Open with a big bang

"After this, my 5 colleagues will speak for 5 minutes each, updating you about the happenings in their respective markets," Andrew announced.

You're not alone in suffering some nerves, perhaps the occassional terror, before speaking or presenting.

Each and every presentation is a performance. Most audiences are not braced to0 be bored, rather they are eager to be informed and entertained. We all remember openings and closings of presentations far more than all the palaver in between. I usually craft my openings to grab attention, to get people to sit up and notice and be hooked into listening.

We all remember presentations that open with a compelling or funny story. I usually tell a story.