It is vital to grab your audience’s attention right from the start. It's the opportunity to provide an overview, yes, but also to convince your audience you are worth listening to. Here are five ways to do that:

1. Ask a question. Ask a rhetorical question or one that seeks a response via a show of hands, such as ‘How many of you are tired of boring presentations and unproductive meetings?’

2. State a fact. Begin with a fact or statistic that supports your main point. For example, if you were speaking about presentations you could use a statistic such as: ‘Most professionals attend a total of 61.8 presentations a year, and research shows that 50 per cent of these are a waste of time.’

3. Tell a relevant story. People love personal stories and are drawn into hearing about the experiences of others. It will help you project some of your personality to your audience.

4. Use a quotation. The internet is a wonderful thing. It’s easy to find a relevant quote for just about any topic.

5. Make an emphatic statement. Capture the attention of your audience and set a dynamic tone for your presentation with, for example, ‘It’s time to take control of your meetings – say no to poor and unproductive presentations’.

No matter which type of introduction you select, make it an enthusiastic one. If you seem to be interested in what you are saying then the audience will have a reason to be interested too.