Article: Stories are one of the best ways to grab your audience’s attention because we all love a good story. Use a relevant story about your personal experience, an anecdote from your research, or an invented analogy to introduce your subject. Keep your story under 90 seconds and then continue with your presentation. Inviting your audience to participate in your presentation from the start will get them interested in your subject. Asking your audience a question is a great way to get to get them involved. You don’t even have to ask a question that they need to answer. You could ask a rhetorical question meant to stimulate their thought processes and prepare them for the rest of your presentation. Sharing a shocking statistic or fact will grab your audience’s attention and get them interested to hear more. By sharing something shocking with your audience, you will get them to care about your topic within the first 15 seconds of your presentation. Just make sure that you are honest. Don’t make up a statistic or bend the truth about something just to have something shocking to share. Kicking off your presentation by sharing a meaningful quote by a famous or respected person will also set your presentation up for success. A well-chosen quote can serve to grab your audience’s attention, build your credibility, and introduce your subject. Just make sure that the quote you choose is relevant to your topic. Don’t choose a quote just because you like it. Showing your audience an interesting image can also get your presentation off to a great start. Select an image that is relevant to your presentation or at least one that has some symbolic value for your topic. Remember that your goal with an image should not be to simply provide a background for your presentation, your images should also help your audience understand your topic. Open with an image that will engage your audience and help them understand the big picture of your topic.  Instead of an image, you could use a prop or some other physical object to get your audience interested in your topic. You might also consider using a video to start your presentation. Just make sure the video is not too long or you may not have enough time to present your material.

What is a summary?
Tell a story. Ask your audience a question. Say something shocking. Share a meaningful quote. Use a visual aid.