[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS4362h0cS8&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Here is a recent speech I gave where I opened with a story about my dog, Captain Jack. Note three important things…
1 – Even though you can’t see it, I used an image of Captain Jack on my slide presentation. That got a laugh. Using the image advanced my story because they now know what he looks like.
2 – I tried a humorous line that didn’t get laughs. Okay, it happens. Don’t despair! See how I made a joke out of it and probably got a better laugh in return.
3 – I used the story as a metaphor to transition into my carry-out message.
Bottom line – use fun, personal stories to open your presentations and you will engage and inspire your audience.
© 2010 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved