How can you effectively open and close a presentation to clients?

I agree with Holly. Start in the place that's right for the room you're in. If you've prepared to open a presentation in a way that is suitable for a room of 25 people that you haven't met before, but when you arrive its actually 6 people sitting around a table then you need to adapt your style. Having the ability to do that from the beginning shows the audience that you're there for them, not just to deliver something you prepared earlier. That will engage them from the beginning....

While I absolutely see the value in grabbing the audience’s attention, I think it’s important to temper that approach and remember people are attending your presentation for a specific reason, so the sooner we get to that message, the better. I tend to find power openings a bit insulting to intelligence because it feels like you’re trying to “pull one over” on the audience. I know that sounds harsh, and im a huge fan of out of the box presentations, but I prefer an organic, unscripted (or feelings of being unscripted for those less comfortable with off the cuff performances) delivery. In my experience, these show you as genuine and sincere and are far more effective. But don’t let that stop you from cracking a joke or two!

Establishing rapport and trust within your audience is often the difference between engagement and buy-in and tuning out and losing the room. From my experience, believing your own pitch is the essential first step. Authenticity is palpable, and the best way to convince people of what your saying is showing you believe it in yourself. That's not always easy or possible, so the other thing I ensure every presentation I lead had is context specific to the audience and stakeholders involved. Show that you value their time, skillset, and workload by doing your homework, and setting the scene instead of just spewing facts. Showing that you're a thoughtful steward of their time and consideration goes a long way in building rapport.

We've seen through storytelling how exposing our own vulnerabilities connects us to the audience and their own vulnerabilities. When using this same principal to show clients how you've faced the same problem they're facing now, and how you overcame it, you position yourself as the approachable expert and your product is the solution the client so desperately needs. It's incredibly powerful in building rapport.

When delivering your message, it's particularly helpful to address every pain point your client has. Especially the ones they don't know they have. When you explain your widget tell them exactly how it can solve their problems while providing the particular attributes they're searching for. I spent a few months at a flooring company at the beginning of last year, and during that short time sold approximately 60k in flooring and installations. One of the things I would do when shoppers would come in is ask why they needed a new floor. What was important to them in their new floor (durability, style, cost, availability, etc) and go from there. This approach allowed me to be a problem solver rather than pushing product.