How-to begin a fantastic presentation...

There is no such thing as boring knowledge.
There is only boring presentation.

For every presentation I give, my final goal is to get my audience thinking.... and to do this, you must engage them.

Audience members remember the beginning and end of a presentation the best.
The beginning of a presentation is important; it sets the mood and will help the audience figure out what to expect. For example, beginning a prostate cancer marketing presentation with a story about the time you first encountered cancer would be meaningful and set a mood of seriousness . However, opening a SEARS financial presentation with a funny, related question would be attention-grabbing and set a mood of lightness.

Here are some ideas to start off a presentation:

1. Tell a funny story (can be fictitious or not)
2. Ask a random question...... Ex. "What would Buddha tweet?"
3. Introduce yourself interestingly
4. Make up a new word and define it..... Ex. e-do: the act of doing things over the internet

Catering your presentation to your audience's needs is crucial. What is your audience demographic? Education level? What do they want to get out of your presentation? How can you keep them engaged?

Just use your common sense. If the presentation bores you, I guarantee the audience will feel the same.