“Thank you for having me here. I am so honored that you asked me to speak to you today, but before I start let me tell you a few things about me and my company.”

Sadly, many of the professional presentation I hear start with almost this exact opening which bring us day 3 of 5 ways to lose your audience in less than 30 seconds:

Day 3:  Enough about You – Let's Talk About Me

NO – please don't. We heard your speaker's introduction. I don't need to be thanked or hear more about you. I need to hear why I should be listening to you.

This type of opening makes the speaker seem like they are more into themselves than the audience. All the audience wants to know is about the topic of the presentation.

Skip the pleasantries and the list of accomplishments. Launch right into the presentation. Tell a story or explain why the topic is meaningful to the audience.  The audience is NOT interested in you – they are interested in your message.

Day 4 will startle you with numbers!