First impressions matter…so make the first 5 words count.

How often do we hear people begin presentations, meetings, classes, etc. with something like “I’m so excited to…”, “Thank you for being here…,” or my favorite “We have a lot to cover so let’s get …”  

Your brain makes predictions in milliseconds.  How you begin influences judgments about your credibility, the quality of your content, and the expectation of the meeting or event.  

So, let’s make the first 5 words count.  

A few ideas to experiment with this week.  Instead of starting with the typical “blah, blah, blah” start with a:  

Quick story…”Lance and I were in the grocery store yesterday when…”.  

Question – “How many of you would love it if…”   

Quote – “Business is easy…until people get involved”  

Tip: Just be sure that how you start is relevant and leads to where you are headed.