Tip 43: Use the beginning to bring everyone up to speed
Members of your audience will typically come from different backgrounds and all may not come with the same level of baseline knowledge. It is vitally important to make sure they are all at the same level before you try to deliver your message. So use the beginning of your presentation to give background information and bring everyone in your audience to the same level.
Your understanding of your audience’s background will be crucial for you to work out where to start from – you need to know what knowledge is a common denominator and can therefore be assumed, and what knowledge may not be universal.
Don't worry about boring those who already have the basic knowledge – your introduction can provide a useful revision for those who already know, and most importantly, it provides them with confirmation that you have the basic understanding that is required for them to take you seriously.
You should also use the beginning to set the context of your presentation, to lay the foundation of what you will build in the middle part of the presentation.
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