common mistakes to avoid when starting a presentation

We’ve gone through some great ways to start your presentation. Here’s what you should avoid doing to give yourself the best chance at engaging your audience.

Overloading with information

It’s natural to want to show your expertise straight away, but too much detail too soon can feel overwhelming. Give your audience space to settle in. Start by creating context, then build into the detail once they’re ready to follow you.

Starting with apologies

Apologising at the start (“Sorry this might run long…” or “Sorry, I’m not the best presenter…”) comes from a place of wanting to be polite, but it softens your impact. You don’t need perfection, you just need presence. A confident, warm start invites your audience to lean in.

Reading from slides

Slides are there to support you, not lead for you. When you begin by reading them aloud, you lose the chance to connect personally. A strong opening comes from you – your voice, your tone and your intention – with slides stepping in afterwards.

Forgetting the hook

Every great presentation begins with a hook. A question, a story, a statistic, an image, a bold line. It signals to your audience: This matters. Stay with me. When you include a hook, you make it easier for people to engage right from the start.

Final tips for compelling openings

Here are a few final techniques that help you create an opening that truly lands.

• Calm yourself before you begin. Most people struggle with nerves when they’re starting a presentation. Take a moment to centre yourself by recalling a time you delivered something well. Your brain responds to that memory as if it’s happening again, helping you shift into a more confident, grounded state. If you can relate to this problem, take a look at our blog on how to calm down before a presentation.
• Make the first 10 seconds count. Before your audience hears a word, they feel your presence. Stand tall, breathe deeply and connect with the room. When you claim the space with calm authority, the audience senses it.
• Transition smoothly into your main content Once you’ve opened strong, keep the momentum going. Using purposeful transitions like “let’s move on to…” or “that brings us to…” can help you to avoid hesitating or using filler words.

Presentation skills training for real-world impact

Strong openings aren’t about talent or personality – they’re learnable skills.

At Body Talk, we’ll show you how to:

• Own the first seconds – Create openings that make people sit up, tune in and stay with you.
• Shift your mindset – Step into the room with confidence, authority and calm.
• Bring your message to life – Use structure, storytelling and delivery techniques that make your ideas unforgettable.
• Speak with presence – Harness your voice, body language and energy so your audience feels your message, not just hears it.

Our training is hands-on, high-energy and rooted in behavioural science.

Explore Body Talk’s presentation skills training and discover what you’re truly capable of when you take the room with intention, or consider reading our blog on 15 Ways On How To Improve Your Presentation Skills.

Frequently asked questions

We’ve gone through some additional frequently asked questions below.

What is the best sentence to start a presentation?

The best sentence to start a presentation is one that offers a warm welcome and gets your audience curious about what’s coming next. For example: “Welcome, everyone. I want to start with a moment that completely changed the way I approach this subject.”

What is the 5-5-5 rule in presentations?

The 5–5–5 rule is a simple guideline often used in a PowerPoint presentation to keep slides clean and easy to follow. It suggests no more than 5 words per line, 5 lines per slide and 5 slides in a row dominated by text. While it’s only a guide, it helps ensure your visuals support your message rather than overwhelm it.

How do you end a 5-minute presentation?

To end a 5-minute presentation effectively, keep your close short, clear and intentional. You can use a short story to wrap up your point, a call to action to signal to your audience what to do next, or a question to encourage them to continue thinking on what you’ve spoken about.

For example:

“Let me leave you with one short story that shows exactly why this matters…”

If you want your ending to be as strong as your opening, you’ll want to read our guide on how to end a presentation. It walks you through the exact techniques that turn a brief talk into a memorable and impactful presentation.

What is the best presentation structure?

The best presentation structure guides your audience smoothly through your entire presentation and makes your message easy to follow. A strong structure includes:

• A strong opening that captures attention
• A main body where each idea leads naturally to the next in a clear, logical order
• A conclusion that wraps up your key points and reinforces the message you want your audience to remember

If you want to feel confident planning your next presentation – from the very first idea to the final line – take a look at our blog on what makes a good presentation.

What is a good opening statement for a presentation?

An example of a good opening statement for a presentation is: “Let me start with a question that might change the way you think about this topic.”

Keep in mind that this is only an example, and your presentation introduction should match the message you want to deliver. For instance, starting with a story might fit your presentation better than starting with a question.

Strong opening lines draw your audience in and lead them straight into your key concepts. When your introduction is intentional and aligned with your purpose, it makes all the difference in how your presentation is received.

What makes a presentation memorable?

A presentation becomes memorable when it speaks directly to your audience – when it feels relevant, offers them something new, and shows you genuinely have something to say. If you want to leave a lasting impression, credibility matters as well. People value messages they trust, backed by experience, insight or evidence.