If telling jokes or funny stories is not your style, try spending the first three minutes of your presentation tapping into the emotional pipeline of the audience. This is not only the gate to the heart and soul of listeners, but also the key to establishing trust and audience rapport. Consider the following.
Step into their world. Ditch physical barriers by moving from behind the podium or off the stage with your microphone. Try walking into the audience, Oprah-style, to ask your opening question.
Show how 'I'm like you'.How can you meet the needs of the audience if they don't relate to you? Show your listeners how you are alike. For example, if you live in a small town and are addressing an audience of rural professionals, making light of small-town life can warm listeners up to you.
Paint word pictures. You don't have to be an artist to paint vivid pictures in the minds of audience members. Rely on anecdotes or other narrative techniques to explain key concepts. For example, using the analogy of rolling a boulder from point A to point B over a hill can illustrate the concept of timing.
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