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We live in an Age of Distraction.

People everywhere are plugged in listening to music or podcasts. Or they are staring at their phones watching videos, texting, emailing, checking news feeds or engaging in social media. This constant distraction can be a big challenge when delivering a talk. It is not unusual to step up to a podium and look out over an audience staring at their computers or phones. Not only must a speaker gain the attention of the audience early, it must also be sustained over the length of the talk. How can a speaker get the audience to put down their devices, unplug and listen?

First impressions are critical. I often tell my students that in this day and age, giving a talk is like speed dating. They have about a minute at the beginning of their talk to capture the attention of their audience. Introducing yourself and telling them what you will be speaking about may be traditional. But it is not particularly attention grabbing. Rather, something that the audience can relate to personally and evokes an emotional response can at least give the speaker a chance to capture their attention.

In the 1950s, dramatic TV series started using the ‘cold open’ – an attention-grabbing scene that would tease the audience into staying tuned. By the mid 1960s, cold opens became common, not just in dramas but in comedies as well. Shows like Saturday Night Live always open their episode with a must see cold open comedy sketch. It forces the audience to tune in on time so as not to miss it.

The cold open is not just for entertainment. It can also be used in a Scientific Talk. The strategy is to start the talk by presenting the audience with a scenario that they can relate to. If the content of the talk has relevance to a disease, talking about a patient’s symptoms or what it is like to have the disease can grab their attention. If the audience is a technically savvy group, then presenting a scientific problem or conundrum can work well. Evoking an emotional response – sympathy, curiosity, wonder, or just appreciation for something that is really cool is essential. But how it is told is also important. If the description of the scenario is in a flat, factual, unemotional voice, then the audience will get the feeling that the speaker isn’t personally moved by it and it loses effectiveness.

A great first impression is crucial. But a bigger challenge is maintaining that interest throughout the talk. As described in my previous post, that is where story telling comes in. Telling the story of how the problem was addressed is how you get the audience in the state where it is as if they are experiencing your story personally.

I encourage readers to think about how they can use a cold open for their own communication challenges. Feel free to reach out to me either here or at my LinkedIn site if you would like help putting your story together. And please, like, repost or comment to spread the word.