Nail your opening, or else.

Do we have your attention yet?

Opening a story or presentation is one of the most difficult yet essential things to nail down in advance. At our Story Hours, or during a coaching session, it’s very common for storytellers to begin with, “Uh... okay,” “My story is about…” or the ever classic, “So…”

It’s common to begin with a half-baked plan, and it’s not surprising because most people are still crafting the story in their heads while they are speaking. The moment may be extemporaneous or just unplanned and the slow start is an inevitable side effect. But it’s time to develop some strategies to avoid showing up like you’re not sure what you’re talking about.

Here are a few tricks to a confident, powerful opening:

• Take a big breath before you begin. This slows your heart rate, stabilizes your vocal support, and will literally ground you and make you more confident.

• Dive right in. Avoid filler words and long-winded explanations. Just start.

• Consider beginning your story or presentation in the middle of the drama. Get your audience interested in the problem before you back up and provide context.

• Start with something unexpected or unusual. Play around with the 5Ps of Story Delivery to capture your audience.

• Ask a rhetorical question. Our brains have a hard time NOT answering a question that is posed to us, even if it’s just in our heads. Starting with a question immediately engages your audience’s minds… just don’t ask the question “Can I tell you a story?”

• Start in a scene with a specific time and place, and vivid sensory details. Help folks visualize something immediately.

• Consider memorizing your first sentence so you know exactly how you will begin.

In full disclosure, a great hook and strong opening is more of an art than a science, so while these tips will help, to really master your opening, you have to experiment and ask for feedback from others. Don’t wait until you’re facing the most important presentation of your life before considering how to open.

What do you use to hook your audience at the beginning of a story or presentation at work?

This article has been cross published on LinkedIn.