What is the best way to get an IMPAX Business Presentation off and running? How do I make a powerful initial impression that can carry me through the entire meeting? What's the worst thing I could do to kick off my presentation? These questions are critical for us to consider when preparing to make an IMPAX presentation.

Why is this so? All of us have probably heard at some point a version of the saying, "the first 90 seconds of a presentation are the most critical." After all, they convey so much about the presenter, including their degree of confidence and preparation.

We feel we can set the right tone during the first three pages of the presentation - the cover, the presentation objectives and the agenda. How do we do this? First, know the content and the intent of the pages.

The cover page is intended to help us get the meeting started. Here is our opportunity to thank the customer for their time, confirm the amount of time available for the meeting, and state our intent, e.g. "to make a business presentation highlighting the powerful business fit we feel could exist between our companies." The presentation objectives' page allows us to concisely state what we want to accomplish in the meeting. This is reassuring to our customer, as they now know that this meeting has a purpose and direction. The agenda simply lays out a roadmap, showing how we plan to accomplish our objectives.

Pretty simple stuff. So why do we so often see the first few pages of a presentation go off track for many presenters? Often it's in the delivery, bringing us to the second key idea o deliver it flawlessly. Rehearsing the presentation is certainly a critical success factor in the entire process, but if we rehearse the whole presentation several times before delivering it, we should rehearse the first three pages at least a few more times. It only takes a couple of extra minutes, but the benefit is huge. If we can nail the opening, it sets the tone for the whole meeting. This shows the audience that we are prepared and confident, and in turn gives them confidence that this is a good use of their time. By the way, never read any of these pages. This is certainly one of the worst things we could do to get a presentation started. Be sure to paraphrase the pages, so they don't start reading along with you. When that happens, their attention turns to the written presentation, instead of on you, where you want it.

Want to take it to the next level? Deliver the first three pages without ever looking at them. Flip the pages or advance the slides, but never look at them. Instead, look at the audience the entire time, making eye contact with all of the participants, especially the decision maker. Delivering the opening like this is truly compelling, and will help you drive the desired outcome.