Upcoming Webinars
Access the latest trends and insights shaping the profession—free for members.
.jpg)
 (1).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
November 25, 2025
Sometimes our best learning shows up when something is not working. That was true for me recently. I was preparing a presentation for public procurement professionals on career planning and lifelong learning when I hit a familiar roadblock: my content was sound, but my audience engagement plan was not.
I wanted the session to connect—not just inform. Determined to fix it, I went looking for strategies that make a message land. That is when I discovered speaking coach Yasir Khan, a TEDx speaker who teaches professionals how to turn solid information into engaging experiences.
Khan’s guidance clicked right away. Great presentations do not start with slides or credentials; they start with connection. Two ideas stood out: engage early and start with their goals, not yours. These simple shifts are shaping how I am approaching my next presentation, and I believe they can help you too.
Why These Two Moves Matter
Most presentations start with the standard script: name, role, agenda. The audience listens politely, but they are passive. If you want energy, flip the pattern. Khan emphasizes designing for memorability and involvement, not biography. People form impressions and decide whether to keep listening in the first 30 seconds, and early interactivity significantly improves attention and recall.
Move 1: Engage in Minute Two
Do not wait for Q&A to hear from people. Prompt interaction in the first moments—polls, quick pair-shares, or a show of hands to signal that their voice shapes where you go. Khan calls this “involvement over monologue.”
Here is what I will do in my next presentation:
- Pulse check: “Raise your hand if most of your learning this year was ‘check-the-box’ training.”
- Micro-pair: “Turn to a neighbor: what skill did you invest in this year that actually moved you forward?”
Getting people to participate in the first few minute’s shifts them from passive observation to active cognitive engagement, a state linked with higher satisfaction and better retention. One education study also found that interactive prompts at the start of sessions improved long-term recall and perceived relevance compared to traditional lecture formats.
Move 2: Start With Them, Not You
Lead with the promise and outcomes, then introduce yourself. The usual “Hi, I’m…” opener blurs you into the crowd; instead, start with why it matters to them and a crisp value statement.
Here is my draft:
- “What if your next year of learning added up to a career plan you can explain on one page?”
- “You’ll leave with a simple roadmap: how to pick the right goals, choose learning that stacks, and track progress you can show your leader.”
- “I am Todd. I help public procurement professionals align development to the careers they want—not just the courses available.”
Communication research shows that relevance framing, opening by focusing on the audience’s needs and goals enhances both comprehension and perceived credibility. Audiences remember beginnings best (the primacy effect), which makes those first lines your most valuable real estate.
In most presentations, we spend so much time perfecting the content that we forget the human side of how learning and connection happen. Slides and data matter—but people remember how you made them think and feel. Presentations are our chance to bridge information and purpose, to turn ideas into action.
Borrowing Yasir Khan’s two moves—early engagement and an audience-first opening—can help refocus on that connection. I will use this structure in my upcoming session and report back. If you try it, tell me what you noticed. Lifelong learning is not just something we talk about, it is something we practice, one presentation at a time.
Further Reading
- Yasir Khan’s website: https://www.speaklikeaceo.com
- AhaSlides. “Audience Engagement Statistics: A Complete Guide.” 2024. https://ahaslides.com/blog/audience-engagement-statistics-guide/
- Mohapatra, S., et al. “Effective Learner Engagement Strategies in Visual Presentations.” 2023. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED613285.pdf
- Duarte, Nancy. “Audience Engagement Strategies for Presentations.” 2023. https://www.duarte.com/blog/audience-engagement-strategies-presentations/
- WordCortex. “How to Start a Presentation: Grab Your Audience from the First Sentence.” 2024. https://wordcortex.com/how-to-start-a-presentation/
In most presentations, we spend so much time perfecting the content that we forget the human side of how learning and connection happen.
If you like this post, share here
Other posts in Learning by Design
Crafting Your Professional Journey in 2024
Todd Slater
